Real Jesus. Real Kids. Real World.
At Church of the Good Shepherd, we believe that kids need the gospel too, and aim to love them through sound teaching, compassionate leadership, and consistent mentorship. While we adhere to the belief that the family is a child’s first place of ministry, the church strives to reinforce the nurture kids receive within their own families and to further support these children as they grow to know Jesus personally.
Announcements
Upcoming Events
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Story Time: Fridays, 10-11am in CGS Kids Resource Center. View the summer schedule here.
When + Where
Sunday School for ages 3 years – 5th grade is held during the 9:30 hour in assigned classrooms. Kids can check in at the Welcome Desk located in the Kids’ Concourse.
During the Worship Service, kids ages 3 years through 3rd grade can be dismissed during the announcements to attend Children’s Worship. Children’s Worship is split into three classes: 3 & 4-year-olds, Kindergarten-1st grade, and 2nd-3rd grade. Parents must drop children off at their classes and pick them up once service is over.
We also have Kids’ Worship Bags for use during the service. Each Sunday, visit our Children’s Worship Bag Table, located at the back right side of the Sanctuary, to pick up an age-appropriate children’s worship bag prior to the service. Two sets are available: one for children 3-7 years old & one for kiddos 7+ years old. Each week they will contain kid’s bulletins, crayons, and a Bible storybook (for the younger kiddos), and maybe even a fun surprise from time to time! So grab a bag each Sunday & don’t forget to return it at the end of the service!
Ages 12 weeks through 2 years are accommodated throughout the service in the nursery for the entirety of the service.
Check-In System
We use a digital check-in system that prints name badges for children that include food allergies. To check in, simply visit the Kid’s Check-in Desk in the Kid’s Concourse, located just outside the nursery. Please be able to affirm the following statements before checking your child in to Children’s Ministry:
- No one in my household has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 5 days.
- No one in my household currently has any COVID symptoms: new cough, fever, chills, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath.
- No unvaccinated person in my household has had close contact (been within 6 feet of someone diagnosed with COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period) in the last 5 days.
- No one in my household has been contacted by health department staff advising them to quarantine for 5 days.
Curriculum
Sunday School
Our kids’ Sunday School classes are 9:30-10:30am. For our SMC hour, our CGS kids are engaged in a Gospel-rich, Jesus-centered curriculum, Gospel Story Kids, by Marty Machowski.
“The Gospel Story Curriculum teaches children that the Bible is one continuous story pointing to Jesus as the hero. Designed to span three years, the 156 lessons present key stories from Genesis to Revelation, each highlighting God’s plan of redemption in a way that’s engaging, interactive, and easy to understand.”
Previous Sunday School Curriculums
Children’s Worship
Each Sunday, during the sermon portion of the worship service, our young children (ages 3 years through 3rd grade) will be dismissed to learn more about God! Our preschool children are currently engaged in “My ABC Bible Verses” curriculum.
“These lessons put the memory verses in the context of the gospel story. Every lesson points to Jesus. Every lesson emphasizes our need for the Holy Spirit to change our hearts and to transform us into the likeness of Jesus.” -Susan Hunt
Our kindergarten through third graders are learning about attributes of God with “The ABCs of God,” a curriculum written by Truth 78.
“The ABCs of God is a Sunday School curriculum for children on the greatness and worth of God. It uses the alphabet as a framework for learning the attributes of God and other terms that describe His character, at an age-appropriate level. (Note that attributes are purposely not taught in alphabetical order.)
Each lesson asks and answers three key questions, “Who is God?” “What is He like?” and “How should I act toward HIm?” as it presents a theology of God for children. Through the use of a teaching aid called “The Blessing Box,” students will discover a new attribute of God each week and will be challenged to consider how they should respond to an amazing God who is worthy of their greatest love, honor, trust, and obedience.”
Serve
Contact
Bethany Porter (Director of Children’s Ministry)
Social Media
We now have special CGS Children’s Ministry social media channels. Check them out below:
COVID-19 Protocol
As we resume in-person Children’s Ministry activities, we have put together a COVID-19 protocol for our children and volunteers.
View Children’s Ministry COVID-19 Protocol
CGS Kids + Nursery Sickness Policy