Children

Ministry to Children

Grace Baptist Church of Arlington (GBCA) warmly welcomes children and families.  Psalm 127:3 tells us that “children are a heritage from the Lord.”  It is our goal at Grace to create a safe and loving environment in which the children entrusted to our care are able to learn about the character of God, discover biblical truth, and see what it means to follow Jesus Christ.   While the responsibility for the spiritual instruction of children is given by God primarily to parents in the context of the family, the church should be a useful partner in both equipping parents in doing such instruction and in proclaiming the gospel to those children when they are with the church body.

Mission

The children’s ministry of Grace Baptist Church of Arlington exists to glorify God by:

  • Supporting and encouraging parents, who are primarily responsible for teaching biblical truths to their children (Ephesians 6:4).
  • Making the whole counsel of Scriptures known to children with a special emphasis on the Gospel (Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Romans 1:16-17).
  • Praying for the children and relying on the Holy Spirit to regenerate their hearts through the faithful teaching of His Word (Romans 10:17; Ephesians 2:4-10).
  • Living faithfully before the children and modeling for them how Christians are called to respond to God, and interact with others, and the world around us (Matthew 5:16; I Corinthians 11:1).

Vision

It is our hope that our children, who are precious, being made in the image of God, and yet spiritually dead, are presented with the glory of God in Christ through the Bible and won by saving grace through faith in Jesus.  Then, having received new life as young believers, grow and mature in their faith in Christ to the point of willingly and joyfully laying their own lives down for the sake of others, whether children or adults, whether across the street or around the world, so that all people everywhere will come to know and delight in God.  This rugged, God-entranced, Bible-saturated, Christ-exalting faith of the child will hopefully fuel a passion for Jesus and a zeal for missions that will, Lord willing, be unquenchable and unending.

Classes

We offer classes and care for children during our Discipleship Hour (9:30am-10:20am) and our Morning Service (10:30am-12:00pm).

Discipleship Hour (9:30am-10:20am)

Nursery (Ages 0-2):  This class is a structured nursery environment where basic child care is provided in a safe and secure environment.

Pre-School Sunday School Class (Ages 3-Pre-K):  This class focuses on a combination of free play, a short structured lesson, and related activities.  The core curriculum currently being used is as follows:

o   “God has testified of His glorious deeds and mighty power. This curriculum explores God’s greatness by noting key themes found chronologically throughout the Old Testament. Bible stories are not written out; teachers prepare the lesson through the study of scripture using a list of key themes, opening illustrations, and application questions to acquaint children with a great God whose character never changes.”

o   “The New Testament beautifully unfolds the wonder and power of Jesus Christ. This curriculum explores the greatness of God in Christ by noting key themes found chronologically throughout the New Testament. Bible stories are not written out; teachers prepare the lesson through the study of scripture using a list of key themes, opening illustrations, and application questions to acquaint children with a great God who has spoken by His Son.”

Elementary Sunday School Class (Kindergarten – 5th Grade): This class focuses on an age appropriate study of systematic theology using the Praise Factory Curriculum.  The children study a “Big Idea” over three weeks using a story from the Old Testament, the New Testament and Christian history.  The lessons are presented using a variety of engaging formats.

Junior and Senior High school students are able to join their parents in the Discipleship Hour adult classes.

Morning Worship Service (10:30am-12:00pm)

Nursery (Ages 0-3): This class is a structured nursery environment where basic child care is provided in a safe and secure environment.  There is a short lesson read and Bible songs are sung in an age appropriate manner.

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