As your Kids4Truth Clubs wrap up for 2021–22, make a big deal of your year-end award ceremony.
The Traditional Year-End Ceremony
Hold your ceremony on a Sunday evening, Wednesday night, or your regular clubs night. And consider inviting your entire church congregation to attend. Emphasize each student’s achievements, first, by asking each student who has earned a pin to come to the front. Then have the small group leader or director pin the award onto each one’s standard. This takes more time, but it encourages those who have worked hard during the year. Year-end award pins are available in bronze, silver, and gold. Pin the award on the standard above the Kids4Truth embroidered logo: to the left of the logo for a year-1 pin and to the right of the logo for a year-2 award.
Finally, consider having the director present a year-end certificate to each child who receives an award pin. And don’t forget to pause for parents to take photos or for an “official” photographer to record the event.
The Unexpected Ceremony
- Rather than having students come to the front by age or grade, have them come to the front and line up by award color. So, all the bronze award recipients line up before their names are called individually and they receive their pins. Repeat with the silver award recipients, then the gold.
- Consider a special award for the one student who has accomplished the most goals and won the most awards. For example, one church awards a mounted, engraved sword to the student who has worked hardest and succeeded best.
- Turn the entire group (or a chosen few) into a children’s choir to sing one of their favorite meaningful songs. For each song, display the words so those in the audience who don’t know it or who cannot discern the words can read them and benefit from the song’s message. If you have time, have the children sing a fun song too.
- Consider holding a reception afterward and serve a cake decorated with Kids4Truth Clubs icons as well as whatever message you want to add
- If volunteers are willing to take photos with a good camera, have them take
Students at Westside Baptist Church in Eugene, Ore., play GaGa Ball (a.k.a. Slap Ball) after receiving awards at their Kids4Truth Clubs year-end ceremony.
formal photos. But ask them to take candid photos of the children, their friends, and their families as well. Sort the photos, then mail them to the children. This will communicate that you value them and their families. (Plus, most children love getting mail.)
- While many churches may have the children from their weekday Bible clubs recite Scripture at their closing programs, one church shows the congregation how the Kids4Truth Clubs questions and answers build from level to level. A leader will ask a question, then level 1 students will answer. The leader asks the same question, but level 2 students answer. This process is repeated with level 3 and level 4 students. Parents also see how they can ask the same questions of all the kids in their family to help all of them rehearse the questions and answers at the same time.
