As Resurrection moves back to the PA rec center for worship at a new time and begins a new discipleship hour for all ages, we’re excited to also introduce a new format for our KidsTime during the worship service.
Children of any age, wiggles and all, have always been welcome in our worship services in the sense that nobody is bothered by them. But as we move back to the rec center, we are making a concerted effort to make children of all ages MORE welcome and comfortable in the worship service by including them in leading prayers, speaking more directly to them during parts of the sermon, and offering prizes for completing the kids worship guide during the service.
At the same time, some children and families simply do better with a separate, kid-specific environment. At the rec center, our KidsTime room is right across the hall from the worship space and will be available for parents to flexibly drop-off or pick up kids of any age at whatever points of the service work best for their family.
For the youngest kids, there will be toys and loving arms to care for them. For older kids, there will be age-appropriate content led by caring adults and teens. Instead of the content being presented in a linear, “traditional lesson” fashion, expecting all the kids to be present for a set period of time, it will be arranged as flexible activity centers with a common theme for each week.
For example, if the theme for a particular Sunday is Satan tempting Adam & Eve, there might be a:
Story Center where the Bible story is read and discussed
Block Center where children build block creations and knock them down to talk about the effects of sin in this world,
Art Center where they make snakes out of play-doh and then chop off their heads to remember that God promised to defeat Satan
Memory Center where they memorize basic questions and answers to cement the knowledge that sin is our problem in the world and Jesus is the solution
We’re excited about all of these upcoming changes and the opportunities for kids to grow closer to God in the way that works best for them and to feel more fully part of the church community. If you have any questions or would be interested in helping with the new KidsTime, please contact us!