4kids4me Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 (edited) Ds needs these questions answered for Awana. I have a feeling church is done similarily in the States, and even maybe Australia, but it certainly helps to know for sure! How is the children's program run in your country? (Do you have Sunday school? Do you have a mid-week program?) Where do the children meet? (Do they segregate children by age?) If you have a mid-week program, do the children wear uniforms? What are your children learning at the moment? Do you teach about Christ in your home? Do you think it's the church's job to teach your child about Christ, or is it more important that it's coming from home? Thanks! Edited January 13, 2010 by 4kids4me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 I don't have any young children now so I can only answer for the church. My church has a Sunday School program after church service, a children's church during part of the church service for kids aged 4-8 (I think) and a Sunday evening children's program called Explorers. I believe they have lessons plus fun games or activities in that. There is no uniform though they might get a t-shirt at some time. (My girls get one at the youth group). The Explorers is for K-5, I believe. In 6th grade they move to the Youth Group. The SUnday school is divided by age or grade groupings but not by each individual grade. They learn about God, the Bible, and the Westminster Confession, which is about God and the Bible. We are members of a Presbyterian Church in America congregation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 At our church we do have a Sunday school. Kids meet together in a big group (K-4) and then they split out into gender and age separated small groups. As a family, we go to a "family service" called Rush Hour the hour before Sunday School and the topics the kids are learning about are introduced there so that the parent knows what the child is learning and can have active participation with the child during the week. Our church has a mid-week group called Bible Bowl (3rd -12th) that learn intense Bible and then compete monthly with other churches from several states. We have daily Bible in our home through our curriculum as well as studying for Bible Bowl. Does that help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Ds needs these questions answered for Awana. I have a feeling church is done similarily in the States, and even maybe Australia, but it certainly helps to know for sure! How is the children's program run in your country? (Do you have Sunday school? Do you have a mid-week program?) Our church has Sunday School for each grade while the adults are in church. Once they are in 6th grade, they come to the congregation for worship, and leave during the sermon. Where do the children meet? (Do they segregate children by age?) Children are segregated by grade until middle school. Then they are separated according to sex - mid-high girls/mid-high boys. High-school girls/High-school boys If you have a mid-week program, do the children wear uniforms? My girls are in American Heritage Girls and wear uniforms (like the Boyscouts or Girlscouts). What are your children learning at the moment?They are in Genesis and working their way through the Bible this year. Do you teach about Christ in your home? YesDo you think it's more important that the church teaches about Christ or that you teach about Him?That's a weird question. If it's a Christian Church and it doesn't teach about Christ, it's not a Christian Church. I think maybe the question is, is it the Church's job to teach my children about Christ or is it more my job. The answer to that is, it's my job. The church was created by Christ for the believer for fellowship, worship and community. The Bible instructs me to be the primary teacher to my children. I am ultimately responsible for what my children learn. I would not go to a church that did not have a strong children's program, but ultimately, it is my job to make sure they are learning about the Lord. Thanks! HTH! Dorinda:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 Dorinda...I've edited that last question so it's a little more clear...I hope! :) You were right, though, it didn't make sense! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Ds needs these questions answered for Awana. I have a feeling church is done similarily in the States, and even maybe Australia, but it certainly helps to know for sure! How is the children's program run in your country? (Do you have Sunday school? Do you have a mid-week program?) Some churches have Sunday school some don't. I went to church in Montana that did not have any children. It was a very small parish with about 10 families. All these families had grown children. But since I often missed the 9am Mass I'd go to the 1pm mass at this church. The parish where we are now has a children's program and a youth ministry. The children meet for Sunday school on Sunday mornings from 9-10:45. I'm not exactly sure what the youth do, but I know there is a high school level Sunday School class. Where do the children meet? (Do they segregate children by age?) Individual class rooms. They are segregated by grade/age. If you have a mid-week program, do the children wear uniforms? No and no What are your children learning at the moment? I seriously haven't a clue about what dd is learning in Sunday School. Do you teach about Christ in your home? Do you think it's the church's job to teach your child about Christ, or is it more important that it's coming from home? Yes, yes and yes. I don't think it is something that is more important coming from home. I don't think it is important for the church to teach, but important in a different way. We are called to live our faith. How can we live it if we are only living it during church? Thanks! HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Ds needs these questions answered for Awana. I have a feeling church is done similarily in the States, and even maybe Australia, but it certainly helps to know for sure! How is the children's program run in your country? (Do you have Sunday school? Do you have a mid-week program?) We have Sunday school and VBS, but no mid-week program. We have free baby sitting in a nursery for babies through age 2, and Sunday school and Bible classes for ages 3 and up. Age 3 through 8th graders meet in the church for a joint Sunday School opening, where we talk about the church year, Bible stories, theology, pray together, and learn hymns and