Every child counts

A month ago, as I was combing through new statistics and reports dealing with ministry. I found a sentence that stopped me in my tracks. I felt such a weight with this statement, it took me awhile to comprehend and address, until now.

"Current research shows that half of our kids who grow up in church will walk away from the faith, church, Jesus…"-Kurt Burner and Dr. John Trent. That statement really bothers me.
It bothered me so much our leadership team looked at our systems and asked ourselves a question provoked by Andy Stanley.

What is the problem, God has called us to solve?

Here's what our team came up with:
“Bring children to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ while showing them that God is a big God that loves them and wants them to surround themselves with Godly friends by using the Bible as a tool to make wise choices with the knowledge that the church is a safe place to be while realizing the idea that parents involved in their lives is a good thing.”

From that statement our leadership team developed a list of 5 essentials that every kid needs to know. It helped us be laser-focused.
We feel so strongly about these subjects that it is shaping our current structure.

1. GOD:
A big God that loves them. God is big enough to love the whole world and he has a purpose for every child.
John 3:16

2. FRIENDS:
Someone else who believes what they believe. The friends your children spend time with will ultimately influence the decisions they make in life.
Proverbs 27:17

3. CHURCH:
A safe place where they capture truth. Our leaders connect with your kids as mentors and friends.
Acts 9:31

4. BIBLE:
Using tools to help them make wise choices. We make sure the Bible is never boring. Each week kids walk away with one truth about God that they can remember forever.
Proverbs 4:5

5. FAMILY:
Parents who are involved in their kid’s lives and are growing together spiritually. We know that what happens at home is more important than what happens at church. So we want to equip parents with tools to build faith and character in their kids.
Proverbs 1:8

These 5 essentials are intertwined through the fibers of teachings, new lessons, skits, dramas and services.

We believe that "Every child counts". Matthew 18:14. We don't want one to slip through.
We have been commissioned to develop young people who grow in their relationship with Jesus. In their latter years, this relationship is not what their parents believed, but rather what they have experienced themselves.

That's our focus.