Psalm 127 says, “Behold, children are a gift of the LORD…” and we believe they are!
Therefore we believe that the utmost care and concern should be shown for New City kids and we will take numerous safety precautions to protect these precious gifts.
In Deuteronomy 11:18-19, we read, 18 "You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”
Based on this and numerous other passages we believe:
1) the primary teachers and nurturers of children should be parents.
Therefore, we view our role as a church to be supporters of parents in the raising of children;
2) the greatest place for children to learn what it means to live as Christ followers is in the family unit.
Therefore we will intentionally structure services and activities that bring the family together rather than separate the family. We believe that families should worship together, enjoy community together, grow through discipleship together, and serve together.
What will this look like?
Sunday Mornings:
Newborns to Age two – A nursery will be provided with age appropriate prayer, bible teaching, and fun activities for the entire worship service.
Ages three – six – During the praise and worship portion of our main service these guys will join us! Just prior to the sermon they will be dismissed for age appropriate prayer and bible teaching in their own community groups (3’s and 4’s / 5’s and 6’s).
In the Not So Distant Future:
We plan to add KidStuf, a worship service designed for kids to bring their entire family to!
KidStuf is:
· Value Driven - where character and faith are taught by emphasizing a monthly value
· User Friendly - where your friends will thank you for bringing them
· Creatively Wired- where video, lights, sound, and drama are used to make a lasting
impression
· Family Centered - where parents and kids spend quality time together
· Kid Focused - where learning is fun and relevant for elementary age kids
· Volunteer Fueled - where everyone can participate and get connected
We will also expand community groups during the sermon portion of our main service to include New City Kids through fifth grade. This will allow our New City kids to worship with us as well as to receive age appropriate teaching and participate in prayer in the context of a small group community.
In all of this, our goal is to see the gospel transform New City Kids!
