Children's Ministry

Welcome to the FBC Kids’ Ministry Page!

Our goal is to help our children become true disciples of Jesus Christ by building relationships with them, being examples for them and teaching them God’s Word.

Our Children’s Ministry is a place where kids are kept safe and cared for by dedicated teachers. Our workers pour their hearts and faith into the students so that they know that God loves them through the actions of their teachers. Each week, the teachers work on lessons and activities that help kids understand the Scriptures and have a positive, fun experience while they are here. 

At FBC, we believe that children are some of the most important people on the planet! We are confident that God feels the same way. He has created children in His image and for His glory. In the end, God desires that children be glory-reflectors: that they live for His glory, represent Him in the world, and eventually dwell with Him in glory forever! 

For us, Kids’ Ministry is more than a free babysitting service so that parents can enjoy themselves in the worship service. We look at Kids’ Ministry as being a purposeful, holistic ministry to children and their families. Therefore, it is one of our priorities to support and strengthen the home of every child to be a place where children can learn what it means to know, love and obey Jesus. To that end, we will be communicating with parents via e-mail and messages sent home about lesson content, prayer requests and other important information regarding our Kids’ Ministry.

Age-Groups

• Nursery (0 to 24 months)
• Preschool (24 months to Pre-K)
• Early Elementary (Kindergarten to 2nd Grade)
• Elementary (3rd through 5th Grade)

Safety

Our first, and most important, concern is for the safety of the children. Each class will have at least one teacher and one helper with at least one adult female present. All our volunteer staff members are required to be a member of FBC Prineville for at least six months, be in good relationship within the body of FBC as well as pass a thorough background check.

We also have a Child Check-In Attendant who will assist in checking your child(ren) into our check-in system as well as answering any questions you may have. This attendant is also our primary security officer during the morning along with our ushers and other designated personnel. They will be walking through the Kids’ Ministry areas once everyone is in their place, making sure outside doors are secure and things are going well. If there is a child who, for various reasons, may need to be reunited with their family during the morning, they will facilitate this along with the teacher.

If you have any questions regarding the safety of your children or about our procedures, please don’t hesitate to contact Jenny Brooks at 541-788-0854.

CURRICULUM

Nursery – Our nursery staff’s goal is to provide a safe, warm and calm environment so that the youngest of those in our Kids’ Ministry feel welcome and happy. We realize that, sometimes, a child has separation anxieties, and this can be difficult despite the ambiance of the room. Our staff has several tools they will use including soft music, prayer and playtime. Parents are encouraged to communicate with those who are in the nursery on a given morning about any specific needs or concerns they may have. The older children may be offered a snack of animal crackers or goldfish, but the nursery workers will be sure to confirm that this is allowed by the parent before offering it.

Preschool – Our preschool classes have been working their way through a simple curriculum from Children Desiring God called A Sure Foundation, that focuses on simple truths about God. You can check out a sample of the resource here. Most lessons will have a coloring page or craft connected that you may see come home with your little one!

Elementary – Our desire for our elementary class curriculum is for it to be in line with what is being taught in the sanctuary to the adults to, hopefully, encourage discussion about the various truths about God and the Bible. However, we realize that children learn in a much different way than most adults, so the lessons will be adjusted according to their learning level. Our elementary classes are usually split into two categories: K-2nd grade & 3rd-5th grade. We have a variety of curriculum available to us through Children Desiring God that we will utilize when appropriate to help teachers make the most of their time. We are currently teaching through Acts through a curriculum you can view here.

Special Events

Throughout the year we have a few times when our Kids’ Ministry will step away from the regular rhythm of our morning to do something different. Usually this will be a month when we have a 5th Sunday (each year there are several months that have 5 Sundays) or during Advent or the Easter season.

At FBC Prineville we call a 5th Sunday a ‘Family Sunday’ and strive to have a more family-friendly service by using children in various aspects of the service. This gives our Kids’ Ministry workers a break as well as brings the children into the regular service to experience it from time to time.

Each Advent is different, however usually the children are included in some way by either playing a part in a short drama or singing a hymn with the whole class. We would love to know if your child has a special musical talent or something they would like to share with our body. Over the years we have had children participate by singing a solo or a duet as well as playing an instrument or having a speaking part in a short drama, or a scripture or other reading during a special service. God has given us gifts that are meant to be shared with those around us, and we want to utilize those whenever appropriate! However, we will not force any child to read or sing or participate if they are uncomfortable. Please be sure to communicate with us if your child is in a position they are not comfortable in.

CONCLUSION:

Our Kids’ Ministry is a very important ministry, and we cannot do it without God’s leadership and your prayer and participation. Your children are important to God and to us, and our goal is to teach them truth from God’s word and encourage them in their faith walk with Jesus. We are always looking for volunteers to lean in and help make this ministry successful. If you are interested in this, please don’t hesitate to contact us so we can talk about what that may look like. Also, if you have any ideas, suggestions or concerns, we would like to hear from you immediately. Please don’t let any concern slide by, however small it may seem.

Sincerely,

Jenny Brooks
Kids’ Ministry Coordinator
541-788-0854