As I was serving in the nursery on Sunday, someone mentioned the summer schedule and how there were fewer volunteers and sometimes just as many children. It took me back to a few summers ago when I was serving as a children’s director in a church in Florida. Sunday school attendance was inconsistent. A couple of our key volunteers were moving away. Others had extended vactions planned for the summer. I was in a bind.
Idea 1
I had previewed GCP’s Pilgrim’s Progress curriculum at a conference and realized it might be the solution I was looking for. Written for 6- to 12-year-olds, it fit the right age group and I knew the parents in my church would like for their children to know this Christian classic. We tried it that summer and it was a hit! The children loved that they could take a copy home in case they were traveling and missed a chapter. The activities were fun and the pages for older students helped keep them engaged.
Idea 2
The next summer, we ran into the same problem again. As much as we loved Pilgrim’s Progress, I knew I had to do wait another year or two before we used it again, so I decided to stick with the Show Me Jesus curriculum we were using through the school year, but to combine classes using the Younger Elementary material. Running a class with such a wide age range is never ideal, but it worked well. The readers could do the Bible reading. The younger students had activities on their level. I added in coloring pages and activities from God’s Story Bible Coloring Book and everything went as smoothly as it possibly could have!
GCP can help!
If you’re running into a ministry challenge like this and aren’t sure how to solve it, you can always give us a call. Our staff has combined decades of ministry experience and any of us would love to help you brainstorm and come up with possible solutions. Whatever you are facing, we have either dealt with it personally, or we know someone who has worked through it. B.A. or another GCP trainer can also come to you—for free—and train your team!
Reach out at customer.service@gcp.org or 800-695-3387. We would love to help!
Praying for you!
Kristy and the GCP Team
