PreK (3-5yrs) Volunteers Please Read

Important for PreK  Leaders and Assistants of Jr. Kidz:

1. Please watch the "Elevate Jr.: Watch this video to learn how to use Elevate Jr." before volunteering for the first time this year.  http://www.elevateatchurch.com/
2. The theme for September 2nd through December 16th is "Allaso Ranch":
• Come join us as we go to Allaso Ranch, the best summer camp in the universe! At Allaso Ranch we will join Sydney, Haley, and the Dirty Jacket gang and learn about all the things God made us to do. So, grab your sleeping bag and backpack, and come camping with us at Allaso Ranch!   
• Preview the lessons at:   http://www.elevateatchurch.com/allaso-ranch-jr.html
• Allaso Ranch Lesson Overview PDF
3. We have a new schedule for teaching/leading each two week lesson unit. Essentially, Week A is the "teaching week" which is largely spent watching the lesson video with a shorter time for application activities. Week B, is the "application week" which begins by reviewing the songs and Bible story of Week A. The leader can choose to reading the story from a book or re-watching the Bible Story portion of the video. Then more application activities are completed and there is potential for a longer "Free Play" time during which the lesson of the week can be applied to "every day life".
4. Training DVDs and Lesson Scripts will be available the week before week A of each Lesson Unit.
5. We are test driving this new system and may need to make adjustments along the way. Please be prepared to make adjustments to the schedule & the lessons based on your needs and the needs of the children you are leading.

Jr. Kidz (PreK) Week A:

·   10 min - Opening in Gathering Room (worship, prayer, announcements)

·   PreK are dismissed to begin their lesson

·   20 min+ Lesson DVD

·   2 application games or activities

·   Free play

·   last 10 min – clean up, Shaker Song, pick up in rooms

Jr. Kidz (PreK) Week B:
·   10 min - Opening in Gathering Room (worship, prayer, announcements)
·   PreK are dismissed to begin their lesson
·   15 min Lesson Review & read Bible story (or re-watch on video)
·   2+ application games or activities
·   Free play
·   last 10 min – clean up, Shaker Song, pick up in rooms

K-5th Volunteers Please Read

Important for K-5th grade Small Group and Large Group volunteers of Kidz Camp:

1. Please watch the "Elevate Kids: Watch this video to learn how to use Elevate Kids" before volunteering for the first time this year.  http://www.elevateatchurch.com/
2. The theme for September 2nd through December 16th is "Allaso Ranch":
• There's something for everyone at Allaso Ranch! Whether you like hiking, swimming, paintball, riding down zip lines, or riding horses, this camp is where you want to be. Pack your suitcase, and don't forget your pillow, because at Allaso Ranch we're getting away and getting to know God.  
• Preview the lessons at: http://www.elevateatchurch.com/allaso-ranch-kids.html 
• Allaso Ranch Lesson Overview PDF
3. We have a new schedule for teaching/leading each two week lesson unit. Essentially, Week A is the "teaching week" which is largely spent inside the Large Group Room with time for only one very short Small Group Activity. Week B, is the "application week" with a short review time spent in Large Group and a longer time spent in Small Groups with multiple games & activities.
4. Small Group Training DVDs and Lesson Scripts will be available during week A of each Lesson Unit.
5. We are test driving this new system and may need to make adjustments along the way. Please be prepared to make adjustments to the schedule & the lessons based on your needs and the needs of the children you are leading.

Kidz Camp Week A:

·   10 min - Opening in Gathering Room (worship, prayer, announcements)
·   Jr. Kidz are dismissed to begin their lesson
·   35 min Large Group DVD
·   4^th & 5^th dismissed to Youth Room for Small Groups
·   10 min - short Small Group activity in rooms
·   5 min – clean up/pick up time in rooms

Kidz Camp Week B:
·   10 min - Opening in Gathering Room (worship, prayer, announcements)
·   Jr. Kidz are dismissed 15 min Lesson Review in Large Group
·   4^th & 5^th dismissed
·   30 min Small Group games & activities
·   5 min – clean up/pick up time in rooms

Volunteer Schedule Sept 2012 - Aug 2013

Volunteer Schedule Sept 2012 - Aug 2013

Link to online sign-up for volunteering

General Directions:

1. Please sign up for your chosen dates, units & weeks by the last Sunday in August (Aug 26th).
2. Please contact me directly if you need help filling in the online form. children@christchurchmequon.org
3. Please note all the changes in the rotation procedures for each volunteer area.
4. If you need to keep your rotation similar to your current schedule, please sign up before August 19 to ensure openings. If you are more flexible on your schedule, please wait until after August 19th to sign up.

