Dear Grace Community Church,
Throughout the bible, it is clear to see the importance of children to God. First, they are a gift from Him…
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. (Psalm 127:3)
They are an important and valuable part of His kingdom. Remember Jesus’ response to the disciples when they asked Him who the greatest in the kingdom would be…
And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2–4)
and again…
Then some children were brought to Him so that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:13–14)
Because they are important to Him they are important to us, as is the training and instruction they receive. And while that responsibility rests with parents, it is the church’s responsibility to come alongside parents in that crucial endeavor. This is the opening statement to the Philosophy of Children’s Ministry here at Grace Community Church, which can be read in its entirety here.
The Children’s Ministry of Grace Community Church exists to exalt God’s glory through evangelizing our children while encouraging parents and edifying servants. The greatest need children have is to know God, the One, True and Living God, known by His revelation of Himself, the Holy Scriptures. By the faithful teaching and instruction of God’s Word, our purpose is to establish them in truth with a strong doctrinal foundation so they will be biblically grounded with a God-centered view of life and the world around them. We want them to come to love the Lord their God with all their heart.
We believe the high view of God and His Word we have as adults should be no less for our children, and is why we have been using a curriculum which reflects that conviction for close to fifteen years. Generations of Grace is one that takes a child through the entire narrative of God’s redemptive plan in three years. It begins in Year 1 with Genesis and ends in Year 3 with Revelation. By its design, over the nine year period a child spends between age two and the fifth grade, he/she will be led through the Bible three times.
On June 24, we will end Year 3 of Generations of Grace, which means when we start 2nd Hour Classes again in August with Year 1, we will need new teachers for each class, which requires one teacher and one helper per class. You should be a member of Grace Community Church for this ministry. Since this is a three year curriculum we ask for a three year commitment from teachers and helpers. Here are the grade levels and the those who are currently serving:
Nursery – (Jessica Minor)
Ages 1-2 – (Rachel Wilson-teacher; Janet McDonald-helper)
Ages 3-5 – (Marjorie Fugate-teacher; Kelly Dial-helper)
Grades 1-3 – (Brady Somerville-teacher; Heather Somerville-helper)
Grades 4-5 – (Dennis Toland-teacher; Carolyn Toland-helper)
Class time consists of a short lesson and then a craft or activity which is explained and included in the curriculum. It should be noted that these are ideas which a teacher is not constrained by. The Activity Book also lists several options for each lesson. Each lesson is Bible rich and easy to follow. To give you an idea of the curriculum, you can see the first lesson of Year 1 with all its components by clicking the following links:
Year 1.1 Lesson
Year 1.1 Craft
Year 1.1 Activity
Year 1.1 Coloring
As the joy of teaching these young hearts cannot be measured, I hope you will prayerfully consider becoming a part of this vital ministry of our church; one that is indeed a blessing rather than a burden.
Please contact me with any questions you may have.
Grace to you,
Dennis M. Toland
270-282-1487
dennistoland@mac.com