As if the name 'Waumba' wasn't 'Goofy' enough

Large Group is crazy, fun, and predictably unpredictable. There is a method to the madness, but you can never be sure what to expect with 2-year-olds in the audience! The basic formula for Waumba Land Large Group involves...

1- a Worship Leader opening with a skit applicable to a situation a preschooler might encounter, then a

2- video transition with characters identifiable by most preschoolers in order to get the kids' attention for the...

3- ... age appropriate Bible story. Foundational truth is reinforced through...

4- ... interactive worship and a memorable Bible verse.

It's all about making the Bible relevant to THEIR world and current influences. 

Do you remember your favorite cartoons when you were 4 years old? Remember when you only got to watch them on Saturday mornings? Which cartoons or animated movies do you like these days? Do you want to know what in the world this video has to do with leading kids to Christ... find out on Sunday! :-) 

"If you build it..."

In the classic baseball movie "Field of Dreams", Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella, plows up his cornfield to build a baseball diamond.  Do you remember those famous words that Ray heard? If you do, Congrats! You know your movie trivia! Here's another bit of trivia.  This extremely artistic (haha!) concept drawing is of the Waumba Land Large Group area: 

Unfortunately, nobody heard a voice saying "if you build it, he will come", even though that would have made a really cool, albeit slightly plagiarized, story. But we built the stage anyway. As you know, it now looks like this:

It would be great if buildings alone could bring people to God.  But, more times than not it's the PEOPLE in them that play the biggest part.  Waumba Land has the most amazing cast of characters.  Here's how I know. Each week as I go through the rooms, I notice the personal touches you've made...  extra coloring sheets tucked away in a drawer... candy stashed in a cabinet... personalized notes written on the curriculum... tips and reminders written on the boards... 

From infants to preschoolers, you are going above and beyond to set the stage for God to have a starring role in a child's life! You're not just babysitting kids, you are owning your unique role. You don't need lights or a camera to take action! 

You already know what took Ray Kinsella an entire movie to figure out.  His field, our building, is just the place God will leverage for the dream of His people being restored to Him.  

So, take a well-deserved bow! 

Welcome to the Jungle

Greetings and welcome to the new blog for the Waumba Land volunteers of Wiregrass Church!  Our hope is that this will be a way, not only to communicate fun, exciting news and information, but to help build community within our volunteer group.  You often hear that community and connection happens in circles not rows, that is absolutely true!  But, it also happens when people unite for a common goal.  We have a common goal to see these children one day live their lives as followers of Christ.  In the coming months, we will begin introducing other leaders that serve in Waumba Land for that common interest. Don't worry!  We're not going to grill you for personal information, just important things we need to know like... who is you favorite cartoon character? Feel free to share stories with other leaders in this blog, just please be mindful that this IS the internet and security is always our #1 concern. Please refrain from using any child's name in a posting. And, remember, this is a G-rated blog (haha!).  Thanks for being the best volunteers on the planet!
See ya Sunday!

Good Food! Good Friends! Good Times!

This is a picture of the snacks for Sunday.  It doesn't seem like a lot.  Not too long ago, this amount of food would have easily lasted an entire month! If this Sunday is like last Sunday (with 27 three-year-olds in just one service hour!), I'm a little worried that we'll come up short.  It's a great concern to have!  I love using food to help kids relate and learn. Snacks are just one of the tools we can use every week.  Which leads me to the "tip of the week".  Last week the snack was part of the curriculum for many of the kids. But this week, snack time will just be "snack time".  Try combining snack time with the "Make It Real" part of the curriculum, to ask the key question ("Who will help you?"), or to ask each child to say the Bible verse.  Let's face it, as long as you have food, you will have the undivided attention of your little friends!  Make it a good time!

Thanks for all you do to make 'church' the best part of a child's week!

See ya Sunday!