Some time ago Nancy/Niki, the amazing duo who run our Christian Education department at church, came up with a brilliant idea for developing leaders among the older elementary kids. They wanted to create an environment where young children could serve in ministry and leadership positions. Brilliant! Why wait for high school or college age to ask kids to start leading and serving?
Niki invited all interested children in grades 3rd through 5th (with some 6th grade stragglers); she formed a core team of willing kids and created the LC3 Serve Team. Now this team meets monthly for dinner and planning sessions. They practice, train and play. Each month the children come to the meetings armed with their calendar of availability (LOVE IT!) and sign up for ministry responsibilities.
Duties/Opportunities of Service Include:
1) Helping in the nursery
2) Working with the 2 and 3 year olds
3) Serving in the 4 year olds class
4) Leading worship in Promiseland (k thru 5th grade)
5) Acting in skits and dramas
What a gift for the children serving, the little ones being served and the church as a whole! These kids on the “Serve Team” are learning how to minister at church. They are learning the joy of giving of themselves. They are seeing how they can be a part of the body of believers and use their gifts, no matter what their age.
It is thrilling to think we are raising a new generation of children who are excited to be at church, who are taking responsibility for significant ministries at church, and who desire to be a blessing and a servant.
Let’s get that mixer and start making cookies!
During a brainstorming session, the serve team kids came up with several projects they wanted to do. One of them was to make meals for people in need. This week Niki and Nancy (seriously, did I already note how amazing and humble and full of grace, energy and true selflessness these women are!!) put together an entire meal making event. The families were divided into groups, assigned a station, and handed out their recipes and instructions. One team made up pieces of garlic bread. Another set out salad fixings. Still another group prepared the ingredients for lasagna rolls, and of course, it wouldn’t be a complete meal without a dessert (snickerdoodles).
Hurry, we need that Kitchen Aid inside, asap!
Each group prepared their part of the meal and then went to all of the stations to assemble the individual portions. There was even a table of blank notes and a bin of markers so we could write little notes. Next to that table was a collection of names of people who might enjoy a meal (everyone from singles, Prime Timers, and families with a deployed parent). On the slips of paper was the phone number and address so we could easily deliver our meal.
In between our cooking and assembling we had time to write a few notes.
Daniel spent nearly all of the time washing dishes. What a servant!
They think of everything! We had a blast making cookie dough and then going around the room and gathering our meal fixings. I didn’t get a picture of Niki (probably because she was running around answering all of our questions) and I wish I had taken a picture of our final dinner – so compact and ready for delivery. We dropped one meal off on our way home and left the other in the church fridge (all labeled and ready to be picked up on Sunday).
Would you trust these two in your kitchen? (Nice gloves, Debi and Nancy)
Serve Team Rocks!
Thank you Niki and Nancy for all your hard work.
Kathy
What a great opportunity for the kids to practice being the ‘hands and feet’ of Jesus, as they serve our church body with their gifts.
Thank you, Niki and Nancy, for your faithful service and example!
I love being on the serve team! The serving we do there is fun!
That was so fun I had a great time!!
That was so fun I had a great time cooking!
Love how the Serve Team gets a new generation involved in meaningful ministry. Good stuff.
Wow, what a wonderful way to make the kids feel apart of The Church. After about 9 they start feeling bored and useless to the church as a whole.