Children's Ministry on Sundays
During the worship service we provide Nursery care for all children ages 0-3 where they can play, have a snack, and start learning that church is a wonderful place to be and that they are dearly loved by God and their church family! The Nursery is located in the back of the Sanctuary (by the Roanoke St. entrance).
We encourage parents to pick the children up as communion begins so they can go to the front with their family and be prayed for by our communion servers.
If you prefer to keep your child with you during the service, that's fine as well. There are Busy Bags available at the Welcome Table with paper, colors and small fidget toys to help keep little fingers happy. We aren't bothered by the noises, squawks, and cries of your little ones; we just love having them around!
Children in pre-K through 1st grade are invited to leave the service during the sermon and enjoy a teaching time just for them!
We are working our way through the major stories of the Bible in a 3 year cycle using The Biggest Story bible curriculum, including a memory verse and take-home activity page/family devotional for each week.
Children rejoin their parents in time to participate in the communion liturgy and the closing of the service.
During the sermon, children in grades 2 through 5 are invited to a reserved corner of the sanctuary where a volunteer with a dry erase board will “sketch” out the sermon for them, using simple pictures and phrases to highlight main points.
Each child is given a notebook and pencil as well as a bible that is bookmarked at the day’s sermon passage so they can practice opening a physical bible and following along. Children at this age are not expected to take notes, instead this is an invitation to practice engaging with the sermon through drawing or writing, or simply keep their hands busy while they are listening.
After the sermon, the children are invited to participate in Prayers of the People by drawing or writing things they would like to pray about in their notebooks.
After this time of corporate prayer, they will return to their parents for communion.
At The River, we want to welcome children into the life of the church and to foster their spiritual formation as they learn to know, follow, and share Jesus together.
To learn more about our Children's Ministry Program Goals, click to view the document below.
After the Sunday Service
We love to visit with our church family, including the kids! Please join us in the fellowship hall for coffee after the service.
Be sure to check out the kids’ table with crafts, coloring, etc for them to enjoy while the grown-ups are chatting.
Safety and Security
We value the safety of our children. All of our Children’s Ministry staff and volunteers undergo a background check and child protection policy training.
The Other Six: At-home Discipleship Materials
One of our primary goals at The River is to come alongside parents and equip them to disciple their kids at home during The Other Six days of the week.
Each season we provide materials to support at-home discipleship such as Scripture memory cards and a family devotional to go along with the story they learned about on Sunday, as well as resources and ideas for how to celebrate the church seasons, etc.
Sarah Joss
Children's Ministry Coordinator