Topic of the Month

Different Ways to Earn Bonus Patches

sroberts — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:36:43 GMT

There are tons of ways that you can choose to use the awards system in a Kids 4 Truth program. Our desire at Kids 4 Truth is to make the curriculum and program as flexible as possible to meet the needs of each local church. However, many churches using Truth Cards may find it difficult to know how to handle bonus patches. Here are just a few scenarios to help you out:

Bonus Patches: Choose from one of 4 choices of how to earn the bonus award.

Recite all 10 TruthCards for the Doctrinal theme at one time.
Complete and Turn in all 10 WebNumbers Activities for the Doctrinal Theme. (Those can be found here.)
If the child has purchased the TruthBook, he/she can recite the Bonus Questions for 5 out of the 10 units for the Doctrinal Theme.
If the child has purchased the TruthBook, he/she can fill in the blanks for all ten units within the Doctrinal Theme. (Note: if your family uses this for family devotionals...you can fill the blanks in the oldest child’s TurthBook and it counts for the entire family. Child is responsible to show TruthBook to his/her small group leader.)

Other ideas for the bonus patch:

Attendance & Responsibility – Faithfully attend and bring your Bible, TruthBook and Awards Standard during the time we study each doctrinal theme. (I never expect perfection as many times it is not a child’s fault if he/she doesn’t get to attend – so I normally recommend about 75% of the time.)

You may also be having trouble remembering how the other award patches are earned if you are only using TruthCards in your ministry. Our clubs administrator has just created award coupon cards with a description of how each award is earned on the back so that leaders, parents, and children will see immediately how awards are earned. This document is an editble PDF that can be printed on business cards and included with the truth cards either on a ring or in the truth card wallet. Please visit the "How to Earn Awards" section of the Downloads on EquipU to download this file!

Please leave a comment if this post and documents that were mentioned are helpful.

Mother's Day & Kids 4 Truth

sroberts — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:01:58 GMT

Have you ever thought about how you can incorporate the truths that your children are learning in a K4T club with Mother's Day or Father's Day? The greatest joy of any Christian parent's heart is to see their kids walking in truth, and what better way to celebrate a day honoring mothers than to demonstrate that those truths being learned really are making a difference. Here are a few ideas:

Using one of those cards that you can record a message onto, have your child record a truth and or verse he has memorized and how he is thankful for what he's being taught by his parents.
Include a K4T truth and verse in your Mother's Day card.
Have your child make a picture that depicts the doctrine they are currently learning with the verse, and how it applies to their mom.
Make up a coupon of things to do for mom based on the truths your child has learned in K4T.

Remember that every doctrine learned is practical, and you can relate each truth your children learn to different aspects of life.

Example: If you are studying unit 9 of the theme God's Gift Salvation, you could include something like "I'm thankful that I am a part of God's family forever just like I will always be your child." with Romans 11:29.

What are your ideas for helping kids to apply truths from God's Word to this terrific holiday that celebrate's parents?

New Activity Sheets!

sroberts — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:19:02 GMT

Yes, we are working on new activity sheets! These will go on our Web Numbers section of the new website, and will be free downloads to anyone who wants them. This section of the site will house basic Q&A info from each theme as well as a worksheet and/or coloring sheet and craft for every single Q&A for each level. It will also have the lesson plan and related material for adults. We're hoping that these activity sheets will help to reinforce the truths learned in a fun and creative way for kids.

Once our new site is up, you will be able to get to the Q&A you are looking for online by simply typing in the webnumber that appears on the page of the book you are in. This number is located at the bottom of the page of each unit and is appropriately titles "Web Number." The number corresponds to the level your child is in, the theme they are studying and the unit in that theme they are working on. So a 5th or 6th grader studying God's Word the Bible Q&A 2 would have a web number that looks like this: 040102.

All that to say, we are going to be offering different word and math puzzles, cutting and pasting, follow the path, and much more. Many of these worksheets can also double as coloring sheets and take home pages for Sunday School or Club because they will have the Q&A with the verse on each one.

