Children’s Ministry

All children are welcome in the life of our church. Children are a gift of God. They are an important part of our church family, and we value them for their unique contributions. Shouts, cries, wiggles, toys falling on the floor, balls rolling to the front, and all kinds of child-specific noises are welcome and are part of a nurturing worship environment. At First Presbyterian Church children learn and experience God’s love in action.

If you need assistance in finding the nursery or Kids’ Church classroom, please ask an usher. They are the ones passing out bulletins in the rear of the sanctuary before worship begins.

Typical Sunday Morning Schedule

  • Worship begins at 9:30am
  • Nursery (PreK and younger) from 9:15am to 11:30am
  • Kids’ Church (K-6th) from 9:45am to 10:30am
  • Worship Arts (K-6th) from 10:45am to 11:05am
  • Supervised play for PreK to 6th grade in gym from 11:05am to 11:30am

You may sign out your child after Worship in the nursery at 9:30am, after Worship Arts in the Rainbow Room (Large Youth Room), or after Supervised play in the gym.

Background Checks and Training

ALL of our childcare workers – from nursery caregivers to Kids’ Church teachers to Worship Arts leaders – have passed background checks (Social Security, National Criminal Search, and Sex Offender Registries Search) and received specialized Safe Church training. Your child’s safety is of utmost importance to us. If you have any questions, please contact the church office for more information about our Safe Church FPC Policy

Registration

We require every child to have a Registration/Emergency Contact form on file, and that you, as parent, sign out your child at the conclusion of their Sunday morning activities. Forms are available HERE and in the red Safe Church sign-out notebook that is in the nursery and each classroom setting.

Online Broadcasting and Kids

Also, please note that, while we stream our worship service on Facebook, YouTube, and Zoom, for the privacy and protection of our children, we are careful not to show any children on video. We do not post pictures of any children online without express permission of their parents, and we ask that no one else does, either.

Children in Worship at First Presbyterian Church

Children are ALWAYS welcome in worship at FPC and encouraged to worship with their families during any worship gathering. Children need to worship just as adults need to worship. Here are some notes on what you can expect when you and your children worship at First Presbyterian, along with some suggestions you may find helpful:

Before you arrive:

You may want to talk to your child about worship. Explain that in church we listen to the Bible being read and our Pastors, we pray, sing, and listen to music. Take home a worship bulletin and talk about what you will do together in worship.

You might plan to arrive early on Sunday morning and walk around the sanctuary together, looking and exploring. Tour, examine, and talk about: the cross, pulpit, communion table, baptismal font, organ, choir loft, and stained-glass windows.

What to expect:

  1. Sunday worship starts at 9:30am, with the nursery (for PreK and younger) open at 9:15am.
  1. We use a worship bulletin, and we project elements of worship on a screen. Either will help you and your child to follow the order of service. You may want to help your child find the hymns in the hymnal early enough for them to sing along.
  1. We encourage you to get a worship bag for your child from one of the coat racks in the back of the sanctuary. These bags have been specially prepared to give younger children quiet activities to engage them during worship. We simply ask that you return these reusable bags following the service, so they can be updated and readied for the following week.
  1. Is your child able to see what’s happening at the front of the church? Since children approach worship on a feeling and sensing level, we suggest you sit close to the aisle or near the front of the sanctuary so they can see what is going on.
  1. In our worship services, we invite children to the front of the sanctuary for “Time with Children.” They will gather on the steps and interact with a pastor or lay leader with a story geared to the children. Children are naturally active and sitting still may be difficult for them. Please know it’s okay if they wiggle or if they come and go from the Time with Children. Parents are welcome to come forward with their child, if that would make them more comfortable. If your child does not wish to go to the front, that is okay, too.
  1. Immediately following the time with children, feel free to accompany your child to Kids’ Church. Perhaps your child will feel more comfortable if you are with them. You may then return to the sanctuary when they are ready for you to do so.
  1. If your family attends worship on a Sunday when communion is served (first Sunday of the month and some special occasions), please know that all children are invited and encouraged to participate, if you as a parent believe they’re ready to participate. We believe it is Christ’s table, therefore we believe no one is excluded from receiving the bread and cup of communion.

Faith Formation Tips for Parents:

We are so grateful that you are the first teacher for your child. Let them see you actively participating in worship and church activities. Answer their questions (it’s ok to ask the pastor or a Kid’s Church leader if you need help or support!). Locate scriptures together. As their reading ability permits, help guide their eyes across the page, as you sing hymns together. Point out where you are in worship in the bulletin. Children learn by experience and observation. All of these actions will help your child to feel more comfortable and confident in worship.

We encourage you to ask your child what they learned in Kids’ Church and Worship Arts. If they have handouts or crafts they have brought home, let them explain their creations. Help them with any extra activities during the week. Talk about the Bible passage they learned about together, as a family. You are key in your child’s faith formation.

You may want to say brief prayers at mealtime, a prayer of thanks on birthdays and special occasions, tell a Bible story at breakfast or bedtime, have a simple conversation about what God wants us to do. These are some ways we can recognize God as present in our daily lives and prepare your child for participation in congregational life and worship.

If you would like to talk to the Pastor about baptism or Confirmation classes for your child, about communion or any other related question, please contact the church office during the week to schedule a conversation with him.

For Our Youngest Children (PreK and younger)

If your little one becomes uncomfortable during the service, it is okay at any time to take them to our nursery. Ask an usher to direct you to the location of the nursery. The worship service is streamed in the nursery. You won’t miss a thing if you decide to stay in the nursery with your child for a while. The nursery is available beginning at 9:15am.

For Our K-6th Grade Children

Kids’ Church begins for this age group immediately following the Time with Children in the classrooms off the Rainbow Room above the Gym.

Worship Arts

Worship Arts is a learning opportunity for children grades K-6th. It happens immediately following Kids’ Church. This age group will sing, act, and prepare other creative ways to share with the congregation, periodically.

Kids’ Church and Worship Arts follow the school calendar and typically do not meet during the summer and school breaks.

Typically following Worship Arts there is some supervised play time in the gym as adults have exited worship and come to the gym for coffee hour (which usually starts at 10:30am).

Please be sure to fill out a Registration/Emergency Contact form for your child. Remember to sign out your child at the conclusion of their Sunday morning activities.