ICGA Community Impact Project

Why Start a New Project

Our Situation | After years of keeping up the tradition, our church finally made the
decision to stop doing VBS. Besides losing our leader, we weren’t making an impact on
kids from secular homes. As that came to a halt, we scattered, each to reach out on their
own, or not at all. Strong teamwork for the kingdom is missing in our church.

A Needy City | Our church has a unique opportunity of being in a city with millions of
children in need. Most of them come from broken or unhealthy homes that set them up
for bad futures. Though most of them are familiar with Jesus, few know Him personally
and they and their families need to know of salvation.

What We’re Here For | When Jesus told us to go and make disciples, he was not just
referring to evangelism, but also to helping Christians grow in their faith. God uses His
Word to call those who belong to Him and then to sanctify them. The church is the
instrument God uses to grow his kingdom in both of these ways.

Reason for Involvement | At the moment, our church is not corporately involved in any
outreach ministry. While I do not believe this is wrong because we are working
individually and because we do focus on discipling fellow believers, a lot of good may
come from us reaching out as a church. Together, we can get a lot more done and be a lot
more steadfast than as scattered individuals.

Goal of Proposal | To present a plan for how to start outreach clubs for children in our
neighborhoods.

Explaining the Project

What?
A meeting for kids that follows VBS format
● Bible lesson w/ activity in small groups
● Bible memory
● Songs
● Game/ sport
● Snack
● Craft
Why?
This ministry would exist to reach children who did not grow up in evangelical homes. Team
members would have the opportunity of forming relationships with the kids and possibly with
their parents as well. They could influence them in a positive way even if the children do not
come to Christ.

Where?
These meetings would be held at or near the home of a volunteer host from the congregation.
The clubs could meet in their living room, a park nearby, the public meeting room of their
neighborhood, etc. None of the host’s fellow team members should have to travel far to get there.

Who?
Volunteer church members would run these neighborhood clubs. During each session, they could
serve in four different ways, either as hosts, teachers, teacher aids, or extras.
We would target children ages 5 to 11, but this range would need to be broken down into groups
for the Bible lesson. Their demographics would depend on the neighborhood in which the club is
being held.

When?
Clubs would take place at least once per month. We would try for a time in which work
schedules overlap with the children’s schedules (after school/ work; before bedtime). Wednesday
afternoons, Friday evenings, Saturday mornings, or Saturday afternoons might all be convenient
options.

How?
● Form a Committee

The committee would be a group of at least three people who would oversee the
project. Their job would include:

● Recruiting | Explaining the project, receiving sign-ups, orienting volunteers

● Planning | Choosing locations, forming teams, coordinating schedules, creating a
budget
● Supporting | Providing resources, attending clubs, advising members
● Communicating | Pursuing feedback, solving problems, updating church
● Praying | Asking for wisdom and faithfulness for teams; asking for salvation for
children

● Form Teams

The teams would be made up of at least three people, each with a specific role.
 ● Host: The host would be in charge of getting the space they will use ready,
preparing and serving snacks, making sure there is a bathroom available, and
making sure the children are safe (i.e. staying by the door).

● Teacher: The teacher would be in charge of preparing and giving the message
each week. It would be best if he or she would have taken the Sunday School
Course that ICGA has made available, or have gotten trained some other way.

● Teacher aid: The teacher aid is the teacher’s support before and during the class.
They should be available to help with anything from cutting things out, to acting
out an illustration with the teacher. They could trade off with the teacher, or just
be an available substitute.

● Extra helpers: The extra helpers are the people who get the most one-on-one time
with the children. They will do things like help keep the kids focused, hand out
pencils, help direct games, listen to the children’s Bible verses etc. They should
focus on trying to develop relationships with the kid. They should also be
available for anything the host needs.

● Invite the children

Working with children is something that should not be taken lightly. Recruiting them
involves three things:

● Getting the word out to children and asking for their parent’s permission for them
to come. Personal invitations might be more effective than canvassing. It would
also be good to develop a permission form for the parents to sign.
● Getting the parent’s permission. It is important for the parents to approve even in
writing that their child go anywhere with the team. This step is a lot easier if the
parents already trust or are at least familiar with one of the team members.
● Spreading the word. New kids are absolutely welcome, but it would be best for
them to already know someone in the group. Team members should be cautious
about letting an unknown child into their house without permission.