So, what type of activity sheets do your kids like doing the most? Share ideas on what works best with your children or any great puzzle, worksheet ideas you may have.We hope to have these up by July.

New Lesson Plans for Discoverers!

sroberts — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 20:06:17 GMT

Many of you probably have already noticed the new lesson plans added to the Discoverers Level. These were created for churches who want their level 1 clubbers to cover only 6 doctrinal themes per year like the older levels rather than going through all 12. While this was requested by some churches, many churches still use the original method.

There are definitely some advantages to stretching out the curriculum in this way. If you are a smaller church, it may be easier to keep all of the kids learning at the same pace. This also may be helpful for churches with a lot of younger children or children who aren't as good at memorizing. The additional lesson plans may also be of help to those using the 12 themes in a year approach, but who may be getting through the material faster than anticipated.

There are some definite advantages to sticking with the program the way it was designed, as well. Because these children are so young, you can only go so deep with them on a particular truth. The goal at this age is to get the material in, and pray that the Lord would grant understanding to them as they get older. Some teachers find that staying on a theme too long can start to take away some of the excitement as well as superscede the understanding level of the children.

What are your thoughts? Are you extending the Discoverers' curriculum or following the original method? Are you using your own variation? If so, what blessings and roadblocks have you faced along the way?

As a note for those interested in using the additional lesson plans; these new lesson plans are in the process of being renumbered so that it teachers will be able to match up lessons with questions according to which scenario they are using. The new numbering will be posted shortly.

By the way, if you have not downloaded new lesson plans in a while, you may be encouraged to find a craft or activity idea in each lesson plan to help you as you teach.

Is the New Year the beginning of your Club Year?

sroberts — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 16:39:14 GMT

Happy New Year! Another year has come and gone, and many churches using Kids 4 Truth are starting up a new club year. Some are starting for the first time, and others are in the middle of their club year. How does the timing of your club year affect the families and workers involved in your club or the club program itself?

Club Year Based Around the School Year

Does this scenario best support the mission of your club and if so, how?

Does this help parents, or does this timing make parents feel club and schoolwork are conflicting?

Does this simplify keeping children at the correct level which corresponds to their grade in school?

Does this encourage enthusiasm at the beginning of the club year when children are also starting a new grade in school?

What are other benefits or negative aspects?

Club Year Based Around the Calendar Year

Does this scenario best support the mission of your club and if so, how?

Does this help to coincide other church calendar events?

Does this help to separate school work from truths learned at church?

Does this help coincide better with parent's work calendars?

What are other benefits or negative aspects?

Lesson Time as a Group vs. Lesson Time by Level

sroberts — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:38:28 GMT

The Kids 4 Truth Curriculum was originally designed so that one person or a rotation of teachers would teach the main lesson plan to the 1st-6th graders all at one time. However, we realize that some churches prefer to split their kids up either into two groups of 1st -3rd and 4th-6th or by level. So what are the pros and cons of doing it in these different scenarios?

Lesson Time Taught by Level
Positives

This allows each small group leader to really delve into the material which might enhance a Focused Group Study setting.
This may allow for more question and answer time with a smaller group of children.

Negatives

Not all small group leaders feel comfortable or are as gifted to teach the lesson plans each week.
This does not promote unity for the club as a whole and can quickly become disjointed.
This would make it challenging for the director to make sure that the kids are being taught accurately and that the proper scope and sequence is followed. It’s easy to miss out on the purpose and to lose focus as a whole with everyone doing something different.
Some levels may be much further ahead than others and children in the same family could be learning different verses on different themes.

Solutions

This could work very effectively as long as the Club Director has very clear guidelines and helps his workers along each step of the way.
Guidelines might include:

Teachers must all be on the same lesson plan each week.
They need to keep to the same basic time frame for teaching, discussion, and bookwork if possible.
Kids should still be progressing through the books at the same rate (keeping them all together in a theme regardless of whether they completely finish a theme or not). Kids should not be memorizing from a theme different then the theme being taught during lesson time.
The director should sit in on lessons on a regular basis to see how everything is going and provide help as necessary.
The director or a designated person should be the one to provide lesson plans to teachers far enough in advance so they are adequately prepared.

