Children's Ministry Policy Manual

Children’s Ministry

Policy Manual

Grace Church

4200 E. 25^th Street w Des Moines, IA 50317 w (515) 265-0199

Grace Church

Children's Ministry

The Children’s Ministry of Grace Church, Kidstitute, is dedicated to supplementing the family in their attempt to lay a spiritual foundation that, in God’s timing, will lead a child into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Our Philosophy:

1.         Leaders within Kidstitute believe that entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ is a process-oriented experience, not an event.

Through Kidstitute, children are exposed to biblical principles and a foundation of understanding these principles is laid. This foundation is built upon gradually so that when the Holy Spirit begins to move within the heart of the child, the child is prepared and can make an informed decision about accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior.

2.         Kidstitute is a child-centered, not an adult-centered, ministry.

Adults working with children participating in Kidstitute need to gain the child’s perspective. They need to be aware of the world that children live in. This awareness needs to be age-specific. Whether adults are working with four year olds or fifth graders, they need to be able to relate to the environment of the children to whom they are ministering.

3.         Children are important, they matter to God.

Often adults lose sight of the fact that children are people too. Leaders within Kidstitute know that God loves each and every child and therefore, each child matters to them.

4.         Creativity is critical if children are going to be ministered to effectively.

There are many means available for attracting and holding the attention of a child. It is important to continually try new ways of expression in communicating the message that is being given. Using a creative means of expression not only helps to convey the message but also keeps the message alive in the child’s mind.

5.         It is imperative that adults recognize the need to make the message of Christianity relevant to the life of a child.

Oftentimes, children are taught Bible stories, yet they are given no understanding as to how they can relate to these stories. Kidstitute leaders are dedicated to showing children how the principles taught in the Bible can be applied to every day life. This allows children to discover how they can walk with God and make a difference now and not have to wait for some far-off day when they are grown up.

6.         It is important for leaders to be relational, not just informational.

While the leaders of Kidstitute strive to creatively disseminate information that is relevant to a child’s life, they also realize that building a relationship with a child may be the most effective tool. Long after the information is forgotten, children remember adults who were interested in their lives and who cared enough to build relationships with them.

7.         Children need to be accepted, not alienated for who they are.

The leaders in Kidstitute recognize that many children who attend are from non-Christian homes and don’t have any type of spiritual background. For this reason, the weekly lessons are designed to be independent of one another. Children are not expected to have any previous knowledge of the lesson prior to coming to class. This allows children who have not previously attended to feel more comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings.

8.         Children are more responsive to creative, fun ideas than to the routine and boring.

Kidstitute is often a child’s first impression of God and the church. If the children perceive participation in Kidstitute is fun, they look forward to the times when Kidstitute meets and they are more receptive to the ideas that are being taught.

The above philosophy is implemented in several ways:

The programs within Kidstitute are broken down by age. Infants and toddlers are provided with a safe and loving environment where they are introduced to Jesus through finger plays, music, stories, and personal relationship with their teachers. Children who are four years old through fifth grade participate in a more structured program.

Grace Church

Nursery Ministry

Coordinator: 

Age: Birth–2 years

Welcome to the Nursery Ministry at Grace Church! What a lively, fun and exciting place to serve the Lord.

We believe the children of Grace Church are one of our greatest treasures!  They are a blessing from the Lord.

Therefore, we want to provide the very best we can for them. These next few pages contain vital information to help equip you to be a part of our Nursery team.

Our goals are very simple. We want to provide a safe and clean environment where the children are loved, nurtured, and where they have fun. When these things happen, then we are able to do the most important thing... teach them about Jesus Christ and share His love with them.

If we can accomplish this, we will have succeeded.

Thank you for being a part of making this happen! Read on!

We Need A Great Nursery Ministry

Almost no one noticed the babe in the Temple that day. There were prayers to pray, psalms to sing, sacrifices to offer. There were important questions to discuss and people to meet. there was money to change and profits to be made. Who had time for a mere infant?

Of all the events that occurred in the Temple that day, none was more important than two brief encounters with a baby. Yet the thousands of people who passed through the Temple gates paid little heed to aged Simeon holding that tiny bundle in his arms. Anna's excitement over a mere child went unnoticed by most of the worshippers. (See Luke 2:22–39 for the rest of the story!)

