nurturing spiritual champions...organization, healthy food, and the prizes which include good books....

Nuts and Bolts of VBX Growing Spiritual Champions

Reaching Your Community with Vacation Bible School

Children Engaged in Prayer at Toronto Central SDA Church

Fun Activities for Children

To disciple or Not to Disciple? That is the Question

Nurturing

Spiritual

Champions

“We keep coming back every year, because your VBX is so

well done and my daughter is LOVING it!” Rosanna, a

mother from the nearby community said to me. Eli, a 10-

year-old boy, who is also from the area has been coming

for 6 years. He told me, “I like your VBX because people

here are very nice--they teach me about God and it’s the

best VBX on the block!” Comments like these keep us

motivated to make our annual VBX program, a community

outreach initiative.

Every summer, our church of 180 members, receives

around 85 children who attend our VBX program. More

than half come from the nearby community. Many of them

have been coming for more than a year, and some have

even brought their friends and neighbours. Why do they

keep coming back? We believe that the answer is found in

prayer, a relationship based on trust, and the power of the

Holy Spirit. Some things that were mentioned by parents,

which are also important, was the friendliness of the staff,

the care of the children, the quality of the programs, good

organization, healthy food, and the prizes which include good

books. Some have appreciated the fact that their children learn

practical things, like how to pray. Beatrix, a 4-year-old from the

community whose family is not Christian, often raised her hand

when it was time for prayer. One day, upon returning home, she

just gathered her parents in the living room and simply prayed

with them.

Last December, as part of our yearly door-to-door caroling one

evening, we chose a neighbourhood where some of our non-

SDA VBX family contacts lived. We sang for them and gave them

a gift book like we did for all the other homes. However, they

expressed even greater joy and surprise than their neighbours

because of their established relationship with us. One boy,

Oliver, quickly made a thank you card and ran after us to give it

to us. VBX can become your church’s biggest outreach initiative-

-one that brings the community to YOUR church. Pray for God’s

guidance, ask for the Holy Spirit and move out in faith.

Denisa Zita

Children’s Ministry Leader

Bowmanville SDA Church

To Disciple or Not Disciple? That is the Question.

Reaching Your Community With VBS

Do we have a choice? Jesus clearly gave a command that

everyone who accepts him should go and make disciples,

baptize them and teach them (Matthew 28:19, 20). Referred

to as “The Great Commission,” this passage of scripture does

not give a choice. Simply stated, everyone who accepts Jesus

as their Lord basically has no choice but to carry out their

Lord’s command—to disciple others. I like to think of it as

growing spiritual giants, especially as we think of children, or

little Christians as someone called them.

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, children had a special place.

He commanded the Israelites to teach (disciple) their children

(Deuteronomy 6:6 & 7). On one occasion when mothers were

carrying their children to Jesus for Him to bless them, the

disciples began turning them away; but Jesus was very clear in

declaring that He wanted them to receive the blessings He had

in store for them. He sternly rebuked the disciples and firmly

stated that it was important for the children to spend time with

Him; that it was important for them to come to Him so they

could learn lessons that He would teach them (Matthew 19:14).

Whose responsibility is it to disciple children? Should discipling

be done at home by parents, at church, by the leaders or at

school by teachers? Let me take away the guess work and very

definitively point out that it is the responsibility of all three

entities. Discipling begins in the home, supported by the

church and the school. Of course, I am referring to Adventist

schools. Students over the years have stated that they valued

the spiritual nurture (an integral part of discipling) in our

schools.

How does one disciple children? By intentionally teaching,

modeling and providing opportunities for them to clarify and

strengthen their relationship with God. By combining theory

with practice, children can be discipled so that they will be able

to articulate their beliefs, live and share their faith with others.

Dr. Janice Maitland, Editor

Children’s Ministries Newsletter


VBX, formally called VBS is a special event that occurs each year for

one or two weeks which spiritually impacts the lives of kids and

their families within our communities. These events require special

planning in order to execute an attention-catching performance.

Here are some tips to help you and your team plan for VBX.

