Children and Youth Ministries
Children Young . . . Children Learn
As so many have said before, children are our most valuable asset. The word of God offers the following admonition: “Raise up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they will not depart from it.”
While we agree that this responsibility lies first with the parents of a child, we see the Church as a valuable tool to teach our children about Jesus and living a truly Christian life. Also, children need to be taught the value of putting off self-interest, putting on a servant’s heart, and putting others first . . . just as Jesus taught all of us to do! These ideals shape our approach to children’s ministry. At Prayer Center we find ourselves in a unique position to minister in a unique way that actually helps us achieve these ideals!
Due to our small beginnings and our small congregation we are not yet in a position to offer age specific Sunday School curriculums. Therefore, we use a multi-age level Sunday school curriculum specifically designed for churches like ours, and our Sunday school ministry accepts children from infancy to age 11. But however unique our situation is, we find that it affords us a rare opportunity to develop something else in our more mature young people ages 12 through high school. Read on . . .
Children Grow . . . To Become Young People Who Serve
We are sensitive to the reality that most junior-high kids have a limited capacity to sit through the Sunday morning service! Therefore, we encourage our junior-high and high school age young people to be servants to the younger children in a role as assistants to our Sunday school teachers. This is designed to ingrain in them the very principles that we have been teaching them as children - putting the interests of others first and serving others with a true heart - at the very age when their self-interest begins to peak! This helps our young people develop awareness to the needs of others, and teaches them to meet those needs in a Christ-like way! In this way we work to meet the needs of all our young people until we grow to the point of being able to expand our children’s and youth ministry programs.
Thus far, for those who have become a part of our fellowship, this approach is working very well and producing much Christ-like fruit in the lives of those young people who become involved as assistants!
At Prayer Center parents are also encouraged to take part in the children’s ministry. Each month a schedule is made from the list of volunteers who desire to lead one Sunday of the week. If as a parent you feel your child is mature enough to be part of the adult service, please let us know so we can excuse them. We however request that you keep a close eye on your child so that he/she does not disrupt others. If you have any comments or questions please contact: Quanda Ross @ 423 478-5044