Backyard Bible Club Information 2010

Backyard Bible Club Brochure 2010.pdf

What Are My Next Steps?

• Discuss and pray with your family (or a friend) about hosting a BYBC (Backyard Bible Club)
• Consider asking a neighbor or church member to partner with you in ministry
• Begin praying regularly for your neighborhood
• Attend the training session as a family or host team*
• Set a date for BYBC
• Inform the Family Discipleship Dept. of your decision to host a club
• Invite Christian friends and family members to support you in prayer as you plan, prepare, and interact with your neighbors

*Backyard Bible Club Training Meeting for Summer 2010

• Monday, April12 (7-9pm Downtown Campus) OR
• Thursday, April 29 7-9pm North Campus)

The Basics...

What is a Backyard Bible Club?

A Backyard Bible Club is a unique way for families to present the truths of Jesus Christ to children in order to awaken and feed spiritual hunger in them by focusing on the greatness and worth of God and His work in salvation. The curriculum we use is God-centered, evangelistic, designed for a range of ages (grades 1-6), and follows a five-day format.

What is involved in having a Backyard Bible Club?

Inviting children and hosting them (i.e. welcoming them each day), organizing your materials, teaching the lesson, preparing activities, and leading them.

Is it possible to partner with someone else?

Backyard Bible Clubs are a great family ministry. It is also possible to partner with a friend or a small group. You may split responsibilities among family members and/or friends.

How often do Backyard Bible Clubs meet and when do they meet?

Most clubs run five sessions. These can be held in the morning, afternoon or early evening. Most people hold the sessions in a one-week period (i.e. Monday through Friday) but they can also be held once a week for five weeks. The sessions can be held inside or outside.

How long do the sessions run?

The sessions can be from 1-3 hours long (1 ½ hr. to 2 hr. is recommended), depending on how many activities you would like to include.

What do the sessions look like?

• It works well to start with one of the activities. The first day, you may want children to make nametags. After the first day, you could begin with an activity from the day before to serve as a review or an activity from the lesson of the day that is not dependent on hearing the lesson first. You could also play a memory verse game.
• Singing –music opens up the heart and can be an effective venue to teaching truth. Teach the children 2 or 3 songs
  during the week.
• A half hour lesson is taught to the whole group.
• The lesson can be followed by a small group application discussion, or an activity can be done first and then the small group time. Activities include worksheets, games, or crafts.

Who should I invite to the Backyard Bible Club?

Neighbor children, friends of your children, children of relatives, children of colleagues—any children you have contact with and especially children you will have continued contact with.

What age children should be included in the club?

The material is recommended for K-6. Survey the children who would be available to come and decide which ages will work
for your club.

How many children can I have in a club?

The number of children will be limited by the number of helpers you have. A recommended ratio would be at least one adult for every eight children.

Is there any prayer support for my BYBC?

• The clubs are listed in the Bethlehem STAR, noted for regular prayer meetings, and club dates and locations are given to those who have indicated an interest in praying for the clubs.
• Prayer team members receive updates weekly via email—or as needed.
• BYBC hosts are encouraged to form their own personal prayer support teams from their circle of family and friends.
• A Family Discipleship staff person will be available to meet and pray with those hosting each club.

Is conversion the goal of the Backyard Bible Club?

The goal is to introduce children to spiritual truth and open a door for further spiritual involvement in the child’s life. It is recommended that each child be given a children’s Bible or Bible storybook. The Family Discipleship Department has a limited supply of inexpensive paperback Bible storybooks available.

Is there any outreach to the parents of the children or any other follow up with the children?

• Each day a parent take home sheet is provided which gives a brief summary of the lesson, the memory verse, and something to think about.
• At the end of the club you may want to have a program for the parents.
• Another follow-up would be to invite each family over to see the JESUS video or to start a Bible study in your home.
• The Family Discipleship Department also has THE BOOK WITHOUT WORDS, a simple presentation of the gospel, available for checking out.
• The Bible storybooks given to the children provide a good follow-up resource. Invite a child to read the book with you. (We are on the lookout for additional books or materials for follow-up with children.)
• An excellent resource for neighborhood ministry is Love Your Neighbor As Yourself, by Mary Lance Sisk (available in the Bethlehem Bookstore).

How do I get the materials?

The materials are available through the Family Discipleship Department. Make arrangements in advance to ensure that you will have your materials when you need them. Materials are usually checked out 1-2 weeks before the BYBC and returned the Sunday after the club.

Game pieces and visuals have already been prepared. Be sure that all the pieces are present when returning the materials. You will need to make your own copies of invitations, nametags, worksheets and parent pages. Posters/banners are free for BBC families using the curriculum.

Our Backyard Bible Club Curriculum...

The Call of God

God is calling people to be a part of His family. Through the Gospel, God summons people to Himself. This curriculum explores the different aspects of God's call, both the general and the effective call. The purpose is to make children aware of God's call, encourage them to respond in faith, and warn them not to harden their hearts.

Things Hidden

The parables of Jesus contain glorious, lifechanging truth. But the beauty and worth of God’s truth is hidden from those who have blind eyes and a divided heart. Using hidden treasure as a metaphor for spiritual truth, this study of kingdom parables exalts God alone as the source of spiritual sight and an undivided heart. The goal of this curriculum is to awaken spiritual interest in children, so that they might seek after the hidden treasure of God and find their satisfaction in Him.

God Always Wins

God displays His power so that we might see His greatness. Our response to His greatness should be worship. That is what this curriculum is all about – showing the greatness of God that children may come to worship Him. God is presented as the great Victor who triumphs over all enemies, including Satan, death, and sin.

Wisdom Calls Aloud

Every day, children are faced with calls of wisdom and foolishness. It is against their sin nature to love what is good and right, and to do it. Only a heart change starting with the fear of the Lord will incline children toward wisdom, and give them the strength to reject foolishness and the lies of the enemy. When they are confronted with the greatness and goodness of God and stand in awe of Him, and are led to the Source of Wisdom through Jesus and embrace Jesus, they will treasure wisdom and walk in its ways.