Clubs Blog

We are pleased to announce several new files have been added to the EquipU site for you to use free of charge.

• TruthCard Award Coupons (http://equipu.kids4truth.com/files/folders/how_to_earn_awards/default.aspx?PageIndex=1)
  • Available for every TruthCard file.
  • Back of each card tells how the patch is earned.
  • Customize how each patch is earned to meet the needs of your ministry.
• K4T Notebook Covers (http://equipu.kids4truth.com/files/folders/artwork/entry7844.aspx)
  • Six different designs to choose from to meet a variety of notebook needs.
  • Customize each cover to include your worker name, group name, or name for the notebook – for example:
    • 5th & 6th Grade Boys
    • Mr. Green
    • Teacher TruthTime Lesson Plans
    • Kids 4 Truth Resources
    • Coloring Sheets
    • WebNumbers Pages
• TruthCard Covers (http://equipu.kids4truth.com/files/folders/truthcard_resources/entry7846.aspx)
  • Front and back covers.
  • Created to protect the first and last cards in your collection.
  • Gives the child a place to put his/her name so that TruthCards are not lost.
• TruthCard Cutting Guide (http://equipu.kids4truth.com/files/folders/truthcard_resources/entry7847.aspx)
  • Available for those who choose to print to cardstock instead of perforated business card stock.
• KeyTruth TruthCards (http://equipu.kids4truth.com/files/folders/truthcard_resources/entry7848.aspx)
• Kids 4 Truth Training Manual (http://equipu.kids4truth.com/files/folders/training_manuals/entry4387.aspx)
  • This file combines and replaces all previous training manuals into one manual.

Over the past two months we have also updated the following files:

• Attendance Sheets
• Award Record Sheets
• Curriculum Explanation Flyers
• Award and Welcome Pages for TruthBooks (all levels)

The items above that are marked in red are interactive (editable) PDF files. This means that you can customize the document so that you can print with your specific items listed. For example: customize the Award Cards with your award scenario or add worker names to your notebook covers.

Please let us know if you see a need or have an idea for a resource.

Halloween: Is it a witnessing opportunity you are hiding from?
So...what do you do on Halloween?  Do you turn out all the lights, hide in the basement or family room, and hope that no one comes to your door? Do you wrestle with the decision of whether or not to participate or allow your children to participate in the holiday?  Perhaps you do this because:

• You do not want to promote Halloween with your children and you do not want your children seeing others come to your door asking for candy and treats.
• You do not want your children feeling like they missed out on some fun and excitement.

Consider with me the possibility of turning this into a witnessing opportunity.  For years, we have taught our children that we use Halloween as a witnessing opportunity.  Although we do not allow our children to dress up or go from door, we usually do something special with our children that night by cooking hot dogs & marshmallows in the fireplace and eating them picnic style in the living room, watching a fun dvd, or playing a family game while we wait for children to come to the door.   Our children take turns answering the door and giving treats to the children who come to our door.  We always include a Kids 4 Truth Bookmark, DynaBox, or a tract that gets the gospel into the homes of each and every child who comes to our door.  Our children enjoy seeing the children dressed up and giving the children their special treats or prizes, and know that they have had the opportunity to share the gospel in an unique way.  Although our children are now between the ages of 13 and 21, they still enjoy this special family witnessing opportunity! 

Fun Ways to Give out the Gospel:

• DynaBox Tracts: These unique tracts fold into a box.  We suggest that you assemble the tract into a box but before closing the box include a prize or candy treat.  This creates a fun way to give out a tract, gets the gospel into the children’s hands and home, and gives a prize/treat at the same time.
• Kids 4 Truth Bookmark Tracts: Children and teens love these colorful, glossy bookmarks!  The tracts are easy to distribute and we find they get
  used...which means sooner or later they will turn the bookmark over and read the gospel or visit the website.

Tips:

1. If you are giving out tracts with your treats or prizes, don’t use old, stale candy.  Be sure that you use treats or prizes that the children will enjoy.  Remember, you are representing Christ when you give out tracts with  treats/prizes.
2. Be careful that prizes don’t look too much like candy.  One year I was giving away small prize erasers, and I had to grab fast to keep a young child from eating the frog eraser I just handed to him.
3. Candy can be taped to a tract or bookmark if needed to make it easier to distribute.
4. If you are going to be away and you know children will be coming to your door, consider leaving a basket of prizes by the front door.  Believe it or not I have done this several times and children are good to only take one prize.

