TeamKID is a fun, high-energy ministry that encourages kids to know Jesus Christ and grow in a relationship with Him. All parts of TeamKID-Bible stories, Scripture memory, life application, missions, and recreation-connect to teach life lessons to kids.

What is the TeamKID Club?A TeamKID Club is a group of 30 or fewer children led by a head coach and at least one coach who use the TeamKID resources to enhance spiritual growth. The resources provide churches with many suggestions and ideas about setting up and running a TeamKID club.

Why is the KID capitalized in TeamKID?The KID stands for Kids in Discipleship. Discipling children is the goal of TeamKID.

What happens in a TeamKID meeting?TeamKID is designed for children to do more than memorize Scripture. It helps children understand what the verses they memorize mean because all parts of the TeamKID meeting focus on one Bible message. The noncompetitive games, Bible story, memory verse, missions, refreshments, and conclusion all contribute to help children understand and apply God's Word to their lives.

A TeamKID meeting has six parts with each one flowing into the next to keep the pace moving with non-stop energy:

  1. WARM-UP is the opening activity that begins as soon as the first child arrives at TeamKID.

  2. WORKOUT includes energized, interactive Bible study as children hear or experience a Bible story, learn the meaning of a Bible verse, apply Bible truths to their lives, sing, and pray.

  3. REACH OUT uses either the missions DVD, missions activities, or mission action projects to teach children about missions around the world.

  4. STRETCHING is when children work on learning the memory verse.

  5. THE TOURNAMENT is a time to run, play, and laugh with fun games and activities that reinforce the Bible study.

  6. COOL DOWN is the final few minutes of the meeting and includes refreshments and a review of what children have learned.

How much preparation is needed?TeamKID is designed for easy preparation that requires very little time. Each part of the lesson is fully developed with quality Bible study in a variety of methods and strong biblical content. Recreation suggestions are included that require a minimum amount of space and equipment.

What is the recognition program?TeamKID recognizes each child for attending the meetings, completing Bible-related work, and bringing friends with them. Because children earn stickers they can redeem for items in a TeamKID Store, accomplishments between children are not compared to one another as it would be if children earned patches or some other kind of visible reward.

Is the gospel presented?In the children's resources, TeamKID recognizes that children should have opportunities to hear the gospel and respond to it. Many of the meetings provide opportunities for coaches to share the plan of salvation and to answer questions that children might have.

How many leaders will I need?TeamKID is designed to need a minimum of leaders.

Churches need one head coach and at least one coach for every 30 children in grades 1-6.

Additional workers can be enlisted to help children with their activity pages and to listen to them say their Bible verses.

Contact your state convention office for information about training for TeamKID coaches in your area. Or use the training session that begins on page 26 of the TeamKID Administrative Guide to train your coaches.

What is needed for a TeamKID Club?

TeamKID provides churches with many suggestions and ideas about how to set up and run a TeamKID Club. The materials are easily adapted for churches to use as they wish. TeamKID Club has no registration fee. Your only costs are for the materials.

What do I need to do to get started?Follow these steps to start a TeamKID Club.

  1. Purchase resources.

  2. Study the TeamKID Administrative Guide for details about starting a club.

  3. Decide on a schedule, a meeting time, and a room.

  4. Recruit a head coach and coaches.

  5. Hold a planning meeting and train the coaches.

  6. Advertise, using promotion posters and ideas on pages 18-19 of this guide.

  7. Purchase store items and set up the store if you are using it. (See pages 13-14 of this Administrative Guide.)

  8. Pray for the coaches and the children who will be attending.

  9. Gather resources and equipment needed for the first meeting.

  10. Hold the first meeting. Meet afterward and evaluate. Make changes in procedures and coach responsibilities as needed.

What resources do I need?The basic resources you will need are a Leader Guide & CD for each Team that meets in a separate room, an Activity Book for each child, and the Missions DVD. Optional resources that will add to your TeamKID ministry include the TeamKID Children's Game Pak, T-shirts, motto banner, outside banner, and administrative items.

May I make copies?You may make copies of teaching instructions from the Leader Guide for other coaches in a single group or room. You may not make copies of the music in the Leader Guide, of the Activity Books, or of the Administrative Guide. To save you money, the Activity Book pages are perforated so that you just give the children a page for each meeting. You can use a book for one child. If he does not return, use the same book for another child who begins later.

