We have completed our annual curriculum review. Thank you to all of you who filled out the survey! You can view the results in our report here. We are aware of some of the challenges with the Orange curriculum. We will talk more about some of these at our team meetings coming up. We also recognize some of the benefits of Orange including the amount of activities, videos, and more. As you can see in the report, the feedback was primarily positive. 

We have made the decision to renew Orange for the upcoming year. However, we would like to do a more thorough review of the Orange curriculum and take a more extensive look at other curriculums as well. This doesn't mean that we are 100% leaving Orange, however we do want to take a deeper exploration of what is right for WMB Kids moving forward. This upcoming year will be our third year using Orange.

As you may of seen in the news, Orange had their founder Reggie Joiner and CEO Kristen Ivy resign immediately due to inappropriate adult relationships. We are saddened to hear this difficult news and are praying for the situation, especially the family members and co-workers affected. You can read the public letter from Orange here. We are aware of the situation and will be keeping an awareness to how this effects the curriculum moving forward. If we determine that the curriculum does not meet our standards prior to our September renewal date we will take the appropriate actions at that point in time. Please let me know if you have any concerns or would like to discuss more. 

Scroll down to see some trainings coming up!

Please continue to blockout dates for days you know you will be unavailable to serve. This greatly helps us schedule and serves the team well.

This year we will be running 3, 3 week bible studies for WMB Kids. All the details can be found in the events list below! If you are able to help lead these please email Derek! Please also be in prayer for these and that kids will have a desire to dive deeper

We have lots of upcoming events at WMB Kids this year! We are looking for team members to make these events happen. Email Derek at derekklumpenhouwer@wmbchurch.ca if you are interested in serving!

Below is the song list this year for Kitchener:

Kitchener Songs

Meeting for members of the WMB Kids Kitchener team!

Where: WMB- Kitchener Site (WMB Kids Space)

When: Thursday May 23 from 7-9pm

Who: Team members who serve with JK-Grade 5

Scroll down to view details!

We will be having a Waterloo WMB Kids Team meeting on April 25th! We hope to see you there! Please RSVP here!

Schedule

1. Team members please arrive by 9:45 am

2. Infant & Toddler space opens at 9:45 am

3. Church service long care

Schedule

1. Kids start in service

2. Kids are released after announcements

3. Large Group Time (Welcome, Song)

4. Head to class

5. Storytime (carpet time)

6. Activity (craft, game)

7. Playtime

8. Parent Pick-up

Schedule

1. Kids start in service

2. Kids are released after announcements

3. Large group welcome & song

4. Today’s “Big Question”

5. Large group story

6. Released to classes

7. Class time (story recap, activities)

8. Parent pick-up

Schedule

1. Kids start in service

2. Kids are released after announcements

3. Large group welcome & song

4. Today’s “Big Question”

5. Large group story

6. Released to classes

7. Class time (story recap, activities)

8. Parent pick-up

Schedule

1. Kids start in service

2. Kids are released after announcements

3. Large group welcome & song

4. Today’s “Big Question”

5. Large group story

6. Released to classes

7. Class time (story recap, activities)

8. Parent pick-up

• Comes at 9:15 am.

• Opens classrooms and Fun Factory.

• Ensures check in system is working.

• Sets up computer, whiteboard, and benches for large group time.

• Greets families as they arrive.

• Answer team members questions.

• Troubleshoot as issues arise.

• Welcomes kids as they arrive in space.

• Leads a short welcome and/or icebreaker.

• Leads the song of the day.

• Releases Pre-K/Jk/SK.

• Leads the Big Questions.

• Teaches story or introduces story video.

• Short debrief of video or story.

• Releases grades 1-5.

• Arrive at 9:45 am.

• Care starts at 9:45 am although children may arrive throughout the morning.

• Greet families/children as they arrive (make sure children have name tags, check them off on the attendance list, check with families about any special instructions (diapers, bottle etc.).

• Interact and play with the children and get to know their interests, offer activities that they might like, help them interact with others, comfort them when needed.

• If toys are put in mouths, please put them in the bin marked to be washed.

• If a child needs to be toileted or a diaper changed, parents should be located. Have a team member write down child’s sticker number and bring it to tech person. They will be able to put the number on the screen in the sanctuary. If needed, find the “Sunday Coordinator” to help in locating the parents.

• Prepare lesson and materials using the Orange Curriculum (photocopying can be done on Sunday morning if needed); this could include gathering materials from home or supplies from the Fun Factory.

• Help monitor & interact with kids during the large group time. Respond as needed.

• Lead class to classroom at dismissal.

• Take attendance.

• Lead a variety of activities. Use the curriculum as a resource. These activities should recap the story, big idea, monthly theme, and memory verse.

• Match child’s sticker to parent sticker at dismissal time.

• Clean up classroom and put things back in Fun Factory.

• Review the story and scripture for the Sunday. Story will be found on Planning Center.

• Help monitor & interact with kids during the large group time. Respond as needed.

• Assist Teachers with lesson and activities as needed. Assist with children who need assistance or extra care.