Don’t want to give away candy?

• Consider a small prize instead. 
• US Toy (www.ustoy.com) or Kipp Toys (www.kipptoys.com) are great places to get cheap little toy trinkets. 
• Try bouncie balls, stretchy lizards/frogs, or sticky guys.  They are cheap and kids absolutely love them.
• Consider a cool pencil or eraser.  Don’t choose just plain school quality...pick the cool eraser shapes or the metallic-look pencils.

To help you witness during this time of year, we have all Kids 4 Truth tracts and bookmarks on sale for 10% off through October 31.

The Kids 4 Truth team is excited to announce new products in our online store.

EquipU Resource USB Drive - http://kids4truth.com/store/eQuipU-Resource-USB-Drive-P664C74.aspx - $29.95
Have the look and feel of the EquipU downloads section in a convenient offline format. This USB Drive contains all of the files on the EquipU site in one convenient place!

Vinyl Banners on Stands  - We have a new banner design available and we now have banners available on banner stands!

• Retractable Banner - http://kids4truth.com/store/Kids-4-Truth-Banner-w-Retractable-Stand-P665C74.aspx - $299.95
  Kids 4 Truth Banner with Retractable Stand! Great for displaying in your Kids 4 Truth Club! – 33” x 78”, one stabilizing foot, silver finish, and includes carrying case. Retractable banner stands provide a professional solution for short term, portable display needs. This banner retracts into the stand for storage or transportation. Banner vinyl can be changed but is more challenging than the tri-pod stands.
• Small Tri-Pod Banner -http://kids4truth.com/store/Kids-4-Truth-Banner-w-Small-Tripod-P666C74.aspx - $169.95
  Kids 4 Truth Banner on a Tri-Pod Stand! Great for displaying in your Kids 4 Truth Club! – 24” x 60”, includes carrying case. Use with grometted banners. Basic banner tri-pod stand. This banner stand allows one to easily change out the vinyl with four easy steps:
  • Remove the four screws.
  • Take off vinyl banner.
  • Put on the new vinyl banner.
  • Replace the four screws.
• Large Tri-Pod Banner -http://kids4truth.com/store/Kids-4-Truth-Banner-w-Large-Tripod-P667C74.aspx - $249.95
  Kids 4 Truth Banner on a Tri-Pod Stand! Great for displaying in your Kids 4 Truth Club! – 32” x 70”, includes carrying case. Use with grometted banners. Basic banner tri-pod stand. This banner stand allows one to easily change out the vinyl with four easy steps:
  • Remove the four screws.
  • Take off vinyl banner.
  • Put on the new vinyl banner.
  • Replace the four screws.
• Additional Vinyl Banners
  Get full use out of your Banner Stand by purchasing an optional second vinyl. Display a “Join Now” banner at the beginning of the curriculum year and change out to another vinyl as you go throughout the year.

Vinyl Window Clings - $2.95 each or purchase 2 for $4.95 – printed in white on clear vinyl.
Point those on the road to Truth on the Kids 4 Truth website as you drive down the road! These durable window vinyl decals are available in both outside and inside application. Outside application is good for cars with tinted windows. Indoor application is available for those with clear windows to apply on the inside of the car window.

Please let us know if you have ideas for products you would like us to carry, and our team will consider your requests.

Kids 4 Truth is pleased to announce that we now offer Live Web-based Seminars.  These seminars are available free of charge to anyone who is interested in attending to gain more training and insight in the program. Whether you are currently using Kids 4 Truth, are scheduled to begin the program soon, or are just interested in finding out more about the program, we welcome you to attend any or all sessions that are available. 

Live Web-Based training is easy to use: simply log into the site using the links we provide to participate.  Participants can ask questions, download manuals and resources, and give feedback to the presenter.  Multiple participants can attend and watch from individual computers or connect your computer to a projector and watch as a group. Presenters can upload documents for you to view, allow you to see how resources are used, survey your needs, answer questions and much more!

These seminars are available in several formats:

General Kids 4 Truth training – somewhat like the sessions we do at Regional Training events – 2-3 hours long
General Kids 4 Truth Training sessions are available on a bi-monthly basis (one on a Saturday and the other on a weeknight). We ask that you check the schedule at: http://equipu.kids4truth.com/forums/121.aspx for specific dates we offer live web-based training and when possible that you register for these events.  If less than 5 people plan to attend, the presenter may customize the training to the participants’ interests.

