wellkids...
If you've got 'em, bring 'em
Your babies.
Here's how it's going to go. See, Todd (your founding pastor) and his wife Niki have four kids.
9, 7, 5, 2.5
Yes, you read that right.
That's a lot of kids. What's that I hear? "Prove it?"
BooYaa!
Point is. We love kids.
To start--this is a church plant after all--we'll keep things very simple. We'd like you to bring your kids with you into the 'sanctuary' (it's really just a very humble 'music hall' to begin with) for the first few moments together. We'll welcome you and do some singing. Your kids can sit or stand or sing (my youngest loves to sing my older three are too shy) or color on sheets we'll give them with crayons you can grab on your way in.
Then we'll spend a moment with them. We'll talk about what they're going to do, we'll 'tease' the story a little, we'll tell them why we do this and we'll pray.
Then you can take them with you off to their rooms. There will be a little more worship in the 'sanctuary' while you're doing this so that you can get back for the start of the sermon.
There will only be three rooms to start.
The first a nursery for babies through to toddlers. We'll provide a live feed from the 'sanctuary' into this room so that, if you're nursing or just want to stay with your baby, you can see and hear what's going on.
If your baby will stay with you in the sanctuary and won't be competing with the preacher we invite you to stay with us. You'll know when to switch rooms if baby starts fussing. We know how that goes, we've had four.
The two downstairs rooms (we'll have pictures soon) will be for the older kids (JK-Grade 2). In each room there will be a big carpet and toys and some crafts and some of our leaders. Babysitters (screened and trained by Todd and Niki) at first and then augmented by some of you parents, giving one week out of six to help, will welcome your kids and you'll get a bracelet with a number on it. If you need to come get your child we'll post your number on the screen during the sermon.
Your kids will play and craft and snack and learn about Jesus. The Bible study portion of their time will be connected to what you, as parents, are learning in the sanctuary. Our curriculum will be built to match our sermon series, changing on a monthly basis.
If your child is eight years or older (or younger if you think they can handle it and want to) they'll stay with you in the 'sanctuary'. They'll listen to the preacher, or color, or read books soaking it all in. When God begins 'doing things' in response to the preaching or the worship your kids--along with you--will 'feel it' and that, almost more than anything, and the fact that they're there with you and watching you respond, will be the most important part of their experience of God at THE WELL.
If God is alive kids can feel Him too. If your kids see you responding, they will too.
As we add people and kids we'll begin assembling a team of professionals to help your kids learn to love Jesus, their parents, their church and their city.
Someday we'll build an indoor climbing structure for them.
But now we're getting ahead of ourselves...
We're glad you're here, and we hope this helps.
TW
