A.S.K. is a Student CBS Class for Elementary School Age Children
Meets “After School” in a Local Church
A.S.K. CBS is very similar to every other CBS class in that there is a Large Group time for snacks and fellowship as well as Core Groups for digging deeper into God’s truths in a relational setting. A.S.K. delivers age-appropriate messages, while not shying away from the Truth that Christ died for our sins.
What ages come to A.S.K. CBS? A.S.K. is for elementary school children, including kindergarten through 6th grade, or whichever grades the local school district defines as “elementary school.”
How is A.S.K. CBS different from the other Branches in Student CBS? In addition to the “talk” each week, A.S.K. CBS has a video that accompanies every lesson. The videos have a running theme, which have proven to be very effective in helping impart the lesson/moral for the week. At the end of the semester, the children are given a DVD with the videos to take home and share with friends. Students are also given a Bible, a backpack and a t-shirt. The Triplets in A.S.K. may all be female because the classes meet during the day. All Leaders must know and sign the CBS Child Protection Policy in addition to the SSMA. Two Leaders are required in each room, and at least one leader must be 18 or older.
How many weeks does A.S.K. meet? ASK meets 10 weeks per semester, with separate registration for each semester. (Bibles and back packs are given as a one time gift for the students.)
What lessons does A.S.K. use? Student CBS has produced lessons and videos specifically for A.S.K..
How long do the lessons take to complete? A.S.K. lessons take approximately 30 minutes to complete. We encourage parents to help the children with their lessons.
How do you get this age to attend? A.S.K. is experiencing tremendous growth, mostly by word of mouth. Parents want their children in the Truth and so are excited to register when they hear about it.
Is there parent involvement? Parents are always welcome to help and there is always a need. Parents serve as greeters, snack helpers, and Core Leaders. As some of the children are too young to read, we encourage parental help with the lesson. At times a question in the lesson will say to, “Ask your parent…”
What happens on a typical afternoon? Children get dropped off by their parents and are welcomed at the curb by greeters. They are given a nametag and have snacks and play outside (weather permitting) until the beginning of the Large Group. After singing, praying, hearing a talk, watching the video, doing the Bible cheer and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, the students break into Core Groups for 45 minutes.
Food: Snacks are served from 3:30-4:00. This is also a time for the students to play and expend energy and have fellowship with the Leaders. We try to have food associated with the lesson or the video for the day, (i.e. Jesus calls us to be fishers of men, so we’ll serve goldfish as part of the snack).
Large Group Time: Very High energy! We do the Bible cheer and Pledge of Allegiance pulling students on stage whenever possible to lead their peers.
Praise Music: The first two songs are very fast and high energy with yelling, jumping and arm motions. After the talk and video, we then sing a slower song. Students may help lead the songs, and in unique situations play an instrument in the worship band, though this is not the usual practice.
Talk: Talks are 5-8 minutes and the TD and ATD do their best to include a few visual illustrations, whether it is a picture, skit, or an object that the children can see.
Core Group: Core Groups are separated by age and gender and meet for 45 minutes. 45 minutes can be challenging for younger children, but A.S.K. CBS provides drawings that can be passed out for the younger children to color if their attention begins to fade. For the older students, the Core Group is a time to grow closer to the Lord and each other and to experience true fellowship - sometimes for the very first time. Some students know a lot about the Word and others are having their first exposure to the Word. The leaders try to get participation from everyone and maintain a loving and safe environment.
A.S.K. is a caring, in-depth Bible study that God has used in mighty ways to bring children and their families closer to Himself.