For The Kids

Commitment:

In an age and culture that is so self-absorbed and self-serving, how do we raise our children to really love others and seek the good of the larger community?  How do we teach our children about Jesus and about faith?  Our neighborhood schools are really designed to reach the mind and teach valuable skills.  But God is concerned with more-- the heart, the character, the larger community.  He has invested your child with unique gifts, skills, personality and character.  No doubt he has high expectations for your child.  We want to assist you unwrap their unique glory and calling.  We want to grow with them.

A Place of Welcome and Honor

Our goal is to be a place where your child feels welcomed and honored—not just a number.  When you come, you and your child will be warmly welcomed at a table in the foyer.  We ask you to register your child so that we can maintain a safe and controlled environment. 

A Place that is Fun

Our goal is to have our children really want to come back week after week because they enjoyed their visit so much they can't wait to return.  When children keep coming back for the fun, we can accomplish our mission by continuing to nurture and teach them spiritual truths.  In order to make our children’s ministry the best hour of their week, we have to remember to add the fun!

To do this means that we continually take the time to understanding our children’s world: i.e. observe their favorite television shows, observe the places they like to eat, play, and learn in, and study the ways they learn best.  Then we creatively put all that information to use in preparing a lesson that teaches the Bible through drama, video clips, creative storytelling, contemporary music, or other effective teaching methods.  

We have the most incredible message to tell about the incredible Creator of the universe; we must never allow the hour to become boring.

A Safe Place

Church must be a safe place for children.  Children cannot learn well in an environment where they are afraid and don't feel safe spiritually, emotionally, or physically.

As your child arrives each weekend, they will feel genuine warmth and a real comfort level with the adults who are responsible for them.  Children are in different places spiritually.  Children who are new to church need to have a place where they will not be put on the spot to “know” the Bible or to understand a Christ-living concept. They can not be coerced into making spiritual decisions that they are not ready to make.  All children, whether they have been to church before or not, need to have a safe place where they know that it is okay to ask questions.

Emotional safety occurs as teachers who are positive, welcoming, and sincere surround children.  Your children will be accepted and affirmed for who they are. They will be nurtured through kind words and actions by all volunteers.

Physical safety is reflected through having room environments with age-appropriate equipment, background checks and interviews with all volunteers, security tags for all volunteers and staff, name tags on all children, registration processes outside of the New Life Church rooms, and the enforcement of check-in and check-out procedures.

A Place that is Age Relevant

Every lesson, example, and activity must be relevant to children in their lives today. Questions like: “How does this lesson apply to our culture and world today?” and “How can the Bible truth be relevant in the life of a child today?” This is the case no matter whether your child has been to church before or not. They will fit right in each week. 

A Place of Story

In order to keep pace with the various learning styles of children today, we will vary how we communicate our lessons each week. The biblical message is so powerful and effective–the same yesterday, today, and forever.  But in order to teach in a way that’s relevant to our target audience, we often must update our methods of presentation.  We desire that your children will become so fascinated with biblical reality that they want to learn more. 

A Place of The Story

The Bible is not just about story—but The story. The lessons will ultimately introduce your children to Jesus, his life, his work, his character, his death and resurrection. 

Shepherding the Heart

Shepherding means more than teaching.  It is modeling Christ to your children. To that end, our teachers/volunteers will strive to creatively provide important biblical information that is relevant to your child’s life.  They understand that building a relationship with your child may be the most effective teaching tool of all.

We have the incredible privilege, as Christ followers, of representing Him and modeling what it means to be a follower of Christ to our children each week. Children are greatly influenced by adults who believe in them, encourage them, and guide them. So our teachers and volunteers are committed to care for them, know them, and disciple them; and will help them become more like Christ, because they are modeling the same truths in their lives–a sure way to reach their hearts.