When do I use TeamKID?The versatile and flexible TeamKID material can be used in a dozen ways, places, and times. Most churches schedule TeamKID on Sunday or Wednesday evenings as part of their discipleship programming. TeamKID can also be used as part of an afterschool program, on Saturday mornings, or for a Parents Night Out on Friday evening. Some churches use TeamKID on Sunday mornings as their Sunday School material or children's worship material. Some churches use TeamKID as a camp curriculum.

How can TeamKID be used as a camp curriculum?The flexibility of the TeamKID materials makes TeamKID an excellent choice for camp curriculum. For specific suggestions on ways to adapt TeamKID for camp curriculum and a sample schedule, see "Using TeamKID as Camp Curriculum" in the Administrative Guide. (AG-CD Item 30).

What do I do if my TeamKID meets 52 times a year?The 36 meetings in the resource and the 7 bonus meetings on the CD provide material for 43 weeks. For the other weeks, consider some of the following ideas: game nights where children play some of their favorite TeamKID games; a missions project night where you take children to a nursing home or shelter and help out; a craft night to make items for the mission project night; a Bible verse night to review memory verses and play games related to the verses; and a music night where children sing their favorite TeamKID songs and play games that require the use of music.

Where can TeamKID meet?TeamKID can be conducted anywhere. Be creative in your thinking. Consider the most unlikely places and locations. Take into account the size and type of the room, the total number of children and age levels, and who else is meeting nearby. Sunday School rooms, either adult or children; gyms; even a church foyer can work.

How do I group the children?The material is written so children can be together in one club, or, if your numbers warrant, divided by grades into two, three, or as many clubs as you need.1. You may form from one to any number of TEAMS. The recommended maximum number of TEAM members is 25 to 30.2. If you enroll more than the recommended maximum number of TEAM members, form an additional TEAM.

  • Two TEAMs-one for grades 1-3 and one for grades 4-6

  • Three separate TEAMs-one for each of the following grade spans: grade 1, grades 2-3, and grades 4-6

  • Four separate TEAMS-one for each of the following grade spans: grade 1, grades 2-3, grades 4-5, and grade 6

  • Six separate TEAMs-one for each grade level

3. If you enroll multiple TEAMs, provide a separate WARM-UP, WORKOUT, STRETCHING, THE TOURNAMENT, and COOL DOWN following the guidelines in each meeting. Conduct these portions of the meeting in the same manner for each TEAM. Some churches combine for REACH OUT when a DVD segment is shown.4. If your TEAM combines all grades and is of moderate size, you may let the children complete all portions of the meeting together. However, during THE TOURNAMENT, some activities may be more appropriate to conduct with a group of younger children at one end of the room and a group of older children at the other end.

What Bible translation is used with TeamKID?TeamKID is designed to be used with any Bible translation.

What about Scripture memorization?Scripture memorization is a very important part of TeamKID. Each week there will be a verse for the children to learn. In addition to learning the verse, they will learn what the verse means and how to apply the verse to their lives. The back side of the activity page lists the verse(s) that children need to memorize for each week and the following week.

For grades 4-6 an extra memory verse is included. These extra verses include the Children's Bible Drill verses for the current year.

Younger children may find it difficult to learn a whole memory verse. Some long Bible verses can been shortened for beginning readers.

The TeamKID Club verses are Proverbs 3:5-6.

Is music included with TeamKID resources?TeamKID music is an important part of the ministry. A club song and a plan of salvation song will be used every year. Then four additional songs are written each year to go with that year's meeting themes. All of the songs are upbeat, fun to sing, and part of the teaching.The songs are provided on the enhanced CD in the Leader Guide and on the Replacement Enhanced CD. In addition, the printed music is in the Leader Guide. Copies may not be made of the music.

How can I get training?Many states provide training. Contact your state convention office. Also, a training class for coaches is provided in the Administrative Guide. Special training is available at the conference centers at the Disciple Making Conference at Ridgecrest and Glorieta.

How can I get up-to-date information?Go online to www.lifeway.com/childhood, click on the topical index, and then click on TeamKID for sample meetings and the latest information. Or, e-mail questions to teamkid@lifeway.com.