Children at Cross Roads
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
—Matthew 19:14
At Cross Roads, we don’t believe children are the future of the Church. They are the Church. Our children’s ministry is small, but much like the rest of our church, full of love, vitality, and growth. If you’re hoping for your kids to make actual connections with one another while learning about the love of Christ, you might just want to make a home at Cross Roads.
From our special fun events like our Fishing Fun day, our regular children’s formation Godly Play, to our big service event of Trick or Treating for Cans, we try to help our kiddos learn all about who Jesus is and what’s important in a life lived on our Savior’s behalf.
Formation: being formed in Jesus Christ
At Cross Roads, we use Godly Play, which invites children into God’s story, helping them wonder about their Creator, Jesus’ love, and the movement of the Holy Spirit around them through the language children are most familiar — play.
Godly Play
We use Godly Play, a curriculum that treats children not as empty vessels to be filled, but assumes that God is already at work in their hearts and their lives. At Godly Play, we tell the story of God’s activity in the world and invite the children to respond in the language most natural to them — play!
How does it work?
While Godly Play isn’t a rowdy time, it is a thoughtful time. Its structure mimics that of the grown up service - hearing the Word (the Story), and then responding to it (Wondering and Play), followed by a sacred sharing of food (the Feast) and a blessing. The play is not outside, running until the heart’s content (though, they’re welcome to use the playground before or after our time together), but quieter, creative play: working with the stories, either this week’s or one past, coloring, crafting, reading, building.
If your child has an allergy, PLEASE don’t hesitate to reach out to Pastor Kate (who has her own allergies). We’ll make sure the Feast is inclusive for all.