• Take kids to the washroom. Take note of the washroom routines from Keeping Kids Safe.

• Arrive at 9:40 am.

• Welcome families and direct them to self-check in tablet or check them in manually.

• Welcome new families. Enter in needed information (Children’s names, gender, and birthdates, parents name and email). Make sure they are checked into appropriate class.

• Hand out “welcome packs” to new families.

• Hand out “birthday packs” to children with birthdays. Check-ins should notify when it is a child’s birthday.

Schedule

1. Team members please arrive by 9:45 am

2. Prayer time at 9:45 am

3. Infant & Toddler space opens at 9:55 am

4. Church service long care

Schedule

1. Arrive for team prayer time at 9:45 am

2. Kids start in service

3. Kids are released after announcements

4. Large group welcome & song or worship Activity

5. Large group story

6. Released to classes

7. Class time (story recap, activities)

8. Parent pick-up

• Lead kids up to Family Room after dismissal.

• Welcome kids/pray for them and the leaders at some point in your time together.

• Over the summer, the kids have met a number of missionaries. Their information and photos will be displayed in the family room. Please pray for one of them each week and/or invite the kids to pray for one that they met personally over the summer.

• Promote upcoming Kids’ Ministry events (Derek will be posting these outside our rooms and at the welcome/sign-in station).

• Include a worship time.

• We will work on building a repertoire of songs. The link is here and will be refined to 7 - 10 songs. Once we have our song list learned, we can ask the kids on a Sunday morning for a favourite and invite them up to lead. Please use our whatsapp group to share what song(s) you did and how you taught them if they are new.

• When learning new songs, we have found that writing out the words on chart paper is helpful and there is a chart stand in the family room. Make sure the kids understand the words and review the scripture that forms the basis of the song if appropriate. Using videos to teach new songs should be accompanied with reviewing actions before the video and working at the actions in smaller chunks.

• Using our own voices or accompanying with an instrument brings more engagement.

• Look for guest musicians who could come in and lead with an instrument from time to time.

• Feel free to try other types of worship on a Sunday morning. Use our whatsapp group to share what you did. You can use art, prayer, listening and movement as worship and whatever other creative expression will fit with the story. Again, please share this in our whatsapp group.

• On the laptop in the large gathering room, we have our own login to youtube that is free of ads and password information is on the computer.

• Tell the story for that week as a storyteller or use the video.

• Circulate in the KidsMin area in a Floater role if you are not also leading a small group. This will allow communication from the nursery to parents if there is an issue, working one on one with kids as needed, being a mentor to small group leaders and assisting with bathroom trips (all children need to be buddied with a leader to go to washroom as per our Keeping Safe guidelines).

• Prepare lesson and materials (photocopying can be done on Sunday morning); this could include gathering materials from home or supplies from the KidsMin resource room.

• Reach out to your helpers during the week to share the story and scripture for that Sunday as well as to ask for any assistance in preparing for that week’s lesson.

• Come for a prayer time at 9:45 on weeks when you will be serving.

• Take attendance during the large group time.

• Focus on memory verse work, recap of story activity in your small group time.

• Plan activities to allow for optional activities (e.g., craft, games, building…) to allow time for children to get to know each other and adults to connect with children.

• Match child’s sticker to parent sticker at dismissal time.

• Communicate with your whatsapp group after each lesson to keep scripture memory work consistent (see below for more information).

• Review the story and scripture for the lesson.

• Come for a prayer time at 9:45 on weeks when you will be serving.

• Assist Small Group Leaders with preparation before the lesson and classroom management and overseeing activities during the lesson.

• Come for a prayer time at 9:45 on weeks when you will be serving.

• This age group starts from the beginning of the service although some families might choose to keep their children in the service for some of it before coming down.

• Greet families/children as they arrive, make sure children have name tags, check them off on the attendance list, check with families about any special instructions (e.g., snacks, water…), diaper bags or snacks can go on top of shelf beside bathroom door or at back door.

• Interact with the children and get to know their interests, offer activities that they might like, help them interact with others, comfort them when needed

• If toys are put in mouths, please put them in the bin marked to be washed. Please take them to the kitchen so that they can be put through the dishwasher at coffee time to sanitize them.

• If a child needs to be toileted or a diaper changed, please locate parents; There are small slips of paper in the attendance folder on the wall; one person needs to take a copy of the number from the child’s sticker and take it to the sound booth. They will be able to put the number on the screen in the sanctuary. If needed, find the “floater” to help in locating the parents.

• Help children tidy-up toys at the end of service.

• When parents come for pick-up, match child’s sticker to parent sticker.

• Complete and final tidy-up of toys before leaving.

• Arrive at 9:40 am.

• Welcome families and direct them to self-check in computer or check them in manually on the tablet.

• Welcome new families. Enter in needed information (Children’s names, gender, and birthdates, parents name and email). Make sure they are checked into appropriate class.

• Hand out “welcome packs” to new families.

• Hand out “birthday packs” to children with birthdays. Check-ins should notify when it is a child’s birthday.