Youth

Nursery

Parents are welcome to keep infants in the service or place them in the nursery

In-pew Activities

Activity bags to help kids stay engaged during our worship services

A Different Approach

Many churches run Sunday School programs for kids during the church service. It seems like a great idea to entertain our kids and give parents a breather. However, we feel this has led to a serious decline in youth choosing to stay in the church. It assumes that children cannot endure a church service, let alone enjoy one.

When we remove kids from the service, we communicate to them that the service isn't important or just isn't for them. Once they graduate from Sunday School, we attempt to acclimatize our kids back to the pace and atmosphere of a church service when they are 12 or 13 years old: quite possibly the most difficult age to teach kids to sit still and pay attention for the first time.

Our church is returning to a traditional Baptist pattern: kids stay in the service. To help, we offer ways to engage with and adapt to the experience of church: Activity bags to offer kids quiet ways to play during the service. Rhythm instruments and ribbon rings for kids to move during praise songs. Art and craft projects and opportunities for younger children to participate by reading scripture or giving leadership during the service.

Nursery

Parents are welcome to keep infants in the service, but a nursery with volunteers is available. We will support your choice to sit with your infant in the service, take your infant with you to the nursery when a break is needed, or leave your infant with our volunteers while you return to the service. An occasional disruption is part of raising children, and we will do our best to give you the space and support you need.

Music

We encourage kids to participate in worship, right from toddler on up. Rhythm shakers, to make a joyful sound, and ribbon rings, to wave and dance with, allow kids to participate even when they aren't old enough to read the song lyrics.

Kids will be Kids

It may be a culture shift for some to welcome children into our church services. We feel it is important for your child's development and faith journey to sit with you in the service. It's an opportunity for you to model what it is to pay attention to complex ideas. It's a chance for you to show your child what matters and how to embrace faith and belief.

You are the point person in your child's developing life of faith, but you aren't in it alone. We will work with you to help your child enjoy and appreciate the church service, and come alongside you to help your child engage in what's happening. We as a church are committed to giving parents the space to work with their kids to adapt to the church environment and as a community to accept the minor disruptions that kids sometimes create, because we value their presence.