ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Kindergarten age children through 5th graders are taught during the 10:00 a.m. Church School hour each Sunday. Our curriculum is "Walk With Me” which is published by Faith Alive resources and is faithful to the Reformed/Presbyterian interpretation of Scripture. It's teacher-friendly and it is fun for kids. It is a curriculum that nurtures the faith of our children and helps them develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This curriculum includes all the intelligences in the lesson plans, which makes it easy to plan for all the individual learning styles of our children.     

PRESCHOOL

 We are blessed with a great number of preschoolers in our halls on Sunday morning. We have two paid childcare workers in each room along with parent helpers serving on a rotating basis that provide for proper care.  The Crib Room is for infants and crawlers. Children who are comfortable walking move to the Toddler Room. Parents will need to sign in when they bring their children, pick up a security tag, and leave a cell phone number in case they need to be reached (cell phones set to vibrate). Please remember to label all diaper bags, cups and lids, bottles, etc.

With the exception of new walkers, children are assigned to a classroom based on their age as of October 16 and "graduate" each fall with their class. This allows the children to become well acquainted and comfortable with the group with whom they will go through school.

Preschool Room Assignments:
Crib/Crawlers P104,105
Toddlers C104, 105
Twos C101, 102
Threes C204, 205
Fours/Fives C201, 202


 

This is our youngest Sunday school class offering which is for our 2 year olds.  Our 2-year olds are introduced to God and Jesus using an age-appropriate curriculum that provides routine and structure while maintaining a fun, flexible and joyful environment.  Each Sunday during the 10 o’clock hour a teacher leads the children through a 10 to 15 minute lesson including singing, discussion, prayer and an art activity.  Lesson themes include Bible stories, such as creation and the life and ministry of Jesus, and the truths about God’s love and gifts to each of us. The children quickly learn the routine of this special time together and it is amazing how much they comprehend and retain.

This year we are offering a new program for this age group during the 9:00 and 11:00 worship hours.  We will be using a new resource and schedule for these children.  This program will be supported by our Parent Helpers and Paid Workers during this time frame.

A small snack is provided during the 10:00 hour.  Please bring a sippy cup, diapers and/or change of clothes if necessary.

As our congregation continues to grow, we would love to have you involved in this special ministry for our youngest children.  If you have an interest in being part of the teaching group or if you have questions about our Little Lambs program please contact Lou Johnson at
704-927-0265 or ljohnson@firstpres-charlotte.org.

 
 

Worship Beginnings is offered during the 10:00 a.m. Church School hour. Each week they experience Interest Centers, hear a Bible Story, learn songs, prayers and finger plays and do story-related activities.  Interest Centers offer the opportunity for the children to hear the story theme in various settings.  Threes, 4/TKs learn at a rapid rate. They are filled with curiosity and love to explore and experience touching, seeing, smelling, tasting and hearing new things. They also like to retell stories and imitate others. Opportunities to affirm and praise them abound! With this in mind, each week a Parent's Page will explain our lesson so that there can be follow-up discussion about Worship Beginnings in the family setting. Parent Pages and other items your child may have to take home will be on a shelf in the hallway each week.

This is our Sunday school class for these three age groups.  We will offer this class ONLY during our 10 o’clock regular Sunday school hour this year. During our 9:00 and 11:00 worship hours we will be using a new resource and schedule for our children of this age.  We will be relying on our Parent Helpers and Paid Workers to run this portion of our program during the 9 & 11 time slots.

Our goal for our Worship Beginning Program is to make God known simply and clearly, using the stories and teachings of the Bible in a way that children can understand.  Our desire is for each child to come to know God, to experience Jesus’ love, and to respond to that love as the Holy Spirit works in each heart.  Each Sunday a teacher will lead the children through a 10 to 15 minute lesson that includes singing, discussion, prayer and an art activity. 

Time: 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.
Ages:  3’s, 4’s & 5’s
Place:  Regular Sunday School Rooms

This program is new this year!  We are offering a fresh new approach
to enhance our Sunday school hour with this age group. It is
our hope that the children will:

• Become eager to learn about God
• Become acquainted with the stories of Scripture
• Come to know and experience the loving care of our great God
• Experience a warm and nurturing place to learn about God

At the heart of this program is a series of 52 Bible stories written and beautifully illustrated for this age group.  It is a program designed to teach the stories in a child like manner that will invite questions of faith from this age child.


 

 

CHILDREN AND WORSHIP

Children and Worship offers a meaningful experience for children during the 9:00 and 11:00 Worship hour. This exciting program is for children in kindergarten through first grade. Children have an actual worship experience where they meet and greet each other, present their offerings, sing, pray, hear Bible stories and Scripture, respond to the worship time and gather for the Benediction. The purpose of this program is to introduce our children to a meaningful worship relationship with God that will lead them to a mature faith in years to come.

Children go to the beginning of the Worship Service with their parents. Families are encouraged to sit near the front of the sanctuary, as the children will leave the sanctuary during the second hymn to continue worshiping God. Parents should pick up their children from Room P203, which is the room off of the Fellowship Hall following the Benediction.

SECURITY

A safe, nurturing environment is a primary concern for the church and for parents and families. We address security by having paid staff and Parent Helpers in childcare areas, by having a sign-in system and by using numbered safety tags. In addition, professional safety personnel are on the Church campus each Sunday morning.

OTHER NURSERY TIMES

Nursery Staff is available for all Worship services except for 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve. This includes Wednesday Worship as well as Sunday. Other occasions where childcare may be available include some Presbyterian Women's events, bible studies and special lecture series. For questions about specific events, please refer to FirstNews or call the church office.