Hello @first-name,
Fall is here!! What are some of your favorite traditions for this time of year? Mine is buying all the pumpkins I fall in love with... this year I have already purchased a bumblebee pumpkin and plan to get a knucklehead pumpkin and a fairytale pumpkin.
Are you up for helping at the Fall Festival on Saturday, 10/10 in the morning? We need more adults to help us man some of the stations and it's an easy way to have fun with the kids we see on Sundays! Let me know via email or register here.
One Why
Creekside Kids is a valuable opportunity for kids to hear the message and story of God from trusted adults. Hopefully, they’re hearing that same message at home from their parents and our time with them gives us another opportunity to reinforce what they’re learning and point them toward Jesus.
One Habit (or Two)
This past Sunday, we had our first successful Sunday escape from a child. A little girl in the Kids Chapel slipped out of the room and made it to the other side of the building. She was safely brought back to Kids by Rhonda, Creekside's Welcome Ministries Director.
I watched the camera footage because I wanted to understand when, how, and where she was able to get out. The volunteers in the room were attentive and were doing what they were supposed to be doing. She happened to slip out during a moment when the adults turned to talk with other kids. This was not a case of anyone being negligent, but it was a good reminder of how quickly something like this can happen.
So, in light of this, please make sure:
1) Someone always has eyes on the entrance.
In this case, there were adults near the entrance, but she was able to slip out when everyone’s attention was turned elsewhere. Please make sure someone can always see the entrance to the room.
2) Check the roster of stickers against the children in the classroom.
This is especially important when we split Trees and Mountains and take them downstairs. The helper should confirm that all of the right kids are in the right spots and that no one has been left behind once everyone is seated. Fireweed should also make sure their kids have remained in the room, as appropriate.
This is the first time we have had a child successfully get out on a Sunday in over 3.5 years, and it wasn't anyone's negligence that allowed it to happen. We have a great team! But even with attentive volunteers, things can happen in a moment. Counting kids, knowing where they are, and keeping eyes on exits are essential parts of keeping them safe. Thank you for continuing to be diligent with these things!
One Win
When we launched the prizes for memorizing the books of the Bible, there was an intentional decision to see if kids are saying them often to get prizes or if they were satisfied with saying it once for a prize.
Let me tell you! These kids are busting out the song left and right to get the bigger prizes every week! This is amazing!! Kids are learning their books of the Bible!
Funny story, my Sammy was singing it to me last night to earn a prize and he started with, "January, Exodus, Leviticus..." I also started the song while doing a skit last night and the kids took over with gusto!
One Resource
At least once a year, we have team meetings. In late August, we had a Fireweed, Trees, and Mountains team meeting. On Sunday, October 4th - that's this Sunday - we are having a team meeting for anyone serving in the Little Lupine Nursery and Rainbow Preschool rooms. It will be a potluck meeting (so please bring a snack to share if you’re able) after the second service to discuss safety policies, snacks/bathroom breaks, checking out, and getting to know the kids. We’ll be doing intros and if you have any prayer requests, come with those, too! We will be having one for the check in desk hosts, the Aurora Room, and youth soon!!
One More
You don't have to know exactly where someone would fit before inviting them to serve. Invite them to come discover their fit! Not everyone is looking for a regular commitment. For some, their perfect fit might be serving at a one-time event, helping behind the scenes, or jumping in occasionally when they can. You may know someone who would love serving with Creekside Kids—you just need to invite them to give it a try! The Fall Festival is rapidly approaching and has a wide variety of open volunteer spots! We have games, crafts, and a Gospel room that need help!
Creekside Kids Opportunities
Please reach out if you have questions, comments, or concerns!
[Image: Elisabeth Jacobson]
Elisabeth Jacobson
Director of Kids Discipleship, Creekside Church
[Image: mail]
elisabeth.jacobson@creeksideak.com
[Image: globe]
https://creeksideak.com/creekside-kids
Also available as Markdown.