At Bethany our approach toward children’s ministries is shaped by these four values/convictions:

• Children possess the capacity to worship, experience, and respond to God.

• Children need developmentally appropriate methods, experiences and materials for faith formation.

• Biblical stories are the key to helping children know God.

• The whole congregation has a baptismal covenant, role, and responsibility in the lives of our children, and children have a role and responsibility in the whole life of the congregation.  Adults that aren’t parents need to learn concern and care for the weaker, more vulnerable members of the Body, and children also can help adults learn about worshipping God.

To express all of these values, particularly the fourth one, we offer an intergenerational worship service where children participate fully in the entire worship service starting from age 5 (or earlier if desired by parents). Parents and other adults in the congregation are encouraged to actively guide our children’s participation so that children learn to worship God and pay attention to God's activity.

Following the service, we offer an education hour to children 4 years through 5th grade. Trained volunteers teach the class using the Godly Play curriculum.  Godly Play is...

• A curriculum that engages the whole child in creativity and community fellowship
• An active version of "lectio divina" (biblical meditation) on stories of the Christian tradition
• A time of playful worship that invites relationship with God

At the heart of a Godly Play session is the telling of the story, experienced in the contexts of both the chronology of scripture and the church calendar. The storyteller uses simple, beautiful materials to illustrate the story and to engage imagination.

During both the worship service and education hour, childcare is offered to young children age birth to 4.

If you have questions about children’s ministries, please contact the Director of Children’s Ministries, Tina Manuel.

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