2017-18 Ministry Plan
Family Ministry

The mission of our family ministry is to partner with families in raising children to love Jesus and embrace the stories of our faith. As a church, we seek to provide a safe space for parents and children to ask questions and grow as Christians and families.  

In 2015, we began the year with a visioning session for parents and family ministry leaders to determine how we would like to see children and families grow and develop from the time children are born until they move into the youth group.

In 2016, we put this vision to action through new curriculum, including revamping the children's worship time to be more age appropriate. 2017 will be marked by evaluation and continued implementation of the vision set in place over the previous years, as well as more significant fellowship and spiritual development opportunities for the families with young children. The Children and Family ministry will also seek to incorporate the priorities from the church's overall mission and yearly theme of Prayer and Blessing.

2017-18 Goals 

I. Worship/Spiritual Formation:

• Host Children's Sabbath during worship in October to give children opportunity to lead in worship.
  • Update: Children's Sabbath was held on Sunday, October 2, with more than 20 children leading worship, including a baby dedication, baptism, and communion.
• Have at least one ministry leader attend Godly Play training to begin to re-incorporate Godly Play into Children's Worship time.
  • Update: Rev. Emily Holladay will attend Godly Play training March 8-10, in Atlanta, Ga. (Upon return, Children’s Committee and Rev. Holladay will work together on a plan for continued training and implementation within the ministry.)
  • Update: Rev. Emily Holladay attended Godly Play training March 8-10, in Atlanta, Ga. Children’s Committee and Rev. Holladay are working together on a plan for continued training and implementation within the ministry.
• Host Discipleship Class for 3rd through 5th graders in the spring to help the children learn how to grow closer to Jesus and live a more Christian lifestyle as they begin to make their own choices.
• Take a group of at least five 3rd-5th graders to PASSPORTkids! summer camp to help the children become closer to God and other children their age.
  • Update: As of October, 2017, we are registered for PASSPORTkids! and looking forward to having a number of children attend.
• Continue implementation of Shine Curriculum in Sunday School, including Storybook Bibles for every family to use to further their spiritual development each week. Encourage Children to incorporate “wondering” into their Bible reading, increasing their connection to the Biblical text.
  • Update: In December 2017, we began the Winter Quarter of Shine curriculum, and the children continue to engage very well with the curriculum.
• Equip teachers and other ministry leaders with resources to teach effectively, providing age-appropriate teaching tools, including quarterly Sunday School teacher meetings. 
  • Update - First Sunday School teacher meeting held in August 2017, with emphasis on reaching out to children/parents
• Host weekly Children’s Choir: Goals and updates for Children's Choir can be found in the music and worship ministry plan.

II. Fellowship:

• Host at least four family socials at the church or other venues for community building amongst families and children.
  •   Update: The Children's Committee had an end of school year party on May 30, with about 20 children in attendance.
  • Update: The Children's Committee has scheduled a family pot-luck on June 24.
• Host indoor/outdoor Fall Festival in the Family Life Center in October as an intergenerational event open to the community, with a goal of at least 30 children from outside the church in attendance. 
  • Update: In October 2017, we hosted the Fall Festival in the Family Life Center, and had at least 20 children from outside the church in attendance.
• Host Easter Egg Hunt in March, with a goal of at least 20 children attending who are not regular members of Broadway.
  • Update: Easter Egg Hunt is set for March 24. Church members are asked to invite friends and also help us collect prizes by donating 10 of the same child-friendly items by Friday, March 23.
  • Update: Easter Egg Hunt was help on March 24. At least 25 children attended who are not regular Broadway attenders, representing at least 11 families.
• Host substantial summer programming with an emphasis on learning Bible stories.
  • Update: The Children's Committee is working to add a preschool/kindergarten option to Creative Arts Camp that will allow all our children to explore Bible stories through arts and music (as is already the case with our elementary students). A team has been created to work on planning and curriculum development and will begin meeting in April.

III. Service:

• Host at least three parent's day/night outs at least three hours in length that would be open to the community.
  • Update - In January 2018, Broadway hosted and Elementary Children's Sleepover in coordination with Buechel Park Baptist Church and Lexington Avenue Baptist Church
• Convene quarterly hands-on mission projects for children and families, each planned and led by a different family, with goal of at least five families in participation at each.
  • Update - At least 9 families with children participated in Service in September on September 10, 2017. In total, these families participated in projects that benefited more than 5 of our mission partners.
  • Update - In December 2017, we hosted the Family Advent Breakfast, with record attendance, during which the children made ornaments for Homebound church members, and jars of hot chocolate for families in JCPS who will not have much food for the holidays (other adult/youth Sunday School classes are providing non-perishable food)
  • Update - In March 2018, the Easter Egg Hunt incorporated a service project to decorate tissue boxes for homebound church members or those in the hospital.
  • Update - In June 2018, the children and families are participating in the Summer Service Sunday School.
  • Update - On June 24, the children and families will participate in a mission project during the Pot-luck lunch after church
• Associate Pastor to be present in local schools at least twice per month, having lunch with children from church or assisting in classrooms.
  • Update - In October 2017, Emily Holladay had lunch with children from Broadway at Jane Hite Elementary
  • Update - In November 2017, Emily Holladay had lunch with children from Broadway at Chenoweth Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, and Dunn Elementary.
  • Update - In February 2018, Emily Holladay attended a school play at St. Francis School.
• Connect with other cultures through Missions class by inviting speakers from other countries or Skyping with missionaries in other countries at least once a semester.
• Provide tangible resources at least once a quarter for parents to continue spiritual education at home.
  • Updated - In December 2017, we sent home bags of gift wrap bows for the children to use at home daily during Advent as a reminder of all the blessings God has given us, and as a way of giving back to others.
  • Update - In February 2018, we sent home Lenten Prayer Strips that children and families will form into a chain as they pray together over the Lenten Season.