Can A Themed “FUNDAY-SUNDAY” Bring New Kids to Your Sunday School?
R. Mocaby
It’s been a fascinating and ongoing trend in many of Sunday Schools for some time. If you have never held this event, maybe it’s worth implementing. Sometimes we overlook or even discredit the simplest of methods to reach and retain children! As adults, we look forward to a day-off now and then. Look at Funday Sunday in the same way to a child.
What does a Theme Sunday offer to your church kid’s and how does it work? Well, it can be used in Sunday School or Kid’s Church format (a Kid’s Church format may offer the most profitable turnout).
1. What’s so rewarding about a Themed Sunday? Promoted as a ‘Funday-Sunday’, a Themed Sunday opens the door, more so, into an exhilarating kid-friendly atmosphere for first-time visiting friends. ‘Giving kid’s the ball’ first, can be viewed as a method that advocates a memorable first-time experience for the kid who may otherwise shy from coming to just ‘another Sunday School’.
Kid’s just want to have fun. This event does just that: FUN! When you incorporate that new kid’s will be at this event, the impression they will receive could be what breaks your Kid’s Church apart from the others they may have visited. Adult & teen staff will enjoy participating in such, just as the kid’s will watching them do so. This is a great method to bond with your kid’s. Participation just might display whether you are in Kid’s Church as an obligation or that you really want to connect with and love the children. You’re never too old or mature to share a fun moment with the children.
The best reward in a Funday Sunday? Retention.
2. How does a Themed Sunday operate?
A theme for the day is chosen, such as: Superhero, Nerd/Geek, Jersey (sports team), Popcorn, Nerf Toy, Crazy Hair, Best Toy, etc. After selecting your date, promotion should start a month in advance. We find that it works best to personally hand out flyers into the hands of all adults in the church one first day of promotion. Give the children several flyers each and instruct them to share with school friends. Keep the announcements running weekly in every avenue. One week prior to the event, push it harder and stir up the excitement! Handing out flyers yet again will be fruitful. Remember the goal is to bring new children. In your announcements be sure to state that visiting kid’s are encouraged but not required to dress up or participate according to the theme along with prizes, games, etc that are scheduled for that day.
Funday Sunday is best suitable for a Kid’s Church event but can be used in Sunday School Class format as well. Make adjustments suitable for your church. You do not have to have a gymnasium to have a Funday Sunday, however it’s a great benefit. An outdoor field or fellowship hall will do for the activities.
Simple prizes awarded to one boy & girl for best costume or product participation. Within the actual time of ‘play’ in this event, your content can be as such: various outdoor type game equipment (jump rope, hula hoops, nerf balls, golf frisbee, etc.), organized games of choice, a winning ticket system may be applied for prizes, carnival style games, contest or relays. Use a small PA to blast out some high impact contemporary Christian/Kid’s Church music! NO slow songs….it will kill the atmosphere. Have someone take iphone video clips of everything to publish a video montage report afterwards.
A one hour time frame is suitable. Your content is completely customizable but here is a template format:
(It’s recommended to be very prompt in starting the service and remove any and all preliminaries…get to the point and get out of the way, the kid’s are ready to have some FUN!)
1. Open with Worship Action Song or two – 5-6 minutes.
2. Message – make it 3-5 minutes worth of spiritually uplifting and exciting yet hilarious at the same time (think pep-rally).
3. Announce today’s event with the schedule rules of the day – with organized games/activities, kid’s will need to be aware of such or you may have all free play with choice game equipment.
4. Offering – we won’t forget the offering as most kid’s will have it anyway so, as you dismiss to the ‘field of play’, instruct them to drop in their offering on the way out.
5. FUN! – 45 minutes is plenty of time to let kid’s just have some fun, win prizes and let the new kid’s experience a Sunday School that know how to have fun as well.
Themed Sundays can run monthly or quarterly…chart however often is best for you.
6. Awards – best costume prize, visitors gift/recognition, etc.
Plan the activities in advance. Organized games need teen or adult supervision. Delegate a follow up agent to capture the names and info of visitors. Publish your report and show it off with an online video short montage or newsletter with content of success!
The above article, “Can a Themed FUNDAY-SUNDAY Bring New Kids to Your Sunday School?” is written by R. Mocaby. The article was excerpted from: www.ThePool.name web site. November 2013.
The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, the material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.