Customized Kids 4 Truth training – training customized to your unique usage, goals, and scenarios – length determined when event is scheduled
Churches are encouraged and welcomed to schedule a Customized Live Web-Based event by contacting me (marrena@kids4truth.com or 866-754-4272).  I will work with you to come up with a date & time and sessions that meet your unique needs. We will also post information about this event on this site at: for others who would like to join the training.

General Kids 4 Truth Sessions – topical session, discussion or Q&A session –30-60 minutes
General Kids 4 Truth Sessions include topics such as: Getting Started, Placing your Yearly Order, Record Keeping Simplified, Using K4T in your Sunday School, Using K4T in your Children’s church, Effective Small Group Time, Discoverers! It’s a Whole Other World, Integrating Internet into your Program, Effective Review Gaming, K4T Philosophy, etc. We encourage you to check the schedule at: http://equipu.kids4truth.com/forums/121.aspx for specific dates and topics.

Live Conference or Help Desk Sessions – Live conference session or help on a topic you desire
Schedule live help to assist you in learning about the program, placing orders, record keeping, areas/resources you struggle with, or understanding the curriculum. We will connect live with you and/or your group to help you.  You will be able to actively ask questions, see resources, walk through Resources, TruthBooks, and Documents with our staff. These sessions can be scheduled in advance or at a moment’s notice (as schedules permit). Scheduled events are ideal for church leadership when setting up a program or finding out more about the program and if it will work for their church’s needs.

Live Web-Based Seminars and Training are a win win option for both our churches and our staff. We are able to provide you with live training without the expense of brining in a representative which saves your church traveling and lodging costs, saves from your people having to travel to another area for live training, and allows our staff to reach out and help more churches.

Do you prefer to have someone come directly to your ministry?  If so, we welcome you to contact me (marrena@kids4truth.com or 866-754-4272) to schedule a date and time. Please note: churches are responsible for any traveling or housing costs when you schedule us to come to your ministry for training, and dates/times availability are limited and on a first come first serve basis.

Busy Season is upon us and the Kids 4 Truth team is working diligently to field calls, chats, and fill orders.  With this in mind we have several office reminders:

Shipping

ALL ORDERS: Please allow 2-3 weeks processing time for all orders during this time of year. If you need faster processing/shipping times, you should call or email our staff to see what we can do for you. Simply choosing next day, 2nd day, or 3 day select will not guarantee you receive your shipment faster or with those deadlines.

Multiple Shipments: People often ask why they see several shipments on the same order and why all items do not come out of the same location. Many of our vendors warehouse and ship for us saving us rent on warehouse space and additional employees. This actually saves you money as we can keep our prices lower than if we had these expenses. It is important to note that our online store logs the weight of each item you choose. Therefore, your shipping cost is determined by the weight of the items you purchase. We do not ship first class…we can ship USPS Priority Mail and UPS.

Garments and Vinyl Banners: Remember these items have a standard 2-4 week turn around time. We do stock many of the economy polo shirts, however, we cannot guarantee they are in stock. Call or email us if you want to know what garments are in stock and can be shipped out quicker.

Sales

August 1-September 15, 2009, 10% off Clothing: Each month we have some of our items on sale. This month is no exception. From now until September 15, 2009, all garments are 10% off. This includes all embroidered shirts and silk screened T-shirts.

Carry your K4T supplies to club in style with our popular totes! From August 4 – 15 our popular feature totes and insulated totes are available at a reduced price. Both of these totes come in two embroidered versions: normal 5 color logo and simplified 1 color design. The totes are available in the following colors: Black, Royal, Khaki, Red, Safety Lime, Bright Yellow, White, Safety Orange, Hot Pink, Lavender, Light Blue, Light Pink, and Turquoise.

• Feature Tote – pockets both inside and outside and zips closed                    regular price 10.95          sale price $8.95
• Insulated Tote – perfect for lunches or carrying TruthBook and Bible             regular price 8.95            sale price $6.49

Phone Calls and Chat line

During the months of July to October our customer service department fields many phone calls and chat line questions. We operate extended customer service hours so that we are more readily available to meet your needs. If you get our voicemail, please leave a message. Voicemail messages are delivered to our email, and we will respond as quickly as possible. You may also feel free to use the online chat feature. This feature works much along the lines of an instant message client. When the Chat Now tab is highlighted in green one or more of our customer service personnel is available to answer your questions. Simply type in your question and we will respond. This is especially helpful when you are looking for products on the online store or documents on the EquipU site as we can give you the link for the item.

