August 20 the Early Childhood and Elementary children will move up to their new Sunday School classes. We can't wait to see all the children after a summer of vacations and trips to Grandma's house!

Each week parents will start by checking their children in at one of the three Check-In Kiosks. (There is one on each end of the first floor and one upstairs in the middle of the corridor by the water fountain.) 

Next, Babies through Kindergarteners will head to the counter on the first floor. 1st through 5th graders will go upstairs and start in the Big City Studio (room 232) for the Gathering. On Promotion Sunday only, Elementary parents will have a short meeting about the fall curriculum at 9:45am. (They'll have time to get to their class.)

Each age group will end up and be picked up...

Infants and Crawlers in the Nursery

Two and early Three year olds in the Green Room

Preschool (3's) in the Blue Room

PreKindergarten (4's) in the Blue Room

Kindergarten (5's) in the Yellow Room

1st & 2nd Grade in room 234

3rd Grade in room 243

4th & 5th Grade in room 245

About First Pres Kids Ministry...

Come and meet Debbie Laur our Early Childhood Director! She loves to get little ones plugged in and having fun while they are learning about how much Jesus loves them!      Michal-ann Bell is the Elementary Director at First Pres! She has a passion for teaching our Kids the Word of God in fun and creative ways! These women coordinate our many incredible volunteers to offer wonderful learning experiences for our Kids! We hope you will join us this week!                                                                                   

Fall Schedule 2017 

The Early Childhood and Elementary classes at First Pres are going through a study called BELIEVE. BELIEVE teaches us how to THINK, ACT and BE like Jesus. It is the follow up study to THE STORY which the entire First Pres Church Family studied together in 2016.

Sunday Mornings:

8:30 - 12:30 Nursery is available for infants 6 weeks– 24 months (first floor)

9:45 Sunday School Hour

Early Childhood – first floor of the Children’s Wing

Infants and Crawlers in the Nursery

Combined Preschool class for 2 years olds - 5 year olds in the Yellow Room

Elementary – upstairs in the Children’s Wing

9:45 Combined Gathering in room 232 

1st - 2nd Grade in Room 234

3rd Grade Room 243

4th - 5th Grade Room 245

11:00  Preschool worship for children through Kindergarten

Wednesday Evenings: (Begins Sept. 6th)

All of the Kids Ministry classes will be studying curriculum on The Life of Paul.

7:00 - 8:00 Kids Ministry Programs

Early Childhood - Nursery for infants 6 weeks-23 months

   - 2 yrs through K- first floor of the Children’s Wing

 Elementary - 1^st/3rd and 4th/5^th grade - upstairs in the Children’s Wing

Be sure to start at the Check-In Kiosk when you arrive in the First Pres Kids Ministry! It is our desire to keep your children safe while they are in our care. Please click here for more information on the check-in system. Please go to the nursery desk and ask Debbie for assistance if you are new to the check-in kiosks!

We would LOVE for you to be a part of the Kids Ministry! Kids are wanted, parents are needed, and grandparents are some of our favorites! We have lots of places to serve: from teaching, to greeting/helping with check-in, to just being present to connect with the children God brings through our doors! For more information please contact us at heidic@firstpres.com.

"Welcome to Big Church" A Transitioning to the Pew meeting will be held October 22 at 9:45 for all Kindergarten and 1st grade Kids and their parents. We will have a tour of the worship service areas and mini lesson on being in "Big Church." We want to come alongside you as the main teacher in Parenting in the Pew. More information to come.

First Pres practices "Parenting in the Pew" during our worship services. This means that by the time children enter first grade, they worship alongside their family in the corporate worship services (also known as “Big Church”). Since you have a kindergartener or first grader, it is time to start thinking about transitioning your child into worshipping in Big Church on Sunday mornings. And we are here to help!

• For Kindergarteners, Preschool worship is still available in Critterland during the 11:00 and 1105 worship services for your child, but this would be a good time to start practicing worship in Big Church. Consider taking your child to Big Church with you for a portion of the service (such as the singing, offering, and/or children’s sermon). Your child is welcome to return to Critterland at any point during the morning.
• For First Graders, this is the first year that your child’s worship programming will exclusively be to attend one of the worship services with you. (Note: we realize that each child is different and develops at his/her own rate. We are happy to work with families to make arrangements for their child’s individual needs.)

Why do we include children in corporate worship? Here are just a few of the reasons:

• Teaching Kids to Worship. Kids learn by doing and they look to their parents to be their examples. Worshipping together is a great way to engage children in conversations about spiritual things and to train them in what it means to worship our Holy God. Asking questions about a song or a sermon can teach valuable truths in a very real way.
• A Faith that Sticks. Research done by the Fuller Youth Institute shows that intergenerational worship and relationships are key factors in youth continuing to practice their faith after leaving the home.
• Developmental Stages. Around age 5, changes are taking place in children’s brains. They begin to ask questions about God, make life applications of Bible verses, are challenged by new tasks, seek explanations concerning why and how, enjoy imitating adults, begin to distinguish truth from lies, and can accept responsibility. All of these characteristics factor into the transition to corporate worship.
• Double Blessing. While being a part of Big Church is a great experience for children, seeing and interacting with children in the service is also a blessing for other members of the congregation. We all have a lot to learn by watching a child’s pure, heart-filled worship. 

We are here to offer you assurance through this process and encourage you and your child. If you have questions, concerns, or a unique situation, please feel free to meet with either or both of us. Also, we are enclosing a few resources that might help you as you begin to worship with your child in Big Church. Another excellent, practical resource is the book Parenting in the Pew by Robbie Castleman. If you don’t have a copy of this book, please let us know. We would love to give you one.

We would love to visit with you further about Parenting in the Pew. Please call Debbie or Michal-ann in the Kids Ministry to set up a time. 

Special Needs:

If your child has special needs, THEY ARE WELCOME at FIRST PRES!! We encourage you to contact our Early Childhood Director, Debbie Laur at debbiel@firstpres.com, or our Elementary Director, Michal-ann Bell at michal-annb@firstpres.com, so we can explore ways to help you and your child have a meaningful experience at First Pres.

• Parenting in the Pew: Guiding Your Children into the Joy of Worship by Robbie Castleman
• BELIEVE Sunday School curriculum informational video by author Randy Frazee