CWS

CLICK on pictures below to enlarge them.
PARENTS - CWS ended August 29. G-Force has begun, 11:00 a.m., Grades 1-6, in Chapel.

Bible Story Flannelgraph (Lora)

Click here to see CWS PROGRAM.

Or click HERE to see picures from the KIDS' KRUSADE!

The Children�s Worship Service at SVBC is an exciting time of praise, learning and worship where grade school kids are taught that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives! A child can have a meaningful conversion and worship experience, so this is their worship service, conducted on the child�s level of understanding. Thus it is different from Sunday School, the Preschool Praise & Worship, or most of their other regular gatherings, just as the worship service for adults is different from their Sunday school. Young children have different levels of understanding and maturity than teens or adults, and therefore they grow more from separate worship experiences. Everything must be on their level and in their attention span.

Object lesson time. (Vicki)

The typical Children's Worship Service has a Bible story (in chronological sequence, portrayed using the flannelgraph), a missions story (usually a multi-part series about the life of a well-known missionary, illustrated using flash card pictures), a child experience story, and occasionally a puppet play, Gospel illusion, ventriloquist routine, object lesson, or other presentation that is designed to both keep their interest and also impart a Gospel truth. Games are used to help learn a memory verse and to help recall key points in the Bible Story.

"Rabboni" visits at Christmas
(Dr. Kay)

The Bible Story is the "children's sermon" and is the most important part of the many sections of CWS. It is called a Bible "story" but is actually a Bible Lesson. However, the kids are more likely to listen if they are not told that we are going to teach them something! Therefore, it must be presented in an interesting way.
The Gospel is regularly explained, on their level, with opportunities to choose, but without any pressure at all, since it is God�s Spirit who must do the work, and children mature at different rates. Creative methods are used to present the Gospel message in a non-threatening way. The Wordless Book is a primary tool for explaining the Gospel to them.

Meaningful music, of various types and styles, is a regular part, with 8-12 different songs being sung each Sunday. (With 60-80 minutes available, it is not all singing and games, tho these are two of the parts of CWS). Music may be "light and lively" or "soft and sweet," according to the needs of the service. Children's choruses, simple praise music, and traditional Gospel songs are used, as well as Jesus Loves Me in seven different languages to begin to give them a feel for other cultures. Most of the music is sung using illustrated words.

Zeke (and handler)
(Which one is the old buzzard?)

Most of the CWS workers have been a part of the group since its beginning over ten years ago. All have many years of experience working with children, all have had special training for the CWS ministry, and both the Director and Leader are CEF® Instructors of Teachrs and CME adjunct faculty members for Level 1 Teaching Children Effectively®.

CWS meets every Sunday in Room W-120 - behind the Choir Room, at the north end of the first floor hallway where the K. through Grade 1 Sunday School classes meet.
We meet during the 11:00 hour, but it actually begins about 10:55 a.m. (or as soon as most of the kids have arrived).

"Rainy Night"

It ends at 12:00 noon, or about two minutes after the adult worship service ends, whichever comes later. This is because it is very easy for the parents to get lost and have trouble finding their children. Thus we ask that parents either plan to meet their child in the hall outside the door, or be sure that the child knows exactly where and when to meet them. Parents will wait in the hall until the CWS ends, as it is not polite to interrupt their worship service unless it's an emergency.
The CWS is for grade-school children only, as kindergarteners would find it too advanced for them. (They meet at the far end of the hall).
CWS is not just a meeting, but an experience. Adult visitors are always welcome.

(Keep going - lots more stuff below!)

More CWS pictures. Click on each one to enlarge.

Bro. Allen, Minister to Children

Miss Lora, CWS Director, and "Winky Bear"

Bible Story review game

Kids, 2003 Nov. 9

Great Story Teller Dr. Kay

Child experience story
Miss Belinda, Minister of Education

Dr. Kay, Bible Story Time

Action song

Kids, 2003 Sept. 28

"Simple Chalk Talk"
Miss Lora, CWS Director

Kids, 2002 October 27

Larry and "Christopher Churchmouse"

Bro. Billy visits

Miss Susan and Scruffy

Kids, 2002 November 10

Bro. Shelby and "Gruesome"

Christmas at CWS

"Mary" visits at Christmas

"Herod" demands answers!

Rabboni returns

The story of Silent Night

Christmas carolers

Roman centurion

Innkeeper's wife

ANOTHER PAGE, WITH MORE PICTURES!

See more pictures of the kids, the workers, the types of stories, and some of the "strange visitors" that sometimes come to CWS!.

