Let’s begin at the beginning...

“I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.”  I sincerely hope that is true for our elementary students. I know this attitude can be caught, or not, from the adults. As our students mature in their relationship with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I hope the adults are catching the enthusiasm to come to the Lord as children! If you have the time and energy to dress in your Sunday best because you’re going to the Lord’s House, great. If you’re exhausted, and getting the kids up, fed, dressed and in the car without starting a war takes a herculean effort, come as a child with your children. Throw on the cleanest jeans you can find, grab some cold cereal or a granola bar, and come. Remember those shepherds. They were filthy but ran joyfully to be with their Savior. Bring your children joyfully to the Lord’s house, and let God refresh you.

There’s so much to experience...

Our elementary students are asking, “Am I capable? Can I do this?” In Christ, they can! Our elementary program is structured in such a way that they are learning to do it for themselves as their leaders teach meaningful lessons and guide them through purposeful activities. Whether it is studying and memorizing Scripture, crafting the Word of God, enjoying the fellowship of their peers, singing in the choir, or serving others, they learn through experience that they can have a very real relationship with Jesus Christ.

Getting into the Word...

Each Sunday, one of our adult leaders leads the lesson. The presentation may include pictures or props, or sometimes the students act out the story. On Wednesdays during EquipU, the students will often draw pictures while they listen to God’s Word and then share them with the group, or they will dig into the Word verse by verse using colored pencils to highlight significant words. They love to have an active part in the lesson! Not only do we want them to know what a Scripture passage says and what it means, we also want them to think about what it means for them. How can they apply the lesson to their own lives? To support your efforts at home, each week during the school year the kids also receive a bookmark with Scripture to read that relates to the lesson, as well as verses to memorize and a reminder to pray.

Praying...

“…at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” (Ephesians 6:18) Often, our students are shy about praying, but talk nonstop to whoever will listen. Prayer is just talking to God, who loves to listen. While they have most likely memorized The Lord’s Prayer, they are also encouraged to pray their own prayers in small groups or on prayer walks around the church. They are prompted to pray for others in the body of Christ, as well as for those things that the Lord lays on their hearts. It’s such a blessing to go into the small group rooms and see the prayers that they have listed on the whiteboards—for our military, for those who are grieving, for those who need healing, for those traveling, and for friends who need to know Jesus. While they may be timid at first, they learn that they can pray, any time for any need they see.

Worship...

While you may think of worship as the hymns and songs we sing in church, each of the students’ activities could be considered a form of worship—the exuberance of balloon volleyball, the beauty of a well-made craft, the joy of memorizing a verse and winning the Scripture memory game. Of course, the students also experience some of the traditions of worship when they sing in the “Castle Choir” or Choristers, sing the doxology together, recite The Lord’s Prayer, and practice the liturgical responses used in our regular services. All of this prepares them to join the rest of our church family in worship. There are also KidCentral bulletins available at the entrances to the sanctuary to guide the elementary students to participate in the service, because we know they can!

Serving others...

Flowing out of the other areas of spiritual growth, our students learn that they can bless others by serving, even in small ways. Working together, they make cards to encourage our widows and widowers, tie the knots on fleece baby blankets for the Thrive ministry, wrap gifts for the infants and children being baptized, and pray for the various ministries as they walk around our church campus. We hope these experiences will help them realize they can be a blessing at church and in our community.

Growing in grace...

Retreats and special events always seem to spur a burst of growth, so we offer some regular events, as well as an occasional special event. Every April, our 4-6 graders have a weekend retreat, Spring Storm. Great music, great Bible-based talks, wonderful counselors, and lots of fun games are woven together to disciple our students in their identity in Christ. Then in July, rising K-5 graders jump into Kids Night Out at church. This is our version of VBS with Bible stories, crafts, and games that let kids experience the love of Jesus.  

Walking with you as you walk with your children...

We want to come alongside you as you disciple your children, to encourage you and to support you during this time of spiritual development. Your kids are an important part of our church family. We want them to learn all they can about Jesus, and the way they do it best is to try it for themselves: read, study, and memorize the Bible; pray always; live a life of worship; and serve others in the name of Jesus. Yes, in Christ they can do this!