Our Vision
“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Luke 12:32
As a community of people who love and cling to Christ, we believe we are called to regularly share the message of the gospel with our children, to help them nurture a personal relationship with the Savior, and to provide a safe, welcoming environment within which they may ask questions and grow (Matthew 28:19, Matthew 19:14, Mark 9:37). To these ends, we joyfully engage with our children through the following avenues.
Nursery
Our nursery is currently available for children ages 4 months through 4 years of age. We delight in the opportunity to nurture these littles ones and expose them to the gospel of Jesus each week! Our infants and one-year-olds are prayed over, held, and played songs filled with scripture each Sunday. Our 2-to-4-year-olds hear a story from the Bible, color a page to share with parents, play, and learn catechisms weekly.
The nursery is available from 10:20 a.m. through the duration of the worship service and is currently divided into the following four classes:
Pink Class
4m to 12m
Orange Class
1- to 2-year-olds
Green Class
2- to 3-year-olds
Blue Class
3- to 4-year-olds
WHAT WILL DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP LOOK LIKE?
When you arrive, follow the signs to the nursery. You will be greeted by a Children’s Ministry volunteer who will help you get checked in, print a name tag for your child, ask a few questions, and direct you to your child’s room. Your child will wear a name tag with your cell number for easy contact, if needed. You will retain a matching pick-up tag to present to class volunteers when you pick up your child.
WILL SNACKS BE OFFERED?
The following will be offered in each classroom on Sunday mornings:
Pink Class: Plain Cheerios, to those with parent approval
Orange Class: Plain Cheerios and water
Green Class: Plain Cheerios and water
Blue Class: Plain Cheerios, raisins, and water
Upon first checking your child in, you will be asked if he/she has any allergies or food sensitivities. This information will be recorded in our system and noted on each child’s name tag prior to distributing snacks. We do ask that you do not bring snacks from home as we do have several children with allergies.
DO I NEED TO BRING ANYTHING FOR MY CHILD?
Each class has a full supply of diapers and wipes, so there is no need to leave a bag with your child! If your child will need a bottle, pacifier, or change of clothes, please label them so our volunteers can keep everything straight. We do ask that all pacifiers remain on clips.
Children’s Church
We absolutely treasure these children and the privilege of introducing them to God’s word each week. This class is intended for those currently enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten and is available from dismissal (during the offertory) until the end of the service.
Our teachers lead this class through a portion of scripture each Sunday. Their time together involves Bible study, discussion, prayer, scripture memory, song, and play.
WHAT DOES DROP OFF AND PICK-UP LOOK LIKE?
All Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten children are dismissed from the service just prior to the sermon. You will accompany your child to the classroom, check him/her in at the iPad, and pick him/her up at the conclusion of the service.
If it’s your first time, a Children’s Church volunteer will get you checked in and direct you to the classroom. Your child will wear a name tag with your cell number for easy contact, if needed. You will retain a matching pick-up tag to present to class volunteers when you pick up your child.
DO I NEED TO BRING ANYTHING FOR MY CHILD?
You may have your child bring his/her Bible to class, but there is no need to send anything additional! We do ask that no toys or activities are brought from home that might be left or serve as distraction during the class time.
WILL SNACKS BE OFFERED?
Each week, water, Cheerios, and raisins will be offered in this class.
Upon first checking your child in, you will be asked if he/she has any allergies or food sensitivities. This information will be recorded in our system and noted on each child’s name tag prior to distributing snacks. We do ask that you do not bring snacks from home as we do have several children with allergies.
Monthly Scripture Memory
We long for our children to know and love the Word of God, finding in it the Savior and his great heart for them and the world. For this reason, we encourage our children (and their parents) to practice memorizing scripture regularly. Read more on its value here.
Monthly Verse
Each month, we select a verse or two that will be rehearsed in our Nursery and Children’s Church classes on Sunday mornings. Each verse is selected with a corresponding song to encourage our children to have fun committing this truth to memory. The monthly verse and song will be posted on our website, within the Sunday morning bulletin, and on coloring pages just outside the sanctuary.
Practicing at Home
Parents are also encouraged to memorize with their children at home. Practice at the breakfast table, before bed, or just listen to the song in the car on the way to school. Celebrate this work of memorizing, explaining to your children that they are hiding away treasure in their hearts that cannot be taken from them.
Sunday Mornings
Finally, every Sunday morning following the service, children of all ages are invited to stop by the kids’ table in the hallway to recite the month’s scripture for a high-five and a few jellybeans. Every effort will be celebrated, whether a child has fully-memorized or is attempting for the first time! Just look for the Children’s Team Leader at the table, waiting eagerly to listen.
Elementary Age Teaching and Support
In addition to encouraging scripture memorization, we also aim to point our 1st to 6th graders to Jesus through additional teaching and support during our Sunday worship services. Read below for more details!
CHILDREN'S SERMON NOTES
In effort to help our children engage with the sermon each week, we have designed a portion of our bulletin to include questions and space for them to process what they hear.
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE COURSE
Each semester we hold a class for our 1st to 5th graders with the goal of providing a setting within which our children may, through Bible study, prayer, and discussion, be encouraged towards an authentic relationship with the Lord and grow in their understanding of the Christian life. In the past, we have read through Little Pilgrim’s Progress, an adaptation of the allegory by John Bunyan, and studied the character of Jesus, using Ed Drew’s book Meals with Jesus as a framework for our discussion.
Community Groups
Our hope is that community groups provide an opportunity to experience the joy of life together within a smaller group setting. This applies to both adults and children. As adults gather to eat, discuss scripture, and pray, our children also hear from the Bible, practice catechisms, and pray with each other. If you are not currently in a community group, we would love to get you connected.
Events
We have several group events for children each year, including VBS during the summer, a Pumpkin Party in the fall, and Christmas Party each December. Below are the events we have coming up.
Family Discipleship Resources
We are working on a running compilation of vetted resources for families to reference as they disciple their children of all ages. Stay tuned for this to go live in May of 2023.
Children's Ministry Team
Tae Richmond-Moll
Children's Ministry Team Director
Chloe Go
Nursery Coordinator
Stephanie Starr
Children's Ministry Team Member
Karen Redding
Children's Church Coordinator
Noah Willis
Children's Ministry Team Member
Volunteers
We are always looking for more people to serve with our children! If you love ministering to families, please contact our Children’s Ministry Director to begin the volunteer application process.