Children's Ministry Blog

Hey KidSpring Greenville!

Our NewSpring Greenville campus is moving to the Carolina First Center (CFC),  and we are thrilled to fill you in on the exciting environments we have available for kids, birth through 5th grade.  You will find our nursery, preschool, elementary and special needs ministries all within the new KidSpring area located on the upper level of the CFC.  Follow the signs as you enter the building, and check your children in at our “Start Stations”.

Our environments for each KidSpring area will be as follows…

Wonder Way: Babies and toddlers, ages birth through 18 months, are in a constant state of wonder as they begin to see and learn about God’s love through the people in their lives and the world in which they live. Wonder Way is a soft, colorful environment that is consistently staffed with caring adult volunteers who communicate and display God’s love to each child.  A foundation is laid for the basic truths:  God Made Me, God Loves Me, and God Cares for Me!

SpringTown: SpringTown, for ages 19 months-5 yrs old, is filled with fun adventures around every corner so preschoolers can play and learn!  With the help of dedicated volunteers, little ones will learn about God through activity stations, small group, interactive worship and Bible teaching.  These children begin to grasp that: Jesus is God’s Son, the Bible is God’s Word, and Jesus is My Friend.

ImagiNation:  Kids have the biggest imaginations!  ImagiNation captures the creativity of 5K-1st graders and allows them to learn about God in an interactive way.  They will experience age-appropriate activity stations, small group lessons, worship, and creative Bible teaching to help them understand: God Can Do all Things, The Bible is True and God Has a Plan for Me.

Jump Street:  Jump Street is where 2nd-3rd graders learn to to jump into God’s word and take their next step of faith.  Through age-appropriate activity stations, small groups, worship and creative Bible teaching, they’re encouraged to take that step in living out their faith at home, school and wherever life takes them.

Shockwave: In Shockwave’s cool and edgy environment, 4th-5th graders are challenged to live out their faith to impact their family, friends and community.  Age-appropriate activity stations, small groups, worship and creative Bible teaching provide practical ways kids can be waves of influence to those around them.

Spring Zone:  Through the ministry of Spring Zone, we are able to engage children with special needs. Trained volunteers lovingly serve these children and do whatever it takes to help them learn about Jesus on their level.  Every kid matters to God and every kid matters to us.

 
We are so excited about the opportunity to love and serve your family!  If you have any questions, please feel free to call our NewSpring offices at (864) 226-6585.

PRESCHOOL

Need to Know:   “I will tell everyone about Jesus!”
Motions:  “I will” = thumbs pointing to chest, “tell” = hands around mouth, “everyone” = point to others, “about Jesus” = point one finger to sky

Bible Story:  Peter tells a crowd about Jesus (Acts 2- The Beginner’s Bible)
Memory Verse “God loved the world so much, that He gave His only Son.”  John 3: 16a

Review: Jesus wants us to tell everyone about Him, and we can! We can tell everyone about Jesus! We can tell them we when see them, we can call them on the phone! We can even write them a letter or send them an e-mail! We should be telling everyone about Jesus!

ELEMENTARY

Need to Know:  Servant leaders help others in need without being asked!

Bible Story: Jacob moves to Egypt (Genesis 45: 16 – 47 Read and Learn Bible)

Memory verse:  “If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all others. Even Jesus did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free.”  Mark 10: 43 – 45

Review:  As servant leaders, we should be looking for those in need, and we should do something to help without being asked. If we will notice people, we will have the chance to be servant leaders by helping those around us without being asked. Who are some people around you who you can help? (Parents, brothers/sisters, friends, teachers, neighbors, coaches, grandparents.)

TAKING IT HOME  (Ideas for reinforcing what we’ve learned)

Review the Need to Know (main point) with your child.

1. At the dinner table while eating supper.
2. While tucking them in and saying prayers.
3. While driving in the car.

Be an example!

1. If your child is in preschool, let them see you telling others about Jesus.
2. If your child is in elementary, let them see you being a servant leader and helping others without being asked.

Reward/praise your child when they apply what they’ve learned!

1. If your child is in preschool,  when you see him or her telling others about Jesus, make sure you praise and reward them.
2. If your child is in elementary, when you see him or her helping others without being asked, make sure you praise and reward them.

