The purpose of Children’s Church is to glorify God by teaching young children the truths about God and the Bible. This ministry helps transition children (ages 4-7) from nursery into the formal Sunday family worship, preparing them to assume their role in larger corporate worship. It is by no means mandatory, and parents who prefer to worship as a family are encouraged to do so. Children who participate in Children’s Church first worship with their parents, and when the pastor start his sermon, they go downstairs where we follow an order of worship similar to the adults’ worship:

• Opening Prayer
• Offering
• Sing-Along
• Catechism Explanation or Bible Story
• Memory Verse
• Prayer Time (For Children’s own praises or requests)
• Songs/Hymns

This lasts about 35-45 minutes (i.e. the length of the sermon upstairs), and the children rejoin their parents shortly after the sermon. Every two weeks they learn a new Bible verse and at least one catechism question, along with a related Bible story as they go through the “Catechism for Children”. The curriculum used is published by CMI and is based on the First Children’s Catechism.

This is an ideal ministry to serve in for those who love working with children but are unable to commit to the year long term of Sunday School or even the once-a-month rotation of the Nursery Ministry. It is also ideal for those who have not worked with children previously but would like to try working with them for a short amount of time. The minimum requirement is a two-consecutive-week commitment for the Lesson Teacher or the Music Leader. We welcome Helpers to sign up whenever they are available. There are opportunities for those who are musically talented, those who can tell a good story, or those who just love being around children. The job descriptions are as follows:

Song Leader:

• Leads the children in the singing of songs and hymns
• Leads the children in prayer and praise time, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer

Lesson Teacher (must be a member of CPC):

• Teaches the Catechism Q&A, the Memory Verse, and the Bible Story
• Opens the worship with intros and prayer

Helper:

• Quietly guides the children into paying attention to the lesson, insuring that the presentation of the lesson is uninterrupted
• Be at hand to escort any child that needs to use the restroom

We’ve been very blessed in our faithful volunteers who have enabled Children’s Church to run smoothly. Nancy Waskey, the volunteer coordinator, has been hard at work to make sure that we are adequately staffed. Currently, we do need more volunteers to step forward, especially for the late service. We welcome all to meet the children of CPC. Please prayerfully consider serving (remember, it’s only two weeks—and you’re always welcome to sign-up for more if you love it). It’s always amazing and humbling to see what the children can grasp and remember.

To sign up, contact the church office at 410-730-6004 or office@cpc-opc.org.