Our children's ministry is centered on Family Discipleship with classes, programs, and resources for kiddos ages newborn through high school.
Core offerings for kids and students
Grades Kinder to 3rd
Grades 4th to 5th
Grades 6 to 12th
Discipleship happens at home
This truth is clear throughout the Bible. Fathers and mothers are instructed over and over to pass their faith along to their children. We are to discuss the truths of God's Word with them at every opportunity (Deuteronomy 6), tell them of the great works of our God (Psalm 145), train them in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6), and instruct them in the ways of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).
At Crosspoint, we strive to equip, train, and involve parents as the primary disciple-makers for their children. One of the ways we do this is through our corporate worship gatherings on Sundays. We want our children to sit with us and learn from us the value of worship and preaching in our quest to know God.
At Crosspoint, we strive to equip, train, and involve parents as the primary disciple-makers for their children. One of the ways we do this is through our corporate worship gatherings on Sundays. We want our children to sit with us and learn from us the value of worship and preaching in our quest to know God.
Kids in worship
At Crosspoint, children in second grade and above join their parents for our worship gathering each week.
On the surface, this may appear somewhat inefficient, and in many ways it is. However, we believe that it is worth the inefficiency and the challenge in order to train our children as they sing, listen, take notes, and watch us participate in worship. The resources below are designed to assist you in this process.
Preparation for Corporate Worship
Create a routine
Sunday morning can easily become the most stressful morning of the week. It can be a race to get the family dressed, fed, ready, and in the car in order to get to worship on time. It is "easier" to get yourself together during the week that it is on Sunday because there is routine there. You have a rhythm to your schedule. Do you allow that to happen on Sunday, or is every Sunday different? Do you just rush through toward the finish line? Is there some sort of routine you can establish as a family to make Sunday a bit more structured?
Find the rhythm to Sunday. Think about the morning before you go to bed. Set an alarm on the weekend! Wake up early. Enjoy God in the small things as you prepare yourself for worship. Then establish routines with your children. Let them be a part of getting prepared for corporate worship. Give them a chance to think on things before they walk in the door and are expected to sit still for a couple of hours.
Bathroom Breaks
It can be hard to leave the service without distracting the rest of the room. So why not take bathroom breaks BEFORE? There are surely times where a bathroom break is necessary. Plan ahead and help your children limit those by showing them a practical way to prepare for their time for worship.
Where is the "off" switch?
When you walk into the service, you have likely prepared your mind and body for the moments ahead. You have set aside your schedules, to-do lists, and chores so that you can worship. Our children don't have that "off" switch; we have to help them. We have to be aware that they need to set aside things also. Help your child find their "off" switch.
Worship on the way!
Make it a habit on the way to worship to crank up the music and worship on the way! Stop and pray in the parking lot! Tell your children what to expect when they come in the door and let them get excited about worshipping with our church body.
Sunday morning can easily become the most stressful morning of the week. It can be a race to get the family dressed, fed, ready, and in the car in order to get to worship on time. It is "easier" to get yourself together during the week that it is on Sunday because there is routine there. You have a rhythm to your schedule. Do you allow that to happen on Sunday, or is every Sunday different? Do you just rush through toward the finish line? Is there some sort of routine you can establish as a family to make Sunday a bit more structured?
Find the rhythm to Sunday. Think about the morning before you go to bed. Set an alarm on the weekend! Wake up early. Enjoy God in the small things as you prepare yourself for worship. Then establish routines with your children. Let them be a part of getting prepared for corporate worship. Give them a chance to think on things before they walk in the door and are expected to sit still for a couple of hours.
Bathroom Breaks
It can be hard to leave the service without distracting the rest of the room. So why not take bathroom breaks BEFORE? There are surely times where a bathroom break is necessary. Plan ahead and help your children limit those by showing them a practical way to prepare for their time for worship.
Where is the "off" switch?
When you walk into the service, you have likely prepared your mind and body for the moments ahead. You have set aside your schedules, to-do lists, and chores so that you can worship. Our children don't have that "off" switch; we have to help them. We have to be aware that they need to set aside things also. Help your child find their "off" switch.
