2008 Annual Report

Ministry Name:  Children Ministries

Ministry Purpose:

 

The purpose of the Children’s Ministry at St. John Mennonite Church is to WIN kids to Jesus Christ, to help them GROW in their faith and to EQUIP them to make a positive Christian impact in their families, schools and neighborhoods.

 

 

Pioneer Club is our Wednesday night outreach ministry to the kids in our communities.  It is a fun place for kids to build friendships, develop new skills, learn biblical truths, play games and hear how they can have relationship with Jesus Christ.  Pioneer Club is for kids 3 years old through the 6^th grade and runs from 7:00 - 8:30 PM on Wednesday nights October through April.

 

Nursery is offered for Infants (0-1 year) and Toddlers (1-2 years) during most regular church activities.  We believe the nursery is more than just babysitting---it is an opportunity to show these little ones the love of Christ.  “Changing diapers, changing lives”

 

Sunday School is offered to all children 2 years old and older on Sunday mornings.  This is a time for kids to grow in their relationship with God by studying His Word and seeing how this relationship can be meaningful to them not just on Sundays but everyday of the week.

 

Children’s Church is a structured learning and activity time for 2 & 3 year olds during the second worship service.  Here they have fun while hearing a Bible story or video, doing activity sheets, eating snacks and playing with toys and puzzles.

 

Vacation Bible School exists as an intentional effort of the Pandora Ministerial Association to work collectively to minister to the Pandora and Gilboa communities.  Our purpose is to provide an enjoyable environment for children to learn about God and Biblical values; who He is, what Christ did, how we can have a relationship with Him and how God expects us to live a Christ-like life in everyday situations.

 

The “ROCK” is a ministry just for 6^th Graders on Sunday nights at 6 PM.  These are fun nights of Bible study, games and special events as we seek to help these guys and girls build on a firm foundation --- the Rock!

 

Kids Night Out is a ministry designed to be a safe environment where children can attend while their parents are attending a Cell Group.  Care is provided for children from infant up through sixth grade.  Games, crafts and an educational component that informs the children of mission projects that our church supports are included.

Leader of the Ministry

 

Duane Weaver is the Director of Children Ministries

 

Ministry Workers

 

Children Ministries require the loving dedication and support of 282 paid and volunteer staff.  Below is a table which indicates the approximate number of staff needed in each area.

 

Pioneer Clubs	40	Vacation Bible School	110
Infant and Toddler Nurseries	60	The Rock	2
Sunday School	31	Combined Children’s Church	5
Children’s Church	24	Kids Night Out	10*

2008 Total Volunteers:  272                                            *10 Paid Staff

Number of People Served

 

Pioneer Clubs	152	Vacation Bible School	148
Infant and Toddler Nurseries	23	The Rock	13
Sunday School	115	Kids Night Out	25
Children’s Church	30	Summer Camp	17

2008 Children Ministry Enrollment:  523

Special Blessings/Accomplishments

·         Led 3 Child Dedication services where the parents dedicated 8 children

·         Planned Pioneer Club Sunday where I delivered the message “Revolutionary Parenting: What It Takes to Raise Modern-day Spiritual Champions.”

·         Attended the Drive Conference at Northpoint Community Church in Atlanta with the staff.

·         Served as the Pandora Community Vacation Bible School Planning Committee Chair.

·         Hosted the Pandora Community Vacation Bible School.  The Planning Committee trained the St. John Youth department to provide leadership for the VBS called Jerusalem:  The Marketplace.  They did an outstanding job.  148 boys and girls were registered averaging about 110 in attendance per night.

·         Served on the Building and Steering Committees to present to Council a building plan to be voted on by the congregation.  The vote fell short of the two-thirds vote needed to pass.

·         I was privileged to have several visits with Herb Probst before his passing.  Precious moments.

·         Planned and executed an outreach program for Pioneer Clubs that had over 300 in attendance.  Dan the Animal Man presented short programs at 4 area schools (Pandora, Bluffton, Columbus Grove and Ottawa Elementary) inviting children to attend the main event at Pioneer Clubs where he presented the gospel message.  Thirty requests for more information were followed up.

·         Replaced the Trunk or Treat Night with a successful Barnyard Festival at Pioneer Clubs.

Prayer Request/Priorities for Upcoming Year

·         Would like to form a Library Committee to reorganize the Library and utilize current technologies available for tracking and cataloging.

·         Must recruit ministry leaders to fill the positions on the organizational chart for Pioneer Clubs, Sunday School, Child Care, and Children’s Church.

·         If the Water/Sewer Project passes, would like to partner with the Teaching Mentoring Communities organization (formally the Texas Migrant Council) to develop plans for a permanent outdoor playground overtop the current leech bed.

·         As the staff continues to pursue solutions for the capacity issues, would like to continue to explore the option of expanding children’s church up to grades three or four.