Small Groups

As I travel all over the world I am repeatedly asked about materials for the children's small group/cell meetings or for the children in the "Kids Slot" of an intergenerational cell. ("Kids Slot" is a time when the children of a small group will go into another room to have their own small group "lesson.")

An Encounter with Jesus

Generally people want to know how to keep children interested, how to teach or entertain them, help them have fun, etc. There is one question that I am rarely asked "How do we bring children into the presence of Jesus, so they have an encounter with Him?"

Children need to be hearers and doers of the word, to experience and live out what they have heard; be able to give and receive within the context of the small group. These must be the primary objectives of any children's curriculum.

The 4 W's

In the cells, children's curriculum based around the 4 W's (Welcome, Worship, Word, and Witness) allows children to relate to Jesus, each other, and the cell leader as they worship Jesus, apply the word of God to their lives, and become challenged and held accountable to win their friends for Jesus. The practices of the Welcome, Worship, Word, and Witness provides the framework for the Holy Spirit to give everyone (including adults) an encounter with Jesus.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to the Church (every adult, teen and child)?

It has been said that "two visions are division," yet often a church has three visions: one for the adults, one for the children, and one for teens. When the Holy Spirit speaks with a message for the church, He means every member of the Body of Christ having the opportunity to hear and respond.

This may seem like an impossible challenge but if the senior pastor gave one member of the church the following points, the children's cell agenda or the Kids Slot agenda could be written, with some added creativity, and sent out to the relevant cells each week (application of the word is ageless!).

• The main Scripture (e.g. John 3.16)
  
  
• The theme of the message (e.g. God loves the world)
  
  
• The challenge of the message (e.g. Do we love those around us as God does?).
  
  

The person writing the cell agenda may or may not be a member of the children's ministry. The message could even go out a week after the adults with one or two gifted people writing the material for all the children's cells, or for all the Kids Slots.

The following are some guidelines that may help with writing materials. Remember to always keep it simple, with a similar format from week to week.

Children's cell meeting

Welcome:

• Encourage all the children to share about their week, listen to each other and respond. (e.g. pray as necessary, mobilize support, encourage, empathize.)
  
  
• Ice breaker: this may be an active ice breaker, followed by a quieter question that each child (and adult), can respond to around the circle. This will ensure that the children are settled for worship.
  
  

Worship

• Always encourage the children to stand and welcome Jesus. Holding hands in a circle is a good way to bring uniformity.
  
  
• The worship may vary from week to week, for example:
  
  
  1. Use CD's or an instrument like a guitar for singing.
     
     
  2. Be creative using pictures, bringing in items of creation, making a banner and adding to it week by week (e.g. of the names of God, write love letters to Jesus and read them, listen to a CD, and then share what the Holy Spirit said during it).
     
     
  3. During the worship time, expect children to display their gifts, and to pray for each other. Creative ideas can be written into the materials each week (e.g. While the music is playing, ask anyone who needs a touch from Jesus to stand in the center while the cell lays hands on them and prays or stay quiet for a few moments and ask the children what they believe Jesus is saying to the cell.)
     
     

Word

• Provide the framework for a short teaching from the Bible using creativity.
  
  
• Give about three or four application questions: the first could always be, "Did you understand what I shared with you just now?" Then, "What did God's Spirit say to you as we read His word?" Plus, include another one or two relevant application questions. This can include creative ways to respond. An example might be to write/draw something that you have been challenged about that hurts Jesus…then, pray as you tear the paper to remind us that Jesus forgives and remembers our sin no more!
  
  
• Encourage ministry whenever appropriate…(child to child, adult to child, child to adult.)
  
  
• Encourage interaction between the children…(one ministering to one another, children answering the questions another child might have.)
  
  
• Encourage the cell leader to make their own input…(guiding, training always facilitating the work of the Holy Spirit.)
  
  

Witness

• This time is bringing the children's awareness to a lost and hurting world, but also mobilizing them to make difference. This may be done by focusing on their unsaved friends, preparing for an outreach, or having a missions focus. The material needs to be strategically and creativity planned to move the cell forward in winning the lost. (e.g. bring a photo of their schools and lay hands on the pictures as they pray)
  
  

For the Kids Slot in an Intergenerational Cell

Always start by encouraging the children and the cell leader to share about their week.

Word

Take the material from the adults, determine one main point and have the children retell the story in a creative way. For example the adults may be talking about temptation and what it means to them. Give the children some sweets and ask them not to eat them for 10 minutes while you are sharing at the beginning. Then ask them what temptation is…they will be able to tell you!

Use a similar format as the Word in the children cell outline above.

Witness

Sometimes it might be appropriate to rejoin the adults if, for example, they are discussing a cell outreach that the children can be a part of. Otherwise continue with the same strategy as the adults but with creativity. For example ask the children to put the names of their unsaved friends on paper. Then place them in a container in the middle of the cell and let each person take one out to pray for.

Finally

The children return to the adults and share what the Holy Spirit did among them, and the adults share something of what the Holy Spirit did among them.

Prayer will prepare the way but most of all, prepare the heart of the children's cell leader so that they are sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

This development process is the skeleton, allow the Holy Spirit to put flesh on the bones of this format.