Welcome to the Neighborhood!
How we welcome families is vital to the life and future of our church. The Neighborhood exists to draw kids, families and adults from all swaths of the community into a place where they can have a real encounter with the real God. That seems incredibly ambitious for a children’s ministry, doesn’t it? But it’s also pretty simple. It starts with this:
a place for all kids at both service hours.
At its core, the Neighborhood is led by a team of faithful, caring, selfless volunteers vetted by our staff to consistently spend time with kids on Sunday mornings. They are supported by willing, safe helpers from all parts of our church who join us in different rhythms—monthly, bimonthly, occasionally—to experience God along with kids. Each adult in the Neighborhood gets to use their God-given gifts and personality in a specific way.
The Neighborhood for elementary kids at 9 a.m.
Kids will begin the day with free play time to meet friends, adjust to the environment, and get the morning started with fun. After that, they’ll gather in grade groups (K-1, 2-3, 4-5) and visit a series of stations to learn and explore truth from the Bible each week. Adult guides will move with each group, and a team of adult helpers will be in charge of each space as kids move through.
At the end of the morning, all kids will come back to the big AZ room together to respond to God with worship and finish the day with more free play with friends while parents come for pickup.
In each space, adult helpers (some rookies, some seasoned regulars, all cleared by background checks) can use their gifts to clear distractions and help kids encounter God.
- Activity Captains spend the morning in the gym, helping kids participate in fun activities to process and remember what they’re learning about God. They are “captains” because while they are in charge, they’re also participating.
- Table Hosts join kids around tables in Connect 8/9, listening to them relate how the real God is showing up in their real lives. They talk over the day’s Bible lesson and what it tells us about God, ourselves and our purpose. They listen and share personal evidence of the nearness of Jesus.
- Learning Helpers sit with kids in Connect AZ, modeling engagement and participation in the weekly Bible lesson. They help kids find what they need to be able to listen and consider, “Why does God want me to know about this?” They also help kids use resources like the Shalom Station when they need a break.
- Group Guides accompany each group of students through the stations, each group taking 15 minutes with each experience type. Guides participate alongside the kids and talk about their shared experiences as they move through the morning. They help keep everyone safe and accounted for.
The Neighborhood for elementary kids at 10:45
The second hour of the Neighborhood is designed to be meaningful for kids whether they also attended at 9 a.m. or not. Kids will be grouped at tables with at least one caring adult at each table, and activities will focus on discovering more about God together. Guided by an up-front host, the 10:45 Neighborhood will give 9 a.m. attenders tools to retell the Bible story to the others sitting with them. Groups will then discuss what the Bible is telling us about what God is up to in this passage and how it relates to the work of Jesus on the cross and in us today. We’ll take a broad view of how this week’s lesson ties into the rest of the Bible, and also what our parents and older siblings might have heard about this topic in other spaces in the building. It’s all one big story about one big God, after all.
At the end of the 10:45 Neighborhood, kids and adults will play group games together—real games that are fun and give us the chance to experience and enjoy each other’s personalities. When you come back for them at noon and find your kids playing Uno, French Toast, Blurble or Jenga alongside their adult helpers, you’ll see them make eye contact with each other, say each other’s names, and feel known without any pressure to get answers right.
The Little Neighborhood at 9 a.m. and 10:45
- Little Neighborhood leaders serve regularly with 2’s, 3’s, or pre-K kids, prayerfully sharing the same Bible story as the elementary kids are learning. These leaders give kids clues to remember and understand what God is telling us about himself. They help direct volunteers so everyone’s time is meaningfully used.
- Little Neighborhood helpers reflect Jesus’ love to these younger ones. They get on kids’ level to play with them, talk to them and help them feel that someone was happy to see them. They support the teachers in each of the rooms so that Bible truth can be clearly and meaningfully shared in age-accessible ways with all children.
- Nursery helpers serve on a monthly or biweekly rhythm to give loving care to infants and toddlers and their families, loving the little ones on Jesus’ behalf while parents worship without burdens or distractions.
The Neighborhood is a place for everyone—all kids during both worship hours, and all adults seeking to experience God alongside kids and see him through their eyes. We’re excited for you to join us and pray you will encounter Him on Sunday mornings.