We Love Kids!

We offer an environment for humans just starting to walk through middle schoolers just starting to flex their independence.

Our primary goal is to build a relationship with your children and help them grow in their understanding of the role of church in cultivating a responsible, seamless faith. We offer three connected Sunday morning spaces.

Toddlers through age 5-ish: This age range meets in a space within our kindergarten through 3rd grade worship space. This space within a space allows them to experience the rhythms of a church gathering, while also giving them plenty of time for play and interactive storytelling.

1st through 3rd Grade: We offer a Sunday morning worship experience with a kid-like vibe. We try to mirror the adult gathering while honoring their curiosity, need for movement, and love for play. We begin and end with play. Sandwiched in between is music, multi-sensory prayer, story, and reflection.

4th Grade through 5th Grade: Students meet weekly on Sunday mornings.

6th through 8th Grade: Students meet monthly and engage in monthly events outside Sunday mornings.

Structure of the Time: 

Welcome: Every class begins with kids arriving, checking-in, and being invited into the space. We try to greet your child by name, get to their eye level, and invite them to explore through art, games, books, gadgets, and puzzles.

Connect: Our formal gathering begins with an opening activity that connects our learning with what the adults are learning while also reminding our students that WE are the church.

Music: We lead the students in one or two songs that we hope provide a beautiful soundtrack to their days.

Prayer: We try to help our students utilize viewing God through faith symbols and a view of prayer that is a routine or ritual. Students lead the prayer time through call and response prayers, such as the Lord’s Prayer, the Doxology, and other historical prayers. We also have a multi-sensory prayer time, where our children listen to music and have 5 minutes of quiet reflection with a plate of sand and rocks. We believe in giving our children time and space to experience the beauty of quiet as a way to reset and prepare for the week.

Story: We engage our children by telling them the stories told in our Bible. We end every storytelling session by asking, “Using your skill of curiosity, what are some questions you have about the Bible?” We want our children to know that all questions are valid when interacting with the Bible. Questions don’t make or break an individual’s faith.

Response: We end our time, by giving the children an opportunity to interact with the story through art or games.

Leadership:

Our children’s director, Kari Bowles, is a full time teacher and so gifted with kids of all ages. She leads a team that includes 3 other lead teachers, and three high school helpers.  

If you have any questions, be sure to contact Kari Bowles.