OUR MISSION

We exist to help children grow into mature worshippers of God, loving Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength, and sharing his love with others. (Mark 12:30-31)

Registration and Sign-In

Children 0-3 years may be dropped off 15 minutes prior to service. All others attend worship with parents before being dismissed for age-appropriate classroom learning. Please register your children prior to their first visit at the children’s ministry check-in table. Our children’s coordinator or one of our seasoned teachers will be available there to answer any of your questions. You will then be able to sign them in electronically each week. Please also make them a name tag before class. You will need to personally pick up your children within 10 minutes of the conclusion of service. 

Current Classrooms

Babies Room One - 6 weeks to 3 years

This room is open to our infants and toddlers comfortable with separating from their parents. You are welcome to stay a few moments with your child to help them ease the transition and help them get to know our wonderful staff and volunteers. During service your child will engage with other children, be loved on by our teachers, and gently be introduced to the stories of the Bible through short videos, stories and songs.

Early Elementary Room Two 4 years to 2nd grade

The early elementary group is a ministry to the souls of young children who are beginning to show interest in those outside their families. After family worship, these children join us in class for a short Bible Story gathering time, snack, and a time of projects and play in a unique center-based curriculum. Our goal for this age is for them to see the Bible as a story of God’s love for them, and to be able to talk to God through prayer and ask for his help and guidance in their relationships with friends and family.

Later Elementary Room Three - 3rd grade through 5th grade

The later elementary group is an exciting and enriching class for older children who ideally know their Bible stories well and now have more questions. These children also join in family worship before being dismissed for class. We encourage children to play detective, ask their questions, and learn how to use their Bibles to discover the truth of God.

Parent Nursing Room – Room Four

This room is open to all families with infants and toddlers for feeding or a quiet space if your child is feeling restless in the main service or uncomfortable in the nursery. 

The room is equipped with a T.V. and live stream of the church service as well as comfortable couches and quiet toys for your children.

Philosophy That Informs Our Choices

As representatives of God’s love and grace to the children of His church we must nurture an essential sense of trust in each child through warmth and caring. Children learn within the context of nurturing, caring relationships; our first priority as teachers in a children’s ministry is to build this type of relationship with the children in our care. 

Our responsibility is to nurture the whole child, the mental, physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects that weave together the unique and beautiful individuals created by our loving Father.

As a mixed aged ministry we have a unique opportunity to offer dynamic interactions across the ages. This offers both blessings and challenges.  For this reason, our program offers family style worship where children worship alongside their families in their main service before attending age-appropriate classes. Our classes offer unique Bible learning centers with open-ended activities that allow children to access learning at their own level. 

It is our hope that each child will develop a rich understanding of scripture, and through it, God’s love for them; that children will engage with each other and enrich each other’s learning and growth; and that children will develop positive relationshipswith a variety of adults in the church family.

Bible Learning Objectives

• Have knowledge of the Bible as a whole story – know the major stories and how they connect together to lead us to a restored relationship with God
• Understand how to treat other people like God asks us to
• Know the fruits of the spirit
• Begin practicing the fruits of the spirit in interactions with friends and leaders
• Understand what forgiveness is, how to accept God’s forgiveness for ourselves, and how to forgive ourselves, family and friends 
• Practice Bible Memorization
• Practice prayer for ourselves and others
• Be able to explain why we believe what we believe. To answer the question, “How do you know God / Jesus / the Bible are real and reliable?”

Health and Safety

To ensure the safety of the children in our programs, our workers have been background checked. Our volunteers are all trained by and overseen by our children and youth director. They work in teams of two to provide adequate supervision and care for our children. Please don’t bring your child if he or she has had any of the following in the last 24 hours: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, cold, flu, sore throat, ear infection, red watery eyes, head lice, body rash or any contagious disease. Our ministry volunteers will adhere to the same guidelines. It is our desire to maintain a safe and healthy environment. Aggressive behavior will not be allowed in our classrooms. We will notify you to remove your child from the area if they are having difficulty cooperating and playing safely with others. 

Have Questions? Interested in Volunteering with the Children’s Ministries?

Contact: Alisha Schulz – Children, Youth and Family Director