1.Pray: prayer should be a part of every decision you make and

every task you perform. Encourage your church to pray for VBX

and its success. God is able to do all things if we ask in faith

2.Plan: Planning is vital to every successful VBX event

Form a committee in order to delegate tasks

When recruiting be sure to recruit people, who want to be there,

they will bring the best attitude and spirit to the program as

they work.

Include youth groups for example pathfinders, or AY team

member

Remember the importance of police background check for

those who are working with children at your church (allow

plenty of time for these procedures)

Recruit volunteers who are excited to be a part of the team

Select your venue, dates and times

Choose your program theme

Set your goals and working budget (evaluate attendance and

community outreach to determine attendance and projected

budget)

Set times lines to order materials, promoting, recruiting &

training, and buying supplies

Early preparation —> includes early advertising/registration

Empower by Training

One of the most important aspects of leading VBX is

empowering your team to do what they came to do…serve

children.

Enable your volunteers to take ownership of the areas you

have given them to work in.

Train the team on what is expected throughout the week,

what you need them to do, and where you want them to be.

Let them know the role they will play

Show them materials for the program, learn the song in

advance, practice the crafts etc.

Give guidelines – Some may be first time volunteers so it’s

important to go over basics e.g., Make sure the church

policies are clear and understood by all

Throughout the week be sure to encourage your volunteers by

making sure they know how much you appreciate them

At the end of VBX, if your budget allows, you could give small

tokens to volunteers to show appreciation.

Promote

Let your church and community know what, when, and

where

Get people excited

Social media is a quick and inexpensive way to reach people

Create social media graphic and encourage volunteers and

church family to share

Post signage in front of church. Let the community know

you are having a summer program and yes, we will take your

children for a view days

Create flyers and pass out in the community

Use this opportunity to introduce Jesus to children who

don’t know who Jesus is

Create a registration form, make sure the form asks for the

following:

Known allergies

Request permission for videos/pictures taking and posting them

on social media

Be prepared for accidents

Have first Aid Kit available for scratches and bruises Ensure someone on your team knows CPR Ensure there is security available on premises

Be Special; Be Friendly

It’s important to make all feel welcome and included “we

are all equal at the foot of the cross”

Closing: At the end of the VBX plan to share your amazing

experiences with the church and community

Plan a graduation and invite the community

Pray More

Go! It’s time. You have prayed, you have prepared, you have

trained. You are ready to love and introduce kids to Jesus.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not

hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them”.

Children will discover how to love, believe, trust and witness

as they engage in God’s big story of redemption

Beverly Brown

Children’s Ministries Leader

Meadowvale SDA Church

Nuts and Bolts of VBS


Throughout the Bible, God had spiritual champions. A

spiritual champion is one who is willing to stand for, and

further the cause of God irrespective of their

circumstances. Many of these spiritual champions were

groomed by their parents, grandparents, and mentors from

their childhood years. Notable examples are Joseph,

Moses, Miriam, Samuel, Esther, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach,

Abednego, and Timothy. In this article, I will be focusing on

one aspect of their grooming, the teaching of the word of

God.

Moses was very instructive as he described an important

model in helping children to develop a relationship with

God--the word of God should be passed from generation to

generation. “For He established a testimony in Jacob, and

appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our

fathers, that they should make them known to their

children: That the generation to come might know them,

even the children which should be born; who should arise

and declare them to their children: That they might set

their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but

keep His commandments” (Psalm 78: 5-7 KJV) .

Through the teaching of the scriptures by parents,

guardians, and mentors, the expectation was that the

children develop and embrace a biblical worldview that

would influence and direct their lives. The psalmist

declared, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto

my path” (Psalm 119:105 KJV). “How can a young person

stay on the path of purity? “By living according to your

word” (Psalm 119:9 NIV). This biblical worldview that God’s

word is a lamp, a guide, and helps one to stay on the path

of purity, helped the spiritual champions to stand for and

further the cause of God. For example, it helped Joseph to

resist the allurements of Potiphar’s wife, and it also helped

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to refrain from bowing

down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image. Further,

through the teaching of the scriptures, the children

acquired wisdom. In writing to the young pastor, Timothy,

Paul wrote, “And that from a child thou hast known the

holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto

salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15

KJV). In commenting on this text, many scholars believe that

Timothy was taught the scriptures by his grandmother, Lois,

and his mother, Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5 KJV).

