Children's Ministries

Children and God's grace:

Hope Baptist Church loves children! Children are given to parents as a clear sign of God's blessing and grace toward them. In Psalm 127:3, we read "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward." When we think of children, our minds ought to think of how God's grace has been poured out. Children are a "reward" from God. We want our children to feel loved and protected as a gift from God. Jesus demonstrated this kind of attitude as his own disciples were rebuking parents for bringing their infants to him (Luke 18:15). Jesus not only rebuked the disciples, He called out to the children saying, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God." (v. 16). To hinder children or to push them off to the side as unimportant is a spiritual neglect of children. We desperately want our children to feel loved as though they were in the presence of Jesus Himself when they are around the church body.

Children's Activities:

Through the service of many people in the church we are able to do many ministries that help us serve children and their families. On Sunday mornings, we offer nursery service for parents. Children ages 0-4 are welcome. These young children hear Bible songs and are taught Bible stories by the workers. The children learn about God's love for them and how God can do all things. We offer Sunday school classes for ages pre-school (beginning at age 3) through the sixth grade. Another privilege that we enjoy doing is the dedication of babies in the Sunday morning worship service. It is a dedication of the baby to the Lord and we also ask pledges from the parents and other siblings as well as from the church body. In our Sunday school classes, we use "Children Desiring God curriculum" which is designed to help children live life in a God-centered way. They hear through the lessons that they were made for the glory of God. On Wednesday nights from September to April, we offer "Treasure Seekers". This is for children in grades 1-6. It includes games, singing and Bible instruction from the "Children Desiring God" curriculum. We also do two special events during the year. On July 4^th, we have a celebration called "Fun on the 4^th". We have numerous games and wonderful food and all of it is offered free of charge. On October 31^st, we offer a Halloween alternative where children can come dressed in costumes and enjoy a safe environment with plenty of fun and food.

Values for Children's Ministries
1.	To help our parents raise their children for Christ as they have been commanded by the Lord.
Parents have the God-given responsibility to raise their children for His sake. The church is never to overtake the responsibility from them nor are parents to forsake that responsibility through negligence and depending on the church to "save" their children". Our main task as a church is supplementing and offering support to the parents.

2.	To faithfully teach the Word of God through God-centered curriculum so that our children might be saved, nourished and strengthened by God's Word.
Curriculum is not an unimportant issue. What we choose to use to teach our children will be imbedded in their minds for the rest of their lives. The curriculum we use is chosen because it is saturated with the aroma of God and His all-encompassing glory. Children need the Word of God taught to them just as much as adults do. They have the same needs that we do-to be saved, nourished and strengthened by the Word.

3.	To instill in our church that children's ministry is not second-rate ministry and that it is worth investing our very best.
Children's ministry is sometimes relegated unwittingly to a status that makes it less than adult ministry. Children and the resources that we allot to them as a church should not give a sense that children are less important than the adults. Children's ministry because of the importance of helping and instructing children demands that we invest our very best in them.

4.	To instill in our children an attitude of honor and respect toward peers, adults and teachers that results in appropriate actions toward each of those groups.
Children should be taught at home the appropriate ways of honoring and respecting others around them. We do want to make sure that those same values are carried on here at church and are congruent with what is hopefully taking place at home. Teaching children how to honor and respect others is part of training and instructing them in God's Word.

5.	To provide our children, as much as we possibly can, with a safe environment in which to grow up under God's Word withod God's people.
Children are very susceptible to evil and to danger. Because of that, there ought to be intentional ways of helping to ensure their protection. We have tried to do that as we have implemented a child protection program. Those who work with children in the church have to fill out an application, watch a video talking about child abuse and be approved by the church in order to work with children.

6.	To pray and minister to our children by God's grace so that they might have a genuine conversion and saving relationship with Christ.
When a child is born, they are already in need of God's grace for the purpose of salvation. All that we do in raising children should be aimed at that greatest thing that can happen in their lives - they are saved and converted to Christ. We do not want to pressure our children into make decision for Christ. The Holy Spirit must breathe upon them and give them new and eternal life in Christ. For this, we are dependent upon the grace of God. We want to pray for and look for signs of the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives and guide them with the Word of God.

