KiDS VOLUNTEER PACKET

Our Mission at Kids UNLTD is to create an atmosphere where kids get to experience God in a powerful way. Because we believe that there is no junior Holy Spirit we know that our kids will hear the voice of God, experience his joy, and find friends to pursue Jesus with. It is our goal that you as a volunteer get to experience Jesus in kids ministry just as much as the kids do! Matthew 1825 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Matthew 1914 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 

 The Word is Our Foundation But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are just fooling yourselves. James 122 Kids Unltd Volunteer Handbook Who we are Our Mission Our Mission at Kids UNLTD is to create an atmosphere where kids get to experience God in a powerful way.

1Worship is Our Honor Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Active participation and patterns of worship, explain and express our faithfulness. Psalm 292 

Community is Our Heartbeat For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. Romans 11112

 His Presence is Our Passion And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. Alignment with God’s authority & structures, allows His power and gifts to flow. Ephesians 123 

As a Kids Ministry worker we expect you to be present and prayerful every Sunday you are serving. Every child that enters the building deserves loving attention and someone who leads with their whole heart. Please work hard to learn names, faces, and build relationships with the students you serve. We have a Kids Team group on the Hope UC App. Please join this group to stay informed on the lessons and other information you will need as you serve. 

Arrival Times:
845am: All Team Huddle in the barn
 900am: Kids Ministry Team Huddle in the Manor House

After Team Huddle all assistants and teachers will be released to prep their classrooms and the Checkin/Checkout Team will prep downstairs. As soon as the first child arrives, all children’s ministry workers must be in place. You should not leave the children’s area until the last child is gone and the room is cleaned up.

Pre-Service Setup:  Place and organize all toys and classroom items in stations around the rooms.  Print lesson or bible related coloring sheets.  Discuss and decide who is leading different parts of the class (lesson, bible verse, activities).  Make sure that you have an object lesson planned and everyone knows what is taking place during that time. Work as a team to support the class and engage each kiddo.  Be in prepared rooms by 935 for check in.

Clean Up:  Wipe down all surfaces including door knobs and light switches.  Lay out all of the toys and spray them with disinfectant spray. Once they are dry please put them away.  Rearrange and place any moved furniture.  Vacuum the room and empty trash cans.  Please make a note of any items you ran out of and let the house coordinator know.

Dismissal: If you get the opportunity, tell the parent one good thing about the child. Praise goes a long way to encourage both parent and child. 

Age 01 (location: Manor House)
Age 2-3 (location: Manor House)
Age PreK-1st Grade (location: Manor House)
2nd-3rd Grade (location: Manor House)
4th-5th Grade (location: Manor House)
Middle School (location: Schoolhouse)
*Advancing/graduating into the next class will take place on a designated Sunday at the end of each summer. We move up by grade! 

Each classroom will follow a similar schedule to the one shown below.
Welcome + Activity
Group Worship
Object Lesson
Breakout Sessions, organized by age group
Snack / Bathroom Break*
Dismissal to Parents
*Bathroom trips are always available as needed 

We believe in full transparency at Kids Unlimited. So below you'll find our safety rules that we strictly enforce each and every service!
 
Never Alone Rule: We ask that no adult is ever alone with a child. When they take the kids to the bathroom, there is a minimum of two adults that go with the children to protect the child and the workers.

Never Leave Children Unsupervised: The adult worker is asked to not leave the room. In the case of an emergency, they will ask another children’s ministry worker to cover their post.

Media & Phone use: For the safety of our children, our workers do not take pictures of ANY of our Kids UNLTD children on their personal cameras during a Kids UNLTD Service. We do have a HopeUC photographer that will take pictures.  Located throughout the property are info signs letting you know that by attending our services you give us the right to photograph you and your family. If there is a legal reason as to why your child cannot be photographed please contact Jordan Smith (contact info below)

Confidentiality: When reporting an incident, our workers know not to name children or volunteers to anyone but the coordinator or HopeUC Staff. This ensures that we maintain respect and confidentiality for all of our families and workers 

Our lessons match the themes that are being discussed in our Family Book and are provided by Hope UC monthly. Lesson plans are put on the app weekly, and build upon the theme. You will need to review and adapt these lessons to your age group.