Worship on the way!
Make it a habit on the way to worship to crank up the music and worship on the way! Stop and pray in the parking lot! Tell your children what to expect when they come in the door and let them get excited about worshipping with our church body.
During Corporate Worship
Notebooking
Buy a notebook or journal for your child to use for taking notes. Give them the responsibility to bring that notebook and Bible to worship with them weekly.
This will not only get your child/children into the habit of preparing themselves for worship, but it will also be a measure of growth as you look back at their notes from week to week.
Here are some things they can do with their notebooks in worship...
- If they are good writers, encourage them to take notes. Write down words, sentences, things that mean something to them. If they cannot write, have them draw pictures!
- Make a list of 4-6 words they hear, then keep a tally of the number of times the pastor talks about this.
- Make a list of the stories that are familiar. Write down the name of the story and the characters in the story.
- Write down the answer to this question at the end of the service: What did God teach you as you heard this sermon?
Sticker Chart
During the first 10 minutes, help your child write down 5-10 words that they heard in the sermon. Then, during the remainder of the message, when they hear a word from their list, let them choose a sticker to put next to their words.
Picture this
Have the child fold a paper into thirds. Have them listen to the first part of the sermon, then draw a picture for the things that were talked about. Repeat this for the middle and end of the sermon.
Bingo
Make a Bingo card by drawing 12 squares on a piece of paper. In the first five minutes of the sermon, write down several words or phrases that you want your child to listen for. When they hear the words or phrases, they can color in a square of their bingo card.
Model
Teach your children that listening matters. Teach them by listening! Teach them that it's important by showing them how serious you are about it. Bring your Bible and journal and take notes during the sermon so you can discuss it later with your family and your community group.
Buy a notebook or journal for your child to use for taking notes. Give them the responsibility to bring that notebook and Bible to worship with them weekly.
This will not only get your child/children into the habit of preparing themselves for worship, but it will also be a measure of growth as you look back at their notes from week to week.
Here are some things they can do with their notebooks in worship...
- If they are good writers, encourage them to take notes. Write down words, sentences, things that mean something to them. If they cannot write, have them draw pictures!
- Make a list of 4-6 words they hear, then keep a tally of the number of times the pastor talks about this.
- Make a list of the stories that are familiar. Write down the name of the story and the characters in the story.
- Write down the answer to this question at the end of the service: What did God teach you as you heard this sermon?
Sticker Chart
During the first 10 minutes, help your child write down 5-10 words that they heard in the sermon. Then, during the remainder of the message, when they hear a word from their list, let them choose a sticker to put next to their words.
Picture this
Have the child fold a paper into thirds. Have them listen to the first part of the sermon, then draw a picture for the things that were talked about. Repeat this for the middle and end of the sermon.
Bingo
Make a Bingo card by drawing 12 squares on a piece of paper. In the first five minutes of the sermon, write down several words or phrases that you want your child to listen for. When they hear the words or phrases, they can color in a square of their bingo card.
Model
Teach your children that listening matters. Teach them by listening! Teach them that it's important by showing them how serious you are about it. Bring your Bible and journal and take notes during the sermon so you can discuss it later with your family and your community group.
Follow-up to corporate worship
He said... she said... I said...
Fold your paper in half. Write down a couple of points from the sermon the left side of the fold. Then write down how it applies to our daily lives on the right side of the fold.
Have each person in the family come up with one to to write down. Post it on the refrigerator for the week and encourage each other with the truth from Sunday.
Hang it up
Encourage your child/children by hanging their notes on the refrigerator each week! Have them put a star by the things that stuck out most to them during the service. Then encourage them during their week with the same truth from Sunday.
Worship in song
Every week, the worship team chooses songs that appropriately fit the sermon. As you are singing these songs, write down your favorites to revisit during your week.
Look up these songs online! Talk about the lyrics with your children. Talk about their meaning. Sing the songs together as a family. Enjoy worshipping in song with your family as you continue through your week.
