We love you and your kids! We hope that your experience at Sideris and in our Kid’s ministry is a blessing and breath of fresh air that makes your life and your parenting just a little easier. Our goal as a church is holistic. First, since we believe kids are best served by parents who are able to invest in their own faith journey and grow spiritually, we want to provide you moments in your week to engage with God. Second, we want to provide a safe and loving space for your kids to experience an introduction to the story of Jesus and encounter at a young age the atmosphere of God’s community of grace. We pray is that both happen for you and your kids as you participate in the rhythms of life at Sideris.
CHECK-IN INSTRUCTIONS
Children will check-in with their parents upon arrival. Follow the “Kid’s Check-in” signs which will lead you upstairs as you come in. Look for the white self-serve kiosks where you can register if you are new and someone will be there to give you directions from there. Then return downstairs to start the service all together as one big family, and then kids will be dismissed after the first few songs, just before the announcements.
FIVE CLASSROOMS
Nursery: 9 months to 18 months.
Toddlers: 18 months to 3 years.
Preschool: 4 years to 5 years.
Elementary: Kindergarten - 1st Grade
Upper Elementary: 2nd - 5th Grade
For children Newborns (under 9 months) they are more than welcome to just be with you in worship. Crying babies are not a bother to the preacher and add to the joy of worship during singing! New life is something that the gospel is all about; so reminders are always welcome. Should your newborn need to be nursed there is a “Nursing/Cry Room” upstairs just past the kids lobby area. You will find a place to sit and a TV with the service streaming for you to enjoy.
For Middle-schoolers and Highschoolers we’d love having them join us in the worship service to learn and grow alongside their parents. As they grow comfortable, they may also enjoy occasionally helping out with the Kid’s Team if they so desire.
VOLUNTEER BACKGROUND CHECKS
All Kid’s volunteers must complete background checks prior to serving in Kid’s. They also must complete a training to teach in classrooms. We are committed to providing a safe and fun space for children, so that parents can grow in the old and prepare themselves to be the best parents they can be.
Our experiential goal is to introduce every kid to the virtue and character of God as revealed in the person and work of Jesus. Kids will get an introduction to the pages of Scripture, but more importantly they will experience God’s love through the love and care of the volunteers. As kids play and grow together they learn of the joy of community. We will always engage them in creative activities and gospel-based teaching (see more info below) each Sunday.
Questions? Please reach out to our Kids Coordinators, Sara-Anne & Lina with any questions or concerns: kids@siderischurch.com
TEACHING & ACTIVITIES
We use The Gospel Project curriculum: a Christ-centered, chronological journey through Scripture that includes oral teaching, music, and other engaging activities. It helps children understand that the Bible isn’t just a bunch of stories but that it is one unified true story about what the loving God is doing in the world.
NURSERY CHECK-IN
For new families, join us at the check-in table upstairs and complete a questionnaire so we can get to know your children and their unique needs. Feel free to stay as long as your child needs you in order to get acclimated, but we do hope you can enjoy the service and connect with God when you come. We believe parents connecting with God is such an important part of thriving as a parent in the long-term. We hope the nursery volunteers become a tool God uses in your life to help you enjoy these often illusive moments in your walk with God as a parent of an infant.
Then… you can pick your child at any time during or after the final music set of the service!
WANT TO VOLUNTEER?
Our Kids ministry is always growing and we are so thankful for our kid’s ministry leads and the many volunteers who are caring and energetic. We always aim to have a healthy ratio of volunteers to kids in each of our classrooms based on ages and dynamics. But this means that we are always needing new volunteers to sign-up to help.
If you feel compelled to explore what volunteering in this way would look like, please reach out to our Kids Team Coordinators and they will get in touch: kids@siderischurch.com