Webinar Training

The response to the announcement that we are now offering Webinar Training has been overwhelmingly positive. A schedule of Webinar Events will be posted this month. If you would like to schedule a Webinar Event on a different date, please contact me at: marrena@kids4truth.com. I will try to coordinate an event with dates that will work for your ministry.  Look for both weeknight and weekend dates that contain both Multiple Sessions and One-Topic Sessions. Most Webinar Events will be recorded and available for viewing after the event.

Having problems using one of our resources or finding what you need? We can schedule an immediate Webinar Meeting with you that will allow us to walk you through items you need help with.

Regional Training

If you prefer to attend Kids 4 Truth Training in person, we have the following events on the calendar:

• August 11           6PM – 9PM        Zoar Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, LA - Training by Marrena Ralph    
• September 5       9AM – 3PM       Tri-City Ministries in Independence, MO - Training by Bob Roberts and Marrena Ralph
  A day packed full of Kids 4 Truth Training – stay all day or come and go as you need. In addition we will have a roundtable Q&A session over the lunch hour. Plan to bring your lunch and stay for this discussion time as last year this discussion proved to be very helpful for those in attendance.
• September 19  to be announced   Bethany Baptist Church in Brevard, NC  - Training by Bob & Sarah Roberts

Please let us know if we can assist you in your ministry. We look forward to serving you.

It is summer and many of you are preparing your curriculum orders for the fall. We are pleased to announce that our curriculum is currently on sale.  Now through July 31 save 10% on all curriculum.  This sale includes all printed Entrance Exams, TruthBooks, Awards Standards, Award Patches (both individual and sets), and stickers.  Place your order before the August rush and save a little money for your church.

Kids 4 Truth has several payment methods including credit or debit card, paypal, and invoice.  If you are a church and would like to be invoiced through our on-line store, the Kids 4 Truth staff will need to add this option to your account to the invoicing group.  Please contact clubs@kids4truth.com and we will make this change for you.

As in years past, many of our items are shipped from different locations across the country. This helps us keep our prices as low as possible.  You will need to keep this in mind as you place orders.  Here's a quick refresh of what where items are shipped from, and some standard shipping timeframes for UPS Ground (our default shipping option).

• Books, Entrance Exams, Songbooks, Banners, Shirts, Totes, Bible Covers, Award Certificates, Parallel Documents – Kansas and Missouri Warehouses
• Standards, Patches, Miscellaneous Items, Tracts, Award Pins  – Tennessee Office
• T-Shirts, Posters, Postcards – South Carolina Warehouse

Missouri and Kansas Warehouses

• 1 Day – IA, KS, portions of MO, NE, OK, IL
• 2 Day – Most of the Midwest and Southeast
• 3 Day – New England, West Coast, FL
• 4 Day – AK, HI

Tennessee Warehouse

• 1 Day – TN, KY, portions of OH, NC, AL, GA, VA
• 2 Day – Southeast, Midwest, FL, PA
• 3 Day – New England, Northern Midwest, CO, NM, most of TX
• 4 Day – AZ, portions of ME, WY, MN, PR, AK
• 5 Day – Pacific Northwest, West Coast
• 6 Day - HI, portions of OR, CA, ID

South Carolina Warehouse

• 1 Day – SC, portions of NC, AL, GA, VA, TN
• 2 Day - Rest of the Southeast, Ohio Valley, FL, PA
• 3 Day - New England, Midwest, CO, TX
• 4 Day - AZ, NM, Dakotas, PR, AK
• 5 Day - Pacific Northwest, West Coast
• 6 Day - HI, portions of OR, CA, ID

As we approach the fall, many churches will all be placing orders at the same time.  The earlier you get your order in, the earlier we can get it to you.  Please allow at least 2-3 weeks before your club begins for your order to arrive.  The goal of the Kids 4 Truth staff is to ship orders 24-48 hours after the order is placed; however, during the busy fall ordering season, we cannot guarantee this.  Orders will be shipped on a first come-first served basis. 

Please remember: that banners take up to two weeks to be shipped, and shirts take up to four weeks.

If you have questions regarding what you need to order for your church, please contact us.  We are available via online chat (see chat line link at the top of this page), email at clubs@kids4truth.com, or toll free at 866.754-4272.  This is our busy time of the year and are often on the phone working with churches.  If we do not answer your telephone call, please leave a phone message.  Phone messages are delivered direct to our email address so please leave a message and we will get to you as quickly as possible. As always, please feel free to contact us anytime you have questions.  We are here to serve you.

