Welcome to Children’s Ministry

(Infants to 6th grade)

We believe that children are a very important part of the total ministry of the church and that even a young child can be led into God’s Kingdom. It is with this in mind that we base our ministry to children on the Word of God. Every child sits under the direction of trained teachers and learns Bible truths in a safe, loving, and God-honoring environment.

It is our desire to educate the child as he/she grows and matures. With God’s Word as our foundation and acknowledging the importance of ministry to children, our education focus is based on Luke 2:52:

"And Jesus grew in wisdom (academic) and in stature (physical) and in favor with God (spiritual) and man (social)." (NIV)

Sonshine Land Program

Each Sunday we offer a full three-hour program beginning at 9:30am and ending at 12:30pm. The programs available are:

Little Blessings Zone (Infants to 36 months):

On Sunday mornings the Little Blessings Zone is open from 9:30 AM until 12:30 PM. Their morning includes songs, fingerplays, prayer, Bible stories, playtime, and snacks. Promotion will take place when the child reaches his/her third birthday.

Praise Zone (Children’s Worship Time): 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM

Children spend time worshipping and praising God through music, prayer, and offering.

Learning Zone (Bible Learning Time): 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Children learn how Bible truths apply to their everyday lives. Their morning includes Bible stories, activities, and playtime. They memorize selected passages and learn to locate them in their Bible. We are currently using the "David C. Cook" Bible-in-life curriculum.

There are a total of four classes:

1. Preschool
2. Kindergarten & First Grade
3. Second & Third Grades
4. Fourth & Fifth Grades

Snack Zone (Snack Time): 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

A little bit of snack goes a long long way! This time will allow the children and teachers to interact with each other in a relaxing atmosphere.

Growing Zone (Christian Character Building Time): 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

The children explore the Bible, discover God’s truths for today in Bible-related activities geared to their understanding. They are encouraged to apply God’s truths and principles in their lives.

Choir (3rd - 6th grade): 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Children learn to sing as a group and have song presentations during worship service to praise God.

Friday Night AWANA Fellowship (3rd - 6th grade)

On Fridays from 7:30 PMto 9:30 PM, the AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed) Fellowship welcomes children from third to sixth grade to join us for an evening of fun, fellowship, and spiritual growth! The fellowship time consists of singing, short message, handbook time (memorization of Scripture versus), games, and a closing ceremony where awards are given. The theme of the fellowship is “truth and training”.

Our Mission

• Impact the children of our community with the message of Christ’s love for them.
• Encourage children to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and become a part our church family.
• Facilitate the child’s growth in his/her relationship with Jesus Christ and His Word.
• Foster skill-building through relevant biblical teaching, positive role modeling and esteem-building.
• Prepare children to discover their uniqueness and eventually God's mission for their lives.

Our Beliefs

• Children are gifts from God and should be handled with love and care.
• Children are important in the kingdom of God and that Christ died to redeem children from their sin.
• Christ has called children to follow Him and children can be equipped to serve Christ and others.
• Children deserve a safe, positive, nurturing and age appropriate learning environment that is free of fear, pressure to "group up", or prejudice.
• That ministry is not just “to” children but “with” children. We learn from children as we teach them.
• That God has appointed parents as the primary religious instructors of their children and the church’s role is to assist in the cooperative effort of that task.
• Successful ministry is the shared responsibility of children, ministry staff and volunteers, parents and the church body.
• Positive self-esteem promotes both personal growth and growth in a relationship with God.
• Ministry should be creative, innovative and in touch with the children and families of our community.
• Effective teachers are the most important component of our ministry.
• Relational ministry is best served with adults who serve as positive role models to the child.

Our Goals

1. To provide a safe, secure, loving environment for children to participate in and where parents feel comfortable leaving their child.
2. To help children feel a warm sense of belonging to their church family and to ensure each child feels welcomed and wanted.
3. For each child to know that God is real and that a personal relationship with Him gives meaning to life.
4. To aid each child in accepting Jesus Christ and developing a dynamic relationship with Him.
5. To help each child develop a lifestyle that is built on his/her relationship with Jesus Christ.
6. To help each child understand that God's Word (the Bible) is relevant and growth in Bible knowledge results in positive changes in attitudes, action and lifestyle.
7. To help the child grow in his/her relationships with other believers and with his/her non-churched friends.
8. To provide children the opportunity and direction to participate in ministry.
9. To support the family in their responsibility for the spiritual nurture and growth of their child.
10. To provide godly men and women who are adequately trained to serve as positive role models while they minister with children.