Children - Evangelical Covenant Church

Welcome to Children’s Ministry of The Evangelical Covenant Church of Hinsdale. We treasure our children and are privileged to be a part of their spiritual formation.

Below are some core values that shape our ministry:

1. Children’s Ministry will be Bible-based. We are committed to teach the Bible to our children in a relevant way so that they can apply His word to their lives at home, school, and church.

2. Children’s Ministry will be child-oriented. We are committed to making Children’s Ministry fun, not boring; and making church a place where children come because they want to, not because they have to. We want to teach innovative lessons according to each child’s learning style, needs and capabilities, thus making learning a joyful process. We want to teach the Bible in a language they can understand and use.

3. We are committed to safety and seek to create place for our children where they are protected from physical, spiritual, and emotional harm during their time at church. We also seek to create a loving environment. We want the children to experience unconditional love as we lavish them with grace. We do not desire to shape their lives by rewarding them for performances which please us, but rather performances that please God.

4. Our Children’s Ministry will be excellent. Excellence does not mean that our Children’s Ministry will always have a polished outward appearance but means that we are committed to serve faithfully in Children’s Ministry in order to bring honor to God and to grow in our personal relationship with Him. As a result of our commitment to God, we will serve our children better.

5. Children’s Ministry will be a community-wide ministry. Although parents are the primary spiritual providers for their children, we believe that all adult members have a vital part in the spiritual formation of our children through modeling Christ-centered lives. Community-wide also means that children are part of the community, and they have valuable contributions to make. We are committed to growing hand-in-hand with our children.

NURSERY CARE

Nursery care is available to children, infants through five years of age, during all three worship services. The nursery is located at the bottom of the south stairwell.

TWO AND THREE YEAR OLDS

“Little Lambs”

The Little Lambs program is designed for children two to three years of age. There are three areas of teaching focus: Bible stories, Bible verses, and hymns. The aim is to introduce young children to the Bible and to help them know the love of God.

Teaching times are supplemented with transitional activities like free play and rhythm. We welcome children with no other prior experience in any structured learning environment. Our goal is to provide a safe and nurturing place where your child can learn about the Lord and begin to be prepared for a more structured learning environment.

Little Lambs is a place where your child will have fun, feel loved, and where the seeds of truth expressed in the word of God can be planted into your child’s heart.

PRESCHOOL THROUGH SIXTH GRADE

"B.L.A.S.T."

B.L.A.S.T. stands for “Bible Learning Adventure Stations” and is a rotation style Sunday school program designed to grow the faith of children ages four through sixth grade. Kids spend four weeks studying one Bible story, rotating each Sunday through four different stations. Those four stations include: Thou Art Studio (art), The Garden of Eat’in (cooking), Biblemax Theatre (drama), and The Arkade (games).

The end result over the course of one school year is that the children have become very familiar with at least 8 Bible stories and 8 memory verses. B.L.A.S.T. has been designed as a six year program with no “repeats” during that length of time. This equates to almost 50 different Bible lessons studied from beginning to end!

B.L.A.S.T. classes are divided into the following four collective age groups:

Preschool & Kindergarten

First & Second Grade

Third & Fourth Grade

Fifth & Sixth Grade

All B.L.A.S.T. classes are located in the Lower Level of the church. Check out the “B.L.A.S.T. Board” near the Fourth Street entrance each Sunday for your child’s specific classroom location.