Hopewell United Methodist Church’s Children and Family Ministry

Motivation & Purpose

Hopewell United Methodist Church's Children and Family Ministry is dedicated to being a source of hope to our community, creating a nurturing environment where families and children experience God's love and foster growth in mind, body, and spirit. We offer a range of engaging and dynamic programs for our children.

Programs

1. Children's Nursery: The children's Nursery provides exceptional childcare services every Sunday, featuring a safe play area, story time, arts and crafts, and continuous supervision from our highly trained staff. Parents can enjoy the church service while their young ones are well taken care of in a clean and safe environment. Our children’s Nursery is open to children aged 0-4 and begins at 9:30 am.

2. Children’s Time: Children are encouraged to join the worship service at 10:00 am in the sanctuary with their parents and staff. During this time, there is a special moment called "Children's Time" dedicated to them. All Children are invited to the front of the altar to sit, listen, and interact with an assigned staff member. Stories are shared with beautiful illustrations, and the kids sing together. Please be aware that kids will be visible on video as the worship services are always broadcast on our Facebook page.

3. Sunday School: This program is tailored for children aged 5-10, incorporating Bible lessons, memory verses, music, and creative arts and crafts sessions. When possible, children are divided into age-specific classes immediately following the Children’s time, e.g. lower elementary (ages 5-7) and upper elementary (ages 8-10).

4. Kids’ Club - Thank God It’s Wednesday: On a specified Wednesday, families and their children come together for Thank God It’s Wednesday once a month. This is a program geared towards building families. Everyone gets to participate in a dinner of pizza or soups and later, the children engage in a kids’ club. Children are involved in arts and crafts and other fun activities during this time, e.g., songs, games, storytime, while parents enjoy the planned educational activities. Parents have the option of joining the program or just dropping off their children to enjoy the kids’ time at the church.

5. Children and Family Ministry Fair:  This is a special Sunday in September dedicated to children. All children participate in liturgy, read scripture lessons, sing, and perform a dance or drama. Meals and delicious treats are served. The Children and Family Ministry Fair happens only once a year.

Our Child Care Policy

As per the guidelines of the United Methodist Church, all staff and volunteers are required to undergo a comprehensive background check and mandatory Safe Sanctuary Training. The Safe Sanctuary Training is designed to ensure the protection of children from any form of harm or exploitation.

Our Staff and Volunteers

·        Blessing Inori Gwatana – Director of Ministry

·        Eva Lucas – Nursery Assistant

·        Lorraine Donahue – Volunteer

·        Jennifer Vondran – Volunteer

·        Sue Esche – Volunteer

·        Ellie Furlong – Volunteer

Resources

Children’s Nursery

  • A minimum of 2 adults, who have completed Safe Sanctuary training, are needed in the nursery when children are present.

  • An inventory of available and needed art supplies and coloring pages, musical instruments, books, toys, media (e.g., CDs, videos) should be taken at least once per quarter by Nursery staff and volunteers.  Purchase requisition requests can be made as needed to the Director of Children’s and Family Ministry, or designee.

Sunday School

  • A minimum of 2 classrooms/study areas are needed to serve all age groups.  Ideally, a chalkboard/whiteboard would be available in each room.

  • A minimum of 2 adults, who have completed Safe Sanctuary training, are needed in each classroom/study area when children are present.

  • Take-home journals should be provided for children to record memory verses, write down their thoughts about the Sunday School lessons, suggested Bible reading assignments, and/or individual prayers.

  • An inventory of available and needed art supplies and coloring pages, musical instruments, books, and media (e.g., CDs, videos) should be taken at least once per quarter by Sunday School staff and volunteers.  Purchase requisition requests can be made as needed to the Director of Children’s and Family Ministry, or designee.

All children and families are welcome to participate in our Children & Family Ministry, irrespective of their membership status at Hopewell United Methodist Church!

Come and be part of a community that fosters love, learning, and spiritual growth for children and families alike!