Lego City Discipleship

The Great Lakes Conference has a huge and entertaining resource for all our churches and camps to use. We have roughly a ton of Legos!  Bins, containers, boxes, and bags ready to travel. There are thousands of single bricks along with dozens of fabulous kits available for the kids to use. This program combines the awesome engaging power of Lego with the awesome life changing power of God’s Word. The program has been designed for children ages 5-12 (older kids make great helpers). The children will assemble a large Lego City while exploring what God’s word has to say about creation (what God did and what we were created for), the foundations upon which our lives are built, and how we fit together (like Lego) with purpose and reason, and we are being built together into the entity known as the Church.

This summer 3 churches in Michigan were able to use Lego City for their VBS programs. Forest Park Covenant of Muskegon, First Covenant of Grand Rapids, and Crossroads Community (Covenant) Church in South Lyon were able to enjoy this phenomenal resource.

Our trailer started down I-96 west to Forest Park in early July. Once there, it was met by dozens of volunteers to help unload and set up the impressive collection. With so many hands to help it was up and ready for the kids in no time! The kids (and a sizeable group of adults) proceeded to have a total blast with the Lego City! The sign up for Lego City was the first to fill up. The Kids just loved it! The table with the assembled bigger kits was filled beyond capacity. All the kids wanted to get their project on that table, and they took such pride in showing their parents what they contributed and what they created. The lessons that were taught with the Legos were tied to the larger lesson they all gathered to hear. At the end of the Mega Camp, the kids were already getting excited for next year and thinking about what they will build when it comes back!

At First Covenant in Grand Rapids, MI, Michelle Ludge (Children’s Ministry Director) handed every person that walked into church, a Lego brick and asked them to use that brick as a reminder to pray for the kids that were attending the Lego City “camp” that coming week. She handed out several hundred!  What an amazing, creative way to help the congregants remember to pray for the kids! Michelle said this year’s VBS was the most “chill” ever. She was so encouraged by the multi-generational help she received with the Lego cleanup and sorting. About 30 people were willing to help with this endeavor and some have already signed up to help next year! Once again, the Lego City table was filled to capacity and the children were beaming with such pride as they showed their creations to their parents on the last day.

Now our trailer filled with Legos was on its way back across the state to Crossroads Community Church in South Lyon, MI. Children’s Director Shannon Waroway built the summer VBS curriculum around this wonderful resource. Worship Pastor Jenni Niemi wrote original songs for the kids to sing that built on the Lego theme. Sure to be a Crossroads classic for years to come is Oh, Snap. Here’s a sample of the lyrics: “Start with bottom get it good and strong, then build the foundation as you sing the song; Use your hands to work with those near you, use God’s love as a holy glue; each one plays in part, together, we can, WE CAN! snap, snap like a lego…” Once again, the Legos were a hit. The smiles on the faces of the children say it all. Everyone wants to know when the Legos can come back!

I have a feeling that The Lego City’s calendar will be mighty full next summer! Please contact Jody Eidnes at the Great Lakes Conference if you think your church could use this unique ministry for your children’s VBS program or any other program at your church you feel could benefit from such a remarkable resource.