EQUIPPING THE EQUIPPERS
SBTC conferences and consultation provide direction for children's ministry
By Tammi Reed Ledbetter
The future of our church and country are the preschoolers and children
of today. How is your church equipping leaders to help children
develop a biblical worldview that will impact tomorrow?
The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Preschool and Children’s
Ministries can partner with your church in many areas, providing training or
guidance.
CONFERENCES AND LEADERSHIP TRAINING
Coming up soon are several conferences and leadership training for
church staff and volunteers who work in the areas of preschool and children’s
ministry. Embassy Suites Outdoor World in Grapevine is the site of
this year’s Preschool & Children’s Ministers’ Retreat at a cost
of $75 per individual or couple. Deluxe accommodations,
breakfast, banquet, conference fee and
materials are included in the cost, however
space is limited. Register soon by calling
Craig Beall at 877-953-7282 or log on to
www.sbtexas.com/children.
The retreat gets underway Friday
morning at 9:30 a.m. with free time included
that afternoon followed by a banquet
and roundtable discussion in the evening.
The retreat concludes on Saturday with several
sessions that morning. “This is a retreat which will
be both a relaxing getaway, but also a time of training
and leadership development,” said SBTC Church Ministries
Associate Craig Beall.
Houston is the site for this year’s Preschool & Children’s Leaders’
Conference on Oct. 13. Registration begins in August with the conference
beginning at 8:30 a.m. and concluding at 2 p.m. Lay leaders who work in
preschool and children’s area of church ministry will benefit from this one day
conference. “A mega-children’s conference is planned for 2008 drawing
participation from a four-state region,” Beall said.
Children’s choir leadership training is available Saturday, August 4 and 11
in Porter, Grapevine, Odessa, Austin and Kilgore. The $20 fee includes materials,
conference and lunch with training designed for all workers with children’s
choirs and children’s music in the local church and community. In
addition to large group meetings, break-out sessions and a roundtable discussion
will highlight what is working best across the state. For more information
contact Ken Lasater at 877-953-7282 or log on to
www.sbtexas.com/children.
GUIDING LOCAL CHURCH MINISTRY
SBTC also provides consultation with local churches in any area of preschool
and children’s ministry. Experienced workers can evaluate your
church’s ministry, review existing or new facilities, help you express appreciation
to your leaders, offer creative ideas for ministry and assist in developing
more effective education of children. “Our main goal is to train and equip those who serve in leadership positions
of the preschool and children’s ministry,” Beall explained. “This is done
in numerous ways from conferences to one-on-one consulting.”
CONSULTATIONS – “Sometimes churches need individual help because
every church is unique and different. This is a process of offering practical
advice and tools for churches,” Beall said. |
EVALUATIONS – This involves pointing churches in the right direction to
find evaluation tools for a specific area of ministry. “Utilizing facilities is of the utmost importance in children’s ministry,” Beall
added. “It is vitally important that your facility supports your children’s ministry
philosophy,” noting the benefit of having SBTC evaluate a local church’s
new or existing facilities. “Some churches use a traditional age-graded class
breakdown where children stay in the same room. Many churches are
using a rotation model, while others are using a large group which breaks
into small groups for discussion and application,” he noted. “Obviously, all of these will need a different facility setup.
We can help design from the beginning or give
ideas to re-organize space as needed.”
Consultants can also assist churches in setting
up or reorganizing a facility to provide
premium safety. “It helps to have an outsider
look at the safety of a facility and make typically
very simple recommendations.
CURRICULUM — Ideas for curriculum
which best fits the needs of the Sunday
School, children’s church, or discipleship can be
provided.
LEADERSHIP APPRECIATION – Consultants offer
practical ideas for recognizing the people who make it happen. “Encouragement can go a long way in keeping leaders excited
about their calling,” Beall reminded.
CHILDREN’S AND PARENT EDUCATION – “The church is not the primary
spiritual leader of a child,” Beall insisted. “That is the parent. Churches
must help parents understand their role as primary spiritual equipper of
their child and offer help to parents since most will not naturally know how
to provide this,” he added. “The church is a partner in a child’s spiritual upbringing, not the primary
care giver.”
SAFETY CONCERNS
The safety of a child is a great concern to parents when leaving their child
in another person’s care.The church must place the safety and security of
preschoolers and children as a priority. Does your church offer children the
safest possible environment? Here are some elements of a safe churchbased
ministry:
• an application process for volunteers.
• a waiting period for new members who desire to volunteer.
• criminal background check procedures for anyone in contact with children,
• A safe check-in and check-out system for children.
• proper sanitization of furniture and play items,
• a safe playground or play area,
• volunteers trained in basic first aide and CPR, and
• policies for the Preschool and Children’s Ministries.
If your church needs help with any of these areas, contact SBTC at 877-
953-7282. 
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