Parent Handbook

Psalm 78 O my people, hear my teaching;

listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables,

I will utter hidden things, things from of old- what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us.

We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation

the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.

He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel,

which he commanded our forefathers to teach their children,

so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born,

and they in turn would tell their children.

Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

Table of Contents

Letter of introduction......................................................................page 4 Vision statement ................................................................................page 5 Philosophy of ministry ......................................................................page 6 Qualifications of Children’s Ministry workers ...........................page 7 Further expectations for workers ................................................page 8 Our curriculum: Sunday School ......................................................page 9 Our curriculum: Children’s Church...............................................page 10 Organization of the Children’s Ministry .................................... page 11 Our programs....................................................................................page 12 Partnering with parents .................................................................page 14 Guidelines & Procedures.................................................................page 15 Map......................................................................................................page 16 Website..............................................................................................page 17 Notes ..................................................................................................page 18

Dear Parents,

Our desire for this handbook is that it would serve as a valuable resource to you as you navigate your way through the Children’s Ministry at Bethel Grace. Our ministry seeks to partner with you in teaching your children the wonderful truths from God’s Word and training them up to set their hope in Christ alone so that they might walk in His ways. The purpose of our programs is to serve you in this way.

In this handbook you will find our vision for the Children’s Ministry, our philosophy, the required qualifications for each teacher, our hopes for partnering with parents, specifics about the curriculum being taught to your children, guidelines and procedures, a map of our campus, and more.

I hope this resource proves to be helpful. Feel free to contact the office if you have any questions regarding this ministry and our different programs.

Many blessings to you as you train your children up in God’s ways.

For His glory,

Children’s Ministries

Bethel Grace Baptist Church

(562) 804-4561 www.bethelgrace.org

Our vision for your children is…

To teach them a God-centered view of the

Gospel of Jesus Christ so that they will set

their hope in God alone and not forget all that

He has done, keeping His commandments and

walking in His ways.

Our Philosophy of Ministry

We exist to glorify God by: • Teaching children a God-centered view of the Gospel of

Jesus Christ so that they might set their hope in Him alone and not forget His works, but keep His commandments (Psalm 78).

• Connecting with, supporting, and encouraging parents in their God-given role as the spiritual leaders of their children (Deut. 6:4-9; Eph. 6:4).

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These

commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your

hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4

The qualifications of all our Children’s Ministry workers:

These qualifications are those of a deacon/deaconess from 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Those serving in any position of authority (e.g. teacher) within the church should hold to these qualifications:

1. Worthy of respect

2. Sincere, always telling the truth

3. Not indulge in much wine, not prone to drunkenness (this is applicable to any addiction)

4. Not pursue dishonest gain

5. Keep hold of deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience

6. Not be a malicious talker (gossiper/slanderer), but self-controlled and trustworthy in everything

7. Husband of one wife/wife of one husband

8. Manage his/her children and his/her household well

Not many of you should become teachers […] for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

James 3:1

Further expectations for our Children’s Ministry workers:

1. Live a God-centered life: consistent Bible reading and prayer, being held accountable by one or more persons, show fruit in relationships with family, friends, and church family, and others-focused. Motivated alone by the glory of God.

2. Love children. Passionate about reaching them with God’s Word and with His love.

3. Be a good teacher: able to present the truth in an age-appropriate and dynamic/interactive way and able to maintain order and discipline in the classroom.

4. Responsible: Punctuality is key! Always there on time, keep the established rules, take care of church resources, and communicate openly and honestly with leadership.

5. Cooperative with all the screening and training processes established by the church leadership.

All of our Children’s Ministry workers have been screened through Reducing the Risk (www.reducingtherisk.com),

including a background check, and are approved members of our

church.

Our Curriculum

Sunday School hour: For our Sunday School hour starting at 9:00 am we currently use the Gospel Light Curriculum. Classes and curriculum are divided as follows:

• Preschool: Movers & Shakers Through this curriculum, students will learn this Fall about the Old Testament fathers such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob along with other important characters in this section, which will carry them through to the life of Jesus in the Winter and Spring quarters.

If you’d like more information, check out the website at www.gospellight.com under the category of Sunday School Curriculum.

Copyright © 2008 Gospel Light All Rights Reserved.

