As a church, we treasure our children because “children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward” (Psalm 127:3). Jesus Himself cherished children and blessed them, saying, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14). It is a privilege for us to worship alongside the children in the church.

The parents in the church are primarily responsible under God to bring up their children in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). The church’s role in children’s ministry is to support and encourage parents by faithfully teaching God’s Word and modelling genuine Christianity for the children in our care. The ministries we have for children are never to supplant or usurp the parents faithful role.

Lord’s Day Ministry

We cater for children in several ways on Sundays.

Sunday School: The children's Sunday School at 8:30am (at the same time as Adult Bible Class) is divided into age-appropriate classes (ages 1-12) with skilled teachers leading the children in Bible stories. We are currently using the Mustard Seed curriculum.

Crèche (Childcare): Because of the testimony of Scripture, the elders are convinced that children should join the rest of the church in corporate worship as soon as they are able to. This is why we do not have a “Children’s Church” programme as we believe the church includes both us and our children. However, we understand that much younger children cannot be expected to sit still and not distract both the parents and the congregation during the service. We desire that the parents of young children would be able to participate in the worship service so we provide childcare during the morning service.

Children aged 0-3 are taken to the crèche area, where workers care for them and keep them occupied for the duration of the service. Parents of children aged 0-3 can take their children to the crèche from the beginning of the service but are asked to collect their children as soon as possible after the service so that workers can be freed to fellowship with other members.

Parents of children this age are welcome to have their children in the service, but we ask that parents please consider others who are worshipping and ensure that their children are not loudly talking, screaming or creating the sort of noise that will distract others from concentrating on the Word. The goal for all children is that they participate in worship, but if they are too young then not only do they end up not participating but they also distract others from participating. However, not all children are the same and it is the responsibility of the parents to train their children at home, recognize what they can and cannot be expected to do, and then use the facilities provided accordingly.

We are currently working with the creche team to improve what is done during the service so that there will be less need for parents to be called to the creche. We also encourage parents to consider training their children at home so that they will be able to sit quietly for extended periods of time. There are several resources to consider in this regard.

New Teens Ministry

On every other Friday night, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, the church runs a Teens and Pre-Teens ministry (10ish-16) at Pastor Michael’s house. During this meeting, the children are taught historic reformed catechisms in an engaging format that is age-appropriate. There’s also a lot of fire making and eating involved!

In Conclusion, let us all be praying for the children among us, that the Spirit of the Lord might reveal Christ to them and draw them irresistibly to Himself. May God be pleased to show us this mercy!

The Elders