Welcome to the Orlando Grace Church Children's Ministry
We are thankful to have your family join us on Sunday mornings! We care about your children and would love to partner with you in keeping them safe and sharing the gospel. Here is some more information about our ministry philosophy plus a few helpful details about how we can serve you on a Sunday morning.Our Purpose:
We believe that Scripture clearly teaches that the parents have the primary responsibility to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This includes teaching them about God, disciplining them, and striving to honor God before them in all they do. We desire to be a support to our parents by encouraging them and supplementing them in the nurture of their children.
Our Mission:
- Supporting and encouraging parents who are primarily responsible for teaching biblical truths to their children (Ephesians 6:4)
- Making the whole counsel of Scripture known to children with special emphasis on the Gospel (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Romans 1:16-17)
- Praying for the children and relying on the Holy Spirit to regenerate their hearts through the faithful teaching of His Word (Romans 10:17; Ephesians 2:4-10)
- Living faithfully before the children and modeling for them how Christians are called to relate to God, each other, and the world around us (Matthew 5:16; 1 Corinthians 11:1)
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Sunday Morning Children’s Ministry Programming
9:15 am Service: Nursery (12 months -2yrs.), Preschool (3 - 4yrs.) and GraceKids (Kindergarten - 2nd Grade) are available.
10:45 am Service: Nursery -5th grade is available.
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Curriculum: The Gospel Project
Preschool through 5th grade uses the Gospel Project For Kids Curriculum. This curriculum uses a Christ-centered, chronological study of scripture. Your child will walk through the Bible with age-appropriate activities and play. An activity sheet will be available for you and your child to take home and go over what was taught in class. This is a great way for caregivers to take the primary role in discipleship and have gospel-centered conversations throughout the week.
Ages PreK - 2nd Grade (GraceKids) are beginning to make the transition into attending the worship service with their families. So they begin in the service and then are dismissed after the singing portion and before the sermon begins in both the first and second service. For parents who are attending our adult Equipping Hour class (during the 10:45 service) or serving in another area on Sunday morning, the GraceKids class opens at the beginning of the worship service with a time of relationship building and songs before the rest of the children are dismissed from the worship service.
Children in grades 3-5 (Grace345) are ready to attend the full worship service with their families. If this is new to your child, it may take some time to adjust. But we believe that it’s important for children to engage with the whole church family. During the second service (10:45 am), when Adult & High School aged Equipping Hour classes meet, we also offer the Grace345 class (also using The Gospel Project for Kids curriculum) so that kids can receive bible teaching specifically focused on their age group as well as to engage with their peers in the classroom setting after attending the first service.
Check-In/Out Procedures
We use a secure and easy check-in system with Planning Center. If you plan to have your child join us in Children’s Ministry for the first time, you will want to visit our welcome center to set up an account. This is very easy to do and will simply require you to provide us with your household information, phone number, and any allergies we should be aware of. The check-in will provide you with a sticker for your child to wear and a security code for you to hold on to. Please make sure to retrieve the security code which will print one per household immediately after the stickers are printed. If you need any assistance during check-in we would be happy to help! You will present your security code upon check out at the classroom.
Safety is our top priority, so all of our classrooms are staffed by background-checked and trained volunteers who are covenant members of our church community. Additionally, we have hall monitors who circulate throughout the building on Sunday mornings as an extra layer of protection for our children.
Helpful Tips for a Smooth Sunday Morning
All items entering the classroom will need to be labeled (diaper bags, cups, etc). Thank you for taking the time to assist us by making sure your items are properly labeled for your family.
A sign will remain on the door if we are not ready yet for drop-off. Our classrooms open once fully staffed with two volunteers. If our rooms fill to capacity we will let you know and offer options for your family. Caring for your child and our volunteers is a top priority and ensuring classrooms do not become overcrowded is an essential part of that. Feel free to pick up a Praise Pack from the welcome desk and go to service with your child or use our Family Cry Room (more information below). Our Praise Pack encourages the children to listen and engage with the sermon. Young children learn so much from their surrounding environments and often pick up on far more than expected, so we want to make it as comfortable as possible for parents who choose to keep their kids with them in the service.
Spaces Available for Families
Unfortunately, we are currently unable to offer nursery care for infants under 12 months of age. We do have a Nursing Mom’s room which is for moms who would like to watch the service and have the privacy to nurse as needed. This room is located on the far side of the auditorium and can be entered through the Lobby.
We also have a Family Cry room which allows families to watch service with younger ones not quite ready to sit through service, located across the lobby from the Welcome desk. This room can accommodate men and women who need to have space to care for toddlers and babies, but would also like to watch and listen to the service. We always encourage families to bring their children to worship and then feel the freedom to utilize the Family Cry room if necessary. Children are deeply shaped by our worship and including them in this time can have a lifelong impact.
Thank you for taking the time to see all we have to offer parents on a regular Sunday morning. Major Holidays may alter what services we are able to provide, and that might include temporary unavailability of childcare during the service. However, our Nursing Mom’s room and Family Cry rooms will always remain open. Orlando Grace Church is blessed in the joining together of all ages in the worship of Christ, and we look forward to helping you shepherd the hearts of your children to that end.
Questions?
Feel free to reach out to Jen Bruner, our Children's Ministry Coordinator (jen@orlandograce.org).