We are so excited to be rustlin’ up a new series at KidSpring starting this Sunday.
We don’t want to give too much away, so here’s a little preview to get your boots a’ tappin’ as we journey through the Book of Exodus…

OTT Opener from Sydney Olin on Vimeo.

WAYS TO PRAY FOR YOUR CHILDREN…
“Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord.  Lift your hands toward Him for the life of your young children.” Lamentations 2:19

Sunday

• That they will know Christ as Savior early in life.  (Ps. 63:1; 2 Tim. 3:15)
• That they will have a hatred for sin and evil. (Ps. 97:10)

Monday

• That they would be caught when guilty. (Ps. 119:71)
• That they would be protected from the evil one in each area of their lives:  spiritual, emotional, physical. (Luke 2:52)

Tuesday

• That they will have a responsible attitude in all their interpersonal relationships. (Dan. 6:3)
• That they will respect those in authority over them. (Rom. 13:1)

Wednesday

• That they will desire the right kinds of friends and be protected from the wrong friends. (Proverbs 1:10-11)
• That they will be kept from the wrong mate and saved for the right one. (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)

Thursday

• That they, as well as those they marry, will be kept pure until marriage. (2 Corinthians 6:18-20)
• That they will learn to totally submit to God and actively resist Satan in all circumstances. (James 4:7)

Friday

• That they will be wholeheartedly sold out to serving Jesus Christ. (Romans 12:1-2)
• That they will be hedged in so that they cannot find their way to wrong people or wrong places, and that the wrong people cannot find their way to them. (Hosea 2:6)

Saturday

• That their children and grandchildren will know Christ as Savior and serve Him with their whole heart, soul, mind and strength.  (Matt. 22:37-38)
• That, when they leave home, it would be with an eternal perspective and Christ-like values and characteristics. (Is. 40:8)

My name is David Hall and I’m the Florence Campus KidSpring Director.  I love what I get to do, and I’m blessed to be a part of such an incredible church.  Before I go into more detail about some awesome stuff that’s going on in Florence, I thought I’d tell you a little about myself.  This is me in a nutshell:

• I love Jesus!
• I’m married to an incredible young lady named Bridget. She rocks.  A man couldn’t ask for a better wife.
• My wife and I are from Anderson.  We moved to Florence in July of 2008.
• I love kid cereal, no FiberOne for me, pass me the Cookie Crisp!
• I’ve been on staff at NewSpring Church for almost three and a half years now.  I started in February of 2006 part-time with the student ministry.
• I’m passionate about seeing kids fall in love with Jesus and His church.

God is doing some incredible things at the Florence campus, and I’m privileged to have a front row seat.  In the kids’ area alone, I get to see kids coming to church and learning Biblical truths in a way that they can understand and is fun.  I see kids enjoying church and wanting to come back.  I see people volunteering and giving their time and talents to further the Kingdom of God.  God is doing an incredible work in Florence through NewSpring Church and the volunteers who are willing to make it happen every Sunday!

I wanted to close by sharing a really cool story about how God is moving in Florence:

One Sunday, a greeter noticed a single mom and her kids that hadn’t been to church in over a month.  He went up to the family to welcome them back, and the mom’s reaction was priceless.  The mom said, “I just had to come back.  Every Sunday morning, when I get my kids out of bed they ask ‘When are we going back to that church?’ I had to bring them back!” That’s incredible!  Kids bringing their parents to church!  Praise God!

Do you have a private place for me to nurse my baby?
We have a Mom’s Viewing Room available for moms and babies birth to six weeks.  This is a ‘Moms Only’ room for women who are nursing their babies or whose babies are too young to enter our nursery. There are comfortable chairs, changing tables and other amenities available.  The service is shown by video on a TV in the room.  If a baby over six weeks is nursing, we ask that the baby be returned to NewSpring nursery following the feeding. 

How old does my baby need to be to attend the nursery?
Our nursery rooms are open to babies who are six weeks old and have completed their first round of immunizations.

How do I know when to move my baby to the next room?
Our nursery rooms are based on a baby’s agility and are divided into cuddlers, crawlers, walkers, and toddlers.  As your child progresses in his or her ability to explore, let our check-in volunteers know and they will assign him or her to the appropriate room. 

Will my child have the same caregiver each week?
Our volunteers are committed to providing the most excellent experience for babies week after week.  That means that they serve in the same room at the same service every week or every other week as their schedule permits.

