Purpose and Vision
Purpose:
To challenge kids to discover real life in Christ!
Vision:
To be the BEST hour of kids week!
DiscoveryLand is a child-targeted ministry
DiscoveryLand is a ministry that is child – targeted. It’s amazing how easily this value can get turned around. Because we are working with adult volunteers, it’s easy to start doing things that please adults instead of focusing on our target audience. We need to be very clear that we are trying to reach children! We must look at everything we do through a child’s eyes to create a ministry that reaches, teaches, and loves that child. Our commitment to being child-targeted is absolutely non-negotiable.
DiscoveryLand values lessons that are relevant
Every lesson, example, and activity is relevant to kids in their life NOW. We ask, “How does this lesson apply to their culture and world today?” and “How can the Bible truth be relevant in the life of a child today?” For both Christian kids and seeker kids, relevancy is an important key to moving them across the line of faith in Jesus and growing them up into fully devoted followers of Him.
DiscoveryLand values teaching the Bible creatively
In order to keep pace with this generation we teach the Bible lesson creatively through realistic drama sketches, video clips, creative storytelling, contemporary music, and other various teaching methods. If we want children to keep coming back to hear the incredible message of how AWESOME the God of the universe is, we can’t allow Sunday morning to be boring. We must teach the Bible creatively.
DiscoveryLand values intentional shepherding
of children through Life Groups
Life Group Leaders believe that building a relationship with a child is the most effective teaching tool of all. We strongly believe that life change happens best within the context of a small group. Within that context, we can help our children develop spiritually as we lay a foundation of key biblical principles that will guide them for the rest of their lives.
DiscoveryLand values keeping children safe –
spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Spiritually Safe- All kids, seeker and Christian, need to have a safe place where they know it is okay to ask hard questions about faith.
Emotionally Safe- Kids will share their hurts, habits and hang-ups when they meet in a small group of 8-10 kids weekly.
Physically Safe- Because our room environments have age-appropriate equipment, background checks with all volunteers, picture ID badges for all volunteers, name tags on all children, registration processes outside of the DiscoveryLand rooms, and the enforcement of check-in and check-out procedures we are able to provide a safe environment.
DiscoveryLand values FUN!
Our goal is to have our children come back week after week because they can’t wait to return. We want them to have FUN. While kids keep coming back for the FUN, we can accomplish our mission by continuing to nurture and teach them spiritually. In order to make our children’s ministry the best hour of a child’s week, we have to remember to add the FUN! And remember the fun factor affects adult volunteers, too!