by Guest Writer | Jun 19, 2017 | Be Present, Be Present, Create A Safe Place, Create A Safe Place, Elementary, Preschool
I don’t recall anything I was ever taught at the VBS’s of my childhood. And I was surely always there. My mother was typically one of those faithful volunteers at our tiny, close-knit church that would put in endless hours behind the scenes before the big...
by Guest Writer | Jun 12, 2017 | Be Present, Be Present, Create A Safe Place, Create A Safe Place, Elementary, Preschool
“Be a VBS leader,” they said! “It will be fun,” they said! So, you signed up for VBS. After all, they needed help, so you figured “why not?” You didn’t have anything else to do with a week of your time, right? Vacation Bible School is a summer tradition at...
by Guest Writer | Jun 5, 2017 | Be Present, Create A Safe Place, Elementary, Move Them Out
There it is—the blank stare. If you lead a 5th grade small group, you know what I’m talking about. It’s the moment when you ask a question, and no one in the group says a word. 5th grade can be one of the hardest grades to lead. After 5 years of elementary school...
by Guest Writer | Dec 19, 2016 | Be Present, Create A Safe Place, Elementary
Between the ages of 5 and 12, you learn and change a lot. You might see your few learn to read or lose their first tooth or style their hair themselves. The best part of this phase . . . they are hilarious. So we’ve collected a few scenarios that will probably...
by Guest Writer | Oct 31, 2016 | Be Present, Elementary, Partner with Parents
Her name is Shelby. She’s tall and thin, and her face is covered in freckles. Like most other 5th grade girls, she’s reached the point where she won’t allow her mother do her hair for her anymore. She doesn’t really style it either, though, so it hangs from her head...
by Afton Phillips | Jul 29, 2016 | Be Present, Create A Safe Place, Elementary
Baptism is hard to explain to seven year olds. This became painfully obvious when I tried explaining the idea to my group a few weeks ago. Out of the mouths of babes came… “The water is really special.” “Do you have to wear a bathing suit at church?” “Do you have to...