Jr. Kidz & Kidz Camp Volunteer Schedule:  

1. Please sign up for at least 6 different 2 week slots (12 wks total) within the same age group or area. (Major holidays are single week slots).  

2. You may choose to serve for an entire thematic UNIT, for an entire quarter (3 mo.), for an entire calendar month or just by the 2 week lesson.  

3.  Use your first & last name and put a phone number under your first entry. 

4.  If you find can't serve on a Sunday you chose, please use this list to contact a sub, arrange a trade with another volunteer in your area or contact the "Camp Large Group Leader" for that week (in an emergency).

Two Week Units:

Date     Lessons       Notes  

9/2/2012   1A  ..........NEW UNIT

9/9/2012          1B            Kickoff Sun 

9/16/2012 2A

9/23/2012 2B             Family Retreat Weekend

9/30/2012 3A

10/7/2012 3B

10/14/2012 4A

10/21/2012 4B

10/28/2012 5A

11/4/2012 5B

11/11/2012 6A

11/18/2012 6B

11/25/2012 7A ......... Thanksgiving 

12/2/2012 7B

12/9/2012 8A

12/16/2012 8B

12/23/2012 Christmas    Christmas Eve

12/30/2012 New Years                       

1/6/2013         1A ...........NEW UNIT

1/13/2013 1B

1/20/2013 2A

1/27/2013 2B

2/3/2013         3A

2/10/2013 3B             Valentines

2/17/2013 4A

2/24/2013 4B

3/3/2013         5A

3/10/2013 5B

3/17/2013 6A

3/24/2013 Palm Sun Parade   Palm Sunday 

3/31/2013 Easter Sunday

4/7/2013   7A

4/14/2013 7B

4/21/2013 8A

4/28/2013 8B

5/5/2013         1A .............NEW UNIT

5/12/2013 1B              Mother's Day

5/19/2013 2A

5/26/2013 2B

6/2/2013        3A

6/9/2013         3B

6/16/2013 4A .............Father's Day

6/23/2013 5A

6/30/2013 6A

7/7/2013         7A ..............4th of July

7/14/2013 8A

7/21/2013 Family Week Party Family Week Sun 

7/28/2013 Summer 1

8/4/2013         Summer 2

8/11/2013 Summer 3

8/18/2013 Summer 4

8/25/2013 Summer 5.......Promotion Sun 

Registration Desk, E.A.G.L.E.S. Nursery & Adventure Heights Volunteers:

1. These three Adventure Camp volunteer areas now have a "week of the month" rotation system. 2. Please choose to serve on at least one week & worship time per month.
3. Write your first & last name and phone number under the time slot(s) of your choice. 4. If you find can't serve on a Sunday you chose, please use this list to contact a sub,  arrange a trade with another volunteer in your area or contact the Team Leader for your area of ministry (in an emergency).

Link to online sign-up for volunteering

About Me

Melissa Barnett - Director of Children's and Family Ministries at Christ Church

I think it’s important to know the people you work with, their idiosyncrasies, their talents and their faults. I think the more you know about each other, the stronger you are as a team. And this year, 2012-2013, is all about TEAMS…so here’s a little bit of info about me. Maybe it will help you decide weather or not you want to take the leap and join the team J.

Some things you should know about your leader….

1. I’m a creative perfectionist - a rare combination which leads to a very interesting office space.
2. I’m passionate about growth – all kinds including: organizational, intellectual, spiritual, and emotional. I believe we never stop learning and growing.
3. I get bored easily and this drives my need to always do and try new things!
4. I value family and thus have a strong commitment to my husband and to raising my two young children. This value also fuels my desire to inspire growth and development within families at Christ Church.
5. I’m a little “high strung” – please bear with me. This is what happens when you put a passionate, creative, perfectionist in one body!
6. I’m an ever growing, NEVER perfect, follower of Christ who is sold out on the mission and vision of Christ Church!

My top Spiritual gifts

1. Faith
2. Discernment
3. Administration/Guidance
4. Leadership
5. Hospitality

My Core Values

(from the “Chazown” experience – www.Chazown.com)

• Authenticity
• Creativity
• Family
• Leadership
• Learning
• Transpareny

Some personal history…

• I’ve been at Christ Church as a member since July 2008, and have been working as the Director of Children’s Ministries since August 2009.
• This is my third position as a Director of Children’s Ministries in a church. I also served in Milpitas, CA at Mount Olive Ministries and in Valdosta, GA at House of Joy.
• I grew up down south in Mississippi & Alabama as the daughter of a Lutheran Pastor and a Kindergarten teacher. I’m also the oldest of three sisters.
• I studied Visual Arts and Education in college at Auburn University in Alabama.
• I married my husband, JJ, on July 13, 1996. He was 21, and I had just turned 20 five days earlier. (We were babies.)
•  Nine years later, we had Abigail (2005) and then Charlotte (2007). I am done “having” children, but we are not convinced that God is finished building our family. Stay tuned for more!