The Kids 4 Truth Team is pleased to announce the release of a new edition of the curriculum this summer. Because of the high demands for consistency among editions and for our curriculum to be translated into other languages, we have decided to finalize any remaining changes and release the 2009 edition.

From 1998 to 2005, the Kids 4 Truth curriculum was in a raw beta format and used by a limited number of churches.  In 2006, the curriculum was taken out of beta format and released as the first "official" edition of our curriculum for the general public. In the years following, through customers’ constructive criticism and through our own observations, we have identified problem points in the curriculum and worked to fix them. With the help of proactive parents and children’s ministry workers, we worked to eliminate typos and to avoid misleading phrases or unnecessarily difficult wording. Still collecting feedback and applying edits from 2006-08, and desiring to offer our best content as soon as possible, we have released in-process early editions previous to this one.

The editing staff’s paramount priority in this 2009 edition was to make our 120 core Q&A more understandable, more memorable, and more logical and uniform in the progression across levels. It is our hope that the increased continuity among levels will be a tremendous help to children as they advance in their knowledge and understanding of key doctrinal truths.

With the 2009 edition, there comes a cap on the changes until five years from now (2014), so that churches can purchase a most-recently-edited edition of TruthBooks and know that they have in-hand the “latest and greatest” that Kids 4 Truth has to offer for the next five years. Most importantly from a financial stewardship standpoint, we must “freeze” the curriculum so that we can launch into the huge investment and opportunity it will be to translate our materials for use amongst non-English-speaking people groups worldwide.

We will continue to sell the earlier edition(s) of the curriculum until spring of 2010 to those who wish for their additional TruthBooks to match the ones they already have and/or are currently using. 

Therefore, when you purchase your TruthBooks, you will find a few options from which to choose:

1. Bible versions — KJV, NKJV, ESV, or NASB
2. Curriculum editions —
   • 2006-2008 [in-process early editions released prior to June 1, 2009]
   • 2009 [most recent/finalized edition available from June 1, 2009 until 2014]

Please note that because the PDF files of the TruthBooks are now updated, the downloadable PDF TruthBook files are available for purchase now only in the 2009 edition. On the other hand, it is important to note that Parallel Documents and other curriculum-related materials (like TruthCards) are still being updated and therefore are not yet* available for purchase in the 2009 edition. (*Once updated, TruthCards and Parallel Documents will be like the TruthBooks PDFs—available only in the 2009 edition.)

If you are a just beginning to use Kids 4 Truth curriculum, you will want to order the 2009 curriculum edition.  In most cases, returning ministries will also want to order the 2009 edition for future use. However, if you are a returning ministry currently in the middle of a curriculum TruthBook or of a curriculum year, or if you prefer to match TruthBooks you already have on hand, then you will want to order either the 2006 or 2008 edition, accordingly.  If you have any questions on which curriculum edition you ought to order, please contact our customer service representatives (Marrena, Sarah, or Joy) through email clubs@kids4truth.com , the chatline, or by a toll-free phone call to 866-754-4272.

Whether you are just getting started with Kids 4 Truth or you have used the program for many years, summer is a great time to promote your program.

• For those who operate a club 11-12 months out of the year, this is a great time to run a short activity such as “Crazy Summer Fun” (crazy dress up weeks – watch for a blog post on this shortly), K4T VBS Rally (http://equipu.kids4truth.com/files/folders/k4t_vbs_rally/default.aspx), or Looking into “God’s Creation” (an enhanced study on God’s Creation using theme 5 and several dynamations. 
• For those who operate a 9-10 month program, consider using Kids 4 Truth for your VBS program (http://equipu.kids4truth.com/files/folders/k4t_vbs_rally/default.aspx). 

We want to help you out!  From now until June 15, we will have our promotional items (http://kids4truth.com/store/Promotional-Items-C74.aspx) on sale for 10% off.  These items include banners, brochures, and sample packets. In addition, we have decided to extend our sale on Miscellaneous items (http://kids4truth.com/store/Miscellaneous-C72.aspx) until June 15.  These items include Bible Covers, mugs, polycarbonate and sports bottles, totes, license plates, and much more!

