Session 1
24 June 2021 (Thu), 10:30am-12pm
"Let The Little Children Come To Me" - Recognising the Centrality of Children in God's Kingdom
Across the global church, there is a spectrum of opinions and practices relating to how prominently children should feature in church life. While some hew to a practical perspective ("we need a place where kids won't get into trouble"), others adopt a more strategic view ("if children are the leaders of tomorrow, then we should start investing in them now"). Most fall somewhere in the middle, where children are both simultaneously a problem to be tackled as well as an opportunity to be seized.
But what is a Biblical view of children? What does God's Word have to say about kids and where they fit in God's plan of human redemption and reconciliation? As we explore this topic through the lens of Jesus' interaction with children during His earthly ministry, we will discover why He made the famous declaration: "let the little children come to Me", and what it means for us as a church today.
24 June 2021 (Thu), 10:30am-12pm
"Let The Little Children Come To Me" - Recognising the Centrality of Children in God's Kingdom
Across the global church, there is a spectrum of opinions and practices relating to how prominently children should feature in church life. While some hew to a practical perspective ("we need a place where kids won't get into trouble"), others adopt a more strategic view ("if children are the leaders of tomorrow, then we should start investing in them now"). Most fall somewhere in the middle, where children are both simultaneously a problem to be tackled as well as an opportunity to be seized.
But what is a Biblical view of children? What does God's Word have to say about kids and where they fit in God's plan of human redemption and reconciliation? As we explore this topic through the lens of Jesus' interaction with children during His earthly ministry, we will discover why He made the famous declaration: "let the little children come to Me", and what it means for us as a church today.
Session 2
25 June 2021 (Fri), 10:30am-12pm
Engaging Children Effectively During Praise and Worship
Psalm 8:2 talks about how supernatural power is released when children praise God. But how do we even get our kids to a place where they are praising and worshipping on a Sunday morning? The older ones are uninterested. The younger ones are clueless. Those in-between are more interested in talking to their neighbours than singing along with the increasingly frustrated and frantic worship leader.
In this session, participants will learn how they can effectively engage children by approaching and entering their world, through a better understanding of every child's preferred learning style, as well as different expressions of worship.
25 June 2021 (Fri), 10:30am-12pm
Engaging Children Effectively During Praise and Worship
Psalm 8:2 talks about how supernatural power is released when children praise God. But how do we even get our kids to a place where they are praising and worshipping on a Sunday morning? The older ones are uninterested. The younger ones are clueless. Those in-between are more interested in talking to their neighbours than singing along with the increasingly frustrated and frantic worship leader.
In this session, participants will learn how they can effectively engage children by approaching and entering their world, through a better understanding of every child's preferred learning style, as well as different expressions of worship.
Session 3
26 June 2021 (Sat), 10:30am-12pm
Facilitating A Conducive Environment for Children to Worship
"If it worked for them, it should work for us." There is no worse assumption than the one where we simply take what worked for someone else, slap it on our own church or ministry, and then expect similar results. The truth of the matter is that every congregation is unique, and every demographic subgroup within a church is unique too. The good news is that while there is no "one size fits all" model that we can apply to create an environment where children feel welcome and excited to worship, there are universal principles every church can learn that they can then adapt to their own unique circumstances.
In this session, participants will learn key principles for facilitating a conducive environment for children to worship, and how worship leading is not just the responsibility of the team that's "on stage".
26 June 2021 (Sat), 10:30am-12pm
Facilitating A Conducive Environment for Children to Worship
"If it worked for them, it should work for us." There is no worse assumption than the one where we simply take what worked for someone else, slap it on our own church or ministry, and then expect similar results. The truth of the matter is that every congregation is unique, and every demographic subgroup within a church is unique too. The good news is that while there is no "one size fits all" model that we can apply to create an environment where children feel welcome and excited to worship, there are universal principles every church can learn that they can then adapt to their own unique circumstances.
In this session, participants will learn key principles for facilitating a conducive environment for children to worship, and how worship leading is not just the responsibility of the team that's "on stage".
Session 4
26 June 2021 (Sat), 1-2pm
"I Made A Difference To This One" - Conclusion / Q&A
In this closing session, participants will be invited to design and share a kids' church worship plan that works in their own church context. Through the cross-sharing of ideas and perspectives, participants will be able to glean creative ideas and best practices that will help their own children's ministries to grow in the area of worship. Time will also be set aside for participants to ask the speakers any questions that they have pertaining to the topic.
26 June 2021 (Sat), 1-2pm
"I Made A Difference To This One" - Conclusion / Q&A
In this closing session, participants will be invited to design and share a kids' church worship plan that works in their own church context. Through the cross-sharing of ideas and perspectives, participants will be able to glean creative ideas and best practices that will help their own children's ministries to grow in the area of worship. Time will also be set aside for participants to ask the speakers any questions that they have pertaining to the topic.
INSTRUCTORS
Elvin and Esther Foong are full-time itinerant families and kids' ministers, as well as the founders of The Treasure Box Singapore (www.thetreasurebox.sg) – a products and services company that aims to inspire, train and equip parents with the tools they need to lead their families in seeking God together. They believe that every parent's first ministry is to their home - and their first disciples are their own kids. Their vision is for a generation of spiritually healthy families to rise up and display Jesus' love to a lost and broken world. Elvin and Esther have been happily married for 13 years and have 2 lovely children – Nathan (10) and Phoebe (8).