Neighborhood Bible Club - learning from others

In a desire to reach out to families in my neighborhood, I realized that with my skills and experience, some type of kids' club was where I needed to start. But, how exactly?  One challenge to our situation is that since we homeschool I really know very few kids in our neighborhood outside of our immediate neighbors, and they are all teens and older.

I had so many questions. I needed to find answers. I needed to find the people that had the answers. Someone had to know what I was looking for.

As with all good students, I started with Google. I found backyard bible club curriculum sold through Lifeway. Great. But, still lots of questions.

I found a few random blog posts on hosting clubs. I know a few people that have done it previously, or that do something similar.


Before too long I came upon my first real treasure trove of information --

Child Evangelism Fellowship.

Now, if trying to pull together a Bible club hosted in your home is really not your thing and you want someone to come in and do it all, contact your area CEF rep and they will pretty much run the club for you. Their Five Day Clubs are all inclusive, you just invite kids (they provide invites), and you provide some freeze pops or other simple snack each day when they wrap up.

If you feel like starting into this endeavor is a huge stretch for you, I would encourage you to get in touch with them and let them walk you through your first year. They know what they are doing and include all the resources and materials that you need.

Here is some of what I gained from their invaluable years of experience (over a few cups of tea at our neighborhood Panera) . . .

• Community contacts need year round nurturing. If you just walk up to a bunch of unknown strangers they will not be thrilled about sending their kids to your yard. Establish relationships, genuinely care for those God has placed around you. 

• Stick to the front yard. Despite the typical "backyard bible club" moniker, the front yard is usually the best, most visible place to host your club.

• Most clubs are small. Typically they run less than a dozen kids. I needed to hear this. Partly to tone down my dreams of hundreds of kids flocking to our club, and partly to sooth the discouragement when 3 kids (besides my own) showed up on the first day. 

• Simple is amazing. After doing kids ministry in a large church the last few years, I loved getting on a more personal level with a smaller group of kids. No flashy lights or videos, just us and God's Word and old-fashioned fun. Happy kids, thankful moms, full hearts. 

• Take advantage of every point of contact: sign in the yard, hand out postcards, share on the neighborhood facebook page, strike up conversations. Talk to neighbors and ask them to pass it on. it takes time, but it will grow.

• You don't need to plan very far in advance. In summer time, if people are home they are looking for something to do. If they have a vacation planned, they aren't going to change it for your club anyway. Pick your week, plan your club, and invite people the week before.

• Memory verse focus. This encourages the kids to learn God's Word and they will carry it with them after Bible club. have a treasure box with inexpensive rewards to motivate them and send home a printed card with a new verse each day (or longer extensions of the same verse throughout the week). 

• Missionary Stories!!! I had forgotten about these. Watching the kids' faces as they followed the story teller each day brought it all back. And, they could not wait until the next day to hear the next installment. The best missionary stories have a daily cliff-hanger. CEF sells some of theirs written just for this type of setting. (https://cefpress.com/curriculum/mission-lessons/) We used Ringu this year.

• Team up with other believers. They can be from your church or another one, but find a friend (or a few) that can help you lead the club and shoulder the responsibilities. If you have a day that is more hands-on, feel free to ask a few parents to stay and help that day. Many are quite excited to help out in a small capacity. 

• Administrative details: take attendance, gather contact information at drop off, check on  insurance, the host makes the call on weather cancellations/changes (some meet in their garage, some cancel, your call), check your yard for best shaded area the week prior to the event and plan accordingly.

However, as much as I learned from them, after seeing a club in action and working with them through a couple, I decided I was looking for something else. Something a little, well, different and more fun.

I logged all this information and prepared to build on it  .  . .