Introducing Kids Friendly
Kids Friendly is our churches children's ministry office that aims to equip churches to intentionally minister to children and families in their communities.
Being "Kids Friendly" is an ethos and value that is expressed and embraced by the whole congregation.
Our Kids Friendly Coaches offer training, coaching, advice, resources and encouragement to churches wanting to minister to children and families.
Jill Kayser is our national Kids Friendly Coach. Jill has extensive experience in children and families’ ministry. She has held the positions of Child and Family Worker (eight years) and Executive Officer (three years) at St Heliers Presbyterian Church & Community Centre. She has a degree in Psychology and English and a certificate in Professional Coaching and Mentoring. She is an elder of St Heliers Presbyterian Church and is passionate about reaching out to, celebrating and including children into a community of faith. She has three children. Contact Jill Kayser: 09-5850959/027-2103784 Email: jill@kidsfriendly.org.nz
Cheryl Harray is the Kids Friendly Advisor for the Synod of Otago and Southland. She is a primary teacher and wife of a Presbyterian minister. She loves to see children and families participate in and enjoy Sunday worship and is committed to helping churches find ways of connecting families with God. Contact Cheryl Harray 03-4763932/027-4896153 Email: cheryl@kidsfriendly.org.nz
Our Kids Friendly network
We encourage all Presbyterian and Uniting churches committed to ministering to children and families to join our Kids Friendly Network. Network members receive:
- The Kids Friendly best practise manual including 30 resources developed by Kids Friendly to help you minister effectively to children (check out all the resources on our Kids Friendly resources web page
- Regular Kids Friendly news (Hands On newsletter and email news), ideas and resources
- Invitations to Kids Friendly training events
- Advice on Kids Friendly ideas, resources, issues and requirements eg safety protocol and policy, including children in worship, community outreach etc.
- Kids Friendly coaching (a two hour consultation with your church and children's ministry leaders) and training (see our list of workshops or let us design a workshop to meet your needs)
- Encouragament, advice and a process to review your current chilren's ministry and set goals to work to become a Kids Friendly church.
A Kids Friendly Church has:
A Heart for Children
Vision
Kids Friendly Sundays
Mission Culture
Valued Children
Valued Children’s Ministry Leaders
A Safe and Healthy Environment
Effective Administration
A Commitment to Self Review
A Kids Friendly Minister
Become a Kids Friendly Church
Kids Friendly network members can opt to work to become a Kids Friendly Church. This involves:
- An invitation to the Kids Friendly Coach to share the Kids Friendly vision with the parish council/session/congregation.
- A commitment by the minister, children’s ministry worker and session/parish council to form a “Kids Friendly Dream Team” to work through the self-review document and set Kids Friendly goals (this is a bi-annual requirement).
- An assessment of your Kids Friendly review documentation by the Kids Friendly Coach.
- Help in branding your church "Kids Friendly" through the use of signage and logos once you have been assessed “Kids Friendly” by the Kids Friendly Coach. (this is optional)
- A willingness to share your resources and ideas with other churches.
- Download Joining the Kids Friendly network application form for joining the network
How can Kids Friendly help you?
"We needed help with structuring our Kids Church and exploring ways we could more effectively welcome children and share our faith with them. We also needed some guidance on how to effectively and safely recruit volunteer leaders and helpers. Having a two hour coaching meeting with Jill helped us immensely. We went into the meeting feeling very discouraged, frustrated and weighed down; and left the meeting feeling excited, encouraged, and with restored passion. Jill gave us practical tools and ideas for how to structure the leadership and how to create an environment where children feel welcome." Tina Millar and Ruth Edgar, St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Manurewa
To contact the Kids Friendly National Office
Jill Kayser
Kids Friendly Coach
Telephone - (09) 585-0959/027 210-3784
Email - jill@kidsfriendly.org.nz
Mail: 100 St Heliers Bay Road, Auckland 1071