TruthSeekers

Youth Ministry, K-12

A.D. 2024 - 2025

Things To Do (rev. 9/28/2024)

• Sort out Store (dates)
• Sort out Snack
• Adapt prior games
• Girls vs Boys concepts
• List out specific administrative tasks required for TS participation
• Charity/giving drive, buy goats/donate/etc, ideally local
• Consider HS role, unique activities, more real-world/real-skill based
• Develop October’s lessons
• Designate October’s games
• Upload all registered kids' information
• Develop a dashboard for the team to use
• Medical releases sorted out
• Physical sign in / sign out sheet created
• Define small groups and provide starting points

Table of Contents

Preface        5

Mission        5

Methods        5

Christ Over All        5

Relationship-Building        5

Simplicity is Key        6

Word-Focused & Prayer-Driven        6

All Hands On Deck        6

Ministry is Worship        6

Structure        7

Overview        7

Schedule        7

Descriptions        7

Prep (Sanctuary/Lobby)        7

Opening (Dawson Chapel)        8

Games/Crafts (Sanctuary/other)        8

Lesson (Dawson Chapel)        8

Small Groups (Dawson Chapel/Teen Room/Others as needed)        8

Closing (Dawson Chapel)        9

Team        10

Requirements        10

3. Complete the Mandated Reporter training as required by law.        10

Teachers        10

Game Masters        10

Craft Pro’s        10

Small Group Leaders        11

Facilitators        11

Structure of TruthSeekers Activities        12

Games/Large Group Activities (TBD)        12

Ga Ga Ball        12

Capture the Flag        12

Shipwreck        12

Red Light Green Light        12

Dodgeball        12

Steal the Bacon (Captain Mode)        12

Film a Biblical Scene/Make a Movie        12

Lessons        13

Explanation of Approach        13

Lesson Components        13

Lesson & Small Group Structure        14

Small-Groups        14

Activities (TBD)        15

Lightning Rounds (TBD)        15

General Discussion Question Recommendations        15

Schedule        16

Preface

The purpose of this document is not to set forth an exhaustive and highly detailed manual for conducting youth ministry. Others have done this, and they have done it better. In Bowman’s current season, there is a need for a flexible, lightweight, and agile framework for midweek youth ministry that engages grades K-12.

Previously, Bowman has utilized a curriculum from Awana. While we appreciate and regularly give to Awana, we will be shifting to a model tailored to our immediate needs and capabilities. Lord willing, what follows will serve as just such a model.

Mission

The mission of Bowman Community Church’s youth ministry, Truth Seekers, is to reach the children of our church and local region with the Gospel of Christ and train them to serve him.

Methods

Christ Over All

Our mission is not to entertain children but to introduce them to the Savior, praying that the Spirit would work savingly in their lives.

“Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”
(Mt 6:33)

Perhaps we could apply this to our mission as,

“Seek first to present the glorious Jesus and his righteousness, and only then will the fun that follows be truly added to us.”

Relationship-Building

We must strive against the temptation to view the completion of activities as the final goal. Everything we do is simply to create occasions for the Gospel to go forth. This happens in the context of real relationships, and what we do at Truth Seekers ought to be seen as

creating occasions ——> to build relationships ——> through which the Gospel can be presented.

Simplicity is Key

The more complex something is, the harder it becomes to implement. We earnestly desire to make the greatest impact, so we must focus on making every effort in a way that does not overcomplicate the practicals. This looks like focusing on quality over quantity, preferring shorter lessons or simpler games that accomplish more engagement than longer lessons or more complicated games. See also Preface.

Word-Focused & Prayer-Driven

When Paul describes the armor of God, he does not only describe defensive items. We have armor, a shield, but also a sword. This is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph 6:17). Immediately after this, Paul says that, with this sword in hand, we are to be “praying at all times in the Spirit” (v. 18). Our ministry, if it is to be faithful, must model this: open bible and open mouths, praying. This should also be reflected in how we speak to the kids in everyday conversation. The participating kids should ‘detect’ our belief in Christianity (if they can), not in a forced way, but naturally.

All Hands On Deck

Every church that has children is blessed with the opportunity to disciple them. Because of this, every church that has children will experience difficulties brought on by our spiritual enemies—as the discipling of children is one of their most hated Kingdom activities. The temptation to settle into a role and grow comfortable with its predictability is strong in any church. Each of us will struggle with this. Therefore, we encourage all participating in this program to adopt an outward-facing, vigorous commitment to teamwork and collaboration. “Many hands make light work,” which is very much the case in ministry, where it is “all hands on deck.”

