Mission:

To provide an intentional opportunity for children to explore, engage and be empowered in their faith formation.

Vision:

Our deep desire is that every child would be discipled to know God personally, finding their identity, freedom, and purpose in Christ alone, and inspire others to do the same.
(Ephesians 1: 5-10)

The 3 E’s:

- Explore the love of Christ through scripture so that children can know God and who they are in His eyes.

- Engage them in learning the gospel, in hopes of a Spirit-led faith commitment to Jesus Christ and a resilient relationship with Him.

- Empower them to discover their God-given gifts and be active movers for the kingdom of God.

Philosophy:

Our philosophy is to be a point of connection between the family and the church by offering an inviting place where children are excited to come learn about Jesus (Mark 10:13-16). We aim to come alongside families to provide relationships and resources as they take on the role of primary spiritual developers in their children’s lives (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).  Through this partnership, we strive to build an unshakable Biblical foundation (Proverbs 22:6); amplifying the immutable truth of God’s Word over the noise of this world. 

Values:

- Make it safe: We are dedicated to providing an environment that is safe and loving.  From the application process of volunteers to the security procedures in place, our team works diligently to ensure the safety of the children placed in our care.

- Make it Biblical: We are fearlessly committed to the truth of the Bible and sharing it in an age-appropriate way. 

- Make it personal: We value building relationships with all the individuals that God places in our midst. From volunteers to parents to children, we aim to connect in authentic ways in order to find fellowship and lift one another up in our walks with God. 

- Make it together: We value the hearts, experiences, and skills of every member of our team and the families they work with.  We strive to continue building and strengthening the ministry through collaboration.  

The Early Childhood department cares for newborn babies through 5-year-olds who have not attended Kindergarten yet. We offer 5 options for room placement: 

Infants, Walkers, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, and 4 & 5-year-olds: Your child's safety and comfort is a priority so we will work with you to find the best placement based on age and development.

Teaching: Our hope is that the children in this area would learn that church is a place where I am safe and loved.  We focus on three Biblical truths: God made me, God loves me, and God wants to be my friend forever. We teach Bible stories, engage in worship, and participate in fun learning activities starting at 2 and progress into more depth as they develop.

Helping Children Adjust: Separation can be difficult, but consistency in attendance can be helpful. Remind your child that you love them and will return soon. Dropping them off quickly at the door and moving out of view is key! We want church to be a positive experience for parents and children. If we are unable to console your child after 10 minutes, we will page you. You could also consider becoming a volunteer in the room to help your child adjust.

What to Bring: To ensure that your child is set up for a positive experience, we ask that you provide necessities for them including diapers, wipes, pre-mixed formula, pacifier, blankets, etc.

Snack: CM provides a snack of graham crackers and water to Walkers - 5's. If there is an allergy or specific food preference, please communicate this with the volunteers and provide a different snack for your child.

Potty Training: CM is very willing to cooperate with parents when they are potty training their child. We ask that parents communicate to the volunteer that their child is potty training, provide a change of clothes for their child, and be ready to return and assist if necessary.

Behavior & Discipline: CM will collaborate with parents if behavior problems occur. Reminders and redirection is where we start. Once a child's development allows, a conversation about appropriate behavior and expectations will be had. Correct behavior will be modeled and children will be guided to make good choices, treating others with love. If behavior problems continue or digress to endanger themselves or others, parents will be called to assist in discipline.

Our elementary age programming is divided into younger elementary (K-2nd) in the Ranch and older elementary (3rd-6th) in Uptown. Each group has a combo of large and small group time. During large groups, they enjoy games, teaching, and worship. The "secret sauce" of learning is small groups where we divide by grades: Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, Preteen (5th and 6th) boys, and Preteen (5th and 6th) girls. During small group time, kids read the Bible story from scripture and engage in age appropriate activities and discussions to fortify the lesson. They also have an opportunity to give an offering which goes to our Around the World Ministry Hope Lives School in Uganda.

Our elementary classrooms use a curriculum called "Brite," produced by Awana.  In every lesson, the Bible is read, heard, and connected to Jesus in ways kids can understand in their own lives. Leaders are equipped to help kids form a faith built to navigate tough cultural topics.  Bright aims to help kids believe in Jesus, become more like Him, and belong to Him forever. We go through the Bible every year, teaching through God's big story and anchoring each lesson to the larger Biblical narrative.  The scope and sequence for this year is focusing on God as Promise Keeper and each month, we learn a character trait of God, talking about it as the "Brite Idea." Each month also brings a new memory verse (NIV), taught through music.  Weekly, kids are engaged by looking at "He, We, Me" questions to help integrate the lesson into life application.  Finally, each week kids are given a "Take Home" sheet. Parents can use this tool and the family calendar to drive home the Biblical truths their children learned on Sunday. Repetition is key for learning!  We are here to partner in any way we can and feel honored to be a part of the discipleship team around your kids! 

Brite resource website (childdiscipleship.com) Free Family Discipleship Resources!
Get simple biblically based child discipleship ideas and encouragement each Friday including Helpful Ideas and Encouragement, Family Conversation Starters, and Biblically Based Printables and Activities
 
Family Life Today (FamilyLife.com) The mission of Family Life Today is “To effectively develop Godly marriages and families who change the world one home at a time.” A great website with articles, radio shows, and other tools to help build your family up in Christ.
 
Focus on the Family (FocusontheFamily.com) provides articles, resources and help in six different channels: parenting, relationships and marriage, life challenges, faith, entertainment and social issues.

HomeFront (HomeFrontMag.com) A FREE monthly resource that gives parents ideas on how to create fun, spiritually forming times in their home – even in the midst of their busy lives. This digital magazine can be sent right to your inbox each month, making it easy for parents & grandparents to shape a vibrant faith in the of their children.

Plugged In (PluggedIn.com) A Focus on the Family publication designed to help equip parents, youth leaders, ministers and teens with the essential tools that will enable them to understand, navigate and impact the culture in which they live. Includes reviews on current movies, music and tv shows.

Books

“Parenting with Scripture” - Kara Durbin

"The Whole-Brain Child" - Daniel J. Siegel M.D., Tina Payne Bryson
“Shepherding a Child’s Heart” -Tedd Tripp
“Instructing a Child’s Heart” - Tedd and Margy Tripp
“Grace-Based Parenting” - Tim Kimme
"Mama Bear Apologetics" - Hillary Morgan Ferrer
“Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know” - Meg Meeker
“That’s My Girl: How a Father’s Love Protects and Empowers His Daughter” - Rick Johnson
“That’s My Son: How Moms Can Influence Boys to Become Men of Character” - Rick Johnson
“Raising a Modern-Day Knight” - Robert Lew