Harvest Blog

The Kids Conference, hosted in three locations around Illinois each Spring, is a one day discipleship event designed for first – fifth grade children and their ministry leaders. Since it’s beginning, in 2002, thousands of kids have attended this event from all denominational corners all over Illinois!

We’re inviting your church to attend this Spring! Here are nine ways to integrate attending The Light Kids Conference into your yearly ministry plan:

1. CELEBRATION

Use The Light as a a reward or celebration trip for your children. After a year of Sunday School or other ministry group meetings, budget through the church to send all the children who want to attend.

2. CONNECTION

Plan to invite as many parents / adults to join you for the trip to The Light Kids Conference. It’s a one shot, simple way to invite people to participate and allows you an opportunity to build relationships and connect with other adults in ministry.

3. TRAINING

Utilize The Light Kids Conference for a time of training. Each year, we take about 40 minutes to invest in the leaders who are in attendance. While the children enjoy the entertainment time, we invite children’s ministry leaders to hear some thoughts on ministry, network together and get some new ideas.

4. RESOURCES

Use the music, games and other ideas from The Light Kids Conference in your home children’s ministry settings, songs during Sunday morning or midweek children’s ministry or summer programming.

5. COMMITMENT

Use the experience to follow up with children about their commitment to Christ and their desire to follow Jesus.

6. RELATIONSHIPS

Use the event to build friendships among children in your ministry.

7. OUTREACH

Encourage your regular church kids to invite friends to attend The Light.

8. MEMORIES

Stop for ice cream on the way home. Give each kid a little gift as they get out of the van. Invite your pastor to attend with the children in your church! Use it to create memories.

9. BELONGING

Purchase kids conference T-shirts so your children’s ministry group builds identity and witness as they wear them.

There are lots of great reasons to bring your children’s ministry group to The Light Kids Conference this spring!  For 2017, we will be using the theme of RESCUED and taking a look at three stories in Scripture: 1) Daniel in the Lions Den, 2) Moses Rescued as a Baby and Jonah and the Big Fish). We extend and invitation to you and hope you can take part! We’re praying for changed lives. www.kidsconference.org

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY RESOURCES

• Motion Songs Videos
• Get two free animated worship videos for kids
• Ten practical ideas for getting and keeping volunteers

ONE OF MY EARLY MEMORIES

When I was in kindergarten, a group came to our church to sing. Being so young, I don’t remember much about the music or the people. But I do remember they came to our house for dinner (or to spend the night or something). I have a vivid memory of two people sitting in our Wood River, Illinois living room and singing the most hilarious song. I remember laughing really hard. Sometimes I wonder if there was a seed planted in my life that night. I don’t dwell on this moment of a memory, but it comes to mind once in a while when I’m making up silly little songs for kids. I thought those people that night were amazing. And for years now, I have spent time singing in churches, having dinner with people, staying in host families and sharing music in churches. It’s been a big part of who I am.

ONE WAY YOU CAN UTILIZE HARVEST MINISTRY

If you are a pastor, youth pastor, children’s pastor or church member, one way you can utilize Harvest Ministry is to host a Sunday evening all church gathering. Have a meal together and then Harvest can lead in a family ministry event including music, some fun stuff and a message. The schedule could look something like this:

Sunday Evening
3:30 – Harvest arrives to set up
5:00 – All church dinner
6:00 – Night of Worship and Fun

Or it could be like this:
Sunday Evening
3:30 – Harvest Arrives
5:00 – Worship Concert for the whole family
6:00 – Dinner

Or something more simple:
Friday, Saturday or Sunday Evening
4:00 – Harvest Arrives
6:30 – Worship Concert
7:30 – Refreshments

Here are some benefits for an event like this in your church:
– all ages can come
– doesn’t require lots of set up
– helps pull people together for a time of community that’s not on Sunday morning
– gives people an opportunity to invite friends and family
– something different for the church

Here are some of the basic steps to hosting this kind of event:
– contact Tim Price and Harvest to set up a date
– select a key organizer / team from the hosting church
– publicize the event using tips and information from the harvest website
– invite personally to attend
– invite several people to help with the evening, serving as greeters, hospitality, etc.
– pray for the evening
– enjoy it!

Other Details:
– Harvest can work into most sanctuary audio systems
– Sound support can be rented in necessary (Harvest doesn’t own any equipment, we always rent if needed).
– We ask the church to send the travel expenses in advance.
– We ask the church to provide a meal for the team (either as part of the whole event or before if a meal isn’t being planned).
– For an all church, evening ministry event, we invite the church to receive a love offering to help support Harvest Ministry.

We’d love to be a part of your church! Contact us to talk through the possibilities!

Harvest Ministry
Tim Price, Director
618-541-8291
tim@harvestministryteams.com

(If you’re wanting to book Harvest Worship Band for a camp or conference, you can use the booking form or contact Tim Price)

Proverbs 15:22 is an important verse for ministry leaders: Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

Local church youth workers need to be equipped, connected and encouraged. This happens as you visit with your pastor, meet with students and families and serve along side your team, but don’t underestimate the need for ongoing, outside your church training and equipping.

Ideas, new insights, and clarity often come when you are working on your ministry, not just in it.

This is why we have designed The Well, a seminar for youth workers.  The Well, a three hour meeting format with a meal together, is hosted in six areas around the state of Illinois with the purpose of providing excellent close-to-home quipping for those who work in local church student ministry.  Our goal is to come to you (and any of your volunteer or paid student ministry leaders), connect you with others in your home area and help move your ministry forward in reaching and discipling students for Christ.

You’re invited to register for The Well today!

Another big reason behind The Well is that for twenty years, I have felt a call to partner with and help student ministry leaders around Illinois.  I have had the privilege of working with many leaders through weekend events, ministry gatherings such as Ignition and Fire-Up and through summer camp ministry.  I’m both grateful for the work of student ministry leaders and understanding of the hard task ahead.

We have hosted The Well each fall since 2005 and hundreds of student ministry leaders have attended representing many denominations.  You’re invited to attend this fall!

Troy, IL – October 10 – 5 pm

Fairview Heights – October 11 – 9 am

Jacksonville, IL – October 11 – 5 pm

Peoria, IL – October 12 – 9 am

Mt. Vernon, IL – October 17 – 5 pm

Chrisman, IL – October 20 – 5 pm