We are introducing a new rhythm to our Sunday mornings: Family Gatherings. Every third Sunday of the month, we are inviting kids to remain in the auditorium with families for the duration of the service. While we will still offer a nursery for kids 2 and under, we envision a space for families to worship, learn, and experience our Gatherings together.
On Our Hearts
This vision was a collaboration of kids ministry volunteers, staff, and parents who aspire to celebrate the intergenerational realities of church life. Most Sundays, our kids come forward to the front of the room for a focused time of teaching tailored to their age and understanding. And afterwards, they usually go to the gym for some fellowship, prayer, and shenanigans. We carefully curate this space for the sake of kids who are learning that church is family. But what if we, for one week a month, envisioned the whole family together? That is what has been on our collective heart. And so, 3rd Sunday Family Gatherings begin this Easter.
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
Psalm 145:3-8
What to Expect
Just like most Sundays, kids 3 and up are with their families until the invitation to come forward for the kids moment of teaching. After the kids moment, we will send them back to families with “busy bags” in hand. These busy bags may include coloring and activity sheets, crowns, stickers, or various other ways to engage the kids with the lesson from their seats. We may even try to tailor our sermons to include the kids or at least embrace their presence in the room. At the end of the service, busy bags can be returned to a bin near the exit, while kids can take home the sheets and activities they used.
Would you join us as we follow Christ into becoming more and more of a family? We want to live out our faith and surround the next generation as an embodied testimony of God’s love. We hope Family Sundays become part of our cherished family rhythms here at theHeart.