Children's Missions Program
A collaboration of Family ministry with our Missions & Outreach department gives children the opportunity to learn about the world and engage in missions.
Mission Messengers for Adopted Missionaries
We believe that one of the keys in this process is for children to get to know real missionaries who are supported by Cherry Hills Community Church.
To make this practical, we have various Sunday School classes (age 3 through grade 4), “adopt” individual missionaries/missionary families. Focusing on specific missionaries enables the children to learn what the life of a missionary is truly like, as well as the people and the country where they serve. In addition, they learn to pray for and give strategically to missions.
Methods
Missions Messengers are recruited for each adopted missionary. We hand select individuals who have visited one of the adopted missionaries on a short-term missions trip or who know the missionaries personally, and individuals who demonstrate a heart for missions through their involvement or desire to be involved.
The Missions Messengers are key to the success of this program. The messenger serves as the correspondent to the missionary and then brings monthly updates and prayer requests to the class on the missionaries’ behalf.
Missions Messengers are trained in September and the program runs October through May. We regroup in August to determine which missionaries will be adopted and which messengers will continue for the upcoming school year.
Missions Link
We have a special missions emphasis in Family Ministry (age 2 through grade 12) one month each year. This is an opportunity to generate missions awareness and excitement for kids in Sunday School and involvement for kids and their families.
Methods
The outreach focus is based on a theme with a main point of emphasis and each of the weekly lessons tie in with the overall emphasis. A special curriculum is selected or written for the outreach focus, which includes both large group teaching and small group application.
AWANA Missions Focus
Once a month, the large group teaching (council time) is devoted solely to missions and a special missions lesson.
Methods
Each year the AWANA missions focus is based on a theme with a main point of emphasis and each of the monthly lessons tie in with the overall emphasis. Cherry Hills AWANA club has also adopted three AWANA clubs in other countries, so one of the lessons focuses on the adopted clubs and giving. Information about the adopted clubs, their countries and the people are integrated into the monthly mission lessons. The clubbers also raise money each year to help support their adopted clubs.
VBS Missions Focus
Did you know that the annual favorite of VBS—the common short-hand for Vacation Bible School—comes from an idea that emerged back in the 1890s? From children's Bible classes hosted in an Illinois school during summer break to an "Everyday Bible School" for slum children at a rented beer parlor in New York City, this tradition began with the desire to serve neighborhood children.
Methods
As part of our VBS program, we develop an Outreach focus to provide children with the opportunity to learn about the needs of the world around them and to be actively involved in praying, giving and serving to help meet those needs.
Contact
Candy Temby
303.325.8187