The staff at Kids 4 Truth loves to keep the program as flexible as possible.  We believe it is important for a program to fit into your ministry not the ministry fit into a program.  With that in mind, we have kept the materials you use, how awards are earned, and service schedules as flexible as possible.  We give our recommended scenarios along with optional scenarios to give churches ideas on how to set up their program.  We have received requests for editable record keeping sheets.  We are happy to announce that record sheets are now editable.

If you are happy with the record sheets the way they have been in the past, simply print the record sheets and manually fill in your names and dates. 

To Customize (Edit) the files:

• Attendance Sheets: Simply type in the names and dates and print the file.  Place the printed sheets in a notebook or folder and manually mark responsibility each week.
• Award Record Sheets: Type in the children’s names and dates for each week.  To edit how each award is earned, highlight the text you want to change and type in the new text (or follow instruction below).  After the sheet looks the way you want, print the file.  Place the printed sheets in a notebook or folder and manually mark when the child has earned each award.

For those who want optional award scenarios or ideas on wording for how awards are earned, check out our new Awards Scenario Document (http://equipu.kids4truth.com/files/folders/generaldocuments/entry98.aspx).  This zip file includes both a text file and a table file.  The table file will allow you to copy/paste into the Award Record sheet.  To use this file:

• Highlight the text you would like to use.
• Right click and choose copy.
• Go to the Award Record Sheet.
• Highlight the text you want to replace.
• Right click and choose paste.

Additional Tips:

• Highlight editable fields by clicking on the “Highlight Fields” box in interactive forms yellow tool bar located directly below the PDF reader toolbar at the top of the program.
• If the document comes up sideways on your computer:
  • Click on the View Tab at the top of the program bar
  • Click on Rotate View – and choose clockwise or counter clockwise.
  • Repeat if necessary
• All dates will automatically be the same for all pages within the same document.  This is to save you time.
• All award scenarios will automatically be the same for books 1 and 2 of a given level.
• All instructions will be the same on all pages within the same document.

If you have any questions on how to use these files or need help adjusting the program to your church needs, please contact our office at clubs@kids4truth.com, hit the live chat button at the top of this page, or call toll-free 866-754-4272.

The end of a curriculum year is a great time to encourage those who have participated in your club by presenting year end awards, gifts, or incentives. 

A nice ending to the K4T curriculum year is an Awards Night.  We would suggest a special service to honor those who have worked hard in the program.  This is also a time that you can thank your workers by recognizing them.  Year end award pins and certificates are available for those who would like to use this option.

Year End Award Pins: These attractive pins are an option for those who would like to give out Bronze, Silver, or Gold level awards.  The Year End Award pins are available in three colors: bronze, silver, and gold for you to distribute as you see fit.  The Award Pin should be worn on the standard above the Kids 4 Truth embroidered logo.  We would suggest a "Year End Award Pinning Ceremony" where each child who has earn his/her pin is called to the front and the small group leader or director pins the Award Pin onto the standard in front of everyone.  A nice compliment to the year end pin are the Year End Certificates.  These are available to purchase pre-printed or as a free download on the EquipU site.  These certificates look sharp with a gold seal sticker placed over the graphic on the center bottom of the certificate.  The certificate can be presented by itself, in a certificate matt holder, or in a certificate frame.

Recommended Award Scenarios: Just as a church chooses how their children earn each award patch during the year, the church has the flexibility to choose what type and how year end awards are earned.  Below are our recommendations for year end awards.

Levels 2-4: The children in levels 2-4 have the opportunity to earn bronze, silver, or gold each year.  The color of the award they earn depends upon how many patches they earn for every doctrinal theme in the book (not an average but every doctrinal theme.)  Therefore, we recommend the following:

• Bronze – earn 3 patches for every doctrinal theme in the book = total of 18 patches (patches on the front of the standard)
• Silver – earn 4 patches for every doctrinal theme in the book = total of 24 patches (one patch on the front and one on the back for each doctrinal theme)
• Gold – earn all 5 patches for every doctrinal theme in the book = total of 30 patches

Level 1 – Discoverers: A child who has been in the Discoverers level all three years can earn all three year-end pins. The awards reflect the amount of memory work the child has recited.  We recommend a difference between books B & C in earning the second patch because book C contains more content.

