Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” Children are important people in our church.
Our Children’s Sunday School program takes place during a portion of the worship service.
Children should accompany their families into the sanctuary at the beginning of the service and remain with them until the “Time for Discovery.” The Order of Worship will tell you when the “Time for Discovery” happens. As the congregation sings “Draw the Circle Wide” (the words are printed in the Order of Worship), children are welcome to join the Pastor on the steps in front of the altar for a kid-centered time with him. Your child or children may remain with you if that is what you prefer.
After the “Time for Discovery,” the children will be dismissed and guided to their Sunday School classes by adult teachers. Your child or children may remain with you for the worship service, if that is what you prefer.
All children who attend the Children’s Sunday School program must be registered. Please contact the church office if you wish to register your child or children, or for more information. If you are new or a visitor, you may fill out the registration for your child or children when you pick them up after the worship service.
There are four classes for children from age 4 through 8th grade, as follows:
- Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, taught by Mary Morrice and Sharon Thull in Room 2
- 1st and 2nd grades, taught by Catherine Cooper and a weekly volunteer in Room 4
- 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, taught by Kenny Schoelen and Georgia in alternation, with a weekly volunteer, in Room 5
- 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, taught by Kevin Cooper and a weekly volunteer in Room 6
The Children’s Sunday School classrooms are located off the central courtyard to the south of the sanctuary (Room 2), or off the Fellowship Hall (Rooms 4, 5, and 6). The Fellowship Hall is the large room at the other end of the central courtyard from the sanctuary.
After the worship service, you will need to pick up your child or children from their classroom.
For now, the Children’s Sunday School program follows Covid precautions consistent with what Fresno Unified School District and Sanger Unified School District are doing, as follows:
- Masks are worn indoors by all children and adults when children are present. (Disposable adult- and child-sized masks will be available for use.)
- Children sanitize or wash hands upon entry and before eating.
- Children may remove masks when outdoors.
- Per school district policies and current CDC guidance, when children are masked social distancing is not necessary. In addition, social distancing is not necessary when children are outdoors.
- During snack time, children will either eat outdoors or indoors with masks removed for a period of no more than 10 minutes, in order to remain below the threshold that would be defined as “close contact.”
- Classroom surfaces touched by children are sanitized between Sunday class sessions. Additional sanitization measures (wiping down shared materials, for example) may be taken in Room 2 (the youngest group) where children still frequently touch their mouths.
- Parents must agree to:
- Keep children home if they have Covid-19 symptoms identified by the CDC
- Notify the church office if their child tests positive for Covid-19 after attending the Children’s Sunday School program
- Receive clearance from the church office before returning a child who has tested positive for Covid-19 to the Children’s Sunday School program.
For children who are old enough, we encourage vaccination against Covid-19.