Lesson Time Split into two groups (1st through 3rd grades & 4th through 6th grades)
Positives

This aids in the teacher being able to better reach the understanding level of the group they are working with.
This may allow for more question and answer time with a smaller group of children.

Negatives

There may not be enough workers or space to split the children up in this way.
There is still the possibility of a lack of unity as a club.

Solutions

Again, the director would need to be very clear on basic guidelines for the teachers and timeframes.
If space is an issue, you could split up teaching times by having one level doing something different (possibly an activity outside or book time) while the other group is being taught.

Lesson Time Taught All together (1st - 6th grades as a whole)
Positives

This gives unity to the group as a whole.
This allows for more competition between levels and group excitement (during review games, object lessons, awards time, etc.)
This is ideal when there are few workers and maybe only one or two who are really gifted teachers.
There is more of a sense of importance and value placed on this time when it is done all together as a whole. It’s a special time and one that they should look forward to.
This allows for all of the workers to hear the lesson plan being taught by a single teacher and ensures that they are all on the same page. They can then use that lesson as a jumping off point during small group time.

Negatives

There may not be one worker who can commit to teaching every week.
The teacher may struggle keeping the attention of all three levels.
Small group leaders may want more involvement.

Solutions

Have the small group leaders or other individuals in the church rotate teaching the lessons.
Use interactive object lessons and excitement to keep the attention of all levels.
Reward listening and attention and make sure to get the children involved in the lesson through questions.
Set up clear behavior guidelines with the children and enforce them with both positive and negative reinforcements. This helps when small group leaders are sitting with the children during the main lesson time.

So after that long diatribe, what are your thoughts? How do you run it in your church and what have you found to work?

Club Director vs. Club or Administrator

sroberts — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:28:02 GMT

Are you having some behavior problems in your club? Do you struggle with communication issues between workers and/or workers and parents? Does your club seem disjointed at times with each teacher or small group leader doing their own thing?

Some of these issues may be as a result of the confusion of the definition of a Club’s Director vs. a Club’s Administrator. Many churches have only a Club’s Director who acts more as a Club's Administrator rather than as a true Club's Director. What do I mean? Let me give you a few examples under each to demonstrate the point more clearly.

Clubs Director

This person sets and drives the philosphy behind the club. They make sure to spread the philosophy to the teachers, parents, and children by their words and actions up front.
This is the leader that the kids see. They know when they go to club, that this person is in charge. It is usually easier for a man to hold this position especially in relation to keeping order.
They are the up-front person and while they might not necessarily be the main lesson teacher, they are the one who keeps control and keeps things moving throughout the evening with enthusiasm and life.
This person lays down the rules of club in a clear way and makes sure that they are enforced not only in the large group setting, but also in small group time by checking up on a regular basis.
The director is the mouth piece that gives information to the club as a whole in a fun way.

Clubs Administrator

This is the detail person. They handle the nitty-gritty aspects of the club such as printing teacher lesson plans, making sure that teachers have all of the information and tools that they need in order to be successful, planning for events, and ensuring that everyone is on the same page.
This person is not necessarily the up-front person, but he or she is the go-to person for teachers and parents. This means that the administrator and director have to be on the same page.
This person is the one to make sure that the workers and parents are being communicated to on a regular basis.

Now, why is this distinction important? You will notice a huge difference in the smoothness of your club and the attention of your children when leadership is clearly defined and established. Kids need to have clear boundaries and know who is in charge. They also need someone who can speak on their level and get them excited as a whole group about the program.

Workers and parents need to know who to go to in order to get their questions answered and avoid frustration. An informed worker is a happy worker.

