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A Kids’ Small Group is a group of 3-15 kids that meet once a week for ninety minutes and do crafts, play games, build relationships, study the Bible, serve the community and pray for each other. Small groups are facilitated by adult leaders who oversee the activities and lead the Bible study.

Kids’ Small Groups meet at different times all over the Bay Area. Groups can meet in homes, coffee shops, or parks.

We do lots of things at Kids' Small Groups!

We Have Fun. We spend about forty-five minutes playing games, doing crafts, cooking, working on projects, etc. Not only is this a great time for the kids, but it also helps them build strong relationships with each other. The size of a small group allows kids to build deep friendships as they play games, talk about the Bible and pray for each other’s needs.

We Study the Bible. We want kids to understand and love the Bible. In order for kids to feel comfortable reading this book on their own, we study the story of the entire Bible over the course of several years. By the end of their time in a Kids’ Small Group, we hope kids will be able to study the Bible by themselves and apply its truths to their lives.

We Pray for Each Other. We end each meeting with a time to share prayer requests and pray for each other. Prayer not only helps kids learn to trust God with their concerns, it also helps the kids to care for each other.

We Ask Questions. Because the groups are small and informal, kids have the opportunity to ask questions, discuss issues, and grapple with the Bible. Through this, kids develop a deeper understanding of God and the Bible and learn that Christianity can stand up to the hardest questions

We Learn From Each Other. We want kids to be disciples of Christ and model their thoughts and actions after His and we believe that the most effective way to produce disciples is through a close mentoring relationship with an older Christian. The size of Kids’ Small Groups enables the kids to build a solid friendship with their adult leader.

We Help Our Community. Kids’ Small Groups are “outward focused” not “inward focused.” Instead of asking kids in the community to come to our church and attend our program, we want to go to them. That’s why Kids’ Small Groups meet in homes, parks, and coffee shops. We want kids to feel comfortable and meet together in places they would normally go. We also want the members of each group to learn to do good works in our community.

Kids’ Small Group schedules generally break down like this:                                                              

Recreation Time - 45—60 Minutes: The leader decides how to spend this time. You can play games, do crafts, build a tree house, play a game of soccer, cook, knit, paint model airplanes, make go-carts - the options are endless. If a leader has a particular skill or hobby, they might consider teaching it to the kids in their small group. If everyone in a group plays baseball, that group might spend each week playing a game at a local park.

Question of the Week - 5-10 Minutes: Once recreation time is over, the entire group sits together and the leader asks the question of the week. The question can be humorous (What is the grossest thing you’ve ever eaten?) or serious (Do you think it’s ever all right to tell a lie?) Everyone in the group has a chance to answer and the kids get to know each other better.

Bible Time - 10-30 Minutes: Kids’ Small Groups use a Bible curriculum called “Picture This!” It is a coloring book that covers the story of the entire Bible in detail. Every group member receives their own binder at the beginning of the year and each week the kids color more of their binders as the leaders describe the story of the Bible. Leaders should not feel rushed to get through the material, but allow the kids to work at their own pace and discuss questions as they come up.

Prayer Time - 10-15 Minutes: Every meeting closes with a time of prayer. Each kid has a chance to share a prayer request or a praise. Kids can write everyone’s prayer requests in their binders so they can pray for their friends throughout the week. The kids can then pray silently for the person on their left or right or the leader can designate kids to pray out loud.

Kids' Small Groups are a great place to meet new friends and learn more about God.  If you would like to hear about existing small groups or are interested in hosting or leading a new group, please call Jenny Bruce at (510) 430-0607.

 Creekside Community Church ● 951 MacArthur Blvd ● San Leandro, CA ● (510) 430-0607