UCC, Disciples of Christ collaborate on ‘Kids to Kids’ online curriculum

By kids. For kids.

Producing and presenting the “Kids to Kids” online curriculum has taken a bit more work than the simplicity of its concept might imply.

But now that it has launched, it is carrying Kay Edwards’ hopes along with it.

“This is a place for adult leaders of youth groups and Sunday school classes to sit down with their kids, look at it together, and support the kids in their deciding what they are to do,” says Edwards, director of Family and Children’s Ministries for Disciples Home Missions with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). “The web site was launched just a couple of weeks ago, but it’s been in the works for a couple of years.”

The goal of Kids-to-Kids VBS Curriculum is for adult church members to engage youth groups to play games, ponder projects and study fund-raising pages – then discern what God is calling them to do.

“Too often, adults make decisions for children; they think that the children can’t do that for themselves,” says Edwards. “This is about kids of means being called to help children who are not as fortunate as they are. It’s giving the kids some vehicles they can use to make choices on their own”.

Designed to involve elementary age children in mission work, Kids to Kids was formed 17 years ago by the Disciples of Christ. It is now a joint effort involving the UCC through Global Ministries. The site suggests that group leaders employ a 10-point outline: Explore. Dream. Pray. Talk. Plan. Take a Deep Breath. Dive in! Evaluate and celebrate. Share your ideas. Don’t Stop!

“We tried to make it really broad so that there would be something in it that appealed to lower-age elementary students to upper age,” says Edwards. Games, puzzles and coloring are just a few of the exercises involved. And no matter where you turn, beginning with the web site’s home page, Raja the Friendly Cobra is there to greet you – in multiple languages.

“Raja is from India, she travels all over the world,” says Edwards, noting the wide variety of headgear the international star sports throughout the site. “She will visit the Disciples’ General Assembly as well as the UCC’s General Synod next July in Tampa. Raja has different hats to wear for all the places she goes.”

Edwards is primed to grow the project both within and outside the United States.

“‘Shake It Baby’ is a good example of the type of project we’d like to keep adding, something that the local church is doing,” says Edwards. Aimed at helping newborns in need around the world, “Shake It Baby” helps provide supplies such as diapers, cribs and car seats to those in need.

UCC projects include Helping Hands, which gives children the opportunity to help the staff of Charles Hall Youth Services provide creative, fun activities for troubled teenagers; “Welcome!,” a basket-filling project providing warm-welcome offerings to children coming to live at Brooklawn Child and Family Services in Louisville, Ky.; and “Go Climb A Tree,” which raises money for scholarships at the Illinois DuBois Camp and Conference Center.

In addition, the UCC and Disciples both participate in “Ready, Set, Go,” designed to raise money and donate to One Great Hour of Sharing (UCC) and Week of Compassion (Disciples), ensuring that help is available when disaster strikes throughout the world.

“We know a passion for mission is most often planted at a very young age,” says Jan Aerie, executive for Mission Education and Interpretation for the UCC’s Wider Church and Global Minstries. “The seeds sown by this curriculum and website will nurture a faith and lifelong commitment for children of our churches.

“Our collaborative effort as two denominations has made a costly and time-consuming project not only worthwhile, but far better than we could have created on our own.”

The next big step for Edwards is to develop and go live with Vacation Bible School resources for youth about Colombia and Venezuela. VBS curricula focusing on the Congo and India are already on the web site.

Edwards encourages congregations that have developed VBS materials to share them with her for distribution to others.

To contact Edwards, call 434-832-1119 or send an email to kedwards@dhm.disciples.org

Categories: United Church of Christ News

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