KIDS MINISTRY RESOURCES HOW TO REACH AND CONNECT WITH FAMILIES ONLINE Goal: To keep kids and families connected to God, church and each other and to challenge parents to take a bigger role in discipling their kids. PRESCHOOL 1. Main Bible Content • Strategy: Provide families of preschoolers with an engaging and fun church experience at home using our Sunday morning curriculum. • How? • Online Sunday Services: crosschurch.com/live • Parent Cue App: https://theparentcue.org/app. We customize our preschool families’ app experience by uploading additional activities and crafts for parents to use to engage their preschooler throughout the week. 2. Stay Connected • Strategy: Stay connected to our preschool families and Dream Team members (volunteers) to love, support, and encourage them during this season. • How? • Personalized, hand written cards to preschoolers and Dream Team members on a regular schedule. • Texts and phone calls to preschool parents and to Dream Team members. • We use Facebook and Instagram accounts for our ministry as a way to inform parents of ministry opportunities and to stay connected with them online. 3. Get Creative • Strategy: Come up with fun, creative opportunities to engage with families of preschoolers during social distancing. • How? • Drive-thru events: Opportunities for parents to bring preschoolers and pick-up activity bags. An added bonus to the drive-thru was staff dressed in character costumes. • Awana drive-thru: We hosted our end-of-the-year Awana Awards Celebration as a drive-thru. • Chalk driveways: We leave birthday messages and special “We miss you” messages to families on their driveways. • Sunday craft bags: We have provided craft bags for Preschoolers that go along with our Sunday morning lesson. • Social media challenges: We posted various social media challenges for preschool families to do together such as scavenger hunts, service challenges and scripture memory challenges. CHILDREN 1. Main Bible Content • Strategy: Provide kids with an engaging and fun church experience at home using our Sunday morning curriculum. • How? • Children Sunday online service: https: //www.dropbox.com/sh/ l54wvihj22svbfl/AABetY-cSmeB3Wa8rOq4koGTa?dl=0 • Parent Cue App: https://theparentcue.org/app. We customize our families’ app experience by uploading additional small group lessons for parents to use to engage their children throughout the week. 2. Social Media • Strategy: Expand our online audience. To provide fun activities to kids and families that they can do together with the goal of laughing together. • How? • @homechallenge. Each week we offer a different, simple challenge. CHILDRENS’ RESOURCES (Continued) • Challenge ideas include: Whip cream challenge, chubby bunny challenge, blanket fort challenge, scavenger hunt challenge and paper airplane challenge. 3. Make It Personal • Strategy: Help kids and Dream Teamers feel loved and appreciated during this time of social distancing. As well as build relationships with families and keep them connected to the church. • How? • Personal notes to every child as often as possible from the staff and small group leaders. • Phone calls/text to Dream Teamers every week. • Birthday Patrol: Drive-by parades for kids and Dream Team members on their birthday. • Chalking driveways 4. Stay Connected • Strategy: To keep kids connected to small group leaders, our staff, and each other, and to have fun! • How? • Zoom Calls (age-grade) • Invite Small group Leader to be a part of the Zoom calls. • Keep Zoom calls short. 20 minutes max. • Keep it personal by introducing family members, showing off pets, also let them see your silly side. • Play games such as Speak Out, silent karaoke, and scavenger hunt. • NOTE: Be ready for a bit of chaos because the younger they are the less they understand the mute function. Continued on page 10. . . 09
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