GCV Blog

Grace Church of the Valley blog.

S’mores, kids, and the glory of God

by Pastor David

What do you get when you match classic graham crackers, a perfectly toasted marshmallow, and a slightly melted Hershey’s bar? S’mores make any campfire worth having. You might as well have a car without an engine than camp without smores. This summer, camping and Kidsfest are coming together in a fun theme with a purpose. We’re going to encourage our kids between the ages of 3 and 10 to camp out around the greatness of God. We’ll sit around the campfire to preach about a God who is everywhere at once, all knowing, jealous, glorious, truth, and more.

Jim Rayburn, founder of Young Life, is credited for saying it’s a terrible sin to bore kids with the Gospel. When applied to how we approach preaching to kids, I agree. If we are passionate about the Good News and the glory of God, our kids will naturally respond with interest. If we think carefully about how we communicate, we’ll use appropriate illustrations, avoid undefined theological jargon, and preach in a way kids ought to be able to understand. So in our Kidsfest teaching moments, we intend to give our best efforts to be clear, engaging, age-appropriate, and accurate. Even in our best efforts, however, we must always run to the power of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit to do any heart work for our children. Will you pray for the Spirit to use His Word this summer at Kidsfest?

While we focus on our teaching, we also want to fill our Kidsfest with fun and delight for our kids. As our camping theme informs our games, crafts, decorations, and beyond, we hope to give our kids a fantastically fun night that they enjoy. We still need some help towards those ends. Specifically, we need more class helpers for 3-4 year olds, 5-7 year olds, and 8-10 year olds. We would love several more nursery workers who can give us one or two nights of Summerfest, and we also need more craft helpers. Come help us show kids a great God!