Do you have to have two workers filling these positions? Absolutely not. Many times in a smaller ministry, it is impossible to have two people for these positions; however, the director will need to remember the importance of both roles and be able to fill each adequately.

Web Based Training

sroberts — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:40:41 GMT

Technology today is truly amazing! There are so many different avenues of reaching out to people than were ever imagined possible even ten years ago. The staff here at Kids 4 Truth are striving to be the best stewards possible of the technology available so that we can reach out to more people. One of the ways we are going to be harnessing technology this year is through the use of live, web-based training sessions and more online training. This will allow us to offer detailed and clear training for churches who are unable to have someone come to their location to teach.

So what are your thoughts on web-based training? Have you gone through any yourself that have proven to be especially helpful, and if so, how? What are some recommendations or requests you would like to see in potential webinars or online training from K4T?

Why Focused Group Study?

sroberts — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:36:47 GMT

At the Kids 4 Truth Ministry here in Kansas City, Missouri, we just presented our year-end awards last night. This past year of clubs we were able to present more year-end awards then ever before. We found, however, that either the children were getting either the silver or gold year-end pin, or nothing at all. Very few recieved the bronze pin. We decided to incorperate a few new things in order to help bridge that gap between the over achievers and those who are not earning many awards at all.

The first thing we did was to create a goal sheet for the children. We discussed this with them during small group time and encouraged them to set a reasonable goal that they could attain. It helped that they had just seen awards presented. Workers were encouraged to put a star beside the goal that they believed the child could reach, and that sheet was sent home for parents to make the final decision with their children of what their goals will be for Kids 4 Truth this year. We also encouraged the children by letting them know that there will be a special award presented to those children who meet their year-end goal.

The second new addition to this year's club time is the incorperation of more focused group study. Now, almost every small group will be focused group study. We will place those children who work well on their own or have a lot of parental help with Kids 4 Truth in indvididual study groups. During the focused group time, the group leader will go over the book material with their small groups in detail as they read the passages together, discuss the questions, and fill in the blanks to their units. The leader goes over the Memorize It sections with their small groups and helps them work on the memory work as a group leaving time at the end of group to listen to those who are ready to recite. Each focused small group has at least two leaders so that everyone who is ready to recite will have someone to listen to them. We are also encouraging children to recite their work before club time to workers if possible, in order to get through more during club time. This works especially well for children and workers who's parent's or spouses are in choir practice during that time.

We are excited to see how this new approach will work in our club. We have already been using a similar concept in the Developer's level which has worked well. Our goal is that the teachers would really be able to get a better feel for the understanding, progress, and ability of each child so that they can encourage learning and spiritual growth in every way possible.

Does Kids 4 Truth work for Sunday School?

sroberts — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:23:26 GMT

We have found within the last several months that many churches have decided to use the Kids 4 Truth materials for Sunday school, junior church, or a combination of the two. Why is this an appealing time for some? Here are just a few reasons:

Using the program through Sunday school and Junior Church gives a more focused and longer period of time to implement all of the curriculum and components.
Some churches have a weekday club already in place that they would like to keep, but they see the importance of teaching their children essential doctrines.
Some churches are not at a point that they can start a weekday club, but would like to revamp what they are using for Sunday school in order to really ground their boys and girls in essential, Christian truth.

Are you interested in trying out Kids 4 Truth on Sunday? What does that look like for your church? The following are a few starter ideas, but please share your thoughts if you are already using K4T in this format.