Volunteering Opportunities Sept 2012 - Aug 2013

Volunteering:

What are the volunteer opportunities for Sundays in Adventure Camp?

1. Adventure Heights Volunteer – supervising children between the ages of 3 years to 5^th grade at our indoor playground, before Jr. Kidz & Kidz Camp begins. Serve at least one week per month for 35min.
2. Camp Registration Desk Greeter – welcoming new families, answering questions, entering information into the computer system and assisting other families with check-in. Serve at least one week per month for 1 hour 30 min.
3. E.A.G.L.E.S. Nursery Infant Room Assistant – care for, play with and hold babies ages birth to 1.5 yrs (solidly walking).  Serve at least one week per month for 1 hour 20 min.
4. E.A.G.L.E.S. Nursery Toddler Room Assistant – play with and comfort Toddlers ages 1.5 to 3 yrs, as well as assisting Staff with weekly Bible Story Time and activities. Serve at least one week per month for 1 hour 20 min.
5. Jr. Kidz Helper – assisting the Jr. Kidz Leader with activities and games for preschoolers ages 3 to 5 years. Serve for at least 6 two week sessions for 1 hour 20 min.
6. Jr. Kidz Leader – leading preschoolers, ages 3 through 5 years (potty trained), through games and activities. Serve for at least 6 two week sessions for 1 hour 20 min.
7. Kidz Camp Assistant for Large Group – serving in a variety of tasks including: welcoming kids as they enter, assisting with technology, helping with skits or games (when applicable), and guarding the door during pick-up and check-out time. Serve for at least 6 two week sessions for 1 hour 20 min.
8. Kidz Camp Large Group Leader – leading  the weekly Large Group time, introducing DVD driven lessons and themes and engaging kids in worship. Serve for at least 6 two week sessions for 1 hour 20 min.
9. Kidz Camp K/1^st Small Group Helper – assisting the K/1^st leader with small group time games and activities. Serve for at least 6 two week sessions for 1 hour 20 min.
10. Kidz Camp K/1^st Small Group Leader – greeting children, assisting K/1^st grade children during Large Group Time and leading games and activities for K/1^st during Small Group time. Serve for at least 6 two week sessions for 1 hour 20 min.
11. Kidz Camp 2^nd/3rd Small Group Leader – greeting children, assisting 2^nd/3^rd grade children during Large Group Time and leading games and activities for 2^nd/3rd during Small Group time. Serve for at least 6 two week sessions for 1 hour 20 min.
12. Kidz Camp 4^th/5^th Small Group Leader – greeting children, assisting 4^th/5th during Large Group Time and leading games and activities for 4^th/5^th grade children during Small Group time. Serve for at least 6 two week sessions for 1 hour 20 min.

How can I get involved?

1. Contact the Director of Children’s Ministries at children@ChristChurchMequon.org.
2. Sign up for a age level or ministry area within Adventure Camp and choose your rotation schedule before the last Sunday in August.
3. Sign a background check release form. We perform a background check on all volunteers over the age of 17 who work with children in ministry.
4. Make a commitment to complete at least 12 weeks of service during the ministry year – September through August.
5. Consider making a deeper commitment to the program by volunteering to serve:
1. For a committee within your age level or ministry team (TBA).
2. For more than 12 weeks total.
3. For both the 9:30am and 11:00am time slots on your scheduled Sunday(s).
4. As the Team Leader for your age level or ministry team.

What is expected of a volunteer?

1.      Make a commitment to attend worship regularly when not volunteering.

2.      Continue to grow in the areas of personal Bible Study and prayer.

3.      Prepare for each week by reading the Ministry Updates on Director’s Blog, praying for the children and families you will serve and by reading through the lesson materials & activity descriptions (when applicable).

4.       Arrive inside at least 10 min before each Worship Hour begins, ready to greet the children and their families. Be inside the room where your kids will gather or be dropped off.

5.      Stay in assigned area until all children are safely delivered to their parents or a relief volunteer arrives (usually 10 min after each service ends).

6.      When you need to miss a Sunday, please find your own sub or trade Sundays with another volunteer from our approved list.

7.      In an emergency, try to contact the Team Leader for your Ministry Area or for the Sunday you were assigned to serve.

8.      Communicate your concerns, needs, and questions to your Team Leader first.

9.      Understand, agree with and strive to further the mission and vision of Christ Church and the ministry area in which you serve.

Are there any behind the scenes or non-Sunday volunteer opportunities?

