ELEMENTARY EXPANSION

On Sunday, January 12th 2025, we are excited to expand our Elementary Ministry to allow for more age-appropriate discussion and smaller class sizes.

2025 GOALS

BIBLICAL LITERACY

In our world, the Bible is fading into the background of culture and our heart is to combat that by equipping the next generation with biblical literacy. Our goal is to equip these kids with WHAT the Bible is, WHY it is important, and HOW to read it. For 2025, we have grade-specific goals for the kids to learn:

1-2ND GRADE

• The Bible is God’s Word.

• The Bible is always true.

• There are 66 little books in the Bible.

• The Bible has 2 parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament.

• To find a little book in the Bible, you go to the Table of Contents.

By the end of 2nd Grade, the goal is to have each child able to find the Table of Contents in the Bible and be able to find a specific book of the Bible based on the information in the Table of Contents.

3-4TH GRADE

All goals stated in 1-2nd Grade & the goals stated below:

• The Old Testament is about God’s people before Jesus was born,

• The New Testament is about Jesus’ life and Jesus’ followers.

• In the Bible, the big #’s are the chapter and the little #’s are the verses.

By the end of 4th Grade, the goal is to have each child able to navigate the Bible and be able to find specific chapter and verse references easily.

5-6TH GRADE

All goals stated in 1-2nd Grade, 3-4th Grade, & the goals stated below:

• Confidence in navigating to any section of the Bible without needing assistance

By the end of 6th Grade, the goal is to have each child confident in reading their Bible and ready to enter into Junior High Ministry with biblical literacy.

BIBLICAL MEMORIZATION

God commands believers to memorize His Word and allow it to dwell in our hearts (Deut. 11:18; Prov. 7:2-3). Our goal is to help kids begin this spiritual discipline at a young age. This year, we will accomplish this by dedicating ‘First Sundays’ to bible memorization and rewarding memorization frequently.

ROLES

When sent serving requests, you will see what role you have been requested to fill. This includes: ‘Small Group Assistant’, ‘Large Group Leader’, ‘Bible Bucks Store Helper’, etc. Below are what these roles look like in the classroom:

• LARGE GROUP LEADER: The person in this role is responsible for facilitating worship and the handout of bible bucks.

• SMALL GROUP TEACHER: This person will be assigned 2 specific grades and a small group space. By following the weekly Small Group Guide, this person will lead the kids through Bible Reading, Discussions, etc.

• SMALL GROUP ASSISTANT: This person will be assigned 2 specific grades and will be responsible for assisting the teacher with classroom management, rewarding Bible Bucks, handing out papers, etc.

• TECH: This person is in charge of playing the countdown video and worship songs for Large Group.

Special roles are given on First Sundays to help accomplish the celebratory service:

• LARGER GROUP LEADER: The person in this role is responsible for facilitating worship and the handout of bible bucks. By following the First Sunday Guide, this volunteer will guide the kids through 4 specific Memory Verse Games (each game should take about 10 minutes). Between games, they will dismiss a handful of kids to go to the Bible Bucks Store.

• LARGER GROUP ASSISTANT: This person is responsible for making sure that kids, when finished in the Bible Bucks Store, integrate back into the Large Group Game. They are also responsible for helping the Large Group Leader facilitate the memory verse games.

• TECH: This person is in charge of playing the countdown video and worship songs for Large Group. After worship, they will go to their next assigned tasks.

• BIBLE BUCKS STORE HELPER: This person is responsible for helping kids make purchases in the Bible Bucks Store.

VOLUNTEER EXPECTATIONS

• Arrive 30 minutes before the service starts to attend our Team Prayer Huddle located outside of the Nursery.

• Conduct yourself with patience, love, and grace towards both the children and the other volunteers.

• Keep discussion age-appropriate and biblically-centered with the mission in mind.

• Please remain off of your phone during the service, unless contacting Rachel or Lexi. It will be helpful to pre-program these numbers in your phone incase you are in need of assistance during the service.

  • Lexi Priolo (Children’s Director): 623-853-7919

SAFETY POLICIES

• Remain in the Classroom: If you need to leave the classroom for any reason, please notify a member of staff. A child is not allowed to be taken out of the classroom, except by members of staff or their parent/guardian.

• Child Injury: If a child is injured in any way (bite, bumped head, paper cut), please notify a staff member.

• Emergency: In the case of an emergency, use the radio to dispatch for a member of staff or the Safety Team.

• Fire Alarm: Line up children and bring them to the parking lot. Do not release a child to a parent without the pick-up tag.

• Lockdown: Lock doors, close windows, turn off lights, and quiet children. Do not unlock doors for any reason. Staff members will have a key to unlock once lockdown is over.

• Bathrooms: Never go into the bathroom with a child. If a child needs assistance, two adults must be present to go into the restroom.

NOTIFYING PARENTS

If you need to notify a parent during service for any reason, please contact a member of staff. Staff will then contact parents via text message, phone call, or by presenting their unique 4-digit code found on the child’s tag on the screens in the Main Auditorium.

CHILD PICK-UP

MATCHING NAME TAGS: When a child is being picked up, ensure that the parent’s pick up tag matches the child’s name tag. Verify that the 4 digit code matches and remove the child’s name tag from their shirt. You can then place both 'parent tag’ and ‘child name tag’ in the trash.

COLLECTING THE CHILD’S BELONGINGS: Before the end of service, instruct kids to collect all their belongings and bible bucks.

COMMUNICATING WITH PARENTS: Upon child pick-up, communicate with the parent any important information form their child’s experience that day.

WHAT IF A PARENT LOSES THEIR PARENT TAG? Contact a member of staff and the parent’s ID will be check with the ‘trusted people’ we have in our database.

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

CHOICE-BASED INSTRUCTION

Always give the children choices if the option is available. This can increase the children’s willingness to do the activity you have planned. The idea is to keep the child happy, while still having them follow directions and class schedules. 

A specific example might look like: “Okay, It’s time for us to do small group time. You can sit in the chair next to me, or you can sit in this other chair. Which would you prefer?”

CHILD MISBEHAVIOR

While we encourage you to have grace with each child, we also want to set a standard of expectations for children while they are at church. If a child misbehaves, gently correct them. But if the behavior continues, notify a member of staff for intervention.