Defending the Proposal

Often, when a new idea is introduced, the church’s first impulse is to feel suspicious
about it. Change can be like playing Jenga. One wrong move, and the tower can be thrown out of
balance. As we hesitate about whether to make a move, we need to evaluate which of our
concerns are legitimate and which are not.

“The church cannot afford it” | Because ICGA is no longer investing in an annual VBS, they
can channel those funds to the club ministry. Also, these clubs should not require more than $80
per month. Costs would only include snacks, class material, and possibly rent, all of which could
be reduced if necessary.

“Kids might just come for the free stuff” | While this is a valid concern, it should not keep us
from ministry. Granted, we must be wise in how much free stuff we give away, but
it is not wrong to provide an enjoyable experience for the kids. Our responsibility is to share the
Word, not change kids’ hearts.

“No one has time for it” | True, but the children’s ministry is designed to work around people’s
busy schedules. Because the meetings will be local, everyone should be able to make it on foot
(20 min. max). Because the meeting schedules are customized, team members will be able to
agree on a time that works best for everyone. Also, because consistency is more important than
length, the meetings can be two hours or less.

“What if we run out of resources?” | As time goes on, we may end up with fewer volunteers,
no available meeting spaces, etc. There are different ways these problems can be fixed. One is to
emphasize the importance of commitment so people don’t drop out without thinking. Another is
to start out with one or two clubs and add others only after a team been fully formed. A third
way is for team members to have substitutes. Finally, ICGA can ask for volunteers from other
churches.

“What if we fail?” | The energy that powers new projects usually dies out quickly.
Commitment is hard and sometimes must be ended.
There are three ways to combat this. The first is to remember that this is project is part of
Christ’s work and no one can stand against his kingdom.
The second way to calm these fears is to remember that we are not doomed to sticking to
a failing ministry, on the basis that it is the Lord’s will. There is a time and place for redesigning
ministries, as well as for ending them.
The third thing to remember is that commitment to this ministry will get old after awhile.
Knowing this ahead of time will prepare us to fight against laziness and discouragement.

A Likely Fit for ICGA

There are several reasons why ICGA would succeed in the club ministry. Not only does it have a
wealth of advice to draw from, but it also has the gifts to pull it off.

There are other churches and organizations, such as NOVA and Soujourn Community Church in
Louisville, KY, who have started similar ministries. They have provided all kinds of training and
advice that we could draw from. Another great resource is a website called Dehoney Center for
Urban Ministry Training that serves as a springboard to dozens of books, articles, blog posts, and
websites that give insight on this topic.

ICGA can draw on the resources it already has.

● Familiarity | The team members would already have rapport among their neighbors and
be familiar with their neighborhood culture. This is key for developing strategy and
building trust.
● Trained teachers | Lots of people in our congregation have taken a course on
communicating the Word with faithfulness and skill. With the support and supervision of
the Committee, they could start using this training.
● Experience | ICGA has already done a lot of children’s ministry, including a one-time
neighborhood club which ran smoothly.
● Availability | A large number of people in the church have flexible schedules. This is
convenient for the odd club time.
● Curriculum | ICGA has a lot of class materials built up over the years that teachers can
use if they would rather not come up with their own lesson plans.

Glitches in the Proposal

● It lacks information about what specific legal guidelines should be followed when
working with children. The Committee would have to look into this and develop a
working policy.
● It does not provide training for the Committee members. It would be important for them
to receive some kind of orientation, at least introducing them to the resources available to
them.
● It does not account for the safety issues that could come from hosting a club in a
dangerous neighborhood. Although God is the One who protects us, the Committee
would have to be sure that the team members are being prudent--staying groups, having a
male with them etc.
● It cannot keep us from thinking wrongly about this ministry. We could start depending on
our works for peace with God, trusting in our own strength and not in God’s, or letting
pride get in the way of Christian unity. We would have to guard our hearts against this.
Summarizing the Proposal
Bogota is packed with children who need to hear, think about, and be challenged by the
gospel. ICGA has what it takes to address this need in a small-scale way. Led by one overseeing
Committee, multiple teams will come together at a church member’s home to teach and interact
with kids in that neighborhood. By following the example of others who have similar ministries,
by using wisdom, and by relying on prayer, we ICGA can set out on this outreach project and
wait for God to work through it.