1. Yes!!!
2. We have needs for organizers, cleaners, weekly supply stagers, actors, artists, puppeteers, musicians, helping hands at our midweek events and more.
3. Contact the Director of Children’s Ministries at children@ChristChurchMequon.org, and let us know how you’d like to help.

Frequently Asked Questions about 2012 Changes

Volunteer Organization:

Why are we making changes to the volunteer organizational system?

1.      Our attendance and overall population at Christ Church continues to grow (we welcome at least one new family each week). Thus we are reevaluating and updating our procedures to meet the needs of our growing family and ministry.

2.      Many volunteers have expressed the difficulties inherent in serving for an entire month of Sundays. We are hoping the new flexible scheduling options will alleviate some of those issues, as well as keep the opportunity open for volunteers to choose to serve for a continuous “block of time”.

3.      By organizing into defined Ministry Teams, we will build solid foundations upon which future growth in our church and ministry will be supported. Our goal is to support each other and to more evenly distribute the “work load”.

Why are we adopting two-week long volunteer sessions in Jr. Kidz and Kidz Camp?

1. We’ve chosen to switch to the “Elevate” curriculum from CreativePastors.com.  By using it over this past summer we found it to be an engaging, effective and fun way to teach the kids. It also uses thematic, DVD driven lessons, so the preparation time is significantly less for Small Group Leaders.
2. Our new curriculum allows us to schedule two week lesson periods. Week A will be the Large Group Teaching Week and Week B will be the Lesson Application and Small Group Week. Serving for two weeks in a row will allow our volunteers to learn along side the children and then help the children apply what they’ve learned through Small Group games & activities.
3. Consistency is a value of our Adventure Camp Program.  Consistency and repetition of volunteers encourages relationship building, increases the comfort level of both children & parents and decreases behavioral issues.

Teams:

What is a Ministry Team?

1. A small group of volunteers (5-7 members) who work together for a common ministry goal.
2. Each team has a leader and each member has a specific purpose or role to perform.
3. Each role on the team is a “bite sized” portion of the work to be done to accomplish the goal.
4. When a team needs to grow larger than 7 members in order to accomplish the goal, then the team must break the goal into sub-goals, divide into two or more teams and recruit new members for each team.
5. Almost every team will be directly linked with another team or leader above them. Often a team will also have a team or teams below them as well.
6. Committees are formed out of the teams that have to form sub-goals and subdivide. The subdivisions are the committees and their team leaders are members of the team above them.
7. See example charts below

What does a Ministry Team Leader do?

1. Mentor new team members.
2. Communicate with the other leaders that they directly work with on the team.
3. Help to recruit new team members.
4. Help to devise defined roles for team members and create small committees focused on specific ministry needs.
5. Meet on a quarterly basis with team for the purpose of planning, training, communicating and visioning.
6. Uphold the mission and vision of Christ Church and Adventure Camp - applying it specifically to your ministry area.
7. See example charts below.

New Things for Fall 2012

What are some new things to expect in September 2012 through August 2012?

• Our Sunday morning Children’s Ministry program name is changing to “Adventure Camp,” along with a new  tag line – “Your journey with Christ begins here!”. It will continue to be open during all three Worship Hours for ages birth through 5^th grade.

• Our theme for the ministry year (Sept 2012 – Aug 2013) is “Teamwork” and our theme verse is “Agree wholeheartedly with each other, love one another, and work together with one mind and purpose, “ Philippians 2: 2.

• We will all be getting new t-shirts to wear on the weeks you serve. Aprons will also be available in each room to wear if you choose not to wear your shirt.

• We will form Ministry Teams within each age level or ministry group and begin to hold regular quarterly meetings for the purpose of planning, training, communicating and visioning.

• Each Ministry Team will have a Team Leader who’s role is to help the team and ministry grow and evolve in line with the mission and vision of Christ Church and Adventure Camp.

• Also, the way we schedule many of the Adventure Camp volunteer areas will change. The Registration Desk and Adventure Heights will change to a “one Sunday per month” format. E.A.G.L.E.S. Nursery is already using this system. Jr. Kidz and Kidz Camp will choose 2 week time slots to serve for a total of at least 6 slots or 12 weeks. This will allow more flexibility in scheduling for the volunteer, but hopefully maintain some consistency for the kids.

• Christ Church will change its 10:45am Worship Time to 11:00 called – The Edge. The style of this later worship service will be a bit edgier, darker, bolder and louder than at 9:30am. Its purpose (as always) is to reach new people through a more modern style, louder rock music and a theater-like atmosphere.

• The church will also be installing additional check-in computers in the church lobby. These computers will serve to check-in and print name tags entire families (like we do during Family Week). Only families needing assistance or new families will use the Camp Registration Desk.