Children's Ministry

Children’s Ministry at Soteria Church

“Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them,

for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” – Luke 18:16

CMFP 12

OUR MISSION

To provide a safe and nurturing environment where children are encouraged in their initial steps toward knowing and loving Jesus Christ.

 

WHAT WE DO

Sunday School at Soteria Church is a fun place for children to experience the gospel! We provide a safe and energetic atmosphere each Sunday morning where children learn about God’s character and how to grow in their relationship with Jesus.

 

OUR CURRICULUM STRATEGY

We use First Look, a preschool curriculum strategy from the reThink Group for ages 0-5 years old. By the time a child is 5 years old, we want her to know three basic truths:

            1) God loves me.

            2) God made me.

            3) Jesus wants to be my friend forever.

As teachers and parents, we work together in order to give children their first impression of their Heavenly Father and help them begin a lasting, lifelong relationship with Jesus.

 

BABIES & TODDLERS

Newborn – 2 Years Old

A child is never too young to hear God’s word! First Look ties the same preschool bottom line and basic truth into a fun monthly curriculum for our littlest kids. These children experience the gospel message from their teachers through simple songs, games, and other dynamic activities using familiar toddler toys.

 

PRESCHOOL

3-5 Years Old

Preschool is such an exciting time of discovery! Each month we introduce a basic truth, key question, bottom line and memory verse. Children also experience fun activities which engage all the senses and address various learning styles. Each class is divided into four parts:

            1) Make It Fun — introductory activities

            2) Make It True — bible story and worship

            3) Make It Stick — application activities

            4) Make It Real — small group community

 

ELEMENTARY

6-12 Years Old 

For children age 6-12 years old, we provide scaffold sermon notes in the form of a fun Children’s Worship Bulletin. We invite parents to help their child(ren) understand the lessons from the sermons and scriptures using this tool in the service each Sunday as well as at home throughout the week. Parents are also encouraged to use The Story of God for Kids from Soma Church. Soteria Church provides this resource each week as it coincides with the sermon. We also provide other fun bible-centered things to keep children engaged during the sermon, including The Jesus Storybook Bible.

 

VOLUNTEER TEACHERS

Our teachers are active Soteria Church attendees and members. We are so excited to be a part of introducing God and His love to children! We partner with parents to provide a solid, biblical foundation for the children at Soteria Church. All of our Children’s Ministry teachers meet state volunteer requirements.

 

 

WHEN WE MEET 

Soteria Church meets at 10 AM every Sunday morning. Children are invited to join their parents in the main service for music and worship. After this portion of the service, children age 6 and older remain in the service for the duration, while those age 0-5 years attend their Sunday School class. Parents are required to sign children in at the Children’s Ministry table and sign them out at their classroom directly following the service.

 

FAMILY: THE GREATEST INFLUENCE

We believe that a child’s parents are his greatest influence in life, so we work together with parents and families to encourage and equip one another that we may foster a child’s most important relationship—His relationship with Jesus! At home, parents can also teach each week’s basic truth, key question, bottom line, bible story focus, and memory verse with a weekly Small Talk card. These cards are provided by the church and include fun activities that reinforce the lessons learned in Sunday School, so parents can create a rhythm of bible learning and living at home. Other resources include monthly memory verse cards, access to children's worship songs, and more.  

 

OTHER RESOURCES 

Books:

  • Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
  • Mothering by Grace Ketterman, M.D.
  • Parenting Beyond Your Capacity by Reggie Joiner
  • Think Orange by Reggie Joiner
  • Raising a Modern Day Princess: Inspiring purpose, value, and strength in your daughter by Pam Farrel and Doreen Hanna 
  • Real Solutions for Abuse-Proofing Your Child by Grace Ketterman, M.D.
  • Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child: The heart of parenting by John Gottman, PhD
  • Parenting With Love and Logic: Teaching children responsibility by Foster Cline, MD and Jim Fay
  • Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth
  • Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham Jr.
  • Preparation for Parenting by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo
  • Surviving Your Preschooler by Trish Kuffner
  • Teaching Montessori in the Home- The Preschool Years: An easy-to-follow, authoritative guide for enriching your child's formative years by Elizabeth G. Hainstock
  • Parenting from the Inside Out: How a deeper self-understanding can help you raise children who thrive by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Mary Hartzell, M.Ed.
  • Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
  • Practical Theology for Women by Wendy Alsup
  • Deuteronomy 6 (Thought I'd throw it in there...)
  • Reforming Marriage by Doug Wilson
  • Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The classic guide to understanding the opposite sex by John Gray, Ph.D.
  • Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas

Books for kids:

  • The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every story whispers his name by Sally Lloyd-Jones
  • Give Me Grace: A child's daybook of prayers by Cynthia Rylant
  • The Best Thing is Love by Dandi Daley Mackall
  • The Berenstain Bears Discover God's Creation by Stan and Jan Berenstain with Mike Barenstain
  • The ABC Bible Verse Book by Deedra Scherm
  • The Tale of Three Trees by Angela E. Hunt
  • God Made You Nose to Toes by Leslie Parrott

Articles: 

Videos:

Websites:

 

For more information contact