Scripture tells us that only Jesus walked on water, but at the 2004 Children’s Ministry Conference we found that children’s ministers can sleep on it. From houseboat accommodations to unparalleled teaching – the fourth annual Children’s Ministry Conference proved to be an adventuresome and revitalizing educational experience.

The conference capitalized on a refreshing atmosphere offered by the lush scenery and gorgeous view surrounding Emerald Pointe Resort and Conference Center at Lake Lanier Islands, Georgia. Although the walking trails, tennis courts, swimming pool, and golf course beckoned for a quality outdoors experience, the true adventure course was waiting within.

The capacity crowd of over 200 of our denomination’s children’s ministry professional and lay people was exposed to an array of learning opportunities. From five plenary sessions to forty workshop options, attendees quickly entered a dense conference fog – inhaling new information and applicable teachings with every step they took. Between scheduled sessions, representatives from multiple resource arms of children’s ministry were available for consultation and exposure to their resources. The CE&P Bookstore was also available for those interested in purchasing materials related to every aspect of children’s ministry.

 More welcome than the aroma of the delicious food served so frequently was the palatable welcome of fellowship with co-workers in the Kingdom. The air of the meeting hall was alive with energy as people shared ideas, irritations, funny stories, and frustrations with one another. One registrar stated: “This [conference] was very helpful, refreshing and encouraging. I can’t wait to come back!” Countless attendees also reveled in personal attention from Sue Jakes (CE&P’s Children’s Ministry Coordinator) as well as CE&P Regional Trainers and generous speakers.

 Attendees were exhorted by the teachings of Dr. Edmund Clowney, Eric Wallace, Rev. Stephen Smallman, and Sue Jakes in the plenary sessions. It was an honor to hear Dr. Clowney share his passion for Christ-centered teaching to fill the pulpits and Sunday school classrooms of all churches. He and the other plenary speakers also made themselves available for a paneled question and answer time during the final gathering. Stephen Smallman focused his teaching on the Kingdom of God, especially in relation to ministering to children. Eric Wallace challenged the participants to seek a closer partnership with the church and home in discipling God’s covenant children.

 As the conference wound to a close, one attendee said that she “was encouraged, equipped and gained vision” during her time at Emerald Pointe. If you would like the opportunity to be exposed to some of the teaching she received, contact the CE&P Bookstore to purchase twenty-two of the recorded seminars. The 2005 conference plans will be announced in the next issue of Equip for Ministry .

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"Something Every Church Should Be Teaching"
Kids' Quest! Catechism Club

The title of this article is one of many encouraging comments we’ve heard about Kids’ Quest! Catechism Club ― a new curriculum released by Great Commission Publications last year. To date, some 500 churches across the PCA and other denominations are using the materials. Sales for 2003 were more than double our projections and continue strong in 2004.

One of the most gratifying patterns we’ve seen is the wide array of ways Kids’ Quest is being used. It is designed for non-Sunday school settings such as Sunday evenings, weekdays or club programs. However, church leaders are being very innovative in adapting the material for their purposes. And parents are using it for home school or family devotions. A pastor from New York says, “The genius of Kids’ Quest is its flexibility.”

The curriculum is adapted from a ministry created by Mrs. Susan Hunt and her son Richie, Director of Children’s Ministries at Midway PCA near Atlanta. Their focus is on aggressively memorizing the catechism and on key truths about God and his relationship to us. GCP built on the Hunts’ concept by adding a track for preschoolers, expanded teaching helps and flexibility to accommodate various formats and timeframes.

The foundation of Kids’ Quest curriculum is First Catechism, designed for children up to age eight. GCP introduced this revision of the original Catechism for Young Children in 1996 and further refined it last year in concert with the KQ launch.

Early this year, we employed a professional researcher to survey those who had used Kids’ Quest. The responses reveal several notable facts about current practices in catechizing children:

• Half of the respondents indicate that they had not used any catechetical materials previously. We deduce from this that the curriculum, at least in part, has been a catalyst for the initiation of catechism training.
• More than half of the children involved are successfully memorizing the catechism, some at a slower pace than the curriculum suggests. Learning the “language of our faith” is central to children’s spiritual development and important to start at the earliest age possible.
• Most churches conduct catechism training at times other than Sunday morning and only through the school year. Typically, Sunday school in our churches concentrates on Bible study, while catechizing is done separately.
• Parental involvement is one of the crucial factors in deciding to start or continue a catechism program. Significant participation by parents was reported by about one-third of the churches.
• Support of church leadership is crucial as well. The pastor’s backing and encouragement particularly help spark the endeavor and tie it back to the Session.

 We at GCP believe in the priority of raising the next generation to know and honor God. And in the Reformed/Presbyterian heritage, catechizing is fundamental to that process. Starr Meade challenges us with these words: “Those of us who care about passing on the baton of historic Christian truth must awaken to the importance of faithfully imparting its doctrines to our children.” (From Teaching Hearts, Teaching Minds © 2000 P&R Publishing Co.) _______________

Great Commission Publications is the joint publishing ministry of the Committee for Christian Education & Publications of the Presbyterian Church in America and the Committee on Christian Education of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. 

Thomas R. Patete
Executive Director, GCP

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