Children On Sundays

Children On Sundays

Manhattan is a wonderful and challenging place to raise kids. Christ Church is a strong community, where kids can have fun and learn, and where there are ways for a whole family to serve and grow. Our church family sees that we have a great responsibility to support families in the hard task of bringing up children in “the nurture and training of the Lord”.

On Sundays, there are classes for children from babies through to elementary school. We invite families to catch our vision to grow together as a fellowship that includes kids and adults of all ages!

During the school year, children begin worship with their families, and after the first portion of the service, head to their programs. In this way, they begin to become familiar with the liturgy and your family has an opportunity to worship together. Then there is appropriate teaching from the Bible for adults upstairs in the main sanctuary, and learning and laughter for little ones downstairs.

When you come on Sunday, you should sign your child in and then pick them up promptly after the service, as they will not be released to anyone else. All of our volunteers, whether parents themselves or not, are trained and encouraged to communicate God’s love to children. They undergo background checks, and adhere to our church policies on child safety. Occasional special events for families with young children are offered, and children will sometimes sing or take part in the the morning service in seasonal events.

About Sunday School

  • We are committed to preaching the gospel for the salvation of everyone who will turn from their sin and put their trust in Christ alone.
  • We are committed to providing gospel-centered discipleship and nurture, with the prayer that our covenant children will continually grow in their relationship with Christ.
  • We are committed to coming alongside parents to serve and provide them with the resources and partnership they need to raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
  • We are committed to providing a safe, Christ-centered, loving environment where children feel comfortable learning, and where parents feel secure entrusting us with their kids during the church service and other special events.
  • As we minister to the children that God has placed under our care, we seek to guide them to an understanding of the glory and majesty of God as seen in his perfect character and as revealed in his Son, Jesus Christ. Recognizing that God has given parents the primary responsibility for the spiritual instruction and discipline of children, we intend to partner with families in the process of teaching and training children in the prayerful hope that through the Spirit they will grow to trust, love, and worship Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

During this group worship time, children will sing songs, watch puppet shows, participate in skits, listen to a story, memorize scripture, and listen to any announcements before breaking off to their age-appropriate classes.

For special Sundays during the year (for example, Christmas and Easter) children have the opportunity to prepare and present song items during service.

We are using the curriculum from Treasuring Christ by Life Bible Study and are excited to work with a course of studies which provide the same topics each week across our classes.

  • Christ Church Kids (Nursery – 4th Grade) meets during the service for singing, activities, and Bible teaching.
  • Upper School Students (Grades 5-8) attend the upstairs worship service in its entirety on the 3rd Sunday of the month; during the other Sundays of the month they meet downstairs during the sermon for friendship and worship.
  • Youth Ministry (Grades 6-12) meets on Sunday afternoons for friendship and Bible Study.

For children and Upper School Students who remain in the service, there are Kid’s Worship Guides and Sermon Notes for Youth available every week (available at the Welcome Table or from a Greeter).

For mothers and infants, there is a room downstairs for nursing with a nursery worker. For your convenience, the audio and video of the service is fed into that room. The pews in the rear of the sanctuary are also available if you wish to use them.

Please sign your children in before the start of the service, then proceed with them to the service. When it is time for children to leave for Sunday School, they can simply follow a children’s ministry leader downstairs.

All of our volunteers are trained and encouraged to communicate God’s love to children, and undergo background checks, adhering to our church policies on child safety.

Children in both the 3-5 years age group and the 6-years-and-above age group start the morning with their parents in the service. Please sign your child in downstairs before service. Pick up is directly after the service. Unless other arrangements have been made, teachers will only release children to their parents, so please be prompt.

While we have nursery and children’s ministries available during the service, we think it is extremely valuable for you to begin teaching and showing your children the importance of worshiping with the rest of the church, as well as learning to hear God’s Word through preaching. Consider having them sit with you once or twice a month. You may find our Parents’ Worship Guide to be of help (available at the Welcome Table) or you can download a copy here.