Families With Children

We know that it can be stressful to introduce little ones to a new church community. We imagine that one of your priorities in finding a new church home for your family is making sure that your kids feel welcomed and that they enjoy themselves while they are at church.

So, lots of churches say they are welcoming, but what to we mean by that? Well, for starters, we say that squirmers are welcome! We don’t expect children or babies to be silent in worship, and we understand that they have joyful noises to make just like the rest of us. When we hear children in church it reminds us that we are ALL the Body of Christ. So, your child’s noises don’t bother us. But, if you or your child would rather be someplace where they can move more freely than in the church pew, we offer nursery care for infants through 5 year-olds. Once children turn five, they are invited to participate in our Sunday School class which is taught by a staff person, and assisted by a volunteer of the church. You can head on over to our Christian Education page to learn more about all the faith formation opportunities we offer for the youth and young people of our church.

While we offer Nursery care and Sunday School, we also know that the worship service itself is a formative experience for young people. Every Sunday, there is a Time for Children that takes place approximately 20 minutes into the service. At that time, children are invited to sit up at the front of the church for a brief message. At the end of the message, children are invited to attend Sunday School in our classrooms downstairs. You are also welcome to accompany your child if that makes your child feel more comfortable. We just want you to know that even though your child is invited to everything, they should feel free to participate in all of it, some of it, or none of it! Children are always more than welcome to just stay with you and attend the service. It’s really up to you and your child to decide what’s best for both of you.

How else are we welcoming to children? We understand that different kids have different emotional needs, and we have several youth in the life of our community who are on the Autism spectrum. We work hard to make sure that our Sunday School environment is conducive to their needs.

Lastly, we know that you are BUSY. So, while we’d love to see you and your family in church every week, we know that can be difficult as our weekends fill up fast, and we aren’t here to lay on the guilt trip. Whether we see you weekly or a few times a year, know that you are always wanted in our community and we will celebrate whenever we see you.