Today congregations are similarly unaware of the babies and toddlers within their gates. What a great need we have for men and women, like Simeon and Anna, with vision to see each child in their midst through the eyes of God!

As a congregation understands the importance of a child’s earliest years, as well as the potential for ministry to young families, then leaders will consider seriously the church’s program for children under two.

The first two years are among the most important in the total span of human life, for they powerfully influence all of the child’s subsequent development. The quality of a baby’s physical health and well being in the early months can affect his maturation and capabilities into adulthood. Similarly, attitudes toward self and others are formed very early and can only be changed later with great difficulty.

“But they’re just babies! What can they learn?”

Love and trust are learned in the very earliest encounters with parents and others. As the child experiences warm loving care, he is building foundations which will one day enable him to return that love. Long before the child learns to speak, he learns lessons of trust, affection and security which can influence his actions during his entire life.

The significance of a young child’s early experiences at church dare not be underestimated because:

1. First impressions are often lasting impressions. Each pleasant experience the child enjoys at church helps them build positive feelings about being there. Unhappy experiences, on the other hand, usually contribute to a child's fears about returning.
2. For many infants and toddlers, a church nursery is the first place they are cared for away from their own home. Consequently, the response to this new venture may influence the child's attitude toward people outside his family and situations beyond his home.
3. Church is often the first place a child is cared for in a group setting. Thus, feelings about the other children are strongly influenced by this initial encounter.
4. Early attitudes affect learning. The baby or toddler who enjoys church experiences is apt to be receptive to the instruction given there. The unhappy child may attach negative feelings to the things        teachers say and do.
5. Parents are deeply influenced by their child's reaction to being at church. The child who has unhappy experiences there can make parents reluctant to come again. Young parents who are not deeply committed to church attendance are often influenced to continued attendance by the caliber of care their baby receives and by their positive response.
6. Involvement of parents in the Nursery can color their attitude toward all areas of service in the church. Parents who assist occasionally and have a pleasant experience in a well ordered department are likely to respond positively when asked again to serve in some capacity.
7.  Jesus compared our attitude toward a child with our attitude toward Him: “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me” (Matt. 18:5). The child who is brought to our Early Childhood Ministry should always be received “in Jesus' name”–as Jesus would if He were there. Can there be any greater motivation for providing a great Nursery Ministry in our church?                  

Nursery Policies

This note is just to remind you of a few policies we have for the nursery:

1. If you need to be gone on your scheduled Sunday or Wednesday, please notify the Nursery Coordinator in advance. If you want to trade with someone else this is fine. Please let the Nursery Coordinator know of the change. If you are sick or an emergency arises, please contact the Nursery Coordinator as soon as possible.
2. If you have any problems or concerns, you need to talk to the Nursery Coordinator. She is here to help.
3. Please come 15 minutes before the service begins. This is a must!
4. Please do not work if you have a sore throat or a cold. If you are sick or have been sick within the last 24 hours, please notify the Nursery Coordinator.
5. Only nursery staff attendants and workers and nursing mothers are permitted inside the Nursery (on the days you are to work only).
6. Do not allow a baby to be given to anyone else except to the parent. We must follow this rule! This is for everyone's safety!
7. Remember to smile! It's always nice to be greeted by a friendly face.

Remember also that this is a ministry not only to the lost but to the saved!

Healthy Kids are Happy Kids!

Germs spread very fast with children and specially with lots of children like we are blessed with at Grace Church. A few basic precautions will help us have a healthy nursery.

1.         First Aid Kit–located in Nursery under the counter.

2.         Staff and parents should notify Nursery Coordinator any time their child/a child has a contagious disease:

• Chicken Pox
• Strep Throat
• Lice
• 5ths Disease

We need to notify parents so they can watch their children for symptoms.

3.         We have a “Healthy Child” policy. Children will not be permitted to attend when they have or have had one of the following symptoms: 

• fever
• coughing
• sneezing
• frequent nose wiping
• intestinal flu
• diarrhea
• runny nose (cold related)
• thick congestive drainage
• rash

Staff should not accept children who may be sick.