How will you contact me if my child needs me?
If our children’s ministry staff needs to reach you during the service, your baby’s last name and the number on your identification tag will appear on the video screen in the main service and throughout the lobby.

What is the volunteer-child ratio in the nursery rooms?
Ratios of volunteers to babies have been established to maintain a fun and safe nursery environment. We average a 1:2 ratio for cuddlers and a 1:3 ratio for crawlers and walkers, 1-4 ratio for toddlers and 2 year olds.

What if my baby cries?
We understand that for some babies separation from loved ones can be difficult.  We strive to make that transition as smooth as possible.  If your child cries for an extended period of time, we will page you from the service unless you instruct us otherwise.

What measures have you taken to provide a secure environment for my baby?
When you drop off your child in our nursery, we understand that you are entrusting us with your most precious possession.  All our volunteers have cleared a federal background check and have been interviewed by our staff.  Security volunteers are also stationed in our children’s area.  No unauthorized adults are allowed to enter our nursery rooms.  Children in our care will be released only to the adult bearing the matching parent identification tag.

What if I lose my parent identification tag?
A replacement tag can be issued at the First Time Visitor Check-In area with proof of identification (photo ID).

Each Sunday, NewSpring children’s ministry provides a fun and engaging atmosphere where children meet Jesus and grow in their relationship with Him. A typical Sunday service for each classroom has three components:

ACTIVITY STATIONS:  The service begins with time for your child to play at the many age-appropriate activity stations, most of which relate to the theme of the current series.  The purpose of this time is for your child to feel comfortable, connect with friends and volunteer leaders and have FUN!
SMALL GROUP:  All children are assigned to the same small group each week so they can build strong friendships with their leader and peers. During small group, the leader goes over the lesson, emphasizing a main point for the week, and a Bible story that relays that point. Each group completes activities that reinforce the lesson, and they also discuss how to apply what they’ve learned!
LARGE GROUP:  All the children join together in front of a stage to be a part of a large group program. During large group, the children worship, play crazy games and participate in a creative presentation of the Bible story that utilizes video, puppets, live acting and audience participation.  We’ve found this interactive format to be incredibly successful in reinforcing the main point and the Bible story.

By the time you return to pick up your kids, don’t be surprised if they want to stay!

Many parents find the challenge of talking to their children about Jesus to be confusing and scary.  We want to help parents overcome this by giving them practical ways of discussing salvation with their kids.  In his book Leading Your Child to Jesus, David Staal, gives four “key dynamics” to remember when communicating with children.  These dynamics are vital to effectively discussing salvation with your kids.

Dynamic #1: Children understand concrete terms and language better than they understand abstract terms and language.  Staal encourages parents to avoid complicated symbolism and “religious” words and phrases.  For example, instead of the phrase “ask Jesus into your heart,” which can be confusing when taken literally, the phrase “start a personal relationship with Jesus” is a more concrete idea. 

Dynamic #2: Children are at different developmental levels.  Remembering that young children may have a difficult time understanding complicated words is key to talking to them about Jesus.  What a fifth grader understands will not be the same as what a preschooler understands.  Parents should be willing to get creative with how they talk to their kids about Jesus, not just using the hard-to-understand words they have become comfortable with, but using words that their child will be able to understand.

Dynamic #3: Children are most receptive to stories and terms they can relate to or picture.  Jesus was a master at this!  Instead of lecturing the crowds that listened to his teaching, he used stories that they could understand and identify with.  Talking to your children about your own experience can be very effective, as is using stories from the Bible.

Dynamic #4: Children may focus on, or be distracted by, a single detail in a story.  When telling stories to illustrate Biblical concepts for kids, it is essential to remember that your children may not be mature enough to handle every detail of the story.  While you may want to share how Jesus freed you from your addiction to drugs and alcohol, your child may not be ready to know every aspect of that story.  It is so important to prayerfully consider which details to reveal and which to skip over when sharing stories with your children.

We encourage parents to keep these dynamics in mind when talking to their kids about Jesus. (Staal’s book contains much more great advice on how to discuss salvation with children; you can purchase a copy of his book by clicking here.)  Don’t be afraid to talk to your kids about salvation; God has entrusted you with this task, and He will give you what you need to accomplish it!


“…we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done.”  Psalm 78:4