The Neighborhood Vision
Connecting kids to Christ has been part of the mission at Christ Community Church for decades. Our church has always made room for kids to learn about God on Sunday mornings, and most recently we’ve called that program “Orbit.”
The Orbit name came from the influence planets and stars have on the things that surround them—how the consistent presence of bigger, steadier Christ-followers can draw younger people in to know and believe in God. Faithful, selfless adults led small groups week-in and week-out and their little flocks could look up to their leaders as they learned what it means to follow Jesus.
I love Orbit, the people who brought it to life, and the moment it was made for. We live in a new moment now.
Influence is a commodity. “Influencer” is an income stream. Kids are awash in a sea of influences: some intentional, some accidental; some healthy, some insidious; some life-giving, some crassly commercial. That makes even caring adults feel unsure about being an “influence” in the spiritual life of a group of kids. Our kids don’t need influence; they need incarnation of the gospel.
Incarnation is living Jesus’ kingdom way in someone’s real life. It’s what Jesus did when he stepped down from heaven to live among and save us. Where influence calls out “like and subscribe,” incarnation walks alongside. Influence is measured by eyeballs engaged, but incarnation is measured by life truly shared. Influence dilutes and dissipates, but incarnation forges core memories.
That’s why we’re building the Neighborhood to be an environment where we all encounter Christ together. We need adults to keep us safe and show us the way to treat others, but those adults should also be encountering Christ—not just carrying out a task or keeping a program running.
That’s the difference we’re aiming for. Often, churches segregate themselves into tribes of “kids’ ministry people” and “regular folks.” The title “Sunday school teacher” used to be an actual job, then it became a marker of identity: the super-duper-Christian. In order to help in a kids ministry space, you had to be extra-righteous, extra-knowledgeable about the Bible, and extra-extroverted. Why does it have to be that way?
What would happen if we all admitted that we’re trying to love God and love others, but we’re not yet done learning how? What if we could share the victories and struggles across generational lines and maybe prove to each other that the same Holy Spirit brings power, conviction, comfort and peace to everybody, of all ages? Maybe we’d see young people understanding that God is real and present with us outside of the church building and outside of Sunday morning. Maybe our family relationships would also become “life-defining” as we ask questions, talk over topics, and seek truth together beyond Sunday morning.
So we call this the Neighborhood, because each of us is part of something bigger than us that surrounds us, shares life with us, and allows us to belong as our true selves. In the Neighborhood we’re not defined by our job title, level of education, family makeup, or background. We are bound only by our proximity, that each of us wants to draw near to God.
To make this work, we need to pave the onramps for more adults—parents, grandparents, students, every follower of Christ—to join us pursuing Christ in the Neighborhood.
- We have to do this safely, by vetting every adult who has contact with kids with a thorough background check and making sure every part of our programs happen in open areas with multiple adults present.
- We also have to do it thoughtfully, by preparing clear instructions and materials so any adult who follows Jesus feels ready to be part of the Neighborhood.
- And we want to do it consistently, which means connecting with the subset of key leaders who do join us on a regular basis, to make sure we’re all giving kids the same message. These leaders will be equipped to guide other adults in their room, so everyone can encounter Christ together.
That’s because being in the Neighborhood—even as a grownup—should feel like going to church, not like going to work or to school. The Lord Jesus should be the focus, not the things we have to do. If enough of us adults work together, we can keep everybody safe without losing that focus. We can make room for our hearts to look to Jesus, even if we’re seeing Him through one particular kid who needs our ears and eyes to help him understand.
As a parent in the Neighborhood, you’ll also see what your child is seeing and build faith together. The same God who speaks to and cares for you and other Christ-following adults, also speaks to and cares for children. You’ll share memories that help your kids believe God is real and actually matters in life situations that you encounter together.
That blessing—knowing God through the eyes of someone encountering Him for the first time—is powerful for your own faith. That’s why I believe every generation can encounter Christ together in the Neighborhood: None of us has learned all there is to know about God! Seeking Him alongside someone else can make His wonders clear in a whole new way.