Kingdom Kids' Ministry Changes

Yesterday, Pastor Samuel met with parents after the 11:00am service to inform them of changes that are being implemented immediately in our Kingdom Kids' children's ministry (birth-6th grade). These changes are to promote the safety and well-being of children participating in Buckeye Baptist's programs and activities. Below is a summary of changes: 

• When a child is dropped off for Sunday School or Kingdom Kids Jr. Church, the parent/guardian will be given a pager with a number for their child(ren). The numbered pager will apply to all children in a family. If a parent is dropping off multiple children in different rooms (such as the toddler room and the school age room), they will need to communicate to the 2nd room what number pager their family was given. This is our new sign in procedure.

• The parent/guardian MUST return the correct pager to retrieve their child(ren). The safety and care of the children in the church are our top priority and this is for the safety of the children. The number verifies the parent/guardian with the children. For a family with children in multiple rooms, the parent/guardian should pick up the youngest child first and show the pager number. After picking up the youngest child, the parent/guardian should pick up the remainder of their children and return the pager to the school age room. This is our new sign out procedure.  

• On the first-time visit and every January, all parents/guardians will complete a new Emergency Contact form for their child(ren). The purpose of completing this form annually is to maintain up-to-date, accurate records of emergency contacts, food allergies, and any medical concerns for your child(ren).

• On the first-time visit and every January, parents/guardians with nursery/toddler aged children will complete a new Child Toileting and Feeding Parental Consent form. The purpose of this form is to give Buckeye Baptist nursery/toddler volunteers permission to change diapers of nursery aged children and to change diapers and pull-ups of toddler aged children. The form also gives nursery volunteers permission to feed solids (goldfish crackers, animal crackers, puffs) and bottles/liquids (provided by the parent/guardian) to nursery aged children. On the form you have the option to give consent or to withhold consent, Buckeye Baptist volunteers will abide by whatever you choose. 

Our purpose is not only to keep children safe, but to partner together with parents to bring children to Jesus and make disciples of children. Our goal is to utilize our time with children to teach gospel-centered lessons from the Bible, model Christlikeness, and provide a safe, loving environment. With this in mind, we are also implementing some new rules and strategies to deal with behaviors. 

• Children will now be taught to abide by the 4 Kingdom Kids' Rules. We would encourage you to read the Bible verses listed with each rule and discuss these rules as a family.

  • 1) Respect God & His Word - Deuternomy 10:12-13. Rules come from God, we listen when someone reads the Bible or prays, we are here to learn about God.

  • 2) Respect Teachers & Leaders - Hebrews 13:17. God instituted authority over us, we listen when an adult is talking, we participate and do what we are told to do.

  • 3) Respect Each Other - Hebrews 10:24-25. The gathered church is important, we will be kind, loving, and encouraging to our classmates, we will keep our hands and feet to ourselves, we will refrain from distracting each other.

  • 4) Respect the Church and Property - 1 Timothy 3:14-15. We need to behave in the house of God, the property belongs to God, we don't run or scream through the church, we don't destroy the property (write on walls, tables, counters, chairs), we don't rip down posters/decorations, we don't climb on things we are not supposed to. We view behaviors 

• Behaviors will now be treated in the following three tiers:

  • Tier One: Minor Issues (Excessive movement, playing with a toy, talking with a friend during the lesson, etc.) These issues will be handled by volunteers kindly verbally correcting, redirecting, and refocusing the child.

  • Tier Two: Moderate Issues (distracting everyone around them, kicking a chair in front of them, throwing paper/something that would not hurt another child, ignoring a teacher's request to stop a behavior, running around the room, laying on the floor, etc.) These issues will be attempted to be handled by volunteers. First, volunteers will kindly verbally correct, redirect, and refocuse the child. If the behavior occurs again, the child will be pulled aside by a volunteer, reminded of the rules and the request to stop behavior, and informed that their parent/guardian will be paged if the behavior happens again. If the behavior happens a third time, the parent/guardian will be paged.  

  • Tier Three: Severe Issues (issues that are a danger to the child or children around them, hitting, pushing, kicking of any kind, climbing on cabniets, running out of the room, destruction of church property, inappropriate touching, severe profanity, etc.) If any of these behaviors occur, volunteers will immediately page the parent/guardian. 

• When paged for a behavior issue, the parent/guardian is to immediately pick up the child and have their child sit with them the remainder of the service. If the parent/guardian does not answer the page, a Kindgom Kids volunteer will step into service, find the parent/guardian, and request the parent/guardian step out of service. If the behavior is a consistent issue that happens more than twice, the child will no longer be allowed to participate in Kingdom Kids/Jr. Church for a period of time determined by the Kingdom Kids' Children's Ministry directors. We desire to show kindness and compassion to all children, but boundaries must be in place in order to ensure the safety of other children, respect to the Lord's house, and peace of mind to all parents. 

We are a growing church and hope you will join us in the support of these changes to promote the safety and well-being of children participating in Buckeye Baptist's programs and activities. We strive to provide a gospel-centered, Christlike, loving environment and hope to partner together with you as you bring your children to Jesus and make disciples of your children. Please reach out to one of our staff or Kingdom Kids' directors with any questions or concerns.