The two-fold ministry of our nursery is captured in the description of the Messiah in Isaiah 40:11: “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” Our Lord cares for his lambs, and for those that are with young. And this is why we care for your children, and we care for you. We know that leaving your little ones can be difficult. With their tender needs in mind, we pursue a well-organized, well-staffed, and well-trained ministry for the care of our youngest children.
Our preschool ministry is called the “Greenhouse.” It is a time for nurturing and caring spiritually for the little ones God has placed in our care. Just like a young plant grows and is protected in a greenhouse, so our kids have a place to grow here at Heritage. We want our preschoolers to learn about God by inciting wonder, a love of life by provoking discovery, and a love for others by fueling passion. We instill three main bedrock truths into their hearts—“God made me,” “God loves me,” and “Jesus wants to be my friend forever.” We have developmentally-appropriate curriculum integrated into the children’s program on Sundays and helpful material for the parents throughout the week.
First through third grade children are dismissed during the 9:30 a.m. Worship Service for a children’s Bible lesson. We focus on a single Bible truth each month, and lead the children in singing, Scripture questions, and Scripture memory.
At 11:00 a.m., following their time at Children’s Church, elementary-age children attend one of seven workshops. We call these Journey Group Workshops. Each group of students has a “Shepherd” who remains the same from week to week, and focuses on relational disciple making. The children rotate weekly through different workshop room, led by “Workshop Guides” who utilize their gifts in the various rooms. The big truth or Scripture passage presented in Children’s Church is experienced and developed in these multi-dimensional workshops, including drama, art, storytelling, puppets, media, Bible games, cooking and science, Bible geography, and missions. These groups teach our children interactively about who God is, his character, his work in their lives, and his Word.