songs. After about 20 minutes they break up into age-based classes and split into different classrooms. High schoolers have their own class, and so do adults. Where do the children meet? (Do they segregate children by age?) I talked about this above. We have a multipurpose building and two temp buildings for the classrooms. If you have a mid-week program, do the children wear uniforms? n/a What are your children learning at the moment? In the Sunday School openings, we are talking about what happened to Jesus between his birth and the beginning of His ministry. So last week we covered the visit of the Wise Men, the slaughter of the innocents, and the flight into Egypt. I do not know what is being covered in class right now. Do you teach about Christ in your home? Do you think it's the church's job to teach your child about Christ, or is it more important that it's coming from home? Yes, in fact, I would not attend a church whose attitude was, "Here, give me your kid so I can teach her RIGHT." I would not attend a church that involved sending the kids out of the church service for their own service or for Sunday school. Teaching my child about Christ is one of my main vocations in life. It is my responsibility, before God. The church is helpful, but not primary. Thanks! This varies a lot, but my answers are what happens in my church. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeefreak Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Dorinda...I've edited that last question so it's a little more clear...I hope! :) You were right, though, it didn't make sense! lol Don't you hate it when that happens? I didn't mean to sound harsh. Sorry! :D Dorinda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 Thanks, everyone. I've got the info I need and don't need more! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaHadley Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Ds needs these questions answered for Awana. I have a feeling church is done similarily in the States, and even maybe Australia, but it certainly helps to know for sure! How is the children's program run in your country? (Do you have Sunday school? Do you have a mid-week program?) we have sunday school, children's church (held during the last half of the regular worship service) and we have Awana on Sunday nights, and activities on Wednesday nights. Where do the children meet? (Do they segregate children by age?) various places throughout the church. they are separated by age. If you have a mid-week program, do the children wear uniforms? the only time they wear uniforms is the vests for awana What are your children learning at the moment? awana - they are learning about creation. I'm not sure what they are learning in Sunday school, though I could go find her paper from last week (sorry pregnancy brain is blocking my mind on that one !) Do you teach about Christ in your home? Do you think it's the church's job to teach your child about Christ, or is it more important that it's coming from home? We do learn about Christ in our home. We use many opportunities each day to discuss what the Bible says about situations. We work through Awana verses together, and read Bible stories and study character qualities. I think that the church should teach about Christ, but most of the training and learning should be from home. Thanks! hth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forty-two Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 How is the children's program run in your country? (Do you have Sunday school? Do you have a mid-week program?) We have Sunday School, for kids and for adults, between services on Sunday morning (we have two services, 8am and 10.45am; SS is at 9:30.) Otherwise, we have no children's church or other program during the service itself - everyone is together in the sanctuary. As for mid-week, we have confirmation classes for 7th & 8th on Wednesday nights, but that's it. Where do the children meet? (Do they segregate children by age?) The kids have Sunday School in classrooms. They are separated by age: 3yo-8th grade has its own class for each year, while 9th-12th all meet together in one class. The adult classes are topical, not age-based. If you have a mid-week program, do the children wear uniforms? Nope. What are your children learning at the moment? Dd3 is learning basic Bible stories, simple memory verses along with the Lord's Prayer, and children's Bible songs. Do you teach about Christ in your home? Yes. We have nightly family devotions (working on expanding that to morning, noon, and evening, as well), and regularly read the Bible and Bible stories, listen to hymns, and pray often. Just as important, I try very hard to live out my faith, to be a good Christian witness to my kids, and I also try to take advantage of "teachable moments" as they come up. Do you think it's the church's job to teach your child about Christ, or is it more important that it's coming from home? The church plays an important part, but it is not the church's job - it's the parents' job. The church can help parents fulfill their duties in this regard, though - both through directly teaching children and through equipping parents to teach their children. (FYI, we are Lutheran.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 We have Sunday School and mid-week for children. We implement the Pioneer Clubs Program for mid-week. Children are sort of age segregated. We are a small church, so basically it's nursery till age 4, lower elementary, upper elementary and youth. Uniforms - We bought PC t-shirts for the kids in club, but the decal came off waay to quickly. But, we like the idea. What they're learning - Sunday School - elements of Worship, the Lord's Prayer Pioneer Clubs - Being Part of God's Family Do we teach about Christ in our home? Yes Which is more important? We believe that the primary responsibility for spiritual training is the parents'. However, it is also important for families to attend church together and the church needs to undergird and support what the parents are teaching in the home regarding spiritual matters. I forgot to add: we are Presbyterians belonging to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church denomination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kids4me Posted January 14, 2010 Author Share Posted January 14, 2010 The replies have been more than helpful...even the ones that have corrected my sentences. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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