All staff should wash their hands with soap and water:

• before and after working with children
• before preparing food/bottles
• after changing diapers
• before leaving rest room

5.         Protective gloves are available for use when changing diapers and treating any blood from a cut, scrape, etc. Gloves should be turned inside out and disposed of in a sealed bag if contaminated with any body fluids.

Grace Church

Toddler Ministry

Coordinators: 

Age: 2 & 3-year-olds

Welcome to the Toddler Ministry at Grace Church! What a lively, fun and exciting place to serve the Lord.

We believe the children of Grace Church are one of our greatest treasures. They are a blessing from the Lord.

Therefore, we want to provide the very best we can for them. These next few pages contain vital information to help equip you to be a part of our Toddler team.

Our goals are very simple: we want to provide a safe and clean environment where the children are loved, nurtured, and where they have fun. When these things happen, then we are able to do the most important thing...teach them about Jesus Christ and share His love with them.

If we can accomplish this, we will have succeeded.

Thank you for being a part of making this happen!

Health Guidelines

Germs spread very fast with children and especially with lots of children like we are blessed with at Grace Church. A few basic precautions will help us have healthy toddler classes:

1.         First Aid Kit--located in the Nursery under the counter.

2.         In case of emergency, a nurse is available in the nursery during all services.

3.         Staff and parents should notify Toddler Coordinators anytime their child/ a child has a contagious disease:

• Chicken Pox
• 5ths Disease
• Lice
• Strep Throat

We need to notify parents so they can watch their children for symptoms.

4.         We have a "Healthy Child" policy. Children will not be permitted to attend when they have or have recently had one of the following symptoms:

• coughing
• rash
• diarrhea
• runny nose (cold-related)
• fever
• frequent nose wiping
• intestinal flu
• thick congestive drainage
• sneezing

Staff should not accept children who may be sick.

5.         All staff should wash their hands with soap and water:

• before leaving the rest room
• before preparing food
• before and after working with children
• after changing diapers

6.         Protective gloves are available in the nursery for use when changing diapers (to be done in the nursery) and treating any blood from a cut, scrape, etc. Gloves should be turned inside out and disposed of in a sealed bag if contaminated with any body fluids.

Classroom Guidelines

1. If you need to be gone on your scheduled Sunday or Wednesday, please notify the Toddler Coordinators in advance. You must find an approved substitute to take your place (see your service time schedule) Please let the Toddler Coordinators know of the change. If you are sick or an emergency arises, please contact the coordinators as soon as possible.
2. Please come 15 minutes before the service begins. This is a must!
3. Please do not work if you have a sore throat or a cold. If you are sick or have been sick within the last 24 hours, please notify.
4. Only Toddler teachers and helpers are permitted inside the Toddler rooms (on the days you are to work).
5. Children's Worker Application Forms must be completed before serving in the Toddler Ministry.
6. Please keep attendance on appropriate service time sheets provided. It is our way of accurately monitoring the child's presence in class.
7. Special instruction forms are available in each classroom on the clipboard with the attendance sheets. These forms are used in the event that parents have special instructions on the child for the workers.
8. Keep classroom clean and in orderly fashion by the end of your class-time.
9. Children should eat on the tiled portion of the floor.
10. Supplies and snacks are in the cupboards which are marked. Feel free to use what is furnished.
11. Children are moved to the next level class on Promotion Sunday in early Summer.
12. Teachers--let us know in advance when you are getting low on curriculum so we can get it ordered for you.
13. Every child must be given a key chain tag when they enter the room. The front side will have their first name printed and the other side will have the parents' first and last names or whoever is responsible for them at church. Also, a permanent number used for the paging system will be assigned to them. The parents will be given the permanent number and will need to know that number to pick up the child. (We use numbers 40-99 for the permanent numbers.)
14. Sunday School workers wishing to know where the parents are during Sunday School, in case of emergency, may write the information down on the attendance sheet or special instructions form. Church service workers can just simply use the paging system.
15. Do not allow a child to be picked up by anyone except for the parents or those responsible for them at church. We must follow this rule! This is for everyone's safety!
16. If you have any problems or concerns, talk to . We are here to help.
17. Remember to smile. It's always nice to be greeted by a friendly face. Remember also that this is a ministry not only to the saved but to the lost!