Pray
Pray with your children. Make a point to talk and pray about the application points from the sermon. Ask your children about their highs and lows of the day and pray for each other. Start a family prayer journal where everyone jots down their prayers. Pray over your children, asking the Lord to grow them in wisdom, character, and their love for God and others.
Fold your paper in half. Write down a couple of points from the sermon the left side of the fold. Then write down how it applies to our daily lives on the right side of the fold.
Have each person in the family come up with one to to write down. Post it on the refrigerator for the week and encourage each other with the truth from Sunday.
Hang it up
Encourage your child/children by hanging their notes on the refrigerator each week! Have them put a star by the things that stuck out most to them during the service. Then encourage them during their week with the same truth from Sunday.
Worship in song
Every week, the worship team chooses songs that appropriately fit the sermon. As you are singing these songs, write down your favorites to revisit during your week.
Look up these songs online! Talk about the lyrics with your children. Talk about their meaning. Sing the songs together as a family. Enjoy worshipping in song with your family as you continue through your week.
Pray
Pray with your children. Make a point to talk and pray about the application points from the sermon. Ask your children about their highs and lows of the day and pray for each other. Start a family prayer journal where everyone jots down their prayers. Pray over your children, asking the Lord to grow them in wisdom, character, and their love for God and others.
Why we value kids in our worship services
Because we value family discipleship, we desire for our kids to be in the worship service alongside us. One of the ways we explain the vision behind this is with four key words: Value. Opportunity. Eat Outside. Or, we value the opportunity to eat outside.
1. Value
One of our core church values is family discipleship.
2. Opportunity
One of the ways we flesh this out is by encouraging parents to see the worship service as an opportunity not just for themselves to learn and grow, but also to lead and disciple their kids by helping them engage as well.
3. Eat
It's kind of like when kids are transitioning to solid foods. Part of how they learn is by watching mom and dad eat. So mom and dad are eating their own meal while helping their kids learn too. In the same way, it's going to be a little messy and noisy, but we see that as a good and beautiful thing because it's the sound of these kids learning how to engage in worship service.
4. Outside
We all must think outside of ourselves on Sunday mornings. Corporate worship isn't just a performance for us to enjoy or "me and Jesus" time. It's something we all do together as the body of Christ. We want kids to be a part of that as soon as possible.
Remember... teaching is a process
You are teaching your children as you sit, as you rise up, as you lie down, and as you walk by the way. When you bring your child alongside you in anything in life, you are teaching them. Sunday morning worship is no different.
As they sit by your side in the worship service, you are teaching them by...
...making important things important. We know what a hassle it can be to wrestle with your little ones for an entire service. Really. But it is so worth it!
... pointing them back to the teaching. This happens in the service itself, as well as throughout your week. Please don't be concerned if you have to whisper quietly during the service to encourage your little one to listen to a specific thing the pastor is teaching on. Remember to follow up on what God has taught you in the sermon as well.
...being an example. Our children mimic our behavior more than we realize. We should remember that they are also learning to be an image bearer and imitator of Christ as they sit at our sides each week.
...preparing. This preparation for engaging the sermon is different than preparing to keep your child(ren) entertained for an hour. This preparation takes talking, praying, follow up, and diligence.
As they sit by your side in the worship service, you are teaching them by...
...making important things important. We know what a hassle it can be to wrestle with your little ones for an entire service. Really. But it is so worth it!
... pointing them back to the teaching. This happens in the service itself, as well as throughout your week. Please don't be concerned if you have to whisper quietly during the service to encourage your little one to listen to a specific thing the pastor is teaching on. Remember to follow up on what God has taught you in the sermon as well.
...being an example. Our children mimic our behavior more than we realize. We should remember that they are also learning to be an image bearer and imitator of Christ as they sit at our sides each week.
...preparing. This preparation for engaging the sermon is different than preparing to keep your child(ren) entertained for an hour. This preparation takes talking, praying, follow up, and diligence.
"Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but crops come by the strength of an ox." - Proverbs 14:4
Integrating the discipleship of kids into our church can be difficult and messy. But it is fruitful, and it is worth it.