Children’s Ministry
At Bellaire UMC, we’re in love with kids. We revel in watching the Lord move His children, and we do our best to uphold the vows that we make when they are baptized to lead them in the way that leads to life eternal. From birth to graduation from high school, we have programs designed to stimulate, educate, engage and entertain children. We believe that children are called to ministry just as we as adults are and seek to engage them by playing with them instead of to them.
Learn with me
Our ministries for children include our nursery, where skilled workers provide care for children under 5 years of age during your Sunday morning stay at church. They play Christian children’s music and help foster their physical development with age-appropriate toys and activities.
As your child progresses, they become old enough to enjoy Sunday School from 9:30 – 10:40 a.m. each Sunday. The preschool and elementary age classes make learning about God exciting. Our caring volunteers are passionate about both the Lord and about teaching children of His love for us.
At 4, children are old enough to attend our summer camps, VBS and Power Camp. These summer programs are not only a great diversion during the summer down months, but also give kids a great learning opportunity as well. They also can enroll in our School for Little Children for the school year.
Sing with me
At Bellaire UMC we believe that music speaks to children of all ages and engages multiple intelligences. At 4 years of age, children are able to join our children’s musical programs. With choirs created to captivate their hearts from 4 year olds to 6th graders, we hope to provide them with musical experiences that make hearing the words of God enjoyable and memorable for a lifetime.
Worship with me
We also believe strongly in the role that worship plays in making sure that children stay active in the church. In addition to making Bellaire UMC a place where you can feel comfortable taking your children to worship with you, we also are making room for a time of children’s church, where we can provide your children with expressions of worship designed just for them. We will include music, movement, and an interactive message to teach your children lessons and stories that you can talk with them about.
Play with me
Fun is essential to any children’s ministry, and we are constantly creativing programs just for this purpose. One ministry that we already have in place is L.I.G.H.T. (Living in God’s Hope Today) house Kids. This program, run by Bob & Donna Hutchinson, gives children in 3rd – 5th grades, encourages older elementary children to have fun and fellowship in an environment that emphasizes all the teachings of Christ. Once a month, we get them together for food, games and fun (and occasionally a field trip). Events range from staying in for a movie to bowling and going to the Mad Potter. Each gathering is supervised by qualified adult volunteers, but parents are always welcome to join in.
Other programs that directly engage children include our Easter Eggstravaganza, the Fall Fun Festival’s children’s carnival, our annual Trunk or Treat party and even Bethlehem Village.