• Kindergarten - 6th Grade: The Way of the Wise Through this Children Desiring God curriculum, the kids are learning about what it means to walk the “way of the wise” - following God and living for Him by learning from the book of Proverbs. Kids earn badges along the way for:

Reading the book of Proverbs Memorizing 15 verses Reading C.S. Lewis’ book “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” Putting Proverbs into practice Reading their Bible daily

If you’d like more information, check out the website at www.childrendesiringgod.org under the category of Curriculum.

© Children Desiring God 2008

Our Curriculum (cont’d)

Children’s Church hour: We are excited about our new curriculum by Children Desiring God. The curriculum has

this specific mission: “Children Desiring God exists to equip the body of Christ to spread to the next generations a passion for the supremacy of God in all things, for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.”

As Bethel Grace’s philosophy of Children’s Ministry lines up with this desire, we are seeking to implement a curriculum that ignites a passion and love for Christ in our children’s hearts. Therefore, since September of 2008 we are using this new curriculum. Here is what your children will be learning this year:

Preschool: “He Has Spoken By His Son” explores the greatness of God in Christ by noting key themes found chronologically throughout the New Testament.

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade: “The ABCs of God” uses the alphabet as a framework for teaching the attributes of God and explores the delight that God has in Himself as the source, means, and purpose of all things.

3rd - 6th Grade: “To Be Like Jesus” answers important questions like “What is salvation?” “How does someone become a Christian?” “What does it mean to become like Jesus?” by explaining elements of the Gospel message, its purpose, and promise.

Each Sunday your children will bring home a “Parent Resource Page,” which will describe the lesson they have been taught that Sunday and questions that can be used for discussion and review in the home. We are hoping to get teachers, parents, and children excited about God and his Word.

If you’d like more information on any of these, check out the website at www.childrendesiringgod.org under the category of Curriculum.

© Children Desiring God 2008

Our Programs

• Sunday School (Sundays, 9 - 10 am) We have classes for age 3 through 6th grade. Children are split according to age group into 2 different Sunday School classes. Currently, our teachers are Heather Drew (for Kindergarten - 6th Grade) and Gayle Holmes (Preschool). Check out the Curriculum section to find out what they will be learning during this time.

• Children’s Church (Sundays, 11 am –12 noon) We have classes for age 3 through 6th grade. Children are split according to age group into 3 different classes. The teachers for this hour are on a rotation schedule in which they teach once a month. Our classes are divided as follows: Preschool (ages 3-4), Kindergarten through 2nd Grade, and 3rd through 6th Grade. Check out the Curriculum section to find out what they will be learning.

• Nursery (Sundays both hours) We have a great Nursery staff that will provide care for your child 2 years old and under during both the Sunday School and Main Service hours. Pagers are given to parents in order to contact them during the service if there is any need.

Nursery Coordinator: Bonnie Bousman (562) 619-5519

• Kids’ Praise Choir (Sundays @ 6 pm, Wednesdays @ 5 pm) Our Kids’ Praise Choir performs 2 musicals each year, one in December and the other in June. It provides kids with a great opportunity to use their abilities in singing and acting for the glory of God.

Director: Julie Dennis (562) 924-6630

• Handbells/Handchimes (Sundays @ 6 pm & 6:20 pm) Our Kids Handchime choir is for children in 2nd grade and older and they practice on Sundays at 6:00 pm. Our Advanced Youth Handbell choir is for children in grades 5th through 8th and they practice on Sundays at 6:20 pm. Watch the church bulletin and website for practice schedules.

Director: Dela Robertson (562) 439-1223

Our Programs (cont’d)

AWANA (Wednesdays @ 6:30 - 8:00 pm) This program started September 24th and will go until the end of June. Children from 3 years old to 6th grade are all invited to come. They will learn Bible stories, memorize Bible verses, play games, get a snack, and sing fun songs. Cubbies is the group

specifically designed for 3-4 year olds. Sparks is the group designed for Kindergarten through 2nd Grade children. Truth & Training (T.N.T.) is for children from 3rd through 6th Grade. 6th Graders also have the option of going to our Junior High group which is held at the same time on Wednesday nights.

