Kid Central

At Kid Central, our goal is to help kids understand who Jesus is and how they can share His love with others.

Getting Started

We currently offer children’s programming on Sunday mornings for our 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00am services. We do not currently offer programming during our Saturday night service.

When it comes to getting started with Kid Central, we make check-in as easy as 1-2-3…

1. Get Registered

If you’re a first-time guest, we’ll want you to sign up at our Welcome Center Desk. Your child will receive a name tag and you’ll receive a pick-up tag. Pick-up tags are just one of the ways we provide a safe environment for our kids.

Want to register your child(ren) ahead of time? CLICK HERE and be sure to click the “add child” option when filling out your information.

2. During The Service

If there is ever an issue or your child needs you, you will receive a text message from our team, so please keep your phone available during the service.

3. Pick Up

After the service, parents present their pick-up tag to the teacher in the classroom to pick up your child. If you lose your pick-up tag, just stop at the Kid Central welcome desk for assistance.

Questions?

If you have questions, please look for someone in the Children’s Ministry area wearing a red lanyard. They are always happy to help! Or, if you have questions before your visit to Central, email our Children’s Pastor, Jon Smithback.

What does Kid Central look like?

Infants

The infant room is designed for babies ranging from 6 weeks old to 1 year old. The infant room is staffed by no less than 1 volunteer for every 3 babies. While in the infant room, your baby will receive careful attention, loving playtime, and prayer.

3-Year-Old – Kindergarten

In the 3-Year-Old to Kindergarten room, children will experience worship, Bible story lessons & videos, small group time, and will no longer be getting a snack.

1-Year-Olds

The 1-Year-Old room is staffed by no less than 1 volunteer for every 4 kids. In the 1-Year-Old room, your child will start to hear Bible stories and enjoy fun toys and activities.

Elementary Kids

The elementary area is designed for children in 1st Grade through 5th Grade. In the elementary area, children are divided not only by grade level, but also by gender. Our goal is for your child to start building a bond with their small group leader. Many of our small group leaders will stay with their kids until they graduate from high school.

Elementary offers large group worship, small group lessons, and fun hangout time.

2-Year-Olds

The 2-Year-Old room is staffed with 1 volunteer for every 6 children. In the 2-Year-Old room, your child will hear a Bible story, worship, and start exploring the world of crafts.

Level Up

Our unique Sunday morning ministry for 4th-5th graders will kick off on Sept. 12 during both the 9:30 and 11:00am services and continue to meet throughout the school year. At Level Up, kids will participate in a large group experience, be part of a LifeGroup formed by gender and grade level, and enjoy fun games and activities. It’s a great way for kids to stay plugged in as they transition from Kid Central to Student Central (grades 6-12)!

Kid Central Special Events

Child Dedications

We are deeply committed to helping parents as they strive to raise their children in a way that brings God honor. We offer child dedication services as a special time of public ceremony and personal commitment when parents can promise to raise their child in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Our next dedications are set for the weekend of Oct. 23-24. Click the button below to register. If you have questions, please email our Next Gen admin, Marianne Mergen, at [email protected].

We do ask all parents to attend at least one child dedication class before dedications. The two options are Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 5:30pm in the Clubhouse and Sunday, Oct. 17 at 9:30am in Family Life Center room 173.

We do often have a waiting list for dedications, so please be sure you are able to commit to the dedication date before you sign up.

Children’s Baptisms

At Central, we believe the Bible teaches that a child receives salvation through a personal relationship with Jesus. Personal faith and salvation are not passed down from parent to child, and salvation isn’t the result of participating in a baptism. Instead, baptism is an opportunity for followers of Jesus to tell others they have joined God’s family through personal faith.

Here’s what else you can do for your child to be baptized:

Click here for details on our next baptism celebration.
Contact our Children’s Pastor, Jon Smithback, to let him know you’re interested in learning more about baptism.
Attend a mandatory baptism class with your child. (Baptism class info is available on our baptism page under the “Children’s Baptisms” tab.)

We will contact you with more details after Jon receives your email expressing your child’s interest in being baptized.

1st Grade Bibles

We want to give our 1st graders a Bible! If you have a child in 1st grade, please register for the 8:00am, 9:30am, or 11:00am Bible presentation on November 21st.

Children will receive a Bible during the service and we’ll have a fun celebration reception when the service is over. The reception will include snacks and refreshments, a time for parents to share favorite verses and pray with their children, and all kinds of other fun.

We’ll have more information on the location available soon, and we hope to see you there!

To get signed up for a 1st grade Bible, click the button below. If you have any questions, email [email protected].

Central Jam Children’s Choir

Do your kids love to worship through music and dance? Are they excited about the idea of sharing Christ’s love by performing on-stage? Then it’s time to get involved with Central JAM! Central JAM is for kids in 1st-5th grade and meets most Wednesdays this fall starting Sept. 8.

Central JAM will host two performances on Saturday, Dec. 18 (2:00 and 5:00pm).

**PLEASE NOTE: Your child MUST be available and present for both performances to participate this year. While we want every family to be able to participate, we will not be able to make exceptions. Thank you for your understanding.

Central Jam Calendar

Central JAM practices run from 5:30 to 7:00pm on most Wednesdays.

Weekly Schedule

5:30-5:50 – Pizza
5:50-6:10 – Devotional time
6:10-7:00 – Musical Practice

Full Calendar

Sept. 8 – Tryouts (only 3rd-5th grade) | Everyone will attend, watch the show, and receive CDs.
Sept. 15 – Hand out parts | Practice “Hope for a Broken World”
Sept. 22 – Practice “He Shall Reign Forevermore”
Sept. 29 – Practice “That Holy Night”
Oct. 6 – Practice “Star in the Sky” | Have scenes 1-4 memorized
Oct. 13 – Practice “All About that Baby”
Oct. 20 – Practice “Messiah”
Oct. 27 – Practice “Sheep Stuff”
Nov. 3 – Practice “Waiting for a Miracle” | Have entire show memorized
Nov. 10 – Review
Nov. 17 – Review
Dec. 1 – Run Show
Dec. 8 – Run Show
Dec. 14 | 4:30-6:30 – Tech rehearsal (speaking parts only) | NO PIZZA
Dec. 15 | 4:30-7:30pm – Dress rehearsal (Everyone) | THERE WILL BE PIZZA
Dec. 18 – Shows at 2:00pm and 5:00pm

Again, please remember that your child MUST be able to perform at both 2:00 and 5:00pm on the 18th.

Summer Children’s Ministries

Skill School

Each summer, kids who have completed kindergarten through 5th grade spend a week practicing fun skills, learning about Jesus, and experiencing an unforgettable week of camp right here at Central. We will have more info on Skill School for Summer 2022 in a few months, so check back in the spring for details, volunteer opportunities, and registration info.

To get an idea of what Skill School looks like, check out the video below.

Kid Central Volunteers

The volunteers at Central are such a vital part of the Kid Central ministry. All of our volunteers have gone through a careful interview process, including a background check and special training. It is our commitment to you as a children’s ministry team to give your child the best experience we can while they are here.

If you have an interest in serving as a volunteer in Kid Central, just click the button below. And if you have any questions, just send an email to our Kid Central team at [email protected].

I’m Ready To Volunteer!