We are pleased to once again offer a Takeout Church resource this year! This page contains all the information you need to put together a resource kit to bless your families with. You have the option of either offering this as a physical kit that you distribute or you can post links to the family faith conversations on your webpage or social media, or send by email to your families. Our Instagram posts will expand the themes of this resource this summer. There is a form to complete to access all the print resources following the “What to Expect in this Resource” section below.

Also, brand new this year, we have a collaborative virtual VBS resource! Several of our CBOQ pastors and leaders are contributing elements for this resource that will be ready on Monday, July 12. While it will not follow exactly the same themes, it will coordinate with the Takeout Church resource if you are using both! You will find information for this resource here.

What to Expect in this resource:

Downloadable Resources:

• A Family Faith Conversation brochure of 5 family devotions based on the the theme of ‘Discover’. Each conversation is divided into 3 sections: Discover with Family (those are chat questions to spark conversation on the theme); Discover through the Bible (Bible passage to discover more about God through the theme); Discover in Nature through your Senses (a response activity that is based on the theme and one of the 5 senses).
• A set of  20 ‘would you rather…’ conversation cards
• A welcome/introduction letter that includes some kids and parents app suggestions
• Flat Jesus template
• Reel Family Time Conversation Card
• Reel Family Time Conversation Cards on 5 specific movies that relate to each family faith conversation
• Sidewalk Chalk Gospel Sharing Tool (many thanks to Kristen Raney and Grace Kids from Grace Church in Kansas City, KS for sharing this resource)
• Paper Airplane Gospel Sharing Tool (many thanks to Kristen Raney and Grace Kids from Grace Church in Kansas City, KS for sharing this resource)
• Ministry Leader Instruction sheet that contains everything you need to know to put together this resource for the families in your church

Further resources/Ideas:

• Spotify Playist
• Digital Takeout Church Family Faith Conversations (if you not printing them, you can share this link)
• More ideas to include or share with families

F.A.Q. for Ministry Leaders

Q: Why Takeout Church?

A: I first came across this idea in 2016 when I read this post from a church that had come up with the idea as a way to engage families over the summer. The idea stuck with me and as I have reflected on it over the last couple of years I decided this would be a great resource to create for our churches to support them in equipping families for faith formation. We launched it in 2019 with a pizza box theme. In 2020, due to the ongoing pandemic uncertainties, we pivoted to a fully virtual resource. This year, we have created a hybrid version that can be created as a physical kit you distribute to families, or a virtual resource.

Q: What does it cost?

A: It all depends on how you might want to customise the resource for your community! If you follow just the basic resource here you will need to purchase some kind of box/container to put the materials in, a package of sidewalk chalk, a package of crayons or markers and the cost of printing the resources. We also recommend bubbles and a beach ball and offer some other fun ideas of things to include.

Q: Do I have to create this exactly as described for my families?

A: No! You can create it exactly as is or customise it in any way that makes sense for the families in your church! This is not an original idea to CBOQ Kids but has been based on the idea from the church that originally created it.

Q: Do I have to put it in a pizza box or a pail?

A: You do not have to use a pizza box.  The year we launched it we used pizza boxes because it was a good way to communicate the theme of ‘takeout’, and makes for an easy way to store and travel with the resource. This year we are recommending a pail. But you can use any type of box, container or bag that makes sense for your community.

Q: What is the age range for this resource?

A: This resource has been created to be used intergenerationally. The Bible stories chosen, along with the discussion questions and activities are suitable for young children through older adults and can easily be simplified or expanded depending on age and biblical understanding.

Q: Is there a teaching theme this resource uses?

A: Yes! The theme of the resource is based on the theme of Discover. As we continue to move through this pandemic season, we are inviting families to discover new ways to have conversations together. We are inviting families to discover God in new ways through the Bible and through nature with their senses. We are inviting families to discover the joy of life in Christ together in new ways.

Q: What are the hashtags? Why use them?

A: A hashtag is the # symbol followed by a word or phrase, used on social media like twitter, instagram and facebook. It is a way of categorising messages or pictures that allows it to be discovered by others. We are inviting people to use #cboqkids and #takeoutchurch and #flatjesus (all 3!) so that we can connect with and see everyone making use of this resource and to join with other churches that have used this idea over the last several years. You may want to add a hashtag for your church or ministry as well!