At Good Shepherd, each child is valued as the wonderfully unique creation God made him or her to be! Children are welcome to attend any of our 3 services with their parents. “Busy Bags” are provided at the Welcome Center. They are also invited to attend our Sunday School classes held during our 9:45 am service. Through Worship, Sunday morning classes, as well as our many other events and gatherings, it is our privilege to share God’s love and His Word with all kids, guiding them to meet and grow in relationship with Jesus Christ. Building relationships with peers and adults alike is a key part of our ministry at Good Shepherd. As such, we strive to maintain Sunday School class sizes that allow leaders to engage personally with each child as they teach and disciple the next generation. Since growing in God is not something that happens only on a Sunday morning, we also consider it vital to equip parents as faith leaders in their homes. Through special programs like parenting seminars, marriage studies, and more we offer moms and dads support and encouragement for their journeys!
Nursery care is provided on Sunday mornings during all 3 worship services for kids age 3 and younger. Our staff enjoys the opportunity to nurture and begin teaching these dear little ones. Children can learn at this early age that Church is a safe place where they are loved and cared for. Parents can worship freely knowing their children are in good hands!
Sunday School classes for children 3 years – grade 6 are held Sunday mornings at 9:45. Teachers engage kids in creative ways as they share God’s Word and love, building important relationships with their students along the way! To support families in continuing the dialog at home, children leave with materials that let their grown-ups know what was covered in class that day. Children in each class are taught the same lesson (in varying age-appropriate ways) on a given Sunday in order to help families continue the conversation at home, as well.
A listing of classrooms can be found both at the welcome center and outside the education wing. Since we love to have the kids moving around, you can keep the dress casual.
Teachers are ready to welcome students at 9:40 in their classrooms and will keep them engaged until parents return following service. EVERY CHILD needs to be signed in and signed out of their classes by a parent. In an effort to keep all of our children safe, please make sure you see a teacher/helper and sign them into and out of their care.
Parents are the NUMBER 1 INFLUENCES of their children’s faith and scripture tells us that the home is where faith is primarily nurtured. At Good Shepherd we want to equip parents with the skills necessary to fulfill this calling. Faith @ Home Events will equip parents with basic faith skills they can work on with their kids. They will take place during the regular Sunday School hour at 9:45 am on 1 designated Sunday morning each. Parents will attend this class WITH their children, learning a faith skill together, practicing it together, and leaving with resources to equip them to use the skill in their own homes.
Area 56 is a Sunday School class and small group designed to bridge the gap for tweens between elementary school and middle school. We can all remember how difficult those “in-between” years can be. Area 56 is a place where kids can walk alongside each other through this transition. It’s also a place where they will begin thinking about a more personal faith journey and what that means as their peers values begin to increasingly diverge from what they have been taught at home. (NOTE: 6th Graders are still more than welcome to attend any youth events open to middle schoolers AND Fusion Youth Nights Sunday night 6-8pm. 5th graders will continue to participate in elementary events.)