Children's Ministry
Children’s Ministry
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.”
Guiding Principles
At Advent, we believe:
1. Children are created in God’s image and have the capacity to know and love Jesus in a meaningful way.
2. Children are vital members of the body of Christ, and strengthen our church family with their presence and participation.
3. Parents need the support of a faith community to come alongside them as they lead their children in the ways of God.
Therefore:
· We seek to foster an environment where children know that they are welcome and valued.
· We include children in our worship services, and look for opportunities to assist them in their growth in the skill of worship, finding meaning and joy through the liturgy.
· We teach the scriptures of the Old and New Testament as our primary means of knowing God and his plan for humanity, believing that God speaks to all of us through his Word.
· We encourage adults who are not parents to develop healthy relationships with the children of the church. These friendships help adults to grow in their faith as they learn what it means to “become like little children”, while also providing children with a variety of role models to look to as they grow.
· We strive to ensure that our staff and volunteers and trustworthy, wise, and equipped to work with our children, and that our safety procedures are consistently followed. (See “Child Safety”)
· We take seriously the role that Advent plays in teaching our children what it means to be a church, that they will come to understand God’s love for all people through our corporate example of compassion, service and outreach.
· We seek to provide opportunities for parents to get together for discussion and encouragement.
· We seek to be mindful of families in our planning and events, being sensitive to their schedules and needs.
COTA Kids
Children of any age are welcome to remain in the worship service with their parents. However, for children below 6th grade, the following options are available. Information on child safety at Advent.
Nursery
Who: ages 6 months – 3 years
Where: Downstairs
When: Children may be checked in to the nursery any time before or after the service starts. Plan to pick up your child during the Passing of the Peace, shortly after the Sermon. It is important that families participate together with the entire church the final part of our weekly worship.
Why: We want to give young children a place to develop relationships with other children and adults in the church community within a safe environment. Children listen to songs and stories, play, color, and eat a snack together. They are cared for by paid nursery workers and at times trained volunteers from our congregation.
Note to parents of nursery children: You will be assigned a pager when you drop your child off in the nursery. Please keep the pager with you during the service in case the nursery needs to contact you for any reason.
Children's Church
Who: 3 years – 5th grade
Where: Downstairs
When: Children are with their families at the beginning of the service and will be invited to the front of the church before the sermon to be prayed for and to join their teachers. They will be brought back as a class to the sanctuary prior to the Eucharist.
Why: We give our children a place to develop relationships with other children and adults within a safe environment, while also preparing them to participate more fully in the worship of the Church. We use the Godly Play® curriculum which is a creative, imaginative approach to Christian formation and spiritual guidance. Godly Play models worship and is a Montessori style of telling Bible stories using simple, beautiful materials. The children are then encouraged to connect Scripture with personal experience through wondering questions, engaging with the story materials on their own, and open-ended response of art and play.
Children and the Eucharist
At Advent, all baptized followers of Christ are welcome to participate in the Eucharist, including children. Any children who do not take Communion are still very welcome to come forward and receive prayer (this applies to big people, too!).
Have questions or interested in volunteering with our kids?
Please contact our Children’s Ministry Coordinator, Brenda Wright.