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Children's Church

Kids of the Kingdom Children's Church

Children of all ages are encouraged to worship regularly with their families. However, since some of our youngest worshippers find it difficult to sit through an entire worship service, we offer Kids of the Kingdom Children’s Church for children age 3-kindergarten.  

Prior to the service, children who will be attending Children’s Church need to check-in and get a nametag in the Narthex (lobby of the sanctuary) from the Children’s Church Leader.  
Children then sit with their parents at the beginning of the service, go to the front of the church for the Children’s Sermon, and then exit to Children’s Church. At Children’s Church, they will continue learning about God's love, Jesus, the Bible and other things that will help them be able to relate these to their world today. Certain aspects of the traditional service will be incorporated into Children’s Church, allowing kids to become familiar with traditions like collecting the offering, reciting the Lord’s Prayer, and hearing Bible verses. It is an important goal of the Due West UMC Children’s Ministry to prepare children for full participation in congregational worship.

Following the service, parents need to pick up their children from Room N102 if attending the 8:30 or 11:00 traditional services, Classroom A/B in the Family Life Center if attending the 9:39 contemporary service.

Parents of children who attend Children’s Church are expected to volunteer to help out on a rotating basis. Children’s Church helpers assist with crowd control and are the extra hands in the room. The Children’s Church Leader plans and leads the activity.

Word of Wisdom in Children's Church

This summer, Children’s Church will take a break from their journey through the Bible to visit awhile with David and Solomon and look at some “Words of Wisdom" found in Psalms and Proverbs.    

Children’s Church meets during all three services.  Children (age 3 – kindergarten) are dismissed from the service following the Children’s Message.  Parents, please remember to check-in with the Children’s Church Leader before the service begins.

Frequently Asked Questions About Children's Church...

What is the purpose of Children's Church?

The purpose of Children’s Church is to prepare children for full participation in congregational worship.  Some children are able to learn this entirely from sitting with and watching their parents take part in the service. Others need to be “eased” into staying for the whole service. Children’s Church gives these young worshippers to opportunity to participate in just the beginning of the service and offers them an alternative for the rest of the hour.

Does my child (age 3-Kindergarten) HAVE to exit to Children’s Church after the children’s sermon?

Absolutely not. Children of all ages are welcome to remain in our services.  

My child is nervous about going to Children's Church. Can his older sibling accompany him?

No. If your child needs some time to adjust to the new routine of Children’s Church, his parents are welcome to come along and ease the transition. Older siblings should remain in the worship service.

My child is older than 7, but has difficulty sitting still in the worship service. Can she still exit with the children after the children’s sermon and attend Children’s Church?

No. Children’s Church is for children ages 3-kindergarten. The lessons and activities are designed for this age range.  Children who have completed kindergarten should return to sit with their parents following the children’s sermon. 

Can my older child be a Children’s Church “helper”?

We welcome both adult and youth helpers in Children’s Church. Youth helpers need to be a 6th grader or older. See Heather Laird (Children’s Church Leader) about being added to the schedule.

Do you collect offering and where does it go?

We use real offering plates to collect offering in Children’s Church – they are just preschool size! The money collected is used to support the Children’s Ministry mission of the month.

At what age is my child too old to go forward for the Children's Sermon?

Children, age 1-100, are welcome to sit in the front of the church for the Children’s Sermon. There is no age limitation for prime seating during this time with the pastor.  However, only children age 3 (as of September 1, 2009) - kindergarten exit and participate in Children’s Church. Older “children” should remain in the worship service.

My child turned 3 this week. Can he attend Children's Church this Sunday?

No. We promote children in August (the first Sunday following the first week of Cobb County public schools). All children who have turned 3 during the year or who will be three by September 1 are promoted from nursery on the same date and are eligible for participation in either Sunday School or Children’s Church or both.

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