We believe that for our children, to be faithful life-long disciples of Jesus, they must come to love the local church. To help teach this, they must constantly be given appropriate opportunities to interact with brothers and sisters of all ages and all backgrounds. Whether it’s in worship services, times of fellowship, or on mission trips here and around the world, we encourage families to include their children.

We also think it’s important to intentionally train our kids to participate in the Sunday worship service as soon as they are capable. We also realize this process is different for every family. To assist parents with this process, we have “Kid’s Bridge” for 4th and 5th graders. Kid’s Bridge allows these kids to participate with you in all aspects of worship at the beginning of our service. Then, during the time of the sermon, they have the option to be dismissed to Kid’s Bridge. In Kid’s Bridge, they will be taught the importance of the church.

Bridge Leaders will teach them about each component of our worship service (announcements, singing, testimonies, offertory, scripture reading, baptism, the Lord’s Table). They will be led in hearing and applying their lives to the same passage being preached that day in worship. They will come to understand why preaching is vital for the whole church’s health and mission. Kids will have a chance to ask questions about the passage and also will be given the resources to help review the sermon with their families at home.

Kids Bridge is only an optional discipleship tool depending on the needs of each child and family.

For parents who want to utilize Kid’s Bridge, as the preacher for the day comes to the pulpit a slide will appear on the screens to dismiss them to the back of the worship area where Bridge Leaders will be waiting for them.

At the end of the service, parents will then stop and check out their 4th or 5th grader from the Kid’s Bridge Leaders in the designated area.

We pray that this will help our 4th and 5th graders understand and come to love the local church.