Covenant Kids

OVERVIEW:

At Covenant Life Ministries, the Word of God is the ground and guide for educating our children. By the Spirit, we seek to impart the truth of the Bible and encourage children to develop a Biblical mindset and a Christian worldview. The Children’s Ministry of CLM is a place where children can start, develop and grow in their knowledge of the Bible and their relationship with Jesus.

We want to foster and encourage children to:

• Experience and learn of the Love of God
• Get to know the Jesus of the Bible and salvation found in Christ Jesus
• Learn Biblical stories and the people God used throughout Biblical history
• Read and learn the Word of God
• Trust in the promises of God
• Learn to pray on their level of understanding and ability as well as develop a prayer life
• Grow in faith in Jesus Christ
• Honor their parents

Finally, we seek to help children see the hand of God at work in the world, and in their lives. And also to recognize and use their spiritual gifts for the good of the Body of Christ, their family and the world.

It is our desire to come alongside parents in nurturing the faith of their children. Our responsibility is to model and to teach the truth of the Word of God while covering the children with prayer.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. – Proverbs 22:6
Come, children of God, and listen to me. I’ll share the lesson I’ve learned of fearing the Lord. – Psalms 34:11

CLASSROOMS:

The Critters:  1-month to 3-years-old – Babies are cared for close to the sanctuary so parents can easily check in on their young ones.  Our volunteers soothe and pray for the children in their care.  Toddlers are encouraged to enjoy playtime with their peers, while introducing Biblical truths to them through story time, illustration, and activities. This classroom is available during Sunday worship services at Covenant Life.

The Clubmates:  4 to 6-years-old –Spiritual formation and development continue in this classroom among peers though prayer, instruction, activities and building a Biblical vocabulary.  Our volunteers gear everything toward helping your child see a great God through Bible stories they can understand. This class is available during Sunday worship services at Covenant Life.

Kidz 4 Christ: 7 to 9-years-old – In this classroom, children learn Biblical principles and truths.  Our volunteers mentor and help mature the children in their knowledge of the Bible and its principles for living through Bible readings, instruction, activities and peer interactions.  This class is available during Sunday worship services at Covenant Life.

 The Champions: 10 to 13-years-old –Using the Bible as the textbook in this classroom, children are encouraged to dig deeper into the Word of God. They learn and discover Biblical principles and truths with mentoring and guidance from volunteers, along with peer interactions and activities. This classroom is available during all Sunday worship services at Covenant Life.

WORSHIP:

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. – Psalms 22:27

Worship is part of the Children’s Ministry at each level of learning. For our youngest learners in the Nursery and Critters, worship is built into the classroom experience. For our Clubmates, Kidz 4 Christ and Champion aged students, Praise and Worship is experienced in the sanctuary where they can participate, and where it is modeled by the adults in their lives and the church congregation. Following Praise and Worship in the sanctuary, these students are escorted to their respective classrooms. Our goal for children’s worship, whether in the classroom or in the sanctuary, is to engage the children through song and movement as they learn to worship the Lord.

CHECKING IN YOUR CHILD:

The safety and protection of your child is of utmost importance to us.

NURSERY OR CRITTERS
If your child is in the Nursery or Critters classroom, please personally drop off your child where they will be welcomed by the classroom teacher or teacher’s support volunteer and checked in. If you are leaving your child for the first time, you will be asked to complete a registration form. Please let the classroom volunteer know if you give permission for toileting or diaper/pull up changes. For the volunteer to do the toileting or changing, please provide the supplies needed. It is strongly suggested that you do this prior to the drop off, or you may wish to check in on the child during service to ensure their comfort. A pager will be issued to permit us to contact you, if needed, during the service.

CLUBMATES, KIDZ 4 CHRIST OR CHAMPIONS
After Praise and Worship all the children in the sanctuary are dismissed for Children’s Ministry and will be escorted to their respective classroom where they will be checked in. You may accompany them to the classroom to help them get settled.

AT THE CONCLUSION OF SERVICE
Please pick up your child at their classroom promptly after service. They will not be released except to the authorized parent or guardian who brought them to church that day.

A SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT:

One of our primary goals for our Children’s Ministry is to provide a safe and secure place for your children. We do that through measures which are meant to keep our ministry secure, the children safe, and provide peace of mind for parents.

1. At every classroom each child is signed in on a check-in list. A record is maintained of your child’s attendance.

2. Usher team members are watchful over the Children’s Ministry classrooms and church property during service. Once the classes have started, no one outside our teaching staff or Children’s Ministry leadership is allowed in the Children’s Ministry area unless they have prior permission and purpose for being in the classroom. This includes parents, or other family members, or anyone attending the church. Parents who wish to pick up or visit their kids during service must have identification, and get permission from the ushers or Children’s Ministry leadership.

3. Our Nursery and Critters have an assigned teacher and teacher’s support volunteer in the classroom to maintain a safe and watchful environment.

4. For our Clubmates, Kids 4 Christ and Champion students, should there be just one child in that classroom, and the gender of that child is different than that of the volunteer, then another volunteer will sit in on that class. We endeavor to do all things with integrity and to protect all involved.

5. Our security measures include having each classroom door locked, especially once the Children’s Ministry volunteer has at least one child in the classroom. Should you need to visit the classroom, please knock gently and wait for the teacher or teacher’s support volunteer to determine it is safe to open the classroom door.

6. Classrooms are cleaned following each use of the classroom to maintain a sanitary environment.

7. While your child is in the care of the Children’s Ministry, you are expected to remain on the premises of the church and reachable in the event there is an emergency or issue with your child. NO EXCEPTIONS.

8. Finally, all of our volunteers and teachers have gone through an application, interview, and training process. It is with the approval of the Pastors and the Children’s Ministry leadership that a volunteer may be accepted to serve in this ministry department.

SICK POLICY:

If your child is experiencing ANY SYMPTOMS of illness, we respectfully request to not have that child in attendance. Therefore, we ask that if your child is exhibiting any signs of sickness and you decide to still bring them to church that you not check them into our Children’s Ministry. This is for the health and wellbeing of the other children and our volunteers. If you choose to bring them with you against our advice noted here, then we ask that you keep them with you and that you request seating in our overflow room to minimize exposure to others, to social distance as much as possible and, to be closer to bathrooms, if needed.

VOLUNTEERING:

We are always seeking additional volunteers to love and serve our little ones. Out of love and concern for the children and youth in our care, all of our volunteers go through an application and interview process plus training. Learn how you can get involved as a volunteer by emailing us at covenantlife@cfaith.com or speaking to our Children’s Ministry leadership.

NURSING MOTHERS ROOM:

There is a space within our Nursery, available during services, for mothers and their nursing babies. Please alert an usher if you need use of the space so arrangements can be made with the Children’s Ministry to accommodate you and your nursing baby.

QUESTIONS?

For the latest information and more details about Children’s Ministry you can email your questions to: covenantlife@cfaith.com