What can parents do to help your child get the most out of Journey Kids Ministry?

The Journey Kids Staff is committed to helping your child grow in their relationship with Jesus! However, our staff knows it is vital that the parent / guardian of the child realize that their involvement in their child’s spiritual growth is extremely important. Below are some steps you can take to help your child get the most out of the few hours a week they spend in worship and small groups.

1. Strive to have your child here and on-time for their age-appropriate time of worship (Sundays) and small group study (Wednesdays) every week.

Consistent attendance is so incredibly important to the spiritual development of your child. The more stability and time spent in spiritual education the better understanding your child will have. Also, some children feel insecure in a new place with new people. The more often they consistantly attend, the quicker they will feel comfortable.

2. Help your elementary aged child do their “At Home” questions and memory work. 

We believe that giving a child the opportunity to take what their learning and then apply it in their every day life is the difference between just sitting in church and truly growing in our faith. Each week your elementary child will be given scripture to memorize and a few short questions / activities based on what we are learning that is intended for them to do at home. Please help your child every week to memorize their verse and complete their questions / activities. This is also a chance for you to spend quality time together and who knows, you might learn something as well!

We offer incentives for the children each week by giving them JK Bucks (Journey Kids Bucks).

They can earn bucks by knowing their memory verse, showing completed at home work, bringing a friend, simply being here, and much more. The first Sunday of the month, we open the JK Bucks store and give the kids the opportunity to spend their bucks. These small incentives help the kids in wanting to learn and teaches them responsibility about their behavior. Children have an envelope “bank” assigned to them in our worship area for keeping their JK Bucks if they choose to do so.

3. Assure that your child has all the necessities they need when they are with us.

From babies, to 6th graders, your child will undoubtedly need a few things to make their time at Journey Kids the best it can be.

For your infant, please be sure to stock their diaper bag with necessary diapers, wipes, feeding essentials, and an extra change of clothes. Our nursery is stocked with many of these items, but a child feels most comfortable when they are able to have the food, wipes, etc. that they are accustomed to.

For your child ages 2 - 5, we offer a snack of goldfish and water or 100% juice.  We do not allow any other snacks in the room because of the array of allergies children in attendance may have - this is an important safety procedure. The only exception to this is if your child has a food allergy to goldfish and in that case, we ask that you please bring a separate small snack for you child and discuss it with a JK staff member. We also ask that you do not send any toys with your child. Our roomshave plenty of age-appropriate toys and this eliminates losing the toy or issues with sharing.

For your child in kindergarten - 6th grade, it is helpful if the child brings a bible (we will be happy to guide you in a bible suitable for their age), their previous week’s questions and memory work, and a good night’s sleep. That may seem like a silly thing to request, but just like with school, if your child is tired from a really late night, it is much harder for them to participate in learning, worship, and interaction with others. Sometimes a late night can’t be avoided, but when it can, the benefits of a child involved in worship goes a long way! We have also found that it is best if children do not bring toys from home or food into our worship / classroom area.

4. Familiarize yourself with our Sunday A.M. check-in procedure.

We have a check-in system to create a secure and safe place for your birth - preschool child, as well as to make sure your child and their belongings have a nametag. Please be sure to always stop first at Journey Kids Central and receive your child’s tags and the ID card you will need to retrieve your child. Your elementary child will receive a name tag once they have entered their worship area.