Today our world is still in need of spiritual champions. “The

greatest want of the world is the want of men (and women) -

men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their inmost

souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its

right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the

needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the

heavens fall” (Ellen G. White, Education, p. 57).

God is counting on parents to carry on the biblical legacy of

growing spiritual champions as they teach their children the

scriptures. Ellen White stated:

“Children are what their parents make them by their

instruction, discipline, and example. Hence the overwhelming

importance of parental faithfulness in training the young for the

service of God. Children should early be taught the sacredness

of religious obligations,” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5

(Kindle Locations 830-831)).

The growing of spiritual champions is not limited to parents but

includes the work of leaders, mentors, and teachers in the

Children’s Ministries Department of our churches, who

complement the home by studying the Bible with the children,

sharing Bible stories with them, and helping them to memorize

bible texts and passages. The adage says, “It takes a village to

raise a child.”

Let us continue to work faithfully together to raise spiritual

champions..

Allan Chichester D.Min Children’s Ministries Director

Ontario Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Church

Growing Spiritual Champions


“Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from

him” (Psalm 127:3).

One of the joys in working with children is to see their

enthusiasm and their willingness to pray. They are always so

excited to pray---even the shy ones.

This year, as our church participated in its annual forty days

of prayer and devotional, our children were not left out; they

were also engaged in prayer, as a part of this wonderful and

enriching experience. We wanted children to experience

prayer for themselves as they grow closer to Jesus and to

always know that prayer is not only for adults but for

children as well. We wanted them to always know that

Jesus is delighted and happy when children pray to Him.

During this time, we focused on prayer during children's

Sabbath morning devotional time in the months of January

and February 2019. We also worked on the Adventure

prayer award, some of which we completed during Sabbath

morning devotional time and some of the requirements we

encouraged the children to complete at home.

On January 18, 2019, we started to have children's story

time every Friday night, focusing on the life of Jesus, from

His birth to His second coming. When we first started, the

children joined the adult prayer line but in order to create

more space for parents to call in with their children, we

created a children's prayer line. Parents called in with their

children to listen to a story, children presented their prayer

requests and then the children prayed for each other.

This prayer line concluded on February 15, 2019. It was

really wonderful to hear the excitement and joy when the

children called in with their parents and presented their

prayer requests. To listen to their beautiful voices as they

prayed for each other was truly a delight and a blessing. We

are reminded that “I have no greater joy than to hear that

my children are walking in the truth” ( 3 John 1:4).

Rocheal Morris Children's Ministry Leader

Toronto Central SDA church

Children Engaged in Prayer at Toronto Central Seventh-day Church

Volume 1, Issue 1

Make super soft play dough Super Soft Play Dough is a quick and easy, no cook recipe.

The play dough is incredibly soft and silky smooth, and the

conditioner adds a delightful smell to the sensory

experience. Toddlers and children will have hours of fun

with this play dough creating soft fluffy cloud creatures or

using cookie cutters to make prints.

What you will need 2 Cups Corn flour (corn starch)

1 Cup Hair Conditioner (any brand)

Food Colouring

*Extra Corn flour to add if mixture is still a little sticky*

How to make it 1. Place hair conditioner into a medium bowl and add a few drops of food colouring.

2. With a spoon, mix the colouring through the conditioner.

3. Add 1 cup of corn flour and stir. Then add the last cup of corn flour to the mixture.

Rosaida Hinds

Former Children’s Ministries Leader

Philadelphia SDA Church

Fun Activities for Children

Volume 1, Issue 1

Ministries Convention

Meet the Children’s Ministries Department

Children’s Ministries Events

Ministries Convention

VBS/VBX Training

Lucille Grondin Children’s Ministries Department

Secretary

Pastor Allan Chichester

Children’s Ministries

Department Director

Volume 1, Issue 1

Volume 1, Issue 1

“Train up a child in the way he

should go and when he is old he

will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

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