Children’s Time

Overview
During the 11:00 a.m. worship service children ages 3 years old – second grade can come to church with their parents and then may go to Children’s Time after the offering and before the sermon. Children’s Time provides a fun environment for kids to explore their faith through play, while giving their parents time to be more fully engaged in worship. During the first half of the 11 a.m. worship service, children are able to stay and worship with their parents as a family, and before the sermon, parents may escort their children from the sanctuary for their special time. Volunteers will wait in the hallway to lead parents and their children to the room. Once checked in, the children will have the opportunity to pray, hear a short children’s message, have a snack, as well as sing, dance, and play.

Age Groups

• Elementary (k-grade 2) in room 202
• Preschool (3-5 yrs) in room 203

Registration
All children should have a Children’s Time registration card on file. The family of new participants should receive a registration card and a copy of this information sheet. They are on the bulletin boards in each room with the attendance chart.

You may register online:

https://tumct.tpsdb.com/OnlineReg/259 (Preschool Children’s Time)

https://tumct.tpsdb.com/OnlineReg/348 (Elementary Children’s Time)

Transitioning from Nursery to Children’s Time
Children may transition into the preschool group as they turn 3 if they exhibit the maturity to function in the group. If not, they may stay in the nursery until they enter the three-year-old class in the fall. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Elementary children make the transition to the next level on Promotion Sunday, the beginning of the Fall Sunday School Program. During the summer they stay with the group they were with during the previous school year. You do not have to wait until Promotion Sunday for your 3-year-old to participate. Once your child is potty trained and ready to leave you for a short period of time, we would love to have them in come to Children’s Time. You are always welcome to stay with your child if you wish. The nursery is also open to your preschool child.

Description of Activities
Children are met by a consistent leader who will lead them in prayer, provide a short children’s message, serve a snack, and round out the time with the opportunity to sing, dance, and play. Elementary children will do service projects as a way to take God’s love into action with others. Elementary children will also return to the sanctuary for communion with their parents.

Preschool Children (ages 3-5) Room 203
Please enter and check in your child in the back of the room. Then, please exit out the other door to prevent a pile up near the sign-in area. We ask that if you need to chat with another parent, please do so in the hallway so the leader may get the program underway. Following the service, please sign your child out so that we will have a record of who your child is left with—in case your spouse comes by and needs to know.

Elementary children (K-2nd grade) Room 202
A volunteer will check the children in at the door. There will be no need to sign in—just make sure they make it to the room. At pick-up, please come in and find out what they learned about. This is a great way to start a conversation about your faith over lunch. You don’t need to sign them out, but we do want to see your face before your child leaves the room.

Pickup
Families are asked to make picking up their children their first priority after worship because the parents serving as volunteer leaders that day cannot leave until all children are claimed. Children may only be released to parents or other adults who are listed on their registration card. Children may not pick up other children.

Helping as a Parent or Guardian?
As a parent, you are an integral part of our support team. You are always welcome to stay and play with us, but we know that you might rather participate in a way that still allows you to hear the sermon.

Snack
We need you to bring in snack once a quarter. Please plan to bring a large Costco/Sam’s-sized container or two traditional grocery store sized packages. Goldfish, animal crackers, vanilla wafers, or pre-sliced apples make great choices. (Think: non-messy, non-choking hazard, non-peanut type items. We want to keep the rooms tidy and don’t want to mess up any Sunday best.)

To sign up for snacks, please click here:

Other Support Team Tasks

• Write, or help your children to write a hand written note to a volunteer letting them know what their help means to you or your child.
• Sub if one of our volunteers can’t make it at the last minute.
• Help new parents find their way back to the room.
• Invite one of our volunteers to join you for lunch after church.
• Purchase or donate games that are cooperative and easy to exit when it’s time to go.

Children’s Time is led by the following individuals and volunteers:

Cathy McCarty
Holly Hunt
Jenna Bell
Donna Duggar
Sharon Harris
Charles Greenberg
Erin & Scott Nelson
Amy Leach

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4