Hat's Off to Volunteers by Chris Graves, Coordinator of Children's Ministries

Since joining the HOPE staff in January, I am blest to have the opportunity to see the “ins and outs” of children’s ministries. And while I find myself quite busy still learning the ropes, the biggest thing I have discovered is that children’s ministry is nothing without all of the dedicated volunteers. Our teachers not only have a heart for kids, but they possess a level of patience that is absolutely critical to our kid’s faith development. Remember, the Sunday morning experience will be, for many of our children, the first installment to building their foundation of faith. Our children are not only learning about God’s love through the Sunday school and Kids’ Time programs and curricula but through the generous and loving spirit of our teachers.
If you ever wondered what goes on in the children’s wing all year round, let me give you a thumbnail sketch. We have five classrooms running during the 9 a.m. service and three classes during the 10:30 a.m. service. Our “almost” three-year olds are now leaving the nursery for a mini lesson during the second service and our new fourth and fifth grade programs meet the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month. Each of these classes have both a lead teacher and an assistant. In addition, we have a small dedicated team of volunteers who work with our students with special needs on an individual basis. That’s a lot of teachers! And guess what? We are growing!! I believe we will need to add more classes in September and with the opening of Tomorrows’ Hope Preschool, the growth for children’s ministry seems endless.
So to all our fabulous volunteers and helpers, thank you! Thank you for sharing your gifts and your time to help grow our children to be followers of Christ. And to those who have been thinking about teaching or helping out, please do. Your commitment will help lay the foundation for faith in the lives of children that they will take with them for a lifetime. And besides with all this growth we really do need you! Contact me at Chris@MeetHope.org and find out how you can make a difference in this important ministry.

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