Why have a worship service for children?
Because a child can have a meaningful conversion and worship experience.
It is conducted on the child's level of understanding and provides opportunities for active participation by the children.
It must be on their level; otherwise it may lead in later life to only verbalized concepts or to an "inoculation" with a mild case of "religion" which prevents them from the Real Thing.
Adapted from Dr. Findley B. Edge and Dr. Bobby Welch

Basic Objectives
1. To lead the child to receive the proper instruction and foundation necessary for a genuine conversion experience.
2. To present Bible stories and truths to increase the child's understanding. (It is their "sermon," but in story form, showing the working of God in history, and what he has for them now. They are presented in chronological order instead of isolated individual familiar stories).
3. To help the child understand what it means to be a "Christian."
I.e., to know Christ, not only as Savior, but also as Lord.
4. To help the child grow - in mind, body, and relationship with God and others.
5. To allow the child to participate meaningfully and reverently in praying, singing, Bible reading, and listening.
6. To help the child cultivate the practice of regular worship alone, with friends, and with a group.
7. To help the child develop and use his abilities in ways that will please God.
8. To give the child an opportunity to feel responsible for telling family and others about Jesus, from his home to the ends of the earth.
9. To help the child to realize that God loves him and has a wonderful plan for his life.
10. To help the child accept Christ as both his Savior and his Lord.
From Dr. Bobby Welch

The age of accountability (comprehension)
The age at which a child can experience salvation does not depend on a certain chronological age, because the Bible does not mention any age. On the contrary, the only requirement to become a child of God is to receive the Lord Jesus Christ. The moment the child is old enough to recognize that he is a sinner and to believe that Christ died for him, he is ready, according to the Bible, to be regenerated (John 1:12). Cf. Matt. 18:1-14; Mk. 9:33-37.

Consider these statistics:
86% of Christians today were saved before they were 15 years old.
10% of Christians today were saved between ages 15 and 30.
4% of Christians today were saved after they were 30 years old.
1% of Christians today were saved before they were 4 years old.
If a person has not accepted Christ by the time they become a teenager, the chances are slim that they will ever be saved!
Source - Barna Resource Group

Invitations in CWS
Definition - The invitation is the opportunity given to the unsaved child so he can respond to the teaching of the Word of God and the working of the Holy Spirit, and show his desire to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.
Why give an invitation?
Even though the child (or adult) has heard the message of salvation and wants to respond, if we do not give him the opportunity, he may leave as lost as he came in - and may never return.
The child should express an act of his will in response to God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ or reject him.

Characteristics of an invitation for children
  Brief - no longer than about one minute. (The message of salvation has already been presented during the Bible lesson).
  Voluntary - NO pressure. No appeal to emotions. Never say, "I would like you to receive Christ." The Holy Spirit must do the work.
  Personal - It is for the individual child. The "group" cannot be saved, only individuals.
  Clear - It must be explained (in terms the child can understand) exactly what you are inviting the child to do.
Counseling - All who respond must receive careful counseling by someone trained in working with children (usually a minimum of 3 sessions).

References:
Children's Church Conference, Park Ave. Baptist Church, Nashville, Bobby Welch, Jim Layman, Bring them In Magazine, et. al.
Children's Worship Leader Notebook, section 2, Convention Press, Nashville
Findley B. Edge, Teaching for Results, chapter 2, Broadman Press, Nashville
Frank G. Coleman, The Romance of Winning Children, p. 62-ff, Union Gospel Press
Ethel Barrett, Storytelling - It's Easy
Teaching Children Effectively, Level 1, Childrens Ministries Institute, Child Evangelism Fellowship
Barna Resource Group
Etc.

OTHER WEB SITES OF INTEREST

Severns Valley Baptist
Church'sWeb site

SVBC Living Christmas Tree

W8WN Home Page

Kids - try the CEF
Interactive Children's Page

Do you know the Wordless Book?
Click here to learn the story!

Here's a different and beautiful
Web page

Kids - learn more about the weather

See more pictures of the kids, the workers, the types of stories, and some of the "strange visitors" that sometimes come to CWS!.

For more information on CWS or on teacher training classes,
contact Lora, ; Shelby, ; or Vicki, .

For still more information on CEF, training, Christian Youth in Action� classes, Teaching Children Effectively� classes, seminars on story telling, using the Wordless Book, how to have your own Five-Day Club�, etc., contact Joyce, .

For information on other grade-school programs at Severns Valley Baptist Church, contact Allen, .

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These pages are not authorized by, nor sponsored by Severns Valley Baptist Church or its paid staff, but are an independent undertaking of the CWS workers for the enjoyment for the children and information for the parents.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.