Grace Church

Kidstitute

Coordinator: 

Age: 4 years through 5^th Grade

Sunday Morning Sunday School–Elementary Age:

Classes for these children are divided between four and five year olds, Kindergarten and First Grade; Second and Third Grade; and Fourth and Fifth Grade. Each class is taught by a competent, well-experienced teacher using the Gospel Light curriculum. This curriculum is valuable for its relevance, strong scriptural content and its ease of preparation. Each teacher seeks to develop within their class a love for the Word of God, a love for those in their class, and also a love for those in our community.

Children’s Choirs:

Children’s choirs meet on Sunday evening after opening exercises in the worship service. The children are dismissed to go to one of three choirs.

The Heaven’s Quarterpints Choir is for the four and five year olds in preschool. They are taught the elements of good singing and how to worship God with their voices.

The Heaven’s Halfpints Choir is for those in Kindergarten through Second Grade. They are taught a more structured program.

The Super Gang Choir meets weekly to work on performances for the church body.

Wednesday Night Awana Program:

Our Awana Program is one of the most aggressive in the area. It is our goal to teach the children not only the meat of the Word of God but also how to apply it in their lives. This program starts with the Cubbies (preschool); Sparks (Kindergarten through Second Grade); and the older ones meeting in the Chums, Pals, Guards and Pioneers.

During the Summer on Wednesday nights we have Kidskamp. This is an interactive time when we meet under the “big top” and study a major portion of God’s Word.

On Sunday morning during the Summer we have classes under our tent. We have a large group setting in order to reach the boys and girls in a more corporate way.

In all the Kidstitute programs creativity is a strong value. Every effort is made to communicate effectively at all times. There is a large group of people who see to the success of the Kidstitute Program. They contribute to this ministry through practical teaching, through dramas, puppets, room set-up and tear-down. All those involved are dedicated volunteers who have a passion to see children ministered to in a vibrant, relevant way.

Personnel:

There are over one hundred volunteers who are actively involved in Kidstitute. The descriptions of the positions that follow is a sample of the areas that are critical to the success of Kidstitute:

Infant Director:

The Infant Director is responsible for providing child care for those in the nursery. They recruit and communicate to other volunteers the time schedules and cultivate a spirit of team unity within the volunteers and with the children.

Early Childhood Director (2-3 year olds):

This Director is responsible for recruiting and securing volunteer leadership to teach our 2-3 years olds. They provide support for their classroom. They also maintain the inventory and cleanliness of the classroom supplies, handle the registration of the children and the distribution of all written communication. The individual teachers who volunteer in this class provide a loving environment for the children, thus enabling parents to attend the services. Christian love is modeled to the children and parents by those in this department.

Department Director (4 years old through 6th Grade):

The Department Director is responsible for the over all leadership of their classroom. They communicate any needs to the staff and cultivate a spirit of unity and love within their classroom. They are also responsible for creatively teaching the principles laid out before them through the curriculum.

New Leaders:

New leaders for various roles within Kidstitute can be identified by the current leaders within the ministry who recognize the leadership potential of someone who is already serving. Potential leaders may also be identified through other areas of ministry within the church.

It is our goal to regularly infuse Kidstitute with new leaders. This growing ministry is in constant need for volunteers. Those who have a passion for working with children are placed according to their gifts, their passion and abilities after filling out a detailed application. Members of the Kidstitute staff believe that if leaders do not have a passion for their area of responsibility, they will find it to be more stressful than joyful and will not lead effectively. It is better to have no one fill the position than to have someone who does not have a passion for what they do.

Policies:

1.         Children shall be treated with respect at all times.

Under no circumstances will a child be belittled by an adult. Yelling or making fun has no place in the Body of Christ. It is our goal to never have a teacher treat a student in such a way.

2.         No adult should be left alone with a child at any time.

It is our goal to always have at least two adult people with the children at all times, whether it is taking a bathroom break, or in the classroom.

3.         All workers shall be properly screened.

Every volunteer who works with our children will be required to fill out an application form before they are allowed to work within any given area with our children. This application must be approved by the Christian Education Pastor.

4.         All volunteers will teach the Bible in a relevant way.

Nothing does more harm to the cause of Christ than to teach irrelevant things from the Word of God. Teachers must work hard at being dynamic and relevant.