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Welcome to the Big Step!

Let's all turn our cell phones off or at least to vibrate.

For the next few minutes while the kids are gone, I'm going to share some information and tips with you that will help this evening be a big win for you and your child.

First, what is success tonight? Here it is: A meaningful conversation between you and your child about what it means to have a relationship with Jesus.

Here's how the night will run:

• Kids doing project—a picture frame, while we chat
  
  
• When your kids return, Jeff will teach on salvation—explain who, what, why, how of salvation plan and the need for a salvation decision. He will show a powerful video part way through.
  
  
• Jeff concludes his teaching by handing the evening to you parents—you can spread out in this room, in the hallway, or in the area across the hall to have space for you and your child.
  
  
• You'll have a 25 minute period to discuss the salvation lesson plan
  
  
• To help you do this, you'll find two tools in the packet you received
  
  

1. A discussion guide that prompts you through conversation, questions
   
   
2. A booklet called "God's plan for me" that you should go through with your child as an interactive activity to discuss the salvation plan
   
   
3. If you'd like a Bible to look up verses found in the activities, you can borrow one from the cart during discussion time—return it!
   
   

• If you believe that your child is ready to pray the salvation prayer, you'll find a guide for how to do just that on your discussion guide—ABC prayer
  
  
• Promiseland people will be walking around the room if you want to ask a question
  
  
• At the 25-minute mark, we'll start playing music in this room, which means the snack tables are open. Please make sure you and your child do not try to get snacks early; the discussion time is too important to waste standing in line for a cookie.
  
  
• Also, when the music starts, plan to go to the photo op backdrop to have your picture taken. You can pick up a print next weekend at Promiseland Central when you give us your completed evaluation card.
  
  
• You can feel free to leave at any time after the music starts
  
  

Here's the most important item I have to share with you—don't leave early, and completely engage with your child for the entire 25 minutes. When you look through the Bible, you'll see that God does some of his best life-change work in "moments." Maybe, just maybe, heaven has orchestrated this entire evening for you and your child to experience one of those moments. Kids in Promiseland hear us teach all the time. The fact that you are going to have a conversation with your child afterward is what makes this evening special. As we sat down to develop a goal for this evening, we did not aspire to "convert" a bunch of kids. Rather, the big win for the night is when you and your child have a very deliberate conversation about that which matters most to God—a relationship with him. Because in the midst of this setting—you and your child, eye-to-eye, ear-to-ear, heart-to-heart—wouldn't it be just like God to do something incredible? Yes, a Big Step for your child might be only a moment away. Please be very present in that moment; they don't come often, so we need to cherish them when they happen.

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