• Book A = all patches earned = Bronze
• Books B & C = 1 patch per doctrinal theme = Bronze
• Book B = 1 patch per doctrinal theme + bonus patch on the back for each doctrinal theme = Silver
• Book C = 1 patch per doctrinal theme + cutout path patch on the back for each doctrinal theme = Gold

Extras: Some clubs have successfully added gifts or incentives for memorizing the Truths and participating in the program for the year.  They use Bible Covers, Cinch Bags, Disk Flyers, or pens/pencils, and give gifts according to the work that was accomplished or ability level.  We also have clubs who go one step further to show appreciation to their workers at this time of year.  Workers who feel appreciated will often return to work another year.  The Bistro Mug, tote bags, travel mug, or black pen are a great gifts to show workers you appreciate them.  These items not only encourage your children or workers after a year of hard work, but also promote excitement and advertisement for your program.

ON SALE NOW! To help you with this our monthly special in the online store this month is Miscellaneous items.  These items can be found at http://kids4truth.com/store/Miscellaneous-C72.aspx.  All items listed on this page are 10% off until April 30.  Included in this sale are items like our Bistro Mug, Black Pen, Totes, Cinch Bags, the popular disk flyers, and drink bottles. 

If you have any questions or need help putting together a year end award program, please email us at clubs@kids4truth.com, talk to us on the online chat, or call our office at 866-754-4272.

Would you like to hear Mr. Big Bob read your story on the worldwide web? Enter the Spring 2009 K4T Audio Story Contest before May 21st, and your story might just win!

We want to hear stories from Kids 4 Truth kids. To submit a contest entry, you do not need to be involved in an official Kids 4 Truth club, but you DO need to be a kid: Age 12 or younger. As long as you are a visitor of Kids 4 Truth’s website, and as long as you are no older than 12, you are welcome to enter this contest!

Check out official contest guidelines at http://kids4truth.com/realaudi.htm.

The stories will be “judged” by Kids 4 Truth staff members and by two children’s authors. There may be a lot of kids sending their stories in, so the competition could be tough! But it can’t hurt to try…and it could be fun!

Each summer our staff spends time at Christian Camps around the country preaching, serving, and/or being camp sponsors.  Churches often ask when we will be at a camp in their area so that they can either bring a group of children that week of camp, meet with a Kids 4 Truth representative for one on one training/set up, or find out more about Kids 4 Truth.

Below is a copy of our schedule for the next couple years.  We are more than happy to meet with you while we are at camps.  To make sure the week does not go by without meeting with us, please contact me (marrena@kids4truth.com or 866-754-4272) and set up an appointment.

Summer 2009

• Bob Roberts - Executive Director/Founder
• Wilds Christian Camp - Asheville, NC
• June 8-13
• June 15-20 - Junior Camp Speaker
• June 22-27
• July 13-18 - Junior Camp Speaker
• July 26-August 1
• August 3-8
• August 10-15 - Family Camp Speaker for children
• August 17-22
• Wilds Christian Camp - Northeast
• June 29-July 4 - Junior Camp Speaker
• Northland Pioneer Camp - Dunbar, WI
• July 6-11 - Junior Camp Speaker
• July 20-25 - Junior Camp Speaker
• Marrena Ralph - Clubs Program Administrator
• Southland Christian Camp
• June 1-5
• Wilds Christian Camp - Asheville, NC
• June 22-26
• Sarah Roberts - Administrative Assistant
• Wilds Christian Camp - Asheville, NC
• June 8-13
• June 15-20
• June 22-27
• June 29-July 4
• July 6-11
• July 13-18
• July 20-25
• July 26-August 1
• August 3-8
• August 10-15
• August 17-22

Summer 2010:

• Bob Roberts
• Wilds Christian Camp - Asheville, NC
• June 7-12  - Junior Camp Speaker
• June 14-19
• June 21-26 - Junior Camp Speaker
• July 12-17 - Junior Camp Speaker
• July 19-24
• July 26-31 - Junior Camp Speaker
• August 2-7
• August 9-14 - Junior Camp Speaker
• August 16-21 - Family Camp Speaker for children
• Southland Christian Camp
• July 6-10 - Junior Camp Speaker
• Marrena Ralph
• Southland Christian Camp
• July 6-10
• Sarah Roberts - Administrative Assistant
• Wilds Christian Camp - Asheville, NC
• June 7-12
• June 14-19
• June 21-26
• June 28-July 3
• July 6-10
• July 12-17
• July 19-24
• July 26-31
• August 2-7
• August 9-14
• August 16-21

We look forward to seeing you and the children from your church at camp during the summers.

We are working hard to update our customer service department so that we can keep in touch and take better care of our churches.

