From birth to fifth grade, there are a lot of options for this age group to learn about God, church, and faith, and for adults to get involved!
From birth to fifth grade, there are a lot of options for this age group to learn about God, church, and faith, and for adults to get involved!
What is Godly Play?
Godly Play is a creative, imaginative approach to Christian formation and spiritual guidance.
Godly Play values process, openness, discovery, community and relationships.
Godly Play models the worship life, stories, symbols and rituals of Christian congregations.
Godly Play allows practitioners to make relevant and personal theological meaning.
Godly Play nurtures participants to larger dimensions of belief and faith through wondering and play.
In our Godly Play classes, we present God’s Story to our children through play-sets with wooden figures and other materials. The children are then invited to respond to God through wondering, play, art, and feast experiences. Our curriculum includes Young Children & Worship and Following Jesus by Sonia M. Stewart and Jerome Berryman and The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volumes 2-6.
Whirl Kids from Sparkhouse.org is used in addition to Godly Play utilizing short, animated stories to help children learn the story in multiple ways.
Worship is an intergenerational experience at Grandin Court Baptist. We love to include children in worship! We encourage parents to bring children of all ages to at least part of worship to include them in the body of Christ. The more children feel a part of worship now, the more likely they are to continue to participate in worship as teens and adults. Each Sunday, we provide a Time for Young Disciples (TFYD) where the children come forward to hear God’s Story presented just for them.
We encourage families with children of all ages to remain in the sanctuary for worship as children learn by seeing and doing, but do provide spaces if parents feel they need to step out for a moment. Please ask an usher or greeter for more information.
Children’s bulletins are located at both entry doors into the sanctuary. For both readers and pre-readers to enjoy and guide little ones to experience worship with their hands and ears.
The Children’s Coordinator leads a yearly Worship Class for rising Kindergartners in August to help children continue to grow in their understanding and participation in worship. Each child receives a worship bag containing items that help them respond to and interact with worship.
When children begin asking questions about baptism or church membership, we invite them to participate in Baptism Class. Held twice yearly – leading up to Easter, and leading up to All Saint’s Sunday – the class leads students through the meaning of baptism, the path of discipleship, and what it means to be a church member. Throughout the process, children are guided in conversations that help them and their families determine their desire, understanding, and readiness for baptism.
Some of the regular activities include:
Wednesday Night Bible Study (Weekly on Wednesdays, 6:15-7:15pm, does not meet May-August)
Sunday Evening Activities (Children’s Choir and Music 4-4:45; Bible Study 5-5:45 with games, art, science, and other activities to help with learning and understanding)
Easter Event
Fall Festival or Trunk-or-Treat
PASSPORTKids! Summer Missions Camp (www.passportcamps.org)
Vacation Bible School
Christmas Party
We seek to give children the footprint of a missionary heart, following God’s great commandments in loving God and loving each other.
Each season our children help in collecting supplies for different mission projects for our community; local and global.
Each Fall: items needed to create hygiene bags for those experiencing homelessness, refugees, and those dealing with the aftermath of disasters.
Each winter: scarves, gloves, and coats to give to the Rescue Mission.
Each summer, we have a mission project that mirrors the theme of our Vacation Bible School.
We collect school supplies to give to our neighboring school, Grandin Court Elementary School
Each Spring, we find something new to give and do for our community in the nature of rebirth that comes with that season.
These mission projects may change as the needs change; however, participating in mission projects instills in our children the confidence to do what God has called us to do and be, the hands and feet of Jesus.
Children are welcome and encouraged to attend church-wide projects like Saturday Serve with local partners, intergenerational trips, Stop Hunger Now, and more.
PASSPORTkids! Is a summer camp we attend each year that is held at Eagle Eyre in Lynchburg, Va. This camp is for those who have completed 3rd-6th grade. For more information visit passportcamps.org.