Hey, Church! If you’ve been around these last few weeks, I’m sure you have been noticing the giant Summer Serve Wall in our lobby. You probably have either signed up to fill a slot (or five) to serve in Browncroft Kids, and if that’s you, we can’t wait to see you down B and C Halls this summer. But maybe you’re someone who’s wondering if you’re even qualified to serve… Because, let’s be real. Many of you don’t work with kids.

I can understand your hesitation. If you’re not interacting with kids regularly, you might feel this challenge isn’t for you. But maybe this will encourage you: when I take a second and think about how many of our volunteers serving with kids actually work with kids at their day jobs, I realize a large number of them don’t. Sure, we have our fair share of teachers, nannies, moms, dads, and people studying to work with kids. But if you walk down our kids hallway, you’ll also meet dentists, police officers, college professors, people who live in Excel spreadsheets all week, and cashiers from Wegmans. Most with no formal “qualifications” that say they should be great with kids.

And honestly? I think that’s what makes Browncroft Kids so beautiful.

Yes, we do check qualifications for our volunteers, but really, the main qualification is simple: a willingness to be part of our church mission to invite others into a life fully committed to Jesus Christ. And when you think about it, if that’s Browncroft’s whole mission, the first people we should be investing in are the kids right here in our church.

I could go on and on about the impact I’ve seen being made by leaders who show up week after week. How the highlight of my week is seeing kids light up when their leader walks into the room. Seriously, call me anytime (bragging about this team is one of my favorite things to do). I’m so thankful for our volunteers and the time they invest in building relationships with the kids and parents. It truly matters more than I think they realize.

But here’s the reality: these incredible volunteers are human. They need rest. They need time to recharge.

So, while they’re taking a well-deserved break in July and August, we’re inviting you to step in and be a part of Summer Serve.

Serve for a week. Two weeks. Or maybe ten. Step into a kid’s life this summer and help show them how to build their life on Jesus. I promise, even if you never see the full impact, you are planting seeds that matter more than you know. You can sign up here. We currently have 406 slots filled and 114 more to go. You can help us get the rest of the way!

If you are nervous, send me a note, and we can talk about anything! I promise all the lessons, materials, and any resources you need will be given to you ahead of time and set up in the rooms. Our main job as a Family Ministry team this summer is to support, encourage, and equip you! You will not be alone.

Summer Serve soft-launches this week (Sunday, July 5^th) for Babies through PreK. And for our elementary kids, we have really special opportunity. Kindergarten through 5th Grade will be joining us in the sanctuary for the 9:00 and 10:30 services this Sunday. We’ll be studying the book of James, singing praises to Jesus, and taking Communion together. For some of these kids, it will be their very first time taking Communion, and even as adults, we can all use a moment to slow down and remember the significance of this ritual. Take some time this week to read through our Kids’ Communion Guide, talk with your children, and prepare your hearts.

So to recap: Babies through PreK will still have their full regular programming this Sunday, thanks to our first round of Summer Serve volunteers. Then on July 12th, Summer Serve officially launches for all Browncroft Kids and runs through September 6th. And no matter who you are, if you come with a willing heart, you can be a part of it!

Let’s show this next generation what it looks like to build a life on Jesus.