We offer RivKids for infants through sixth grade during all services at our Holt, REO Town, and Westside Venues.
During this weekly event we socialize and worship through music and teaching that is relevant to kids’ lives. We sing, dance, play, have skits, show videos . . . anything we can do to help kids grow closer to Christ.
What is RivKids’ mission?
RivKids exists to proclaim the liberating power of the Gospel to kids as we grow, serve, and go. We have the opportunity to share the Gospel with over 600ish kids (and that number is always growing) each weekend. That’s the size of an elementary school! This is why the weekend services are so important to us and why we’re laser focused on creating a top-notch environment for kids every week. We are all here with the same purpose in mind — to lead children into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
What’s up with the teams?
By fifth grade, many kids have formed an idea of who God is and choose whether or not they want to have a relationship with Him. When you take out holidays, sick days, and vacations, the church has approximately forty hours in a given year to invest in the hearts and lives of kids. Only forty hours! That means volunteers have a very limited amount of time with kids in their classrooms. The team strategy maximizes that time each week and makes it easier for kids to connect with leaders who care about them.
The RivKids volunteer base includes over 360 volunteers divided into about 50 classroom teams between the Holt, REO Town, and Westside Venues. Each team has eight-ish people, with three or more of them volunteering each week, allowing for consistency without people having to serve every week. This team approach provides the consistency and familiarity that kids desire in order to begin forming relationships. It also gives volunteers the ability to take ownership of their classroom. We want to be strategic about putting positive leaders in our kids’ lives, or they will find those influences — good or bad — on their own.
Want to join our team?
What are our kids learning at RivKids?
RivKids utilizes curriculum from Gospel Project and curriculum written by the RivKids team. They are both designed to target a specific age and developmental level of children and builds on the idea that spiritual growth is relationally driven. Our goal is to help kids see God for who He is and see themselves the way God does so they can love others the way God does.
For our preschoolers (2-5 year olds), we use Gospel Project for Kids curriculum. They hear the Gospel each week through exciting Bible stories, sing songs, and do activities that reinforce the teaching on a level appropriate for young children.
Kindergarten through sixth graders learn the same thing their parents learn in the service each week! RivKids produces curriculum in house at an age-appropriate level, complete with worship, videos, skits, and more.
RivBuddies: Our Ministry for Kids with Special Needs
RivBuddies offers one-on-one “buddies” for children with special needs who are 2 years old through sixth grade. We provide additional support as needed for them during the 11:30ish Sunday service at Riv’s Holt Venue.
If you are the parent or guardian of a child with special needs and are interested in registering him or her for our RivBuddies program, please email [email protected]. Our RivBuddies Coordinator will then contact you. Pre-registration is required prior to bringing your child to a service so that we can best meet their needs.
If you’d like to serve with RivBuddies, click here to get plugged in.
Connect[email protected]
Emma Heikkinen
Jenny Cole
Jill Lenkowski
Kristen Cambern
Miriam Davenport
Nicole Carillo
Sarah Bossenbroek
Sarah Hayner
Tricia Miller
Rachel Luedtke
Kelsey Rogers