Use the Sunday school hour for a more in depth teaching time. Make sure to incorporate a few songs that tie into the lesson, some object lessons, and illustrations (all of these can be found on this site under the Downloads tab).
Use the junior church hour for focused small group time and awards. (These first two time scenarios can easily be swapped, as well, if you find that you have several children who only come to junior church and not to Sunday school.)
If you are in a church that does not have the space or workers to split up the ages very much, you can have a more focused "small" group time to go through book questions and the memory work as an entire group. It will take twice the energy level and interactivity to make sure that all of the ages are with you and excited about learning. Make sure to use plenty of different interactive teach techniques in order to teach the Memorize It! sections, and also use your older children to be your special helpers in aiding in the learning process for the younger ones.
If you do have the chance to break up your group into a couple of smaller groups, some of the kids can be working on a craft that pertains to the lesson, doing a choir time, or having their own small group while the others are working on their memory work.
Wall charts are great, eye-catching reminders of progress that the kids are making on their memory work. If you don't want to use patches and the awards for a Sunday school time, you can come up with some other creative rewards for the kids by using the awards charts to mark off certain goals that you would like them to reach. Reward their effort by throwing an ice cream party or having a popsicle day during Junior Church.

So what are some ideas that you have seen work in your church? What are some things that you have found don't work in the Sunday School or Junior Church set up? Do you have any questions on how this might be incorporated into your church setting?

Childlike Faith

sroberts — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:47:05 GMT

God's Word says that you must come to Him as a little child in order to be accepted by Him. If I child accepts something as the truth, there is usually a wholeheartedness and non-questioning of those facts. However, a child's understanding and/or ability to explain God's work in their heart can be very limited. Have you been frustrated trying to discern if the one or more of the kids in your club or even your own child is really "getting it"? God's gift of salvation is a gift, and it is also a mystery. Christ equated eternal life with knowing God, and He also spoke of a turning of the heart from sin and to God. We know that Salvation is a by grace through faith. So, how do you handle this topic with the kids in your club?

The Kids 4 Truth curriculum is designed to help boys and girls, no matter what their church or home background is like, discover who God is and what He has done for them regarding their souls, salvation, sanctification, and eternal destiny. This is not an overnight process, but God usually opens the eyes of our understanding over time as we hear His Word and apply it to our lives.

How have you dealt with the topic of salvation in your club? Has there been a particular lesson or illustration that has helped you to explain this glorious truth to the kids you are speaking to? How have you encouraged parents to address this topic with their children? Have you seen God work in a special way through the curriculum in order to open up the eyes of understanding of some of the kids in your club?

Small Group Time

sroberts — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:26:43 GMT

Almost every church runs their Kids 4 Truth program a little differently. Small group time setup can be especially varied depending upon the number of children and workers, the space available, time constraints, and the philosophy of the church running the club. For churches just beginning the Kids 4 Truth program, it may take a little bit of time to find which set up works best for them. As the club develops, the following questions often arise:

How can I keep the kids in my group from getting distracted by the other groups around them, especially in a small space containing several different small groups?
How can I help the kids in my group understand what they are memorizing while I am still trying to listen to everyone’s memory work in a limited amount of time?
How can I help to keep the noise level down so that the kids can concentrate on what they are memorizing?
How can I ensure that the kids are really “getting” what they are quoting back to me during small group time? (What are some ways that I can reinforce the lesson without taking away from their memory work time?)

Here are some starter ideas that may help answer some of these questions:

1. Avoiding Distractions:

a. If you have several groups in one room, try pairing up groups to compete against each other. This could be done by level and/or gender. See which group can get the most accurate work done in one evening. (Make sure to add bonus points for accuracy and careful work over simply speeding through the memory work).

b. In a smaller setting, you can encourage competition among the children in an individual group in the same way.

2. Dealing with time constraints on memory work

a. If you have children who tend to come early or stay later, listen to their memory work before or after club time.

b. Encourage the kids who are further ahead to help those waiting to say their memory work. This will help the child make sure that they really have their answer and verse memorized before coming to say it to you which will speed up the whole process. This also encourages a spirit of discipleship and service in the children.

c. If you see that you are consistently running against the clock to finish memory work, try to enlist the help of some volunteers in the church who would be willing to just help out during small group time to listen to the memory work.

