Multiple Children’s Activities to be Offered at General Assembly
This year, the 76th Church of God International General Assembly (GA16) will be more family-friendly than ever. This will be especially true when it comes to children and teens.
A four-faceted children’s emphasis is planned for the week of July 19-22 in Nashville. Kids Day Camp will take place from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, according to Chris Quinn who is coordinating the children’s events at GA16. Quinn states the Day Camp will have a “VBS feel,” offering kids multiple opportunities to engage their faith through group games, learning activities, and inflatables. The Church of God is partnering with Orange, a major sponsor of GA16, and is using the group’s Inside/Out curriculum.
GO Kids Worship will take place each evening (Tuesday through Friday) for children ages 3 (if toilet trained) through sixth grade. At previous general assemblies, nightly children’s activities were limited grades 1 through 6, but this year a “Level One” will be offered for ages 3 years through Kindergarten. Level Two will offer a program for grades 1 through 6. GO Kids will be located in the Davidson Ballroom, very close to the worship venue at the Music City Center.
During the week, there will be preparation for a mass children’s choir performance which will take place pre-service on Friday, July 22. They will be debuting the new resource, “Kid’s Praise Tracks” as part of the choir performance.
Quinn explained that, in keeping with the security consciousness that surrounds child groups at any venue, there will be a secure child check-in and check-out procedure, which will include complete documentation from the parents or guardians and electronic scanning. Cost for Kid’s Day Camp is $20 per day for the first child and $10 for each additional child of the same family.
A final aspect of the children’s emphasis at GA16 will be three days of intensive children’s leader training. From 9:00 a.m. to noon Wednesday through Friday, children’s pastors and leaders are invited to experience 27 classes during three sessions where leaders will be equipped and the latest in children’s ministry resources will be introduced. Special guest will be Amy Fenton Lee, the nation’s foremost training leader of children with special needs.
“We understand that these kids will be predominantly leaders’ and pastors’ kids,” Quinn stated. “We want to reach into young ministers’ families and have their kids leaving with an exciting memory of the general assembly; not just something their parents dragged them to.”
