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Inner City Kids Ministry - 10/24/2009 3:07:02 PM
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stimulus
Posts: 90
Joined: 6/4/2005
Status: offline
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About a year ago, I started volunteering with an inner city church's kids church. Tomorrow is our (volunteer) kids pastor's last week, and I'll be leading indefinitely after that.
I have no training in kids ministry and had very little experience before starting to volunteer at this church. All of that experience seems irrelevant, since it was at a nice, suburban church with well-behaved, churched kids, plenty of workers, and an ample budget for supplies. I have other experience and training in adult ministry and leadership, but I need suggestions for where to get training and ideas, fast. :)
Can you suggest any books to read? Know of any kids church curriculum that would be appropriate for an inner city context?
To explain a little about our church: On Sunday mornings, we have a worship service for adults, kids church, and a nursery. On Thursdays, we recently started a family night, with discipleship kids clubs, a youth group, and a women's Bible study. During the week, we offer sports for kids, a computer lab (with basic job search assistance), etc. For years, we have run an afterschool tutoring program, although we had to drop that this fall. It will resume in January.
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RE: Inner City Kids Ministry - 10/25/2009 8:45:34 AM
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rgod
Posts: 1927
Joined: 4/25/2005
Status: offline
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In addition to the suggestions that you get here, have you spoken to the youth pastor that is leaving as well as the pastor of the church to get ideas about where to go for training and what to do? Also, I wouldn't dismiss your previous, albeit limited, experience with the suburban kids and your year worth of experience at the church. Kids are kids; while some things will probably be different (e.g. resource availability), many of the needs will be the same, even though the cultural expressions of that need might be different. God never wastes our experiences. Also, as you are planning the curriculum and orienting yourself to your new role as a youth pastor, you might want to seek out cultural resources if you are new to the culture (especially if you have no personal relationships with people from that culture - but only relationships where you help them - not relationships that are more equitable.).
I'm also wondering, in addition to the books and classes that will be mentioned here, if you've thought about scheduling time to talk with a couple of the youth pastors in churches that already exist within the community? It might help you to get a sense of the needs in the community as well as curricula - you might get ideas from them about training and of places to go to get specialized resources that might be helpful to the kids at your church.
Just a few thoughts of resources to supplement the other advice that you'll get here.
_____________________________
We are His portion and He is our prize, drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes! If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking ...
- Kim Walker "How He Loves Us"
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RE: Inner City Kids Ministry - 10/26/2009 5:15:59 PM
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DeliveredDarling
Posts: 1782
Joined: 8/30/2007
Status: offline
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If I can offer you anything at all, working with inner city kids, remember they come from a different world than the kids of surburbia. DO NOT FORGET THAT! Their lives are so vastly different. Things you think they should know, they don't. The very things they shouldn't know-they know better than the experts.
I work in a ministry that ministers to the inner city kids.
Lesson 1: RESPECT is earned, never demanded.
You will lose them in a heart beat if you approach them any other way.
Lesson 2: Love them in spite of their mistakes, slips etc. Mercy, mercy, mercy.
Often times the behavior you will witness (it can be very disturbing) is how they normally play/interact with each other.
Sometimes, if they feel threatened, survival mode kicks in.
Lesson 3: (This is an opinion) Don't base your curriculum solely on what would appeal to the youth in your church. Keep it simple and interactive.
preaching ans singing regular Sunday school times.....it just doesn't work. Get something up beat, something that they interject a little of them into. In other words allow them the freedom to worship in ways that are comfortable to them.
(we currently are revamping our curriculum due to the issues noted above)
Lesson 4: Be prepared to keep learning. No book or person can teach as well as or as fast as just diving in!
I'm new in this type of ministry myself and have learned very quickly-just because I had to. But! It was easy. I just fell in love with the kids and want to know and do whatever I can for them, even if I want to ring their necks sometimes!
I will lift up this ministry and pray that God will send the laborers and bless it mightily! 
_____________________________
"Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed: but he puts it on a lampstand, in order that those who come in may see the light."
Luke 8:16
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