Vacation Bible School (Summer) Our Vacation Bible School (VBS) program runs during the last week of July each summer. From 9:00 am until 12:00 noon, during 5 days, children learn all about God and the Bible, make crafts, play games, sing fun songs, watch skits, memorize verses, eat snacks, and much more! This is our favorite event of the year! We have pictures from our past VBS weeks on our website. Check it out! You won’t want to miss it!

Special Family Events (Various dates & times) We have several different family events throughout the year, which will be posted on our website as well as announced in our bulletin and during our main church service. Some of our past events have been going to Tanaka Farms in Irvine for their Watermelon season and also for their Pumpkin Patch, visiting the Long Beach Aquarium, spending a day at the Irvine Regional Park and the zoo there, having picnics and different sporting events such as our Angels vs. Dodgers game in September and our Turkey Bowl in November, movie nights, and so much more! If you would like to know about current events, please contact the church office or check out our website.

Partnering with Parents

It is my desire to see us partner with you, as parents of the children under our care, in an effort to guide and train up children in God’s Word. As their spiritual leaders, you are called by God to teach your children His ways. We do not intend to replace that in any way, but to encourage, support, and come alongside you in that calling. Although our church is just now beginning to partner more with parents, we hope to provide for your needs in the best way we can. • The Parent Weekly: this is a bulletin insert that can be found in your bulletins

each Sunday morning. You will find the key verses and themes that your children will be learning about that morning in Children’s Church. Hopefully this will help you in reviewing what your children have learned that day and in encouraging them to hide God’s Word in their hearts (Psalm 119:11).

• Parent Resource Pages: these are given to each child as they leave their Children’s Church class and have a review of the key concepts they learned in class including a memory verse and follow-up discussion questions that will help you as you talk to your children about what they’ve learned.

• Children’s Ministry Parent Handbook: this book is here to help you find your way through our Children’s Ministry.

• Parenting Resource CDs: We hope to be able to provide this soon for every parent in our church with audio conference sessions and sermons regarding Biblical parenting.

• Resources for Parents: Our website (www.bethelgrace.org) includes a number of “Resources for Parents” including links to great conferences on parenting, to key blogs for Christian parents, to resource lists with recommended books and media for kids, and more!

• Our website: provides calendars and information about events and our different programs. More under “Website” on page 17.

Guidelines & Procedures

• You must sign in and sign out your child if he/she is in the Nursery or Preschool class on Sundays.

• Only authorized adults (18 or older) are allowed to pick up a child from his/her class on Sundays.

• Leaders will be available 15 minutes before and after each programmed activity.

• Children will need to be dropped off at their designated classroom each Sunday morning. Check out our “Map” on the next page for directions.

• Children will go to their Children’s Church room following the offering in the main service (approx. 11:00 am). Before that, they need to remain with their parents, unless prior arrangements have been made with the Children’s Director.

• We strongly encourage each parent to help out in some area of the Children’s Ministry. There is always a need for Hall Monitors to supervise classrooms during each service and during AWANA. We would love for dads especially to help us out in this way!

• If you have any questions about anything related to Children’s Ministry, contact the Children’s Director.

Map

Sunday School (9 am) Children’s Church (11 am) AWANA * O 3: Nursery * O 3: Nursery (10:30 am) * O 1: 3’s & 4’s * O 1: Preschool * O 1: Preschool * C 8: K-2nd * M 1: K-6th * M 2: K-2nd * M 1: 3rd –6th * M 1: 3rd - 6th

Website www.bethelgrace.org

Our website seeks to provide you with valuable resources to inform you of all church activities and to support and encourage you as a member or visitor. Under “Children’s Ministry” you will find:

• Main page with information about our different programs and events, including links to our Philosophy of Ministry and important program schedules. It also provides the contact information for our current Children’s Director.

• Children’s Ministry Photos. This is a link to our photo gallery, which shows pictures from all our main events.

• Calendars highlighting family events and Children’s Ministry programs’ schedules.

• Resources for our Children’s Ministry Workers, including downloadable forms for Reducing the Risk screening and lesson planning.

• Resources for Parents, including recommended blogs and books, parenting conferences, and other links.

• Meet Our Teachers includes a short description and photo of our current Sunday School and Children’s Church teachers.

Notes...

5 17909 Carpintero Ave

Bellflower, CA 90706

(562) 804-4561

www.bethelgrace.org