3. Lesson Reinforcement

a. As you listen to memory work, ask questions concerning specific words and phrases of the verse, especially words that the child may be unfamiliar with.

b. If all of the children are working on the same “Memorize It” section or sections close to each other, ask a few questions to the whole group to gauge their understanding of the passages being taught.

c. Try to glance over the truth quest section not only to see that all of the blanks are filled in, but that the children have a good understanding of what is being asked.

d. Try to spend some individualized time with un-churched clubbers if at all possible to ensure understanding both of what is being taught and what they are memorizing.

So what are your ideas? Please share what your church has done to answer some of these small group time questions, or other ideas relating to small group time.

Living Life in the Fast Lane

sroberts — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:58:48 GMT

How many Wednesday or Sunday evenings have you found yourself shoving something in your mouth (and or your kids mouths) as you run out the door in order to breathlessly squeak into club time? Let’s face it, our lives are hectic, and a weekday club night can come up at the most inconvenient time of the week for us and our children. So, how do you as a worker come prepared to give of yourself to these kids in the fullest way possible? Here are some of the most basic suggestions:

Directors:

Communicate, communicate, communicate to your workers on their weekly responsibilities! After you do, plan ahead for those who will still miss that communication somehow.
Have extra books, printed out lesson plans, and anything else that you need ready to go before each club night. Organization is the key here. If you aren’t organized, find someone who is to help you.
Pray passionately for your workers, clubbers, and their families. Your passion and love will trickle down throughout your workers and clubbers.

Teachers:

Plan ahead of time! It may be difficult to find a large chunk of time to pour over your lesson for the following week, so it may help to work on it a little bit each day. Even if you have thoroughly prepared one day, it always helps to review the key points a little each day to keep the lesson fresh in your mind by the time you teach it.
Prepare your heart. If you are exceptionally busy, make your weekly lesson part of your daily devotion time. Use it as a jumping off point for further personal Bible study and memory. You’ll be amazed at how the Lord uses what He teaches to you to pour out through your teaching into the lives of the kids.
Practice. Make sure to find a time early in the week to collect and practice with any object lessons, props, etc. so there are fewer surprises at club time.
Pray regularly for your clubbers, clubbers families, workers, and for God’s Word to go forth with power. Sometimes prayer is the only thing to get you through a busy, distracted evening.

Group Leaders:

Know the lessons that are going to be presented each week. Take a little time to go through the lesson yourself so you can be praying with knowledge and be prepared to answer questions your particular clubbers may have. You can ask your director for a copy or download copies yourself from the Download section of this site.
Keep a list of your clubber’s names, birthdays, and facts on their families in a spot that you will see each day. Go ahead and write out birthday cards ahead of time so they are ready to send at the appropriate times.
Pray for your clubbers daily and know their needs. Even if you don’t have time to do extra things for your clubbers, asking knowledgeable, compassionate, and timely questions can make a world of difference to them.
This only happens if you are faithfully praying for their needs.
Those are the very basics. What are some practical ideas you have found to help you prepare your heart and mind for club time? Are their some tricks of the trade you have found have worked for you?

Those are the very basics. What are some practical ideas you have found to help you prepare your heart and mind for club time? Are their some tricks of the trade you have found have worked for you?

How do I Implement Review Games into our Club Night?

sroberts — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:47:37 GMT

Review games can be so much more than simply a “time filler” when the adult service goes too long. They can actually be a tremendous tool that should be used regularly during your club nights. Not only does it encourage excitement and enthusiasm, but it’s also a great way to gauge if the kids have an understanding of what is being taught. Use this time to really reinforce the key points that you would like them to go away with.

So you might be saying, “I can’t come up with cool or creative review games!” Don’t worry. There are already several fun review games that can be used with a computer and projector which are readily available. These games are not only easy to use, but they also add excitement to the club night. We currently have one review game called Treasure Truth Trivia available free of charge on the EquipU site in the Download Section. Children’s Evangelist, Ed Dunlop has also produced a large selection of power point review games which are available for purchase at his website. Follow this link to check them out. http://www.dunlopministries.com/teacher-resources.htm

A few quick things to remember when running review games are:

Keep the game simple and moving quickly. You may only have just a few minutes, so choose a game that can be finished at any point necessary. You can always continue the competition the following week.
Make sure to add a lot of excitement and suspense with points!
Divide the group up into boys against girls. This is an automatic competition booster.
Ask questions only relating to material that is fresh in the minds of the children and make sure to reinforce the truths taught during the lesson time.

