Here at Big Creek Outfitters, we have one goal – to become FIT, which stands for Followers in Training. We understand that none of us have completely arrived at perfection, so we teach our children what it means to live a life following in the footsteps of a perfect man – being a Jesus follower. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus said, “…whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” If we are to be Jesus followers, we must devote our entire lives to learning from Him and about Him.
The ways in which we get FIT at Lyons Creek are many. It all starts in Kids at the Creek, a ministry designed just for our preschoolers. From birth to Pre-K, our children are learning that God loves them and has a plan for their lives. Kids Creek – our Sunday morning worship experience that meets during the adult gathering – provides a place for our K-5th graders to get FIT in their own worship setting. Each spring our kids have Spring FIT where they meet in small group Bible studies to learn about what God has done for them and how he desires for them to be a part of His big story. Then, during the fall semester, our kids have FIT Party – a high energy, large group setting where they are taught biblical messages in some pretty crazy ways!
We also provide other events for the children to be involved in within their own families and communities. Our 3rd-5th graders attend kid’s camp during the summer. This time is spent focusing on God and serving Him in a setting that is away from the craziness of everyday life. During the summer we also have VBS to engage the kids in our community with the gospel of Christ. Then, each fall, we have the Fall Festival; this is an event where we not only invite families to come have fun on our campus, but we also invite them to meet Jesus. We also have MeetUps for our kids and their parents. MeetUps are simple events that are scheduled throughout the year that allow our individual families to hang out as one large faith family. This not only provides an opportunity for our children to enjoy a fun event; it also lets our parents connect and have some quality time with their kids.
And speaking of parents, Big Creek Outfitters is not just a place for kids. Outside of God, parents play the most important role in the spiritual development of their children, so we want to assist them in any way possible. We have a parenting blog that keeps our Outfitter Families up to date on ministry events, current topics, and parenting resources to help them on their own journeys to becoming FIT. We also host a parenting conference to better serve our parents with the biblical foundations of parenting and how they can be better equipped to serve as missionaries within their own families.
Through any class, program or event that we do, it is our one desire to see kids and families becoming FIT. It starts with an individual, spreads into a family, and then rockets into a community. It’s not about following a church…it’s about following Him. We hope to see you soon!