KidZone is our Sunday morning ministry to children from 6 weeks old to 5th grade. At First Free we recognize the importance of giving families the opportunity to worship and learn together as well as the importance of giving kids an accessible and age-appropriate avenue to learn about God.
In order to meet both goals, we start off each Sunday morning with all children age 3 and above joining their parents in the sanctuary for worship in song. For more information on children in worship click here. After we sing together as a church body, the children continue their worship in individual classrooms as described below.
Nursery Ages 6 weeks to 2 years [Nursery age children are welcome in the worship service, but the nursery is open the entire service] The nursery is a safe, nurturing place for babies to play while their parents are participating in the worship service. Nursery activities include song time, basic Bible stories, snacks and free play time. Our two year olds have a separate, more structured Bible lesson with hands-on learning. A private crib room for napping and nursing is also available in the nursery.
Preschool After the children come in from the worship service, our preschoolers experience interactive and age-appropriate Bible lessons, games, hands-on crafts, offering, and snacks. During KidZone our preschoolers learn fundamental Bible stories, and simple Bible verses.
Grades K through 5 groups follows a large group/small group format with a focus on Biblical teaching that is relevant and applicable to kids lives. Woven into each lesson is practice at the 5 faith skills we think all kids should learn: how to navigate the Bible, how to personalize Scripture (memorize and apply), how to dialogue with God, how to articulate their faith, and how worship with your life (praise, give, serve).
A brief look at why we have children worship with us.
In an effort to keep our families together for a portion of their time at a church we include our children ages 3 and up in our main service for our Exaltation (worship in song). This is an important step in helping our children become fully engaged followers of Christ.
We want to include children in our congregational worship because we follow Jesus Christ, who directed his followers to learn from children. We need to have children with us in order to observe and learn the qualities that Jesus Christ desired for his followers.
In an effort to help parents prepare their children for Sunday morning, we include the lyrics for upcoming worship services, as well as curriculum information HERE.
If you have question about including our children in worship or want more resources, contact Beth Cha: bcha@firstfree.com. (773)561-4175 ext 105.