Ministry is Worship

This reality will encourage us on the most challenging days—and there will be some—. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.. You are serving Christ” (Col 3:23-24). When we rub each other the wrong way, or the kids have us at our wit's end, the comfort we must go to is this: I am serving Christ, who calls me to “present [my] body as a living sacrifice.. which is [my] spiritual worship” (Ro 12:1). Does the creator of all things not know all things, and see all things? Will he not smile upon the unseen sacrifices and sufferings you endure for the “least of these,” the children to whom he said, “Let them come to me”? He knows, he sees, he will smile. That’s our goal—to please him.

Structure

Overview

The timeframe for TruthSeekers is Wednesdays from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, following the Evergreen school calendar, found here:

https://www.evergreenusd.org/documents/Calendar/2408-School-Calendar.pdf

Team members are asked to plan for 5:45 PM to 7:45 PM, to ensure setup and teardown is completed swiftly and efficiently.

TruthSeekers will require usage of the entire campus, including the sanctuary, chapel, teen room, and activity rooms in all buildings.

Schedule

Descriptions

Prep (Sanctuary/Lobby)

Drop off — kids are dropped off and have free time in the gym. At least two adults must be present.

Sign in — a parent/guardian must sign their child in (authorized substitutes must be reflected in writing).

Connect with families — while our program focuses on the kids, we must also take every opportunity to connect with their families. This period is when this can occur (also sign out).

Administration — these 15 minutes can be used to complete any administrative tasks, such as speaking with parents about missing documentation or behavioral concerns.

Opening (Dawson Chapel)

Opening — as the kids settle into the pews of Dawson Chapel, this opening portion will grab their attention and focus them. There will also be a regular, catechizing element (e.g. a slogan we all say together, or a call and response).

Announcements — important information or announcements will be given here and at closing.

Music — one to two songs accessible to all ages, ideally involving multiple team members and kids.

*Icebreaker/activity — a quick, socially-integrating activity to prime the kids for games. Simple, not requiring materials or setup. *May be skipped for time.

Games/Crafts (Sanctuary/other)

Game/craft time — during opening, Game Masters/Craft Pro’s and/or Facilitators will be setting up the area for use.

Flex time — if a child or other matter needs particular attention, it can be done in this time block. This isn’t a block on its own, simply another purpose for the game/craft time

Lesson (Dawson Chapel)

Lesson — the Teacher provides the lesson and all other team members assist in maintaining the kids’ attentiveness and good conduct.

Small Groups (Dawson Chapel/Teen Room/Others as needed)

Small group activity — after the lesson, the kids are divided accorded to group, team, or age (depending on the make-up of those participating). Ideally, this division will be consistent over time, encouraging friendships and connections with the same people.

Processing — the small group activity should encourage critical thought of what was taught, i.e. what does it mean?

Application — the small group activity should apply what was taught in the lesson, i.e. how does it look in my life?

Memorization — the small group activity should also have a simple, one-sentence memorization component, either directly or indirectly derived from Scripture.

Closing (Dawson Chapel)

Closing — after small group activities are completed, all of the kids are gathered back in the chapel for the final portion of TS. This closing portion will reiterate the lesson, congratulate the game time, and encourage discussion of small group time.

Prayer — a prayer will be made for the kids, volunteers, salvation, and protection.

Reiteration of announcements — secondary announcements or reiteration of opening announcements.

Benediction — doxology or other simple song/recitation.

Sign out — the same parent/guardian who signed them in (or authorized substitute with written permission from said parent/guardian) must sign the child out.

Tear down — all modifications of church facilities are reset in preparation for other ministry usage.

Team

Requirements

All members of the TruthSeekers team must meet the following requirements:

1. Be an active participant in the church for six months before volunteering.
2. Complete and pass a LiveScan background check and fingerprinting.

3. Complete the Mandated Reporter training as required by law.

1. https://mandatedreportertraining.com/course/ca-religious-organization-volunteers/
2. Create an account for individual
3. Complete the training
4. Save the certificate before closing the window (you will lose it otherwise)

4. Acknowledge the church’s Statement of Faith.
5. Agree to the church’s policies and procedures.

Finally, we ask that all volunteers strive to maintain a cheerful joy for the privilege of pouring one’s life out for children for the sake of Jesus Christ. We ask that each volunteer embrace their role with a positive mindset, and strive to bring their time and talents to bear in an impactful way upon their work. The Lord will bless this!

Teachers

These team members are tasked with presenting the lesson to the children. The curriculum will be designed to minimize the total preparation time, but some lesson prep will still be required. Ideally, the lesson prep will be less focused on learning the material as it is and more focused on how to express it confidently and creatively in an engaging way.

