Kids | Seven Oaks Presbyterian Church

Children: Children ages 4 – 5th grade attend Godly Play, our children’s Sunday school curriculum. If children are younger, we transition them into the class at their own pace. The Godly Play accepting environment and open- ended questioning fosters not only a relationship with Jesus Christ, but also with each other. When the children form relationships with each other, they feel comfortable answering questions and sharing more of themselves. We also integrate “ Faithful Families” activities throughout the children’s program. These activities center on practical, intentional ways that families can easily make space for Jesus in their daily lives. Children meet in the Godly Play room in Building “A”, which is where the nursery is also located. At this time, our parents want their children with them during worship, so we have a Children’s Corner (4-4th grade) where children can go during worship, after the Children’s Message, for worship related activities. Nursery is provided for ages 0-4.

Youth: Youth are from grades 6 – high school. The youth who our churches are serving now need encouragement that God's promises hold true, even in a world full of false promises and frequent chaos. We realize that meeting our youth at wherever they are in their faith journey requires a listening ear and open heart. The SOPC youth program offers a Sunday morning class before worship, and a Sunday evening youth group experience. In both of these settings, we strive to demonstrate acceptance and love as we share the good news of Jesus Christ. Our youth and their families are involved in planning activities for youth group, and we include a balance of worship, missions and fellowship in our gatherings. They participate in the Sunday morning worship service an average of twice monthly by sharing scripture or leading parts of the service. The youth meet in the youth room for all activities.

SOPC has a “Child Protective Policy” that states that all classrooms have at least 2 teachers that are unrelated in each classroom. All teachers or persons that come in contact with children or youth have a background check. In building “A”, the nursery and Godly Play rooms have a walkie talkie that can connect to the sanctuary. Teachers watch a training video. First -aid kits are in every building. Children and youth rooms have blinds on all windows. Emergency Procedures are posted in all classrooms for fire, tornado, and lockdown or stranger on campus. There are frequent discussions about updating safety procedures and protocols. Cameras and more outside lights have been added to the buildings.

The children use Godly Play during the Sunday school hour. This curriculum is Montessori based therefore created for multi-age groups. This is a child-centered, hands-on approach that, through storytelling and questioning, fosters a relationship between the child and Jesus Christ. Each Godly Play lesson has 4 components. The lessons begin with a story being told. Manipulatives are used, then open-ended questioning about the story such as “Where did you see yourself in the story?”. Next, there is a response time where children respond to the story by choosing drawing, painting, creating, retelling the story, etc., ending with a feast with prayers being said. “Faithful Families: Creating Sacred Moments at Home” is integrated within the overall children’s program. A quote by Traci Smith, author of Faithful Families is: “Faith is learned as it is woven seamlessly into the fabric of daily lives”. “Treasure Box Tuesdays”, a weekly digital newsletter written by Traci Smith, gives us many ideas and other resources. With both of these programs, teachers stay in contact with parents as we work to grow faith of children and families together.