My journey with Orange began 4 years ago - at a former church in another state on the other side of the coast - leading a ministry with a staff team in a city for which I still an enormous amount of respect to this very day!
Orange is essential for Family Ministry Pastors and leaders. Click to Tweet
I started my employment and pastoral leadership over the Hillside Church student ministry in August 2011. Ironically, I began this journey on the same exact day that my Lead Pastor started his employment, as well. To some, this may seem so bizarre. It was for sure, but for us in our context, it was the best possible scenario, for it opened doors for both my Lead Pastor and me to explore Orange with our Family Ministry Team without any pretense or hesitation.
In my first couple of weeks at Hillside, my Family Ministry counterpart, Terri Woodard, took me to lunch and talked to me about this new curriculum and ministry strategy with which she had gone all-in - this crazy thing called Orange.
Never heard of it, but her enthusiasm for it piqued my interest! So much so that I was ready to serve on her team! Kid Min Pastors are good like that!
But if anything about my interview process and first few weeks seemed bizarre, it was learning about a ministry strategy and curriculum named after a color. What good could come from a color?
An hour after our conversation, I had already whipped out my brand new church credit card, and I registered for my first series - XP3 high school - this was before XP3 middle school... can you believe that?!
All in all, Orange provided me during my years of student ministry a standard, language, and framework for our church family ministry systems to function together and become mutually and fully inclusive systems. Orange gives a total, complete faith formative experience for kids aged birth through college.
Terri and I worked together not just in bridge-type events between our two ministries. But through Orange, we placed a new value on rites of passage throughout childhood and adolescents, common themes for our parents and leaders, developmentally appropriate telling of biblical stories, and even shared leadership (wow, try that one on for size!).
The folks at Orange value not just the growth of its platform and use of its curriculum, but it values even more the ways it impacts the church and faith formation of those students and families who hear it and put it into practice in everyday life.
Orange is essential for Family Ministry Pastors and leaders. No other curriculum compares to its comprehensive strategy and curriculum.
Visit www.whatisorange.org, www.orangeleaders.com, www.orangeblogs.org for more information and ways to try the curriculum for free.
Try it. Do it. I will personally refund your money if you don't like it.
QUESTION: In what ways can you better align your Kid Ministry systems and Student Ministry systems?