Remember, the review game questions are completely up to you. This is the most important element of the game. Think of questions that are simple enough for a quick response, but that always get back to the character of God.

So, what type of review games have you found to be successful at your church? What type of questions have you found work the best for the kids? Do you have any suggestions or ideas on running review games?

Parental Involvement

sroberts — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:30:39 GMT

Have you noticed that while the kids in your club may be excited about the program, it is sometimes a little harder to get parents on board? Some churches struggle getting parents to actively work with their children on their memory work at home, while other ministries find it hard to get parents to even bring their children to club or church. The ideal scenario would be parents working regularly with their children helping them to not only memorize but internalize the Biblical truths they are being taught in club time or church, while actively supporting the church ministry. Realistically, the hectic pace of life alone can make this a very difficult goal to attain. Parents need all the help they can get, and it is the local churches’ responsibility to help parents to fulfill the biblical command to bring up their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

So, what can you do to encourage parental involvement in your Kids 4 Truth club, and, most importantly, how can you encourage their involvement in the spiritual training of their children? Here are some ideas to that may help you. Please post other suggestions or comments you may have.

· Excitement starts from the top. Pastors and church leadership should have a good understanding of the program as well as an excitement for the ministry if enthusiasm is to spread throughout the congregation.

· Keep your parents well informed

1. Have an open house at the beginning of your club year and explain the program carefully to the parents (A special Q&A time is always helpful.)

2. Send home reminders to parents that show what their child is working on and what they should be working toward. (You can download and print out parent information packets, parent packet preformatted labels, and progress charts from the EquipU site under downloads section).

· Reward attendance and memory work in ways that parents will notice.

1. Reward children for simply attending club on a regular basis, especially if you have a lot of bus children. Many times local restaurants or stores will be willing to donate gift certificates that can be used for special awards.

2. Mail or give children postcards for birthdays, if they miss a club night, or just as an encouragement for a job well done. Parents notice special touches. (Pre-printed postcards are available for purchase on the Online Store, and are an easy way to make a personal touch.)

· Have special programs or parent nights.

1. Having a parent night where children are rewarded if a parent attends is a great incentive, and parents will get the opportunity to see what happens during a club night.

2. Get children up in front of the church often so that parents and church members can be encouraged by progress made during club time. Simply singing one or two songs learned during club time or having a few kids reciting memory work is an easy way to accomplish this without a lot of extra time or effort.

3. Have a special parent program at the end of the year or for holidays. This is a great chance to present the gospel to unsaved parents as well as a great time for church leadership to emphasize parents working with children at home.

Please share ideas and suggestions you use in your ministry to encourage and develop parental involvement in your club.

How to Earn Awards

sroberts — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:48:34 GMT

One of the most common misconceptions about Kids 4 Truth is that there is only one way for a child to earn award patches in a particular church. The fact of the matter is, however; the possibilities are endless! Let me give you just a couple of scenarios that can be used within a club.

Typical Awards Scenario

Target Group: This scenario is for the average church clubber who has access to help at home.
Description

1. First Award Patch - Earned after the child has quoted the answers to the MEMORIZE IT! from the first five units of a theme (not all at once).

2. Second Award Patch - Earned after the child has quoted the answers to the MEMORIZE IT! from the second five units of a theme (not all at once).

3. Third Award Patch - Earned after the child has quoted the answers to the MEMORIZE IT! from the first five units of a theme at one time.

4. Fourth Award Patch - Earned after the child has quoted the answers to the MEMORIZE IT! from the second five units of a theme at one time.

5. Bonus Patch: Earned after the child has quoted all three answers from the Bonus Q&A from any five units of a theme. (a total of 15 answers).