Game Masters

These team members oversee and facilitate the game time portion of TS. They are also relied upon to coordinate with the Facilitators in tracking the scores and other data points related to games over time. Competition, if positioned correctly in the program, can be a strong motivator and attraction.

Craft Pro’s

Historically, Bowman has had a semi-regular craft component to its youth ministry. This has been a crowd-favorite and will continue in this new model. These team members are tasked with designing and executing a craft project once every other month (four craft sessions).

Small Group Leaders

These team members lead a small group activity after the lesson. There are many reasons for breaking off into small groups, not the least of which is the opportunity to spend time building relationships with the kids in less-crowded settings. Small groups also allow us to minister to the kids in groups of similar ages, if present.

Facilitators

These team members are the crucial connective parts of this ministry. Teachers, Game Masters, Craft Pro’s, and Small Group Leaders will have their own emergent needs, and Facilitators are there to ensure they have what they need to get their job done. Facilitators function as “floating” support, ready to step in and help with an emergent need, or complete a task needed to support another team member.

Structure of TruthSeekers Activities

The full lesson and small group curriculum can be found here.

Games/Large Group Activities (TBD)

Ga Ga Ball

Capture the Flag

Shipwreck

Red Light Green Light

Dodgeball

Steal the Bacon (Captain Mode)

Film a Biblical Scene/Make a Movie

Lessons

Explanation of Approach

We are not using the New City Catechism for the 2024-2025 year.

Much consideration was given to creating a set of lesson plans that would streamline teacher preparation time and enhance lesson quality. In practice, several elements are necessary for this optimization to occur. The structure of a lesson must be

1. focused and simple;
2. flexible, able to accommodate different Teacher styles and preferences;
3. robust, able to speak to grades K-12 in one context^[1];
4. and nonspecific, able to be adapted to different content (Bible, catechism, etc.).

Considering these things, this document will now conclude with the lesson structure and proposed list of lesson topics for the year.

Lesson Components

Timeframe: 6:45 PM - 7:05 PM (20 minutes)

• Visual Component

• Digital whiteboard, such as iPad or other device

• Use shared material for continuity

• Physical whiteboard
• Crafted/custom materials
• Slideshow
• Video

• Didactic (Teaching/Instruction) Component

• Present a concept derived from Scripture, directly or indirectly
• Explain its meaning/tell its story
• Speak plainly to different age levels, in hearing of the others
• ^[2]Provide illustrations (perhaps using Visual Component)
• Describe what it is or how it looks vs. what it isn’t

• If a story, how does it relate to us vs. how does it not?

• Interactive Component

• Continuous questioning

• 80% easy, 20% challenging
• Have rewards on standby, points or bucks (save candy for holidays)

• Engage the squirrely ones
• Reinforce and reward engagement
• Quickly and simply manage distractions/problem behaviors
• Get the kids on their feet
• Involve their bodies

The above list is not sequential/chronological; teachers are not expected to do every item in its listed order. Instead, teachers should use this list as a reference point to develop their lessons according to their style and preference. By operating from a standard model, lessons can be tailored to the Teacher without sacrificing continuity (lessons don’t vary widely depending on the Teacher.

Lesson & Small Group Structure

Lessons are 15 minutes long and will be given to all ages. Our general recommended structure is:

1. Hook & Main Point (2 ½ minutes)

1. Hook — use an attention-grabbing anecdote, visual component, question, or other method to grab everyone’s attention.
2. Main Point — use the hook to transition into your Main Point. Explain what we will be learning in this lesson.

2. Scripture Reading & Explanation (5 minutes)

1. Scripture Reading — select a text (or multiple texts) to use as the basis of the lesson. Read it, either by yourself or involving others.
2. Explanation — explain what the text is saying. Cover any relevant context to help clarify the meaning. Help them better understand who God is, what he’s done, and what he’s doing/will do.

3. Interactive (7 ½ minutes)

1. Activity
2. Lightning Round
3. Older vs. Younger

Small-Groups

Small groups are 15 minutes long and divided by age/development level. The following are recommendations on how to use this time.

Activities (TBD)

Lightning Rounds (TBD)

General Discussion Question Recommendations

• “Where” is Jesus? — Talk about how the lesson and/or Bible verses point to, or reveal, Jesus.
• What have we learned about who God is? — Reflect on the insights gained about God’s character and attributes. How have we come to know God more?
• What have we learned about this world we live in? — Reflect on the lessons learned about creation, its purpose, and our role within it.
• “Where” am I? — Discuss where we “fit in” to the lesson and/or Bible verses. How does it speak to how we live our lives in God’s great creation?
• What have we learned about who we are? — Examine the understanding of our identity, purpose, and value as God’s creation.

Schedule