Music. Games. Activities. This is church for todays kids – if a church
uses the TeamKID resource.
Never fear – the program is not without a purpose. Indeed, it is focused
on teaching and reinforcing biblical truths.
And it is growing.
Music. Games. Activities. This is church for todays kids – if a church
uses the TeamKID resource.
Never fear – the program is not without a purpose. Indeed, it is focused
on teaching and reinforcing biblical truths.
And it is growing.
TeamKID has become a widely-used resource in Southern Baptist churches since
its introduction six years ago. The program is distributed by Lifeway Christian
Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. It uses recreation-based curriculum
to teach children basic Biblical concepts and comes in childrens and preschool
editions.
Although it originally was designed for churches to use as an after school
program, TeamKID often is used for Discipleship Training and other events as
well.
It has expanded from 36 to 52 weekly lessons since its inception in 1994 and
teaches lessons surrounding a main theme.
TeamKID teachers are called coaches. They lead students through a five-part
meeting that lasts for 90 minutes – warm-up (opening activities), workout
(Bible study), stretching (exercises in activity books), tournament (games)
and cool down (snacks).
Each week, children learn a Bible story through memory verses, music and activities.
Games reinforce the lesson, giving students a chance to practice what they learn.
A missions video also is available.
Because of the variety of activities, children can learn in many different
ways, said Kristi Lemoine, design editor for childrens discipleship at
Lifeway Christian Resources.
“Its designed to allow different types of learners – kids who
are active, kids who learn with music, kids who learn with paper and pens,”
Lemoine explained.
In Louisiana, more than 200 churches use the program. “Its an excellent
resource to use on Sunday evenings for preschool and children in Discipleship
Training,” said Ken Mooney, director of discipleship development for the
Louisiana Baptist Convention. “It has built into it a study on discipleship
and missions.”
The program also works well for outreach because the lessons do not build on
one another, Lemoine said. Visitors can easily adapt to the program through
the various activities.
The cost of the materials may seem expensive for churches with limited funds,
said Katri Whitlock, childrens and preschool ministries director at First
Baptist Church of Lake Charles. Products include the leaders guide and
students activity books, as well as special equipment for games and activities.
However, the resources are cost efficient because they can be used in several
ways, Whitlock stressed.
“When you go out and have to buy that equipment separately, its
more money. Ive discovered … (that) most of the time TeamKID is in the
middle or lower than most of things Ive looked at.”
Florida Boulevard Baptist Church in Baton Rouge has used TeamKID for four years.
Children are participating in the program this summer while the childrens
mission groups do not meet.
“The kids really enjoy all of the interaction and the idea of having games,”
Interim Childrens Director Vicki Abshire said.
TeamKID is ideal for a summer program because of the activities it offers,
Abshire said. Students take home worksheets that give them activities to do
throughout the week – something that can help minimize kids summer
boredom, she said.
Ridge Avenue Baptist Church started TeamKID this summer as its Wednesday night
childrens activity. The children have enjoyed the down-to-earth examples
and how they related to their own lives, Childrens Minister Sherrie Albritton
said.
“It was more practical to what theyre dealing with in childhood
today,” she said.
Whitlock uses TeamKID materials on several occasions. This summer, her church
has weekly events in which children partake in TeamKID lessons and activities.
TeamKID materials are undated regularly, making them appropriate for camps,
revivals, special events, summer programs or weekly activities, said Whitlock,
who wrote for the preschool version.
She said writers spend a lot of time getting to know characteristics of each
age group in order to design applicable lessons. “They spend a great deal
of time in Bible study and prayer in developing the lessons.”
Because stories and activities are designed for the different age levels and
have several options within each lesson, they can easily adapt to childrens
needs. “Its not overwhelmingly disciplinary. Its not like you
have a group of soldiers in your program,” Whitlock said. “Theyre
acting like children, and its okay to act like children.”
The options within the material make it easier for leaders, too. “The
leaders say everything is just right there – all they have to do is do
it,” Albritton said.
Louisiana Baptist leaders are hoping more churches will use the resource.
To that end, they have planned a week of TeamKID training sessions throughout
the state in August. LifeWay Christian Resources worker Larry Dry is scheduled
to lead the training. Sessions are set at Ridge Avenue Baptist Church in West
Monroe on August 17, Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport on August 18,
Kingsville Baptist Church in Pineville on August 19, Woodland Park Baptist Church
in Hammond on August 21, Florida Boulevard Baptist Church in Baton Rouge on
August 22 and First Baptist Church of Lake Charles on August 23.
(For details, persons should call Louisiana Baptist Convention offices at 800-622-6549
or 318-448-3402)