Central District Children’s Coordination Fellowship

(last updated August 27, 2011)

Corporate Time

Location: Main Meeting Hall

Time: 10:00 – 10:20 am

1. Children can start to develop a familiarity with the corporate meeting.
2. Saints can see the children.

Opening Time

Location: Small Hall

Time: 10:20 – 10:45 am

Goal: Set the atmosphere to welcome, open and cheer up the children

1. Those leading opening time should be in the small hall at 10 am.
2. All workers should plan to be in the opening time.
3. The focus of opening time is on the children singing & enjoying, to help the children open up This is not a time for the workers to share Bible lessons and stories, as that is what the lesson time is for.
4. Those leading the opening time singing should help bring in a cherishing atmosphere by coming exercised in the enjoyment of Christ.
5. All workers and those leading the opening time should be sensitive to how the children are doing that morning, and help to bring in each of the children into an enjoyable opening time.  
6. All the serving ones on every level are responsible for ensuring each child’s behavior does not distract others nor is inappropriate during opening time.
7. The focus of opening time is on the children singing & enjoying the songs etc. with those leading the opening time ensuring that the content is appropriate for all ages of children present.  Leading the children in a spiritual group exercise using spiritual terms (i.e. the blood of Christ), and leading the children in life practices such as calling on the Lord, are discouraged and not appropriate for the opening time.
8. All times of our care of our children on the Lord’s Day are covered in prayer and fellowship by the brothers who labor on children’s work in the district.  If you have a new song you would like to have printed and shared, or a new approach to the opening time, please fellowship with the brothers ahead of time. We all benefit and learn from the prayer, care and fellowship with each other.

Group/Level Time

Goal: Spending quality time with the children in smaller groups - sharing age appropriate Bible lessons, Bible stories and/or other activities – to help put the truth into them.

Location: Varies by level                                                                                    Time: 10:45 am – 11:45 am

1. Verses & Lesson

1. Please help to remind the parents to work with their child during the week to ensure that their child is prepared to recite their Bible memory verse before arriving at the children’s meeting.

2. Rewards for Bible verse memorization are given out during this time by the children’s workers.
3. The children’s workers are responsible for ensuring each child’s behavior does not distract others nor is inappropriate during the level time.
4. The focus of the verses and level time is for the children to receive the truth and benefit from the Bible lessons / Bible stories.  The lesson content has been developed to be age appropriate for each specific level. Please refrain from introducing other lessons and life-practices outside of the scope of the lesson.
5. If you have any concerns or fellowship about the group time, please fellowship with the brothers.

2. Snack/Craft/Recreation

1. Workers should be with the children at all times. Do not allow the children go anywhere                   without supervision.
2. Every child should be overseen and attended to by their worker especially when outside.
3. There is a bandage first aid kit kept by the ushers if needed
4. Please be aware of any children’s food allergies when providing the snack to your level.
5. The children should be back in their cabins 5 minutes before the meeting ends, so that their parents will know where to pick them up.

Distracting Behavior Policy

1. All workers are responsible to ensure appropriate behavior for their assigned children and are accountable to address any behavior concerns directly with the child who is in their level.  Addressing behavior issues should be done in private with the child, if possible, and the worker may step out of the level with the child and address the issue.
2. After the first attempt and if a second behavior issue arises, then a worker may go directly to a brother who will be acting as the “principal”.   The worker may ask the usher to request the brother acting as the “principal” to step outside of the big meeting and then share with the brother the disruptive behavior and ask the brother to speak to their child, while leaving the child with the brother and returning to their level to continue their lesson/or recreation.  The brother acting as the “principal” may return their child to the level/recreation after spending time with the child to talk about the behavior and after the child has expressed understanding of the problem and why it is not acceptable behavior.  The brother acting as “principal” may discus the disruptive behavior and worker concerns directly with the child’s parent after the meeting.  
3. After the second attempt and if a third behavior issue arises, then a worker may go find the parent (either in the big meeting asking the usher to request the parent to step outside the big meeting or find the parent in another level and ask them to step outside their level) and share with the parent the disruptive behavior and ask the parent to speak to their child, while leaving the child with the parent and returning to their level to continue their lesson.  The parent of the child may return their child to the level only after they have spoken to the child and the child has expressed understanding of the problem and why it is not acceptable behavior.  

Coordinating Brothers Contact Information

Armando Gonzales – armandoinaustin@gmail.com – 512.797.4201

Isai Pozos – isaipozos@gmail.com – 512.294.4967