Things to Remember: The average child should at least be able to earn the first two patches for each theme. Try to move all of the kids along through the themes at the same time so that they do not get discouraged. You can encourage quicker memorizers to help out those who may be having a harder time.

Focused Study Awards Scenario

Target Group: This is for churches who want to take the program at a slower pace or for individual children who have a hard time memorizing (especially bus children who have no help at home).
Description

1. First Award Patch: Earned after the child has quoted the answers to the MEMORIZE IT! from the first three units of a theme (not all at once).

2. Second Award Patch: Earned after the child has quoted the answers to the MEMORIZE IT! from the second three units of a theme (not all at once).

3. Third Award Patch: Earned after the child has quoted the answers to the MEMORIZE IT! from the next three units of a theme (not all at once).

4. Fourth Award Patch: Earned after the child has quoted the answer to the final MEMORIZE IT! from a theme along with any other two answers from that same theme at one time.

5. Bonus Patch Options:

Earned for filling in the blanks for each of the units in a theme.
Earned for faithfully attending and bringing your Bible, TruthBook, and awards standard during the time each theme was studied.

Things to Rember: If you are using this for only a few children in your club, you can be as flexible with this scenario as necessary.

Now, these are just two scenarios that can be used even within the same club. What are some award scenarios that have worked for you? What other ideas have you used for earning Bonus Patches? What other incentives have you found to work well with your kids outside of award patches?

Standard...sash... what is it again?

sroberts — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:15:30 GMT

As many of you are aware, Kids 4 Truth uses sashes and patches for our awards system. Some of you may be wondering where that concept came from. Well, it's actually fairly simple, but there are a few key reasons for our use of sashes and patches for awards.

We chose to use the name standard because of the Old Testament concept of holding up the standard to demonstrate where your loyalties lie and to whom you belong. We want boys and girls to be proud of the heritage of truth they are receiving, and to boldly proclaim that they belong to the King of Kings!
We found that sashes and iron on patches were much easier to wear, handle, store, and use than other articals of clothing might be. Less work for parents and immediate rewards for a child's hard work are well worth it!
Practically speaking, you may have a hard time getting a 6th grade boy to wear a sash, but helping him to understand the concept of a Biblical standard is a lot more appealing.

Those are just a few of the basic reasons for the development and use of the Kids 4 Truth Standards. But, what are your ideas? Have you found anything difficult about using the standards at your club? Do you use a different and possibly better alternative? What are your suggestions on using the standards and patches?

I can't get my child to take care of his Truthbook!

sroberts — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:32:18 GMT

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you as a club worker or parent? You arrive at club time anticipating that hard working little Johny will get his patch this week only to find that he somehow managed to forget his book. Or, was Kendra's cover ripped off because little brother stepped on it while running through the house? Have you gotten ready to go over Bobby's memory work with them at home only to discover that his bedroom managed to swallowed his book? (Or maybe it was that little elf who also stole the important paper that his teacher sent home from school.) How can you encourage your children to have a sense of responsibility with their books as well as reward good stewardship?

Some practical ideas include the following:

Have a specific spot that your child keeps his book and standard. Most Bible covers are a convenient and protective location to fit a Bible, truthbook, and standard. If you don't already have one, check out the Bible covers or totes offered on the Kids 4 Truth online store.

Use bonus patches or some other incentive as rewards for children who bring their books and standards to club on a regular basis.

Don't allow a clubber to be awarded with a patch on a night they don't have their book or standard (It's almost impossible to know what memory work was done previously, and if they forget their standard it's likely they might lose the patch before it can be attached).

Let's be honest, taking care of belongings does not come naturally to children. Their priorities tend to involve things like keeping that treasured rock they found in the yard (usually forgotten in their pocket) rather than keeping track of their truthbook. Taking responsibility for personal belongings has to be taught, enforced, and rewarded. So, what are your ideas? Please share what you have done at your home or church to teach your children good stewardship and responsibility specifically in relation to their club materials.