You Can't Build a Church on Kids

[FSSL]

Let me start by saying, I hope God blesses your summer kids' programs. I am not against them. I believe they have limited to zilch value in growing a church.

I am not a big advocate on relying on VBS, bus ministry or AWANA to grow churches. Why? Because relying on kids to build a church just does not work. Why would it?

How can parents be creatively incorporated in these programs? Why do we focus so heavily on a demographic that cannot grow a church?

Someone needs to ask the question... Might as well be me O0

 

[OZZY]

Where are we told to build the church ?

 

[FSSL]

The preposition "on" giving you difficulty?

 

[rsc2a]

If nothing else, they aren't strong enough to support the loads necessary. I recommend hiring a reputable engineer prior to building your church, and they will be able to provide the specifications for your particular soils and size the footings to support the size church you hope to build.

 

[Vandal]

If nothing else, they aren't strong enough to support the loads necessary. I recommend hiring a reputable engineer prior to building your church, and they will be able to provide the specifications for your particular soils and size the footings to support the size church you hope to build.

LOL!!

 

[FSSL]

LOL! Even Clinton had an easier time with the word "is."

 

[Izdaari]

If nothing else, they aren't strong enough to support the loads necessary. I recommend hiring a reputable engineer prior to building your church, and they will be able to provide the specifications for your particular soils and size the footings to support the size church you hope to build.

Right, kids make terrible building materials. The conventional popular inanimate materials, such as wood, concrete, steel, etc., are all much better. Consulting an engineer is a very good idea.

 

[ALAYMAN]

Christ builds the church, via the proclaimed gospel, period.


And I sure am glad that while going door-to-door (another thing you have lampooned and looked down your nose at on this forum) yesterday in order to sign kids up for VBS that a young mother heard the gospel and trusted Christ.  Having her there today at church with her three small children, making it public before the entire congregation, just icing on the cake.  She'll be baptized soon as well, but outreach to children ain't the way Christ builds his church, is it.

 

[FSSL]

Touchy! So touchy you could not read my entire post.

I am glad you got in touch with a parent. Oh... You didn't read that part.

Now that Alayman gave us one example, are there other examples of how to incorporate parents into these programs to reach them as well?

 

[ALAYMAN]

Touchy! So touchy you could not read my entire post.

I am glad you got in touch with a parent. Oh... You didn't read that part.

Now that Alayman gave us one example, are there other examples of how to incorporate parents into these programs to reach them as well?

Your last statement was...

How can parents be creatively incorporated in these programs? Why do we focus so heavily on a demographic that cannot grow a church?

So VBS is "heavily focusing"?  You're whole OP was nothing more than a personal rant steeped in petty bias.

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

Let me start by saying, I hope God blesses your summer kids' programs. I am not against them. I believe they have limited to zilch value in growing a church.

I am not a big advocate on relying on VBS, bus ministry or AWANA to grow churches. Why? Because relying on kids to build a church just does not work. Why would it?

How can parents be creatively incorporated in these programs? Why do we focus so heavily on a demographic that cannot grow a church?

Someone needs to ask the question... Might as well be me O0

You make the assumption that the parents are totally outside the equation.
Our experience has been that often a families first exposure to our church is thru their children's participation in one of our 'programs'.
The parents are always invited to activities around these programs and we always have parents saved and assimilated into our ministry thru this process.

 

[FSSL]

You make the assumption that the parents are totally outside the equation.

I have served in three churches and all three did not incorporate parents into these programs.

So, tell us, specifically, how you incorporated parents into your VBS and AWANA programs.

There is alot of dancing going on...

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

You make the assumption that the parents are totally outside the equation.

I have served in three churches and all three did not incorporate parents into these programs.

So, tell us, specifically, how you incorporated parents into your VBS and AWANA programs.

There is alot of dancing going on...

We don't have AWANA and I'm not sure of how you define incorporate.....but I can tell you that we have,for years reached family after family thru our children's ministry.
We have 15 families visit our services the past 2 weeks since VBS ended.....three of our current Deacons first came to our services because of Children's ministry.

Now, we have a Food Pantry Ministry and have for years, and I don't know of a single family reached thru that program, but we continue to do it every week....

I'm a Christian and everyone knows real Christians don't dance.....

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

You make the assumption that the parents are totally outside the equation.

I have served in three churches and all three did not incorporate parents into these programs.

So, tell us, specifically, how you incorporated parents into your VBS and AWANA programs.

There is alot of dancing going on...

And, didn't you have any influence to make changes in the flawed programs......leadership is influence....or so I've been told!

 

[FSSL]

And, didn't you have any influence to make changes in the flawed programs......leadership is influence....or so I've been told!

I wasn't asking the question back then. So, you are correct, it was flawed. VBS and AWANA did virtually nothing to promote the growth in those churches.

Now, are you able to give us specifics on what you are doing to incorporate parents into VBS and AWANA?

 

[Castor Muscular]

If nothing else, they aren't strong enough to support the loads necessary. I recommend hiring a reputable engineer prior to building your church, and they will be able to provide the specifications for your particular soils and size the footings to support the size church you hope to build.

Dang, you beat me to it.

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

We don't have AWANA and I'm not sure of how you define incorporate.....but I can tell you that we have,for years reached family after family thru our children's ministry.
We have 15 families visit our services the past 2 weeks since VBS ended.....three of our current Deacons first came to our services because of Children's ministry.

Now, we have a Food Pantry Ministry and have for years, and I don't know of a single family reached thru that program, but we continue to do it every week....

I'm a Christian and everyone knows real Christians don't dance.....


BUMP!

 

[Castor Muscular]

I'm a Christian and everyone knows real Christians don't dance.....

That's why Fundy couples never make love standing up.  Someone might walk in on them and think they're dancing. 

 

[Miller]

As a member of the 40+ crowd I am happy that one church in my past had a bus ministry and that it reached out to children. Did the church ever reach my parents with the Gospel? No, but they reached me. I came to know the Lord when I was 14 because of the bus ministry. I grew throughout my teenage years in knowledge. Today more than 30 years later I am still active in a local church. While you may not be able to build a church on children, I do believe that you can build children in a church. Children who will grow into adults who will one day serve the Lord in a local church.

 

[BandGuy]

Let me start by saying, I hope God blesses your summer kids' programs. I am not against them. I believe they have limited to zilch value in growing a church.

I am not a big advocate on relying on VBS, bus ministry or AWANA to grow churches. Why? Because relying on kids to build a church just does not work. Why would it?

How can parents be creatively incorporated in these programs? Why do we focus so heavily on a demographic that cannot grow a church?

Someone needs to ask the question... Might as well be me O0

Before I can really respond to the question, I guess I need some clarification.  What do you mean when you talk about growing a church?  Are you referring to the number of butts in a pew, the amount of money in the plate, or the number of kids who are reached with the Gospel?

Thanks in advance for the clarification.