Children's programs at First Christian Church, Huntsville, AL

Sunday Education

Nursery: Room 110
Grades: K-1 Room 112
Walkers: Room 125
Grades 2-3-4: Room 111
Pre-School: Room 118
Grade 5: Balcony Room
Middle/High School: Upper Rooms

Loving Child Care – Room 110

Sunday School at First Christian begins from the earliest moments of a child's life. Although our babies aren't learning Bible stories yet, they are being loved by a very special group of adults. Sherry Landis heads our crib nursery and has a special way with young children and their parents.

Miss Sherry spends lots of time in her rocker holding and talking to the little ones in her care. She and her helpers provide a pleasant, familiar environment and keep children calm, safe, and happy while their parents worship. Parents are issued a pager upon checking their child into the nursery and can be immediately notified, should a need arise.

Walkers – Room 125

Toddlers experience God through relationships with caregivers and friends and through manipulating their environment. Our Walkers are just starting to learn to obey rules and play nicely with others. They come to know God through care, attention, encouragement, and the firm and loving guidelines of Faye Johnson. Her classroom is equipped with blocks, art materials, areas for make believe, push and pull toys, safe climbing equipment, and lots of room to move about.The children are encouraged to question and explore, and caregivers always have time to listen.

Preschool – Room 118

One of the greatest joys in our church is seeing preschoolers develop friendships that often last a lifetime. They are also beginning a lifetime journey using the Bible as a guide. The preschool class consists of a short teaching time along with crafts, songs, and play that build on the lesson theme. The emphasis is on establishing relationships -- with the teacher, with classmates, and most importantly, with God. Bible stories are introduced with varied activities to accommodate the preschooler's short attention span.

Elementary

Elementary classes are divided by grades. BibleQuest helps children discover the Bible as a document relevant to their everyday lives. Through Bible stories, they are encouraged to explore social issues, making age-appropriate connections between faith and life.

Vacation Bible School

VBS Registration Form
2008 VBS, July 8, 9, 10
(Tuesday - Thursday)
8:30-11:30am
$8.00 registration fee
click to download registration form

Children, Celebrate!

An action-packed activity time for K-grade 2 led by Tony Hill. This group meets on Sunday afternoons during the school year in the Underground, Room 204.

Children's Music Programs

The Children’s Choir is open to all children in kindergarten through fifth grade and meets Sundays at 5:00 throughout the school year. Basics such as rhythm, pitch, articulation, and vocal tone are taught, as well as varied styles of repertoire. The children sing regularly for worship and other special services.

First Christian Church held its first Music Camp in 1999, and it quickly became a summer tradition. The goal of Music Camp is to teach elementary-age children the fundamentals of music in a fun and wholesome Christian environment. This activity is open to all children who have completed Kindergarten-5th grade. Music Camp always culminates in a musical, which is presented to the congregation during worship on the Sunday following camp. All campers participate, wearing their special Music Camp T-shirts.

Children Worship & Wonder

During the 10:30 Sunday service your children age 4 through 2nd grade can explore worship in a different, more relaxed setting. This child-centered service is based on Children Worship & Wonder, a Montessori-based faith development program.

Children learn to quietly and respectfully gather in their own sanctuary. Children learn to praise through singing with sign language, ritual, and corporate prayer. The word of God is proclaimed through the sharing of a Bible story each week. Children are encouraged to ask "wondering" questions and then respond to the story through arts, crafts, and storytelling. This is followed by a feast and each child is sent out with a blessing to serve in God's name.

*Children Worship & Wonder is adapted from Young Children and Worship training by Sonja Stewart, professor of Christian Education at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI, and Godly Play training by Jerome Berryman, director of the Center for the Theology of Childhood in Houston, TX.

Young Disciples Worship

Young Disciples Worship Services are offered every other Sunday at 10:30 for children in the third through fifth grades in order to transition kids from the Children Worship and Wonder experience to our adult services. YD follows the same order of worship as our adult services, with an age-appropriate Bible story told as the Morning’s Message which includes a time for questioning and reflection. True communion or a symbolic “feast" is offered in this service for children who have discussed the significance of communion with their parents and who may or may not have been baptized yet. Parents and children are encouraged to decide together which choice is the best for them. Children join their parents in adult worship on the Sundays that YD is not offered – as this adult worship participation is part of the transitioning experience.

Junior Fellowship (JYF)

This mission-oriented activity time for grades 3-5 meets in the Garden Room from 4 to 5 pm on Sunday.

First Christian Church of Huntsville, Alabama

Children