Cross of Glory Baptist Church

Parent Information   (summarized from 9/12/07 Parent Meeting)

In addition to the kidsJAM calendar, here are additional details you will find helpful:

Drop-off & Pick-up

All children should arrive no earlier than 6:30 pm and be picked up at 8:00 pm in their small group rooms.  The exception is for 4^th and 5^th graders who receive a 4^th/5^th grade privilege of being dismissed at 8:00 pm to the Clubhouse where they will meet their parents.  Parents should accompany their children to the Clubhouse if their children wish to spend their Shack rewards.

Preschool

Emma Turner has a wonderful program designed for our preschoolers using “Hands On Bible” curriculum.  The preschool program does not use the virtue based curriculum used by the K-5^th grade kidsJAM or familyJAM.  Parents of preschoolers are welcome to join us in the Clubhouse on familyJAM evenings, but preschool children will participate in their own lesson apart from the K-5^th grade group.  Preschoolers still receive a kidsJAM T-shirt as part of their registration.  Preschoolers meet on the South End of the building and will find their name tags outside their room.  The following information pertains to K-5^th graders:

A Program to Teach Biblical Virtues

Each month we will explore one Biblical virtue such as endurance, contentment, and respect.  We’ll spend 3-4 weeks on each virtue.  The virtue is taught through a combination of kids’ nights with large group teaching and small group application, periodic family programs, and home activities.

Typical kidsJAM Wednesday Schedule

Each night in a large group setting the kids will sing high energy songs (they love the music), hear one story from the Bible that teaches the virtue, and then work on activities in their age-based small group to apply what they have learned.   

At the end of the night they will bring home a “Refrigerator Card” (one per family).  The “Refrigerator Card” is a help for the parent that tells What the Month’s Virtue is, the virtue definition, the Bible Story your child heard, the Bottom Line, and a discussion question you could talk about with your child.

The kids will also bring home a “God Time Card”with 4 small assignments that relate to what they learned and can be completed before the next week.  The GTC is the same for every age so younger children will definitely need your help to complete it.  Of course, your kids will likely need your help and encouragement to complete their “God Time Card.” If you have more than one child in the program, you could easily do this all together.  If your child misses a week, extra God Time cards may be picked up in the stairway on your way to the Clubhouse.

Typical familyJAM Wednesday Schedule

This is a special night where parents join their kids for a great night of drama, music, and teaching all together.  When you have shared experiences at church, you have more to talk about especially as they relate to faith and character.  Be sure to join us for dinner before the program!

Is it mandatory that a parent attends?  No, however, most children are disappointed if “everyone else’s parents” come to a program but his/her parents are not present.  If you can’t attend, we suggest you invite another special person to attend in your place.

Shack and Reward System

The Shack is a small store inside the Clubhouse where kids can spend their Shack coupons.  Kids can earn Shack coupons bringing a friend, bringing their Bible, being able to say the Memory Verse (from memory!), and turning in a completed & signed-by-the-parent “God Time Card”.

Rewards are given for achieving specific components of the program.  The item that’s worth the most points is the “God Time Card” because it requires the most work.  As parents we’re asking you to take this God Time Card seriously.  If you know they didn’t do it or aren’t really sure, please don’t sign it.  If an activity seems kind of hard for your Kindergartner, just simplify it to make it work for him/her.  You’re the best judge of what your child can understand.

We also give points for bringing their Bible because they will look up the Scripture for themselves in their Small Groups.  We will have extras on hand if they forget, but we would like to encourage the practice of bringing their Bibles.  The only exception to this may be the K/1^st grade group because it is difficult for them to read.  K/1^st graders may bring a young children’s/

preschool Bible.

They can bank any extra coupons with their group leader who will store the coupons for them so they can eventually buy something bigger later in the year, like a CD or balls or something else.  Shack rewards can be redeemed each kidsJAM night, 8:00 – 8:15 pm according to the following schedule:  K/1 grades every night, 2^nd – 5^th grade on night they do NOT have gym time.

We appreciate the donation of items for the Shack to help this program work.  We suggest a one time donation of a tub of individually wrapped candy/snacks (like the ones you can get at Costco or Sam’s Club) such as licorice, Rice Krispie bars, etc. or some other novelty for which kids would like to spend their coupons.  We are asking for these donations instead of people taking turns with a treat bucket.

Friends

Can my child bring a friend?  Definitely!  In fact, we give them a Shack coupon for bringing a friend, and the friend gets one as well.  Whenever an unregistered child has attended 3 times, we will send home a letter asking that they officially register with kidsJAM.  They will then get a T-shirt and this helps us make sure we always have enough materials ready for these extra kids.

Virtue Packs – A Bonus Opportunity

The familyTIMES Virtue Packs coincide with the curriculum and are an option designed for you to use at home.  This pack comes with activities for you to use around 4 significant family times:  Meal Time, Drive Time, Bed Time, and Morning Time (based on Deuteronomy 6 when Moses instructed God’s people to teach God’s commands to their children:  “Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

Our family favorite is the Drive Time CD which uses a radio theater production that ties in the virtue with a little humor mixed in.  It’s very professional and an excellent resource, especially when it goes along with what we’re already doing at church and home!

These can be purchased in local Christian bookstores, but you can order a less expensive subscription by contacting Lorie Paulson in Children’s Ministries.