Our Purpose

The heart of Children's Ministry at North Suburban is to partner with parents as we help kids connect with God in a life changing way as they discover what it means to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus and actively walk with Him.

"Having thus a fond affection for you, we are well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives because you have become very dear to us."

I Thessalonians 2:8

Connecting…

Connecting with God We want kids to connect with God in a life changing way as they discover how awesome He is and what it means to have a friendship with God through Jesus.

Connecting with Parents We want parents and kids to connect as parents are the primary spiritual influence in the lives of their kids. As a church we want to connect with parents and strategically partner with them in helping kids grow in their faith.

Connecting God’s Word to Life We want kids to not only hear and learn God’s Word but make a heart connection that impacts everyday life.

Connecting with a Shepherd We also want kids to connect with another adult or shepherd who knows and cares about them and becomes a second voice saying the same things their parents say.

Connecting Kids Together We want kids to connect with other kids that believe the same things they believe, building friendships.

Connecting Friends to Jesus We want kids to connect with others sharing with them the best news ever—that Jesus wants to be their forever friend!

 

Our Mission

M- Model—for the children to see modeled authentic Christianity through the lives of the teachers & shepherds as they share the scriptures as well as how they have applied it to their own lives. Those who work with kids as partners to parents are at the heart of Children Ministry and a growing, intimate and authentic relationship with God through Jesus is vital. 

I- Invite—for the gospel to be presented clearly to the children inviting them into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Kids matter to Jesus and are important in God's Kingdom, they are each unique in their response to the Holy Spirit's call in their lives and come to Christ at different ages.

S- Shepherd—to love and care for the children in a small group setting, building relationships with them, sharing from our own relationship with Jesus as well as helping them to apply the Bible to their everyday lives. "They don't care what you know until they know that you care."

S- Support in Prayer—the entire ministry to children and families at North Suburban would be built on prayer. Praying for miracles of the heart in the lives of not only the children, but their parents/families and the teaching staff as well, realizing only God's Spirit can change lives!

I- Instruct—to teach children the truths of Scripture in creative, fun and relevant ways that will reach beyond head knowledge to the heart helping them to apply it to their everyday lives.

O- Offer Worship—Jesus loves and desires the praise of His people at all ages. We not only want to teach children about worship, but give them the experience of worshipping God on their level with and without their parents as well as in "big church" along with their parents.

N- Nurturing Growth—God has given parents the primary responsibility to teach, train & nurture the spiritual growth of their children. As ministers to children we are committed to strategically partnering with parents to help resource, equip, support, encourage and build upon that foundation to help facilitate growth in each child's relationship with God and His Word, encouraging them to take the "next step" in growing in maturity

Kid Konnection Ministry

Sunday Mornings

Nursery—A safe and nurturing place for babies and toddlers to experience the love of God is provided during both hours.

Preschool—Children (ages 2-Kindergarten) This year kids will be learning we have a

GREAT BIG GOD!

as they participate in a loving, nurturing, and age appropriate environment where they can learn about God’s love and how it is shown through Jesus. We will also implement the same virtue of the month that the Elementary kids will be focusing on as we encourage families to build on that teaching at home. Along with classroom time, our preschoolers have a 15-20 minute worship time together that includes singing praise to God, the giving of offerings, and the teaching of God’s Word. The Biblical theme carries through both hours. Classes are provided during both hours.

Elementary 1st-3rd—The Sunday morning program for our elementary kids is designed to help kids grow in knowledge and understanding of who God is and what it means to love and walk with Him. We want kids to understand and experience that real life change happens from the inside out as God’s Spirit is at work in our lives and that the Bible is relevant for them today.

Grades 4th & 5th

Followers in Training ( F.I.T.)

This group has an identity of it’s own that creates a sense of belonging through interactive teaching, social events and serving opportunities. While the 4th and 5th graders will also be building on the virtue for the month, they will also be grappling with issues that are culturally relevant to them using a new curriculum called “Grapple.”

Intentional Partnership with Parents—IPP

In Deuteronomy 6:4-9 God lays out His plan for growing the faith of kids! It’s through the parents. As a church we can’t do their job but we count it a privilege to partner with parents as they seek to build the faith of their children. 

Family Fusion—This is a once a month FUN Night designed for kids and their parents to experience and learn together. Come for dinner, a time to connect around the table, a large group worship/learning experience based on the virtue for the month that kids are learning about on Sundays, followed by fun and meaningful activities! We usually meet the 2nd Friday night of each month during the school year.

All Church Connections—Ministries partnering within the Church to encourage growth in the whole family.  One way we will do that this year is focusing on three key areas throughout the year at the same time—Going Higher, Going Closer and Going Further. 

We will also work together to make Thanksgiving Baskets for those in need as well as work on a giving project in December for one of our ministry partners in the city.

Our Strategy/Philosophy—Relationships

Children's Ministry at North Suburban Free Church is a dynamic integral part of the total church. It is a cooperative effort between the church and it's many ministries and the home, as we seek to synchronize what we do to provide a true partnership utilizing the efforts of both parents and the church body to effectively reach children with the love of Jesus Christ and help them grow in their relationship with Him.

The focus of our strategy is RELATIONSHIPS—"Building relationships where Jesus can enter."

RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND HIS WORD
As part of the our partnership with parents, we will help kids grow by providing strong teaching from God's Word through a volunteer staff comprised of men and women who have trusted Christ as their personal Savior and are actively growing in their relationship with Him. In conjunction with that teaching we will provide resources parents can use to build upon that teaching at home as well as a shared experience for parents and kids.

Our MATERIAL is Bible focused. We believe that the Word of God has the answers to the needs in our lives and is practical for today's child and adult. Our curriculum is a resource to help teach the Bible creatively and to help the child discover what God's Word says and how to apply that truth to his/her life. Our goal is to help equip both the parent and the child to put truth into action.

RELATIONSHIP TO PARENTS
God has given parents the primary responsibility to teach, train & nurture the spiritual growth of their children (Deut 6:4-9). As a church we see our primary role as partnering with parents in helping kids grow. We will seek to help equip, support, encourage, provide growth opportunities (for parents and kids, both together and separate) and pray for parents and kids to that end.

RELATIONSHIP TO THE CHILDREN
Loving the children is foundational to teaching them about God. As relationships are built and we get to know each child, we seek to partner with parents in assessing where they are spiritually, with the goal in mind of helping them move to the "next step" in their spiritual development. 

RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER
As adults building into the lives of children, we are committed to functioning as a team using the gifts God has given us individually. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another"—we need each other. We need to work together, pray together, encourage one another and learn from each other. The leadership of children's ministry, is committed to provide the materials, curriculum, facilities, equipment, resources, encouragement and training to help equip each volunteer for this ministry of imparting God's truth to kids!