White Bear Lake United Methodist Church
Children's Ministries
The goal of Children's Ministry at WBLUMC is to form faith in our children and to provide an environment that is safe, nurturing, and fun, where children can learn that as a Child of God, they receive his unconditional everlasting love.
NOTE: For the sake of consistency, children will remain in the same level all year; there will be no “graduating” mid-year. Every fall, we will look at the child’s age (by September 1) to determine which class best serves the child.
Sunday School Parents - Please remember to pick up your toddler through 4th grader from his/her Sunday School class immediately following worship. According to our Safe Church policy, the volunteer teachers are not allowed to release the students until their parent arrives at their classroom. Thank you!
Sunday School & Wednesday Night Programs
Sunday School begins September 19th and Wednesday nigh programming begins September 15th!
Nursery
Sundays, 9:00 & 10:30am |Joan Hartman
A well-equipped, staffed nursery is available on Sunday mornings for our infants and toddlers ages 0-17 months by September 2009. The worship service can be heard in the nursery through a speaker system. Our staff works hard at making our nursery a warm, inviting atmosphere.
Toddler and 3 Year Old's
Sundays, 9:00am, September-May |Joan Hartman
We emphasize three main truths:
- God Made Me
- God Loves Me
- Jesus Wants to be My Friend Forever
Each lesson has opportunities for kids to:
- Listen to a bible story.
- Experience the story through movement.
- Express their understanding with crafts.
- Communicate with God using their own words.
Toddlers gather in Room 203 at the beginning of the worship hour. The first few minutes are used for getting acclimated to the room; then we gather for a short story and enjoy a one-step craft or activity.
Three year olds will spend the first 10 minutes in worship before gathering in Room 204 following the children’s sermon. In the classroom, the students will gather in a circle for an opening activity, story time, and simple craft or song.
Pre-K & Kindergarten through 4th Grade
Sundays, 9:00am, September-May |Joan Hartman
Live B.I.G. helps children see, hear and live their Belief In God.
- Lessons include short video segments featuring ministries by everyday people.
- Learning styles are respected; in the hour students experience several activities using different skills.
- Teachers are offered more activities than can fit in an hour allowing them to select activities they feel comfortable leading.
- This is a thematic approach and themes are used for one month.The same idea is reinforced using a different bible story each week.
- At WBLUMC, we’ve developed a unique “Kids Worship” time in the theater. After kids are dismissed following the children’s sermon, they gather to share joys and concerns, watch a video clip, hear the story, and say the Lord’s Prayer. Small group time follows with age-appropriate activities.
Tween Faith Formation
Sundays, 9:00am, September-May |Joan Hartman & Rebecca Diller
Join us for worship the first Sunday of each month; on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Sundays we’ll meet in the Tween Room for a faith formation class geared just for 5th and 6th graders.
This 'n That
Wednesdays, 6:30-7:00pm, September-May |Joan Hartman
Welcome back all 1st - 4th graders to a class designed to compliment the church’s goals of Faith, Community, and Service. Every Wednesday evening, right after Children’s Choir, we’ll complete a half-hour project. As per students’ requests, we’ll have equal time of service projects, games, and cooking activities. Every lesson will include a bible story.
Wednesday Night Tweens
Wednesdays, 6:30pm, September-May |Beth Smith & Christine Schlafke
Join us as we meet in the Tween Room for faith-filled fun, service projects, drama, and other activities. We’ll also share are highs ‘n’ lows and talk about how God’s word relates to us today. Fun, faith, and acceptance is what it’s all about!
Milestones
Joan Hartman
We are proud to offer every child from age 3 through 5th grade a chance to learn along side mom or dad. Once a year, you and your student will study a different “Milestone” topic. Classes are held during the 10:30 worship hour and include time for a family fellowship lunch. Lessons are active with discussion, hands-on activities, video clips, and service projects. Students are recognized in worship the following Sunday. This year’s topics are:
| Age of Student | Topic | Time of Year |
|---|---|---|
| Young Pre-K | Faith Formation at Home | Summer |
| Kindergarten | Lord's Prayer/Kid's Workshop | Summer |
| 1st Grade | Baptism | Winter/Spring |
| 2nd Grade | Ten Commandments | Spring |
| 3rd Grade | Bible | Fall |
| 4th Grade | Prayer & 23rd Psalm | Winter |
| 5th Grade | Communion | Fall |