Parents and Church Body of SWBC – Grace and Peace

We are excited to prepare to have Children’s Worship Hour starting back to include all children from birth through 5^th grade!

Please keep in mind we are trying to serve our body, volunteers, parents, and children as best as possible to equip them to the work of ministry here at church and at home (Eph 4) and submitting to our local authorities (Roman 13). 

If you have ANY questions or concerns, please reach out to me and we will work through them.

Below are the most impactful changes many of you will notice this week through August.

Promotion Sunday

One of the permanent changes we were planning prior to COVID was the shift of promotion Sunday. Going forward we are shifting this to the fall to align with returning to school.  This year's promotion Sunday will be September 6^th.

Schedule

We will have full Worship Hour classes for all children for the last two weeks of July. All classes (Nursery through 5th grade) will meet this week, July 19, and next Sunday, July 26. 

This does not fit with our normal schedule, but helps re-introduce teachers, volunteers, and children and gives some intentional training and help in July.  

We will return to our normal schedule in August. The normal schedule is below.

• Nursery – Every week
• Preschool Church (3yr-Pre-K) – First four weeks of the month, the fifth Sunday children are in Worship with their parents and the body.
• Praise Factory (K-5^th) – First three weeks of the month, fourth and fifth Sunday children are in Worship with parents and the body.

Room Locations

We are making room adjustments – some based on COVID while other choices are intentionally following new safety protocols.  You will find all doors are updated with the labels below.

Children’s Worship (3yr-Pre-K) – New Room CH306 at the end of the Children’s Hall. This shift keeps younger children safe in the Children’s Hall while giving them a restroom dedicated to little people. 

Praise Factory (K-2) – New Room CH301 at the front of the Children’s Hall right by the Check-In center.  This shift again keeps younger children safe in the Children’s Hall, allows this grade a little more room, and removes traffic from the Fellowship Hall. 

Praise Factory (3^rd-5^th) – New Room SH202 down the Students Hall right across from the sanctuary.  This is temporary during this time of COVID and affords extra space and removes traffic from the Fellowship Hall. 

COVID Safety Practices

1. We have increased the thorough nature of the sanitization of traffic areas (tables, chairs, doors, etc.).
2. Any children 5 years and above who are not wearing masks are asked to stay with parents and won’t be permitted in children’s classes at this time.
3. All supplies and toys are limited in their usage. Toys that are used are sanitized, and all supplies are sanitized if possible, or left for a minimum of 6 days with no contact. 
4. Sanitizing is a priority but will be extra (before/after/during) class time in the younger classes.
5. Handwashing of adults and children along with hand-sanitizer is encouraged multiple times throughout the class.
6. Masks are required for all volunteers and teachers.
7. The use of social distancing and masks will be increased as children are older.
   1. Nursery for 0-2 – minimal distance and no mask for children, this is to care adequately for small children
   2. Preschool 3yr-Pre-K – increasing as possible but still minimal to adequately care for small children, children can-but are not required to wear masks.
   3. Praise Factory K-2 – increasing social distancing, reducing the sharing of items, masks are required. We will work with parents to help children be able to follow these guidelines.  If children will not wear a mask they must stay with their parents.
   4. Praise Factory 3^rd-5^th – social distancing and masks required. Children not able to follow-these guidelines must stay with their parents.

Interim Curriculum for Children’s Preschool Church/Worship

We are in the process of updating curriculum and structure to Sunday Mornings. 

During this interim, we are switching to a curriculum that begins a shift towards an emphasis on Systematic Theology, the theme of the Worship Hour for Children’s Ministry.  It is a video-based curriculum to ease the burden of the transition on teachers, volunteers, and children.  There will be parenting materials to review the lessons.  When we complete this transition, we will be shifting back away from a video-driven curriculum.  

Check-In Changes

There are some modifications we have been trying to implement over the last several weeks to assist with COVID but intentionally to better align with serving parents.  

Self-Check-In – This option is back open for those who are very familiar with check-in on the iPads and to move quickly along.  Sanitizer is provided and the iPads are sanitized prior to the start of service, after check-in, and then are quarantined for the week.

Assisted Check-In – A church member should be available to check you in on the iPad or you can proceed to the Children’s Desk by the Nursery if no one is available and you desire assistance.

Children’s Desk by the Nursery – This space is dedicated to new guests who need to be checked in, learn more about our classes, and have a member of our body engage and take care of their needs.

As always, please reach out to me with any questions, concerns, or clarifications that are needed! 

Equipping the Saints – SDG

Sam Walker - Pastoral Assistant over Children’s Ministry