We hope the following information regarding our Children's Ministries, for children ages two through 5th grade, will answer most of the questions you may have. However, if you have any questions please contact our Children’s Pastors Donna Williams and Valerie Tucker at
Donna Williams - (donnaw@colecommunity.org)
Valerie Tucker - (valeriet@colecommnity.org)
or Elder Don Pettinger (donp@colecommunity.org).
You also may leave a message for Donna or Valerie at the church office (375-3565).
Children’s Ministries
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Note: If you feel that God is touching your heart to minister to children, please consider being a part of our Sunday School teams.
Our Children’s Ministry Goals
For the Children:
Our desired goal for the children is for them to receive solid biblical teaching in a loving and fun environment, where a contagious faith in Christ is spread from Children’s Ministry staff to child, from child to world.
For the Children’s Ministry Leaders:
Our desired goal for the Children’s Ministry leaders (Sunday School staff, Kidz Club team, etc.) is for them to grow spiritually through their service, unite as a team within their ministry, and be equipped with new ideas and thorough training so that their time with the children is fully utilized for the teaching of biblical truths and establishing of relationships.
For the Parents:
Our desired goal for the parents is for them to be reassured that their child is receiving Godly teaching and is personally loved and prayed for by the staff, while encouraging and equipping the parents to continue the Christian education in the home.
We strive to meet these goals through the following…
Sunday School
We operate a year-round Sunday School program for 2 year olds through 5th grade. Nursery is available for infants and toddlers. Each Sunday School classroom is staffed with a minimum of two teachers and two helpers serving on alternate Sundays. The school year staff serves from September through Memorial Day and summer staff serves from June through Labor Day. Parent helpers are appreciated in the classroom and we ask that parents sign up to help as an extra set of hands in their child’s class at least once a quarter.
It is very important to us that the children in our program receive solid biblical teaching and are stretched in their faith. We want them to be spiritually growing and learning through our Sunday School program and applying biblical truths to their daily lives. In September, 2007, we introduced a new curriculum to the program, DiscipleLand. (To find out more about the curriculum, check out their website at www.discipleland.com.) We are excited about this change and the way it will challenge and grow our children and teachers. Two of our classes do offer a different curriculum: first hour 4th grade studies the book of Acts with an emphasis on missions and second hour 1st through 3rd grade are combined in Chapel which teaches on a three-year rotation through a variety of Old and New Testament books from the Bible.
We are blessed with many willing servants here at Cole Community Church who desire to have an impact on a child’s life and are willing to serve in this ministry. We screen our workers and come to personally know them so that we are confident in the safety of the children with which we are entrusted. We meet monthly with the Sunday School staff to offer training and equipping and focus on spiritual nourishment and prayer.
Special Needs Ministry
While the Sunday School program has been effective in making disciples for Christ, we recognize that the traditional environment is not always best-suited for children with special needs. With that in mind, the Sunday School ministry desires to individually serve and support these children that the Lord brings into our church family so that they, too, have the opportunity to learn of Jesus and grow in their faith.
The Special Needs Ministry is designed to assist children with special needs by matching each individual student with one or two Special Needs Ministry team members to assist the child in whatever way is necessary, whether it be within the classroom or in a separate environment. The team members will develop a relationship with the child and family to provide support and facilitate age- and ability-appropriate biblical teaching and application on Sunday mornings. Each situation will be individually structured to meet the specific needs of the child and volunteers.
Kidz Club
We recognize that friendships within the classroom are often a determining factor, particularly for the upper grade school, in whether or not a child desires to attend Sunday School. This carries over to junior high and high school where a child is even more resistant to attending ministry events if they do not know anyone. For this reason, Cole Kidz Club was formed as a fun way for our children to build lasting relationships with other children in their age group at Cole.
Kidz Club meets in the church auditorium on the second Wednesday of the month from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. during the school year. The evening includes some free time for children to play with each other, as well as organized games that help kids of the same age work together. Short lessons are incorporated to teach and encourage biblical character that the children can apply to their daily lives. The evening ends with a snack and more free playtime that leave the kids wanting to come back soon!! In addition to this night at church, a monthly activity is provided off campus for the families to get to know each other as well.
Vacation Bible School
Many an adult has fond memories of going to Vacation Bible School as a child, perhaps even accepting Christ as their Savior during that time. We offer VBS in the summer as an opportunity for the children to hear the Gospel message in an exciting environment with lots of fun activity focused on learning biblical truths. This is also an opportunity for outreach as kids are encouraged to bring their friends and children are invited from the neighborhood.
A – Z Parenting Class
Because parents have the primary responsibility as given by God to spiritually train their children, we desire to equip and train our parents to carry out this all-important task. Parenting classes are held approximately five times during the school year with a variety of topics and speakers that appeal to parents with children of any age. It is also an opportunity for people to meet other parents with children of the same age. The Children’s Ministry offers these classes as part of a joint venture with the Youth Ministry and Cole Valley Christian School.
As Children Pastors since April, 2007, we continue to develop the Children’s Ministry with the vision God has given us—it is a work in process! But at the heart of all we do is seeing children come to personally know the Lord and to have their daily lives changed because of their relationship with Him.
If you have any questions regarding this ministry, feel free to contact us at anytime at the church (375-3565) or by email (valeriet@colecommunity.org or donnaw@colecommunity.org).
God bless you!
Valerie Tucker & Donna Williams
Children’s Pastors
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