This was our notes handout for the EXCITE! Workshop on Mission Driven Family Ministry and Christian Education

1. EXCITE!

2. Schedule:
9:00am-9:15am! ! Welcome and Greeting
9:15am-10:00am! ! “Raising Up Children & Youth as Missional Leaders”
! ! ! ! Rev. David Kim
10:00am-10:15am! ! Q & A and Debrief Discussion
10:15am-10:30am! ! Refreshment Break
10:30am-11:15am! ! “Church & Families in Mission Together”
! ! ! ! Amanda Finke
11:15am-11:30am! ! Q & A and Debrief Discussion
11:30am-12:00pm! ! Lunch
12:00pm-12:45pm! ! “Five Key Words for Missional Family Worship”
! ! ! ! Ken Chitwood
12:45pm-1:00pm! ! Q & A and Debrief Discussion
1:00pm-1:15pm! ! Break
1:15pm-2:00pm! ! Small Group Discussion and Brainstorming

3. Raising Up Children & Youth as Missional Leaders
Rev. David Kim - LINC Houston - Missions Director
(see PowerPoint Handout “Raising Up Children & Youth as Missional Leaders”)
Notes:

4. Notes:

5. “Church and Families in Mission Together”
Amanda Finke - Lifebridge Church - Outreach/Childrenʼs Coordinator
Research shows that our spiritual and moral identity is largely set in place by the age of
____.
Quick poll: Which do you think has the most influence over a child?
Parents Peers Church
& media & school
From the age of 0-9, ___________ are the single most influential figures in their
childrenʼs lives.
National surveys reveal that while _____ % of parents believe they are have the primary
responsibility for the moral and spiritual development of their children, more than two
out of three of them hand over that responsibility to their church. Whatʼs worse, less
than ____ % of parents who regularly attend church with their kids actually read the
Bible together, pray together, or serve together as a family.
Deuteronomy 6: faith building is supposed to be a family affair—constant, ongoing,
daily life experiences. The church can and must support parents in their role, but the
trick is to not enable them to pass that task off to the church.
Start by helping families establish and practice healthy habits:
• Have daily Bible Time as a family
• Pray together (beyond meal times!) and talk about how God answered those
prayers
o Pray a blessing over your kids as they walk out the door and ask follow-up
questions later in the day
o Use bedtime as a reflection time and prayer time
• Watch and discuss how you see God working in the life of your family in
everyday life
o Parents have to model!

6. o Celebrate together the “fingerprints” you see throughout the day (giving
credit where credit is due!)
o Encourage kids to watch and share, too
• See everyday life as a mission field!
o If you were a missionary in a foreign country, how would you approach life
differently than you do now?
o As a family, who can we reach out to together with the love of Jesus?
 Neighborhoods are a great place to start!
o Seek out opportunities to serve as a family beyond the church walls
 Church can help organize these opportunities to serve the
community, but as it becomes a more natural habit for families
theyʼll be watching for these opportunities all the time
 This is a great opportunity for parents to speak affirmation into their
kids
• Talk to kids about being missionaries in their schools, neighborhoods, etc
o Use Sunday School context as a place for reinforcing these values and
habits, providing tools, and igniting enthusiasm for joining Jesus on the
adventure of reaching out to our community!
Remember: Getting more kids into your Sunday morning program isnʼt the goal. Bigger,
fancier, or more entertaining does not necessarily mean better (itʼs proven that bigger
isnʼt better if itʼs shallow or consumer-oriented!). Instead, strengthening and equipping
these kids and their families to grow closer to Jesus and live in mission all the time is
our new marker of success!

7. “Five Key Words for Missional Families Worship”
Ken Chitwood - LINC Houston - LBI Director/Missional Trainer
Children/ Mission
Families
Worship
Foundations
1) We must __________ our children and families as ___________ and
_____________. Baptism forms the basis for such a brave belief!
2) We need to view _______________ as a ____________________ experience. Word
and Sacrament forms the basis for such a courageous claim!
3) We cannot see worship as something that our children and families simply
___________________ but something they ___________________ in with Christ
and with one another. Whether it be 10 minutes or three hours, koinonia is what
forms the basis for such a high and holy honor!
4) We can release our children and families with confidence knowing that they are
_________________ in their ________________ with Christ and with one another.
Again, koinonia forms the basis for such radical relationships!
5) Then THEY must look for ________________ for C________________ with and
C________________ for other families in their C___________________. The church
forms the basis for such a major mission!
The FIVE Words:
1) I____________
2) E___________
3) T___________
4) S___________
5) C___________

8. Additional Session Notes // Brainstorming Notes