Children's Ministry

Rhonda A. Herman

To reach out to children with the message of
Christ's unconditional love, guiding them to grow into
a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

"REACHING OUT"... through Explorers' Camps. In June, 85 Pre-1st - 3rd grade explorers visited the same neighbor's backyard each day for an exciting time of Bible stories, singing, crafts, snacks, and games. In July, a camp for 125 preschoolers was held here at the church. Both groups walked in the footsteps of Jesus on "The Jesus Expedition." Our 4th and 5th graders met for a week in August where they had a time of singing, worship and hearing testimonies from students before they left for the daily destination. The sights for the week were Genesee Valley Outdoor Learning Center, Padonia Swim Club, Woodberry Crossing, Freestate Indoor Soccer, and Oregon Ridge. Each of these weeks provided us with the opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with children who had never heard it. Relationships were built and friendships strengthened while having a fun time together.

Our second big "REACHING OUT" event was the Harvest Fest. This year we added on to Trunk 'n' Treat by having activities such as a puppet show, balloon art, cookie decorating, and game playing available free of charge for families beginning at 5:00 pm. From 6:30-8:00 pm, 26 decorated vehicle trunks gave out 3,800 treats to about 300 children. At least 60 percent of the families who attended were not from Central. Will you sacrifice your time next year to help us reach out even further?

Our "welcomers" at the Children's Ministry Welcome Center greet anywhere from 2-8 guests every Sunday morning. We want each person to experience the presence of the living Christ when they enter our hallways.

"GUIDING THEM TO GROW"... New in 2003 was a Good Friday event where children were guided in a Holy Week walk that ended at the cross. Children experienced Lazarus' house, waving palm branches, perfume making as they discussed the woman who anointed Jesus, Judas' betrayal, and the Last Supper. Lastly, children drew a picture or wrote on paper anything they had recently said or done that was not pleasing to the Lord. These papers were put into a bucket and burned at the cross.

Our regular programs such as Kids' Quest (Sunday School at 10:00 am), Second Sunday for the World, the Advent Fair, and the Family Christmas Eve service continued because of our faithful 200+ volunteers. We continue to add students as small group leaders and assistants to our lead teachers. Seeds are being planted as the Gospel of Jesus Christ is spread to children in and outside of our rooms.

Our Pre-confirmation Class is just one example of how we lead children to a deeper understanding of their own faith in Jesus Christ. This class is designed for those children who express interest on their own in participating in the Lord's Supper and/or who want to be baptized. In 2004 the curriculum that is used to teach this class will become a part of the regular Sunday morning lesson plans for third through fifth graders. All children by the time they leave fifth grade will have been taught the tenets of the Christian faith in addition to the stories of the Bible.

Our Missions Minded Kids' Club (M & M Kids' Club) for fourth and fifth graders went on the road as we put our faith into action! Besides our regular monthly meetings, where we learned to be intercessors for our missionaries, write our testimony and play games about missionaries, we collected food for the Christian Community Center and in December we went Christmas caroling to our sick and shut-in. We spent a week at Woodberry Crossing making friends and helping in any way with the Baltimore City children. Mostly we prepared lunch each day. We memorized I John 4:7-21 and strengthened our own friendships.