By far, the biggest success trying this new format was small groups. It just seemed natural and so much less chaotic than how we did things before. We kept a lot of elements, because they fit in the new way of doing things.
When our kids first came in and signed in for attendance, we let them chill and play some table games - board games and stuff. We also had a snack cause Sat night services went longer than Sunday AM and we found that our kids just did better if we fed them a little. It was simple - juice or water (we had a water fountain right outside our door) and cookies/chips/pretzels.
The kids then touched base with their leader. A quick "how are you doing" meeting. Most of the time they played a game together. Just an easy way to welcome the kids in and make them feel connected.
This worked on so many levels. It gave the kids a destination when they came in. Those first few seconds of entering a room can be death for a shy kid. They don't know where to go, who to talk to and they just feel awkward. But having them touch base gives those kids a purpose and makes the transition easier.
No comments:
Post a Comment