Here are some ways you can do this before Sunday Morning:
1. Be aware of the theme Hope UC is going over for the month. Look at the lesson plan provided in the Kids Team Group on the Hope UC App. 4
2. Review the Bible Story the theme and lesson is connected with. This part of the lesson makes the theme and Bible come alive.
3. Find an object lesson that goes with the theme (something tangible that they can see and/or experience)
 4. Make it personal (use a story or example from your own life / this really stays with the kids)
5. Use the lesson “memory verse” throughout the class. You can have the kiddos repeat this and add actions for memorization.

Lesson Tip: Use Google, Pinterest and YouTube to find object lessons and game ideas. When you know your theme/main points before Sunday you can prepare accordingly. 

In the event of a fire emergency on the property, all classes will escort their children to the grass space behind the blue house next door to the schoolhouse. The kids' team will serve as a line/barrier between kids and adults to make sure that the right kids are reunited with the right parents. If a security tag is unavailable, please contact the kids' lead before releasing the child. In the event of a lockdown of the property, all classes will remain in their rooms and close and create a barrier in front of the door. We will have all children sit quietly on the floor away from the entrance. Staff outside the classrooms to confirm all doors are locked and they stay away from windows. We will remain in contact with the security team and will not open doors for anyone unless security gives the ok. In the event that someone without the authority or access is trying to enter the manor, we will call security immediately. All available leaders will keep the doorway and stairway blocked. No access should be granted. Security will address the situation with the kids' team lead. 

You will be scheduled either the 2nd or 3rd Sunday of the month.  

Blocking Out Dates: We kindly ask that you block out dates on the Services app to the best of your ability. We put a lot of time into scheduling and it helps us tremendously for you to have the dates you're available so we can avoid having to swap and move our schedule around. Thank you! You can block out dates on Planning Center.

Swapping Dates: We get it, life happens! If you need to swap a date we strongly encourage you to text everyone you know on your team. If you cannot have someone take your spot, please reach out to Rebecca Ward at 6154105659 

In our church, we want to be a place where the broken can come and find healing and we believe that every child deserves to be met where they are to grow and succeed. In order to find healing and comfort, many people, including kids, have to navigate their way through many things. This may include big emotions or trouble with change, transition, and new environments. We have children who come from different backgrounds (i.e. foster care, special needs, ELL.

Our goal is to work with the families in any way to ensure that each child is loved and taken care of when they are with us. We want to see them thrive and be excited to come to church every Sunday. When you are working with a child causing disruption in class, please remember that behavior is a form of communication. It is important to remain calm, patient, and understanding so you can act accordingly to de-escalate or get the proper assistance. We believe in giving children second chances and not carrying their behavior from one Sunday into the next. **If you see a child making another uncomfortable or feeling unsafe, you need to follow the steps below and notify the House Coordinator immediately.

** If you have a child causing a disruption, here are practical steps:
If the child feels overstimulated, you are welcome to offer them a pair of our noise-canceling headphones. Please be sure that each child using headphones has a specific need for them.

You and another adult can take the child for a walk. Sometimes taking a break from all of the noise can be helpful for kids who get overstimulated.

We have a sensory room on the 3rd floor of the Manor House with calming tools that can be used on a Sunday morning! Please accompany the child WITH another adult. Set a timer and explain to the child that is the amount of time they can spend. This helps set parameters and explain the expectation of going back to the classroom once they are calm and ready. We do not want this room to be an escape, rather a quiet, safe, calm place to reset. Ask them what caused them to feel overwhelmed and explain to the child what they could have done differently in the situation. We always want to teach/encourage gentle words, hands, and actions. Pray, encourage them, and give them a second chance in class. Stick close and reassure them they are capable. This small step can go a long way with promoting a positive attitude.