We’ve all heard the announcement given on Sundays right after the offertory: “Nursery is always available for children three and under. Now, our children from PreK-Third Grade and are dismissed to Kids Club and our Fourth and Fifth Graders to Bridge.” Scores of cute children spill out of the sanctuary and into classrooms. Have you ever wondered what happens in those classrooms? Is what goes on more than just kids eating an endless supply of Goldfish and Fruit Snacks?
While we do serve snacks in Grace Kids, we also feed our kids’ souls. Our prayer and goal for the children who walk through our doors is, “that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. We pray that they, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that they may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)
Each week our team of dedicated staff and volunteers help our kids to grow in their faith and know the love of Christ by teaching them the Gospel and showing them Jesus. Even more, we equip their parents to do the same at home. We start this kingdom work at birth and continue sowing the seeds of the Gospel for our kids up to fifth grade through our nursery, Sunday school, Worship Service classes, special events and parent equipping opportunities.
Nursery
We show our infants and toddlers that Jesus is love by welcoming them with a safe and nurturing environment where they can experience this love and care expressed through caring staff and volunteers.
Sunday School
We show Jesus as a disciplemaker and teacher in our 10:00am Sunday school hour. Through the use of an engaging discipleship curriculum, our kids learn that the Gospel is trusting in Jesus alone; not only for salvation, but for everything, and that Jesus wants kids to follow Him too. Kids grow in their understanding of the Gospel and how it applies to their lives as they build strong relationships with their teachers and peers.
Worship Service Classes
- Kids Club – We show Jesus as our Redeemer by teaching our PreK-Third Grade kids the important stories of the Bible and how they all point to Him. The stories we teach kids in Kids Club along with the scripture memory, games, crafts and activities, give our kids a Gospel foundation and show how God’s plan all along was to send Jesus to save us.
- Bridge – We show our fourth and fifth graders Jesus is the way, the truth and the life by teaching them the New City catechism. This systematic curriculum helps kids learn the truth of the Gospel via 52 questions and answers and how this truth can change their lives.
Special Events
Our special events show Jesus as our Savior and the source of our joy! Families and kids laugh together, play together and grow in relationship with each other through skits, games, crafts, science experiments, food and fellowship. Each year Grace Kids sponsors several special events for Christmas, Easter, the Missions Conference and VBS. We teach the Gospel through hands-on fun and encourage our families to invite their friends who need to meet Jesus.
Parent Equipping Opportunities
Each week our staff sends out resources to parents to assist them in discipling their kids at home and equipping them to show them Jesus and teach them the Gospel through the day-to-day experiences of life. Periodically throughout the year we also offer parent equipping opportunities like a parenting Adult Christian Education Class and a Family Worship workshop that helps parents to become the primary disciplers of their children.
So now that you know a little bit more about what the Children’s Ministry does, whether you are a parent or not, would you join us in prayer that Christ would dwell richly in our kids’ hearts through faith and that they would know and trust in this enormous love of Christ? Pray that we would realize ultimately that, “neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (1 Corinthians 3:7) Join us in calling upon and trusting in our God who alone grows faith in our kids.
Karen Jacobsen is the Director of Children’s Ministry.