Tips for Winter 2014 Volunteers

10 Tips for Volunteering:

1. Middle School & above can serve as HELPERS in Nursery, PreK & K-2nd. High School & above can serve in all areas.

2. Complete a background check form before your 1st Sunday (17 years and above. Return to Anne' Erickson, Director of HR in the Christ Church office). Link below:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9X92A8oHQgpMmJaZkc3c1M4Qlk/edit?usp=sharing

3. Observe another leader in your area before you are on the schedule (if possible) or read through our Adventure Camp blog for routines and procedures particular to our ministry-

http://ccadventurecamp.blogspot.com/

4. Review the lesson materials for your week if applicable (posted online at www.christchurchmequon.org/lessons or sent via email).

5. Pray for the children and families you will serve.

6. Arrive in your room 10 minutes before your service begins to connect with that week's leader.

7. Wear a CC tshirt or grab a green Adventure Camp apron when you arrive.

8. Be flexible...children's ministry can be unpredictable and we make plans that are usually altered based on what each Sunday brings. That's why they call it an "Adventure"!

9. Remember that your role is to "love on" children and share the love of Christ with them - that's your primary role. Everything else flows from that one principle :)

10. If for some reason you can't serve on your committed Sunday, we request that you try to secure a sub from the notes section of your age group, or trade Sundays with another volunteer on the schedule.

HELPERS: 

Thank you for serving! It is up to you to prep as much/little as you feel comfortable with. If this is your first time, please arrive in the room 10 min before your service is scheduled to start, in order to touch base with that morning's leader. You can also read through this blog to become familiar with our updated routines & procedures.

LEADERS: 
In order to prep for the lessons you may visit our lesson site www.christchurchmequon.org/lessons. On this site you will find an overview of the curriculum we are using and lesson details for each date. Many of these details are included in online Google Docs. If you have any trouble accessing these links, please contact Anne' Erickson  office@christchurchmequon.org (for PreK or K-2nd) or Melissa Barnett mbarnett@christchurchmequon.org (for 3rd-5th or nursery) directly and they will send you a copy of the document by email.

 Drop-off and Pick-up Routines:

• Those under 3 drop-off and pick-up in their respective Nursery Rooms. Adults will need to show a numbered security ticket.

• Adventure Heights will be open for the drop-off of children ages 3-5th until the worship countdown begins. It will then close and children will be escorted through the Children's Worship Room to their assigned rooms.

• After countdown begins: 

• PreK - will drop-off in Education Room D (Classroom off Children's Worship Rm) and pick-up by an adult with a numbered security ticket.

• K-2nd - will drop-off at a Small Group circle inside the Children's Worship Room. Children will be assigned to a circle by the Large Group Leader/Facilitator s they enter the room. Helpers will be assigned to a group circle and lead the children in an Icebreaker Game as they arrive. Pick-up will happen at these same circles by an adult with a numbered security ticket. 

• 3rd-5th - will drop-off inside Education A & B (off the kitchen) using the new entrance. This group is also "self-releasing" - students can leave on their own at the end of class without a parent pick-up.

Small Group/Large Group format:
In PreK through 5th grades, each individual age group has their own specially designed Small Group and Large Group activities based on the unit theme. Each lesson topic within a unit will usually last for two weeks. The first week is typically a "Large Group" week focusing on teaching the main point and Bible story. The second week is typically a "Small Group" week where the main point and Bible story are reviewed, but the focus is place on application through games and other small group activities. 

Sample Large Group Week:
(those leading the activity are in parenthesis)
9:00 - Volunteers arrive in rooms to prepare for morning activities
Drop-off Time
9:10 - Adventure Heights closes
9:10 - Students can now drop-off in their respective rooms
9:10 - greet students in small groups as they enter (helpers) &
          assist with small group assignments (leader)
9:10 - 9:20 -  small group huddle - icebreaker game (helpers)
9:20 - 9:30 - Welcome: announcements, greet  visitors & prayer (leader)Lesson Time
9:30 - 9:35 - Introduce the day's lesson (large group leader)9:35 - 9:45 -  Show Bible Story video (leader)9:45 - 9:50 - Small Group Q &A (leader & helpers)
9:50 - 10 - Show Bible Verse & Memory Game (leader & helpers)
10-10:10 - Show Lesson Skit (leader)
Pick-up Time
10:10-10:15 - Ending prayer requests in small groups & pick-up (helpers)

Sample Small Group Week:
(those leading the activity are in parenthesis)
9:00 - Volunteers arrive in rooms to prepare for morning activities
Drop-off Time
9:10 - Adventure Heights closes
9:10 - Students can now drop-off in their respective rooms
9:10 - greet students in small groups as they enter (helpers) &
          assist with small group assignments (leader)
9:10 - 9:20 - small group huddle - icebreaker game (helpers)
9:20 - 9:30 - Welcome: announcements, greet  visitors & prayer (leader)Lesson Time
9:30 - 9:40 - Worship songs (video/leader)9:40 - 9:45 -  Review Lesson (leader)9:45 - 9:55 - Small Group Activity 1 (leader & helpers)
9:55 - 10 - Small Group Huddle (helpers)
10 - 10:10  Small Group Activity 2 (leader & helpers)
Pick-up Time
10:10 - 10:15 Gather in small group for final huddle & pickup (helper)