Last weekend I met with a few kids ministry volunteers to pray and discuss ideas for the fall. We have pretty much had zero kids ministry since March, with the exception of our Vacation Bible School, which was a blessing. But how does a church plan a children’s ministry during a pandemic? There is still a lot of uncertainty, but we need to plan something. Here is a summary of what we decided.

Our goal this fall is to honor Christ by providing a few small programs for kids and youth, while facilitating times for the whole family to be together. Believers right now need to be growing in their personal faith, their biblical knowledge, godly friendships, and gospel witness. Here are the programs we plan to focus on this fall:

1. Sunday Childcare. Sunday Mornings during the Fundamentals of the Faith class (begins Sept. 13 right after worship service). Preschool and gradeschool kids will be invited to play outdoors, have a snack, maybe watch a video or sing, have a short Bible story, maybe even a craft. It does not need to be fancy, but we do need to have a game plan if we are to have any kind of kids ministry on site. We will use the Lifeway Explore the Bible leader guides. Will need at least two adult workers per week and one junior helper to watch kids. It is recommended we have a rotation of leaders so adults and junior helpers can take turns attending the class.

2. Homeschool Co-op. Wednesday mornings. We see this year as a strategic time to provide support and encouragement for families who are homeschooling, some for the first time. One of our volunteers is considering a midweek program for children. 30-45 minutes of a Bible lesson and guided activity, then a time for the kids to play and moms to visit. Would be held in Bldg. C. and/or outdoor play yard, possibly 10-Noon, or 11am-1pm. We might want to consider a catchier name for this. Any suggestions? Some churches do MOPS but we are obviously thinking broader than just preschool. Plus, we need to keep in mind in some cases it is the dad who is at home in the daytime with the kids.

3. Youth Ministry. We would like to offer a youth group at least once a month for ages 12+. We will probably go through the book Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur – a study on the disciples. Perhaps we could rotate to different host homes each month. I am also looking into the possibility of doing an occasional youth activity/retreat together with another church youth group.

4. Classical Conversations. Once again, our church will host a Classical Conversations group at church on Thursdays, from 8am to 1pm. Any families interested in a classical homeschool co-op are encouraged to check it out.

5. Family Nights. We would like to offer occasional social activities that will bring families together, allow kids to play together, and provide time for fun and growth without a ton of planning or expense. The deacons will look over our ministry calendar and begin to identify opportunities for fellowship throughout the year that would appeal to a range of ages. Some ideas include: board game night, picnic in the park, missions night, pool party, campfire and s’mores, bounce house, arts and crafts, kickball, softball, ultimate frisbee, volleyball or basketball at EV Free gym, hiking, fishing, Christmas shopping, BBQ or potluck, progressive dinner, movie night, fireworks watching, Candy Cane Lane, Boomers trip, Redlands Bowl concert, Palm Springs Power baseball game. These are just ideas. Obviously, some of these are not even possible until after the pandemic. In some cases, we might want to break into smaller groups and meet at 2-3 different homes instead of all at one place.

For the size of our church and busyness of our families, we believe this will be plenty for now! We will continue to pray, re-evaluate and grow as needed, but want to be careful not to get back to a place where the cart pulls the horse, and the ministry becomes a burden on our precious volunteers.

Questions, ideas, suggestions? Let me know!

Due to a recent spike in COVID cases, Governor Newsom yesterday instructed many businesses to cancel indoor operations until further notice. This includes gyms, hair salons, malls, theaters, restaurants, and yes, churches.

This news is hard on all of us, and feels like a huge step backwards. My heart goes out to business owners and employees affected by this mandate, and obviously it affects us as a congregation. The world has been fighting a global pandemic since at least December. We had hoped this would all be over and the nation would be firing on all cylinders by now. But God had other plans.

Jerry and I have talked at length about these developments, and have consulted many other pastors. There are no easy answers and no one-size-fits-all solution. But here’s how we believe God wants us proceed.

In short, we’ve decided to continue meeting, but to move our service outside to the picnic area, and earlier in the morning to 8am before it gets hot.

We considered going back to livestream only, but so many people are hurting and need face-to-face contact. We believe the church is providing an essential service that people need now more than ever. This quarantine has taken a heavy toll on everyone’s emotional and physical health, and the church exists to be a refuge of hope.

Meeting outside seems like the best solution. We have plenty of space in our picnic area for people to bring a lawn chair and water bottle, spread out, and enjoy a time of singing, Bible study, and prayer. Our outdoor service will be open to the public, and we will still broadcast on Facebook Live.

From the moment we re-opened indoor gatherings, we knew it might be temporary. In fact, some of our members are still watching from home, and some churches have not resumed gatherings at all. As soon as we’re able to return indoors, we plan to do so, but for now, we are willing to comply with the governor’s order while providing a way to safely meet in person.

It’s actually safer to meet outdoors than indoors, so I encourage all of you to consider coming — even those who had not yet returned to our Sunday services. And as long as you socially distance, you don’t need a mask.

We know 8am is a bit early to have the whole family out the door and ready for church, but it will be worth the effort. Mornings are much cooler than later in the day, and the morning view from our picnic area is quite beautiful. If you start planning now and structure the rest of your week with this worship service as a priority, you can do it. We would love to see you there.

As far as VBS, we don’t expect the new policy to have any effect on it. We still plan to meet outdoors and provide two small clubs the week of July 27-31 for any families who pre-registered. We will be safely meeting outside in small groups and practice social distancing.

In the days ahead, I’ll be posting a series of short videos on how we are thinking through this pandemic as leaders, and what biblical principles should guide us. Circumstances keep changing, but our convictions have not. I am calling this series, “Nine Marks of a COVID Church.” These include: Care For Your Physical Body. Love Your Neighbor. Pursue Unity. Pray and Repent. Submit to Authority. Don’t Forsake Assembling Together. Be Creative. Trust in God. And Don’t Give Up.

Stay tuned and please check back here on my blog to learn more.