KidFest Ministry Impacts 4/14 Window
There are 1.2 billion children and youth between the ages of 4 and 14 years around the world. Church of God Youth and Discipleship understand and are doing all they can to reach and teach this vast population group. We must indeed train the next generation.
By Tony Lane, Church of God Youth and Discipleship
Through the spring Kidfest season, several thousand boys and girls experienced a weekend of evangelism, worship, fellowship, and fun in four locations around the United States. With the ongoing theme of Great Commission Kids, the tag line this year was GC Kids Worship Jesus. And worship is what they did at each of the weekend experiences! Over 500 were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Leaders were renewed in their own spirits as well. God did some incredible things and the testimonies reveal some of it! Already, deposits are being received for the 2013 Kidfest season, in anticipation.
Kidfest doesn’t just happen within the United States, but this past week, Children’s Pastor Steve Patrick and his wife Angie, along with a team from Daystar Church in Cullman, Alabama, traveled to Ecuador to hold the 2nd Kidfest there with Church of God missionaries Bobby and Tamitha Lynch in Quito.
The 2012 Kidfest season will conclude with the 3rd annual Emerald Coast Kidfest, to be held in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida on October 26-28, 2012. This exciting event will be held near the beach, which is a popular location for children’s ministry groups. More information and registration forms can be found at www.mykidfest.com.
At the Kidfest weekend experiences this year, the children collected superhero underwear and presented them in an offering to be shared with children in need around the world. The underwear has already made its way to two orphanages in Mexico and one in Guatemala, along with some shoes which have also been collected. It is the goal of Youth and Discipleship to continuously train children the importance of understand the priority of being a Great Commission Kid, (GC Kid), which includes sharing some of what we have with those in need. Children often are included on the international missions trip teams to assist in ministry and to be exposed to the needs of children in the 4/14 window! A team of 40 will be traveling on a missions trip to Poza Rica, Vera Cruz, Mexico in July, where the emphasis will be on kids in the 4/14 window living there in that region. Other trips coordinated by Youth and Discipleship planned for the coming year to assist with children’s ministry training, as well as youth ministry, pastoral ministry, and discipleship ministry will be targeting Austria, Romania, and the Philippines.
Children’s ministry in the Church of God is alive and well! Children’s pastors are seen as priority on most church ministry teams. The Children’s Leaders Association (CLA), provides great fellowship, networking, and ongoing training for children’s ministry leaders and workers. Many children’s ministry leaders have been certified through the Children’s Ministry Certification program. The 19th annual FOCUS Children’s Ministry Leadership Conference will be held on February 28-March 2, 2013 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Greenville, South Carolina. Guest speakers will include Brian Dollar (High Voltage Kids), Jagee, BAM Magic, and Jeff Smith. Also featured will be Amy Fenton Lee, who will lead a track of workshops dealing with the priority of the church’s ministry to children with special needs.
For information about any of these ministries, feel free to contact Tony Lane at 423.478.7229 or email tlane@churchofgod.org.
