4:12 Kids

Hello Everyone!

I cannot believe that it is already March and that spring and summer are upon us! I wanted to take the time today to explain a little bit about 4:12 Kids. I believe that this ministry is in the middle of an incredible journey and transformation. In December, we began a new curriculum that is not only a curriculum but a strategy. I am so excited about this and I truly believe this is a great time for the Children’s Ministry at FUMC and pray that parents and kids and the entire congregation will join 4:12 Kids during this time. Please take the time to read a little about this new strategy that we have taken on... I promise it will be worth your time!

At 4:12 Kids, we want to partner with parents to help your child discover and embrace the journey of a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Based off of this statement and 1 Timothy 4:12, our ministry is split into 2 different areas: Discover 4:12 and Journey 4:12.

Discover 4:12 is our area for children 0-4 years. During this age, children are discovering all things in life, from how to walk to what color the sky is. What would happen if every child could Discover who God is so early in life that they never lived a day without believing that He really loves us. What if we could make sure every child believed these 3 truths: God Made Me, God Loves Me, and Jesus wants to be my friend forever, before they are 4 years old? Each month, children will experience small group activities, worship, bible stories, and crafts that will help them to learn and understand these 3 basic truths Through this new strategy, we believe that every child can discover God and know these truths before they leave for Kindergarten.

Journey 4:12 is our area for children in Kindergarten- 5th Grade. If your child is in Kindergarten you have 636 weekends left before they graduate High School. If your child is in 3rd grade, there are only 468 left, and in 5th grade there are only 363 weekends left. Most kids form their entire idea of who God is and chose whether or not they’ll have a relationship with Him before leaving 5th grade. That is why weekends are so important to us. What if before your child leaves the 5th grade and heads off to middle school, they know these 3 core truths: I can trust God no matter what, I need to make the wise choice, and I should treat others the way I want to be treated? This is done by showing kids that the Bible is the source of wisdom and truth, how what they learn applies to there every day lives, and that relationships with small group leaders and friends matter. These truths are reinforced each week by using Bible stories to teach core virtues, because virtues help to display God’s character and when we live them out, not only do we understand his heart more, so do the people around us. Each month, your child will learn the core virtue along with a memory verse that will all be tied together with KIDstuf at the end of the month. This is our chance to bring kids and parents together to help us grow in wisdom, faith, and friendship.

This is our opportunity to partner with parents to help children along as the discover God and embrace the journey of a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. I pray that this ministry will transform this year into a ministry that truly believes and lives out this new strategy and that we may begin to see these 6 core truths lived out in the lives of not only the children but adults as well. My prayer is that this church family that I know and love so very much will join me in this strategy and that through the children and this ministry, hearts and minds will be conformed and transformed. If you would like to learn more about the new curriculum and changes in 4:12 kids, please feel free to ask... I love questions and would love to talk about all of the great things that are occurring in this ministry!

-Emily