7.	To help our children learn how to become worshippers of God which includes helping parents, especially Fathers, take the initiative in working with their children at home and at church.
We want the very best for our children. What greater thing can there be than to see a child learning and growing in becoming a worshipper of God! Our hope is not just that children would come to church but that they would be taught how to worship God. Children can worship God and our task is to help them. Fathers as the head of their homes must take the lead and work with their children at home and at church. We must help Fathers shoulder this load!

Children and Children's church:

Our church does not offer a children's church program. Some people might be confused why we would not do such a thing. For some, that might be an indication that we do not care about the spiritual state of our children. On the contrary, we care deeply for our children and do not feel we are neglecting or harming our children because we do not offer children's church. We believe that is best if our families worship God together. Here are six reasons why we do have families worship together instead of splitting them apart.

1.

Children need to be with their parents during corporate worship. Worship should be a family experience that is shared and enjoyed together. This gives the family an opportunity to discuss the worship service together.

2.

Children need to be with their parents so they can observe them as they worship God. Parents are their primary models of how to worship God. Children need to see God working in their parents lives during worship.

3.
Children can learn much more than what we give them credit and are able to comprehend a lot of what takes place in the service including the sermon. Children may not grasp everything in a worship service, but as the listen over time, they will pick up much more than we thought possible.

4.
Children need to learn how to become active participants in the worship service as they grow in the faith. They can be worshippers of God at their age and need to learn and grow in what it means to worship God. For this to happen, they need guidance and instruction.

5.

Children have Sunday school classes where Bible teaching and doctrine is taught at their level. We have solid, Biblical curriculum that challenge children according to their age and maturity.

Because of these reasons, our desire is to help and coach parents in how to guide their children through the worship service so that it is meaningful for the children. We do not want to ignore or neglect the children during the worship service but parents have to be the ones to make sure this does not happen. We do special things to help our parents in this task. By every Thursday evening of every week, parents can go to our website www.hopemankato.org and see what the order of service will be for the upcoming Sunday morning worship service. The list of songs to be sung that morning will also be listed. Parents are then able to prepare their children for what will happen during the worship service. Scriptures and songs to be used in the service are listed so parents can better prepare them to listen, understand, sing etc. We want our children to learn how to become worshippers of our great God. Our pastor also goes each week into the children's Sunday school classes for five minutes to give them a brief summary of the sermon. We also provide bags in the back of the sanctuary for young children. In these bags are various activities for the children to do during appropriate times in the service. They are not meant to distract the children from the worship service but to help them follow along especially during the sermon. We also make our nursery available for children up to age four.

Children and Children's church:
Our church does not offer a children's church program. Some people might be confused why we would not do such a thing. For some, that might be an indication that we do not care about the spiritual state of our children. On the contrary, we care deeply for our children and do not feel we are neglecting or harming our children because we do not offer children's church. We believe that is best if our families worship God together. Here are six reasons why we do have families worship together instead of splitting them apart.
1.	Children need to be with their parents during corporate worship. Worship should be a family experience that is shared and enjoyed together. This gives the family an opportunity to discuss the worship service together.
2.	Children need to be with their parents so they can observe them as they worship God. Parents are their primary models of how to worship God. Children need to see God working in their parents lives during worship.
3.	Children can learn much more than what we give them credit and are able to comprehend a lot of what takes place in the service including the sermon. Children may not grasp everything in a worship service, but as the listen over time, they will pick up much more than we thought possible.
4.	Children need to learn how to become active participants in the worship service as they grow in the faith. They can be worshippers of God at their age and need to learn and grow in what it means to worship God. For this to happen, they need guidance and instruction.
5.	Children have Sunday school classes where Bible teaching and doctrine is taught at their level. We have solid, Biblical curriculum that challenge children according to their age and maturity.