by Bethany Priest, Student Public Relations Writer
The average age of students at Cedarville University will drop significantly as almost 1,000 third- through sixth-graders will arrive on campus Saturday, Oct. 13 to attend Junior Jam. This one-day event is filled with games, music and teaching designed to get kids excited about Jesus.
The theme of this year’s Junior Jam is “Faithstation.” The aim of the day is to encourage kids’ faith in God by showing the many ways God is faithful.
The opening and closing programs will be a dynamic time of learning and worship. Evangelist and entertainer Clayton Poland will speak and HeartSong, Cedarville’s touring worship team, will lead music.
Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by the morning session at 10 a.m. At 11 a.m., the kids will break into their church groups led by Cedarville University student volunteers. They’ll eat lunch and rotate through 30-minute activity stations before ending the day with the closing session at 3:10 p.m.
More than 300 Cedarville students volunteer to lead small groups, prepare and serve food, set up, clean up and greet groups as they arrive. "Working at Junior Jam last year was such a blessing,” said Natalia Kirychuk, a senior theatre major from Baltimore, Maryland, who was a small-group leader for Junior Jam 2017. “At college, we don't get to see a lot of kids, so Junior Jam is a great way to get to work with children and be reminded of why God is so awesome."
Adult youth ministry leaders are welcome to stay with their kids but can also attend training workshops at 11:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. Topics will include “Revive the Sunday School,” “Creating Gospel-Focused Lessons,” “I Wanna Get Baptized!” and more. Leaders do not need to preregister for these workshops.
“Every year we hear from youth group leaders that they like the program because it gives them the opportunity to bring their kids somewhere where the kids will hear the Gospel, have a lot of fun and also have an opportunity to learn things for themselves,” noted Chrissy Faulkner, Cedarville event manager coordinating Junior Jam.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 4,193 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 150 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and leading student satisfaction ratings. For more information about the University, visit www.cedarville.edu.