Recently, we divided our churches into different regions and assigned each region to one of our customer service representatives.  Our ladies are currently working to introduce themselves to the churches they will service, and update our records with new addresses or main contacts.  We will be touching base with you throughout the year to see how things are going, see how we can help you, and help place orders.  We will let you know when training is coming to your area or when things you have suggested are available.

The popularity of social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Plaxo have made it easier for some churches to keep in touch with us.  Many churches like to connect to us on these sites.  If you use one of these networks, please feel free to join our Kids 4 Truth Groups:

• Facebook
• Group - http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=2234535001&ref=ts
• Fan Club - http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Kids-4-Truth-International/35875841352?ref=ts
• Flair - search flair - under: kids4truth
• Twitter
• http://twitter.com/kids4truth
• LinkedIn
• Company - http://www.linkedin.com/companies/kids-4-truth-international?goback=%2Ecps_1234647795693_1
• Group - http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1809255
• Plaxo
• Group - http://www.plaxo.com/groups/profile/193275337517

Many of our team has profiles on one or more of these sites.  If you have contact with us, please feel free to add us as your friend.

Recently, Wendy, a Discoverers Teacher, suggested that we create placemats for the Discoverers using the curriculum from the Discoverers TruthBooks.  Her idea was to use these placemats in both a church and home setting.

Because Discoverer children are not able to read it is important for workers and parents to review the curriculum with the children on a regular basis.  This resource will help parents work with the child to memorize the work for each doctrinal theme.  Her idea is to review the curriculum using the placemats before or during meals and snacks. 

We thought her idea was a good and would like to see how others like the placemats before we take the time to create the placemats for all three Discoverers Books and all four Bible versions.  Therefore, we are asking you to take a look, try them out, and give us your thoughts.  At this time we have the placemats available to download and print for the Discoverers Book A in KJV version.  You can download these free at http://equipu.kids4truth.com/files/folders/placemats/entry7081.aspx.

Instructions:

• Download and print the placemats. 
  • The placemats are designed to print on 11" x 17" paper
  • If needed, you can reduce the document to fit to printer margins and print at 8.5" x 11". 
    • Smaller sizes can be pasted to a piece of construction paper to make a larger size if desired.
    • You may want to cut off the extra margin on the top and bottom.  Make sure you do not choose the option to "fit printer margins" as this could make the logos and graphics stretch out of proportion.
• Laminate the placemats so that they are waterproof. 
  • You can laminate by using a regular laminator or by taking the printed document to Office Max, Office Depot, Kinkos, etc.
  • Use contact paper to laminate the placemats.  
• Distribute the Placemats
  • Home Use: Send home with child to use at home during meals and snacks.  Be sure to give parents instructions on how to use the placemats.
  • Classroom Use: Use the placemats in the classroom setting during snack time.
• NOTES:
• To save money on lamination, consider laminating two themes back to back.  Instead of having 12 placemats...you will have 6 to laminate and distribute.
• These placemats can also be used as posters.  Print and display these "posters" on the wall to decorate your Discoverers K4T room and create an eye catching visual of the curriculum you are working to memorize.
• Use these posters to decorate a bulletin board:
• Print and display one or more of these pages on bulletin board by printing on 11x17 or 8.5x11 paper
• Print the pages you would like to display
• Cover the bulletin board with paper if desired
• Staple printed graphic pages in place
• Add boarder or trim if desired.
• Use the poster setting on your printer to print the graphic the size you desire. 
• This setting basically takes your document and stretches it to fit over 4-32 pieces of paper (number of pages is dependant upon the printer). 
• "9 up" using 11x17 paper = 33 x 51 before assembling (smaller after assembled due to printer margins and overlap)
• "16 up" using 8.5 x 11 paper = 32 x 44 before assembling (smaller after assembled due to printer margins and overlap)
• After printing you will need to "assemble" your pieces like a puzzle
• Trim off or fold over the margins
• Overlap the the pieces
• Tape or Staple together. 
• Staple to bulletin Board
• Add boarder trim if desired or needed.

Please let us know:

• If this is a resource you would use.
• If you like this size or if a smaller size would be better.
• If this is a "Discoverers Only" resource of if we should include other levels.

Congratulations to Wendy for her winning post/idea.  She has won a $15 gift certificate to the online store for having the winning "Forum Post of the Month" for January.  Be sure to share your ideas as we may just make your idea for a resource available for others to use.