We are so excited you are part of our HPKids Team!
For those of you who are nerds like me, here is ALL the information. For those of you who get anxiety seeing long lists with lots of information, do not stress! We will sit down with you and go over the information you need, prior to serving in HPKids.
At this point you should have already completed the
Application Process, Background Check and Child Protection Policy. If you have not finished those items, contact your ministry leader.
Safety and Logistics
As you begin serving, please take a few minutes to look around and locate the fire escape plan for your area as well as Emergency Procedures Poster and Classroom Emergency Folder.
Here are a few important reminders about Safety in HPKids
Vision & Goals
We affectionately refer to this document as our 9-3-1-90-30 because we have lots of goals in HPKids. We have a goal for what each child should experience in 9 years of children’s ministry; then, that’s broken down into 3 year phases (preschool, younger elementary, and older elementary years) and each year there is a goal. Each session (90 minutes) has a goal and we even have a goal for the 30-second handoff we have with parents.
Intentional Experiences
Our preschoolers have a different experience than our 1st-3rd graders and our 4th-5th graders. Each step is intentionally designed to prepare kids for their next season. THIS CHART shows the big picture of why we do it the way we do it.
Our Curriculum
We absolutely LOVE The Gospel Project. Everybody (2 year-old through 5th grade) studies the same portion of scripture each week. WATCH THIS to learn more about the curriculum. Hope Point Kids have the opportunity to systematically study through the Bible three complete times! First, our preschoolers develop biblical foundations, seeing scripture as one big story – God’s story. Then in Kindergarten – 2nd grades we focus on learning that Christ is the connection and they can be part of the story! Our older elementary students study through the entire Bible again connecting scripture with applications for their daily lives as they make their faith their own.
The Gospel Project uses a 3-Year Scope and Sequence.
Remember, nobody wants to feast on a piece of raw chicken! I love THIS VIDEO from Stephanie Chase. She will encourage and challenge you as she presents practical tips and tricks for teaching children the word.
How to Download Lessons
All of the Elementary lessons are loaded onto Planning Center Online (PCO) for your convenience. THIS DOCUMENT shows step by step pictures to download using your mobile device. The process is very similar when logging into PCO from your computer. Please let us know if you need any assistance getting your lesson.
What are Bible Skills?
Sometimes Bible Skills are written into the lesson guide, but it is easy to gloss over and forget the importance of teaching our children how to use their Bibles. These skills are the things we want to review weekly, and learn specifically about the passage we are studying:
What book is the passage found in?
Is that book in the Old or New Testament?
What division/genre is it?
Where is it? Practice locating it.
Who wrote it?
What books come before and after it?
Additional Note: Even though we may read and study from Bible Apps and lesson guides, we want to point our children first and foremost to the Bible. We need to model this as we teach from a physical Bible. It is perfectly okay to hide your phone or lesson in the Bible, but lets make sure children see us reading from the Bible each week.
Special Needs Training
Our volunteers who serve in the Sensory Room on rotation or as a Special Buddy, have additional training that may be beneficial for all classroom teachers to be aware of. If you are interested in knowing more about our Special Needs Ministry, THIS GUIDE explains it all.
Gospel Presentation
It is our great privilege to share the gospel each and every week, in word and in action. We completely understand that this can be intimidating for a new teacher! We have so many tools available for you. Within our Starting Point for Kids class, we use THIS VIDEO from The Gospel Project. In small groups you have access to THIS POSTER which you can use as part of a lesson, or we have printed booklets which you can sit and read with a child individually.
Is That Enough?
When preparing a lesson, sometimes it is hard to judge the timing of activities and know whether you have enough planned. What if the service goes long? What if one of the games is a flop? Have no fear… we are here to help!
Here are 10 Things To Do When You Have 10 Extra Minutes
Almost Done!
When you have completed this training, let us know by emailing
laura.timmons@hopepoint.org
Any other questions???
We hope we’ve answered a lot of your questions as you prepare for this new role in ministry. We can’t wait to talk with you further, so give us a call and we’ll set up coffee or a chance to meet and walk through any questions you have about HPKids!