Ministry Opportunities

Vacation Bible School

Dates for 2012 Vacation Bible School are set: June 18-22, 2012. Mark your calendars!!

Our 2011 theme was the Shake It Up Café; look at how much fun we had...

Prayer Buddies

We want to surround our children with prayer, and the Prayer Buddies ministry is just one way that we accomplish that goal. Adults at Christ Church sign up to be paired with a child, age birth through 12th grade, for whom they commit to pray for at least one minute every day for a year. To sign up to be a prayer buddy or to be matched with a prayer buddy for your child, please contact Pat McKain at (812) 949-0259 or p.mckain@insightbb.com.

Promotion Sunday

Children are promoted in the fall around the same time that the school year begins. Promotion Sunday dates are announced each year through eNews.

Preschoolers and younger simply move into new classrooms on Promotion Sunday. For Kindergarten and up, children begin the Sunday school hour in the Fellowship Hall, where Kindergarteners are welcomed and older children are celebrated before being dismissed to their new Sunday school rooms. Pickup takes place from Sunday school classrooms.

During worship services, new Kindergarteners will attend worship with their families, perhaps for the first time. They will then exit along with the first, second and third graders for Children’s Worship after the offertory.

2nd Grade Bible Presentation

At Christ Church, second grade is an important milestone year because it is the year we distribute Bibles to all children in this age group. The Bibles we have chosen to give are in the New Revised Standard Version, the same version in our pew Bibles in the sanctuary.

This Bible is unique because of the many interesting and easy-to-read aids that it contains. In the front, there is a list of Bible stories and references so that you can easily find a story to read with your child at home. On just about every page, the margins contain interesting facts or discussion questions to keep kids tuned in.

Presentation Sunday generally takes place in the fall. Families of 2nd graders will be asked to sign up to receive a Bible beforehand, and the Bibles will be inscribed with your child’s name. There will be a special moment of presentation at both the 9:00 and 11:15 am worship services, and we ask that families let us know which service they will attend so that we can be prepared. Watch for more information in eNews and from your child’s 2nd grade Sunday school teachers.

Wild

Each January, fourth and fifth graders gather on Sunday evenings from 5–7:30 pm (the same time that student ministries programs run) for all of these things and more. Wild is the greatest opportunity all year for preteens to focus on their church friendships and learn that being at church can really be a blast.

We use a curriculum called Grapple during large and small group times. Grapple challenges preteens to see the world through God’s eyes and to allow him to change their lives.

Blessing of Kindergarteners

At the beginning of each school year, Christ Church wants to welcome new Kindergarteners not just to a new stage of school but also to attendance in sanctuary worship and Children’s Worship. On one Sunday in August, Kindergarteners are invited to the front of the sanctuary to receive a special blessing from Dr. George Strunk and a small gift, as a reminder that people in our congregation are praying for them.

3rd-5th Grade Retreat

This fall event is the time our elementary children take over Christ Church! We typically invite third through fifth graders to participate in a full day of games, music, devotions and service projects one Saturday in November. After the long day of fun, we settle in for popcorn, a movie and a night of rest at the church before participating in the worship service the following morning.

While our service projects take us off campus during the day, we stay at Christ Church at night in order to allow the greatest number of children to participate. If your child is unable to stay all night or needs to be dropped off late, we can arrange for that.

Each year’s retreat theme is different, but it is always relevant to what this age group is experiencing at school and at home. Retreat is a great bonding activity, and children always come away with not just a cool new T-shirt, but also with true friendships and a greater understanding of their church home.

Christmas Eve Services for Families

There are two evening services on Christmas Eve that are designed with families in mind. If you have children under the age of ten, you may find one of these services to be the best worship option on Christmas Eve.