Archive for 'Missions'
Unreached people groups kidmin curriculum
Posted on 01. Apr, 2011 by Kenny.
Now that missions week is pretty much over, what about curriculum? “What if I want to teach some of this stuff to my kids? What if I’m still new to this unreached people’s stuff, who am I going to teach it?”
Great question! Actually, there is some pretty descent stuff out there. Let me point you to one resource called “Kids Around the World.”
About 6-7 years ago, I came across this curriculum and used it for a midweek breakout class and it was a big hit. Let me preface this though. I’d probably not use this curriculum on a Sunday morning. It’s good stuff, but not the high-energy content I’d prefer for a Sunday experience. Some of the music and such is already a little dated, but the content really is good.… Read the rest
Continue Reading
Why take kids on a mission trip?
Posted on 01. Apr, 2011 by Jenny Funderburke.
On our mission trip to Belize last week, we took 7 kids age 6 to 14. Until a few years ago I would have never envisioned this being a reality. David and Karen Rhodes, our partner missionaries, expressed that they have gotten lots of negative feedback about envisioning such experiences for young kids. Here is a summary of our experience.
Read the entire post here.… Read the rest
Continue Reading
What you can do now!
Posted on 31. Mar, 2011 by Kenny.
For days now you’ve read my posts that have been building a case for a new way of thinking about missions. Maybe there are some of you who who learned something you didn’t know before. Maybe some of you desire to resource and fund project among the unreached. If that’s the case, I’m very glad. Be sure to let me know. 
So, if you want to do something, where can you start? You understand that the 10-40 Window is where the need is the greatest and within the 4-14 window is where the efforts are most effective. So, what can you do?
Conveniently, I’m going to point to my advertiser on the right. Compassion International is an amazing organization that has been working with kids for decades.… Read the rest
Continue Reading
Global Missions – Aim lower!
Posted on 31. Mar, 2011 by Kenny.
Below is a somewhat tongue in cheek  but very informative video about this idea of reaching the world’s most unreached by focusing on the kids. Enjoy!
Continue Reading
The 4-14 Window
Posted on 31. Mar, 2011 by Kenny.
As I wrote yesterday, I first learned of the 10-40 Window almost 20 years ago. However, about 4-5 years ago I began hearing about another window. It was the 4-14 window. Huh? Was this an even more specific area where even less evangelized people lived? Not quite. I’m sure that a lot of what I’ve written this week during missions week hasn’t appealed to everyone in kidmin, but this post probably will.
Where the 10-40 window is a geographic window in the world, the 4-14 window is a demographic window in the world. Here are some stats taken from the International House of Prayer website:
- The 4/14 Window describes a demographic frame—a life season comprising the ten years between the ages of 4 and 14
- There are 1.2 billion children in the 4/14 WindowAt least two-thirds of these children do not know Christ.
Continue Reading
Family Mission Projects: Backpack Buddies
Posted on 30. Mar, 2011 by Jenny Funderburke.
One of the most startling realizations I’ve had over the past few months is the statistic that in our little Alabaster, Alabama (suburb of Birmingham) there are 2,000 kids on free or reduced lunch. We have a fantastic group that has grown out of Westwood called Sowers of Seed, whose mission is to provide lunch for those kiddos during the summer and to share Bible-based teaching about nutrition. It was a real wake up call to me that there are hungry kids, not just in other places of the world, but right here in the shadow of our church.
So, I was already pretty fired up about figuring out how to partner with them this summer. Then one of my very good friends who teaches at a public school commented about these same kids coming into breakfast at the school on Monday morning absolutely starving. I felt pretty silly that it had occured to me that kids that might be undernourished during the summer would also be hungry over weekends. Either their parents can’t or don’t provide them enough food. Wow. Kids right here in our area.… Read the rest
Continue Reading
Where the unreached live: 10-40 Window
Posted on 30. Mar, 2011 by Kenny.
There’s a good chance you’ve actually heard of the 10-40 window. I know that I first heard about the 10-40 window when I was preparing to go on one of my first mission trips when I was 15 years-old. That seems like a really long time ago. In case you’ve heard about the 10-40 window and didn’t know what it was, here’s your missions primer.
The 10-40 window is a rectangular area between 10 degrees north latitude and 40 degrees north latitude spanning from North Africa to covering most of Asia. It is in this region that the worlds poorest live, it’s where the the three largest non-christian are most highly concentrated (Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and non-religious) and it’s where practically all of the worlds most unreached live. It’s also called the resistance belt because many of the people groups in this area are very difficult to reach with the gospel.… Read the rest
Continue Reading
Unchurched vs. Unreached
Posted on 30. Mar, 2011 by Kenny.
On Monday I wrote a post about why I’m a missions snob. I think that the post is fairly informative and points to a real problem when it comes to world missions. Our efforts are grossly unbalanced. Since I’m continuing my “Missions Week” series, I thought that I’d explore the focus of my snobbery a little more.
In my post, I talked a lot about the unreached peoples. I wanted to bring some clarity to this term. Very often I will hear someone interchange unreached with unchurched in reference to missions. These words are not interchangeable and do not refer to the same people. Let me clarify.
The word unchurch is basically defined as “those not belonging or participating with a church.” This has become a pervasive term in the modern day church.… Read the rest
Continue Reading
Local Missions Projects for Kids: Thanksgiving Care Baskets
Posted on 29. Mar, 2011 by Jenny Funderburke.
For years we used the Sunday before Thanksgiving as a missions opportunity for our kids. It was a combination of a “bring stuff” project and a “go and do” project. Kids brought items to fill baskets for senior adults. They brought in kleenex, hard candy, snacks, toothpaste, shampoos, lotions, etc… They also made cards that told the recipients that Jesus loved them. During small group time, groups filled as many baskets as they could. After church, kids and small group leaders gathered back for a pizza lunch.
First and second grade small groups were given addresses for shut-ins connected with our church. These were usually a little less intimidating for the little guys. The small groups took baskets to the senior adults houses, told them Jesus loved them, and wished them a happy Thanksgiving. We divided the 3rd-5th grade groups up among three local nursing homes. These small groups took as many baskets as they could carry and delivered them to each room at each nursing home.… Read the rest
Continue Reading
Planning A Local Mission Event for Kids
Posted on 29. Mar, 2011 by Jenny Funderburke.
When we think missions in kidmin, often our default is: a) teach about foreign missionaries or b) collect money or “stuff” for missions. Both of these things are great! But I know in my life, I didn’t really “get” living on mission and serving others without DOING something. However, the other challenge is that it can be challenging to find projects that kids can do.  While grown-ups can go paint a house, a kid will make a mess.
Here’s what we’ve learned about creating events/projects/trips that get kids outside of their own little worlds and living on mission:
- Kids want to serve. What happens when you say to a group, “I need a helper.” They’re knocking each other over to help. While kids are naturally selfish (as are adults!) they like to do stuff and when encountered with situations their hearts grow softer faster than adults’ hearts.
Continue Reading
