Elizabeth Ford, Director of Children’s Ministries
In case you’ve lost track of time, like I had, we are beginning our THIRD consecutive year of children’s ministries! Can I get an amen? When I began working with our kiddos, I wrote an article in which I asked, “How cool will it be to have children’s choirs and performances, Easter egg hunts, and adorable tiny suits worn by tiny humans on Christmas Eve?” I pointed out how wonderful it is that we are uniquely capable of providing “worship in an inclusive church from an early age!” Let’s stop to celebrate how astonishing it is that we’ve accomplished so much of this vision!
When we reflected on our past experiences and began to plan for this year, Pastor Wes and I discussed how many of our children are hearing Bible stories for the very first time! With this in mind we’ve reformatted the Children’s Church structure. This year, we will alternate between a lesson taught in the back classroom and a children’s sermon. We’re going to start with Genesis and work our way through the important stories of the Bible. If children attend both services, they’ll hear the same story presented in a hands-on format in class and then by Pastor Wes. One of the many benefits of this format is that you’ll know exactly what your children have learned and you can continue the conversation at home.
This year, we are looking for some new direction from our congregation and from our families. We want to know what is important to the families we work with. We’d like to continue to offer a Christmas Pageant, Parent’s Nights Out, and our Annual Easter Egg Hunt. What other ideas do you have for us? Please join us for a meeting right after church today!
We’d also love to see some new adults working with our young people. We’ve shortened the time commitment—now, you’d just teach one or two months on an every other week basis. The lessons are printed and can be handed to you at any time. Please talk to me if you’re interested in joining us. As I wrote at the beginning of this ministry, “This is an important ministry. It is also a ministry that gives us a LOT of bang for our buck! Twenty minutes on Sundays brings young families to the church, and you get to invest in the future!” God bless you and the next generation of PPMCC!