First United Methodist Church - Hurst

But Jesus called them to him, saying,
“Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them;
for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”
–Luke 18:16

We welcome you and your child in worship! We encourage you to reference the tips below to help involve your child in the worship of our God. Additionally, we offer the following:

Worship Kits are small bags of activities provided during each worship service. They can be picked up near the Children’s Chapel Table in the Narthex (outside the Sanctuary). Please return the Worship Kit to the basket following the worship service.

Children’s Worship Bulletins are specially designed for children and are available from the ushers upon entry to the Sanctuary. They offer special activities for children that supplement the lectionary scripture texts for the day.

Live Video Broadcast of the 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. worship is available in W120 (Bride’s Room) for those who need to soothe young children.

PALS (People Assisting with Love and Support) is our ministry to children and families with special needs. Volunteers assist families with children who have special needs during Sunday school and the 11:00 a.m. worship. Parents bring their children to our PALS room (C111) to check in. The children are taken to their Sunday School classroom with their PALS. The PALS provide assistance and guidance for the children so that their families may attend Sunday school or worship.

Nursery (infants to age two)
Our church community recognizes the importance of the loving, caring environment you desire for your child during worship. Silent pagers are provided for parents, and a positive-identity system is in place.

        Infants (Room C105)
        Crawlers (Room C101)
        Walkers (Room C102)
        Talkers (Room C104)

Tot Watch (age two as of September 1 of current school year)
Special worship activities for children age two are offered during the 11:00 a.m. worship service in Room C106. Tot Watch follows a specially developed curriculum and explores many stories of our faith, in addition to special holidays through hands-on, age-appropriate learning. Tot Watch is led by a paid worker, assisted by parent volunteers. Children who attend Sunday School will be walked to Tot Watch following class if parent indicates this desire. Tot Watch follows the Sunday School class calendar and children remain in Tot Watch until September, when they will promote to Wee Worship.

Wee Worship (age three as of September 1 of current school year)
Special worship activities for children age three are offered during the 11:00 a.m. worship service in Room C111. Wee Worship follows a specially developed curriculum and explores many stories of our faith, in addition to special holidays through hands-on, age-appropriate learning. Wee Worship is led by the Assistant Children's Director, assisted by parent volunteers. Children who attend Sunday School will be walked to Wee Worship following class if parent indicates this desire. Wee Worship follows the Sunday School class calendar and children remain in Wee Worship until September, when they will promote to Children’s Chapel.

Children’s Chapel
(age four as of September 1 of current school year–kindergarten)
Children’s Chapel is offered during the 11:00 a.m. service. As young children begin to transition into attending worship, it is often difficult for them to sit still through an hour of worship. Therefore, children of this age are invited to leave the service following the Children’s Sermon (or during the Doxology on the first Sunday of the month) for an age-appropriate worship time. During Chapel, which is lead by Debbie Joiner, Director of Ministries with Children and Families, children worship God through singing, offering, prayer, scripture, and a message designed specifically for them. Additionally, Communion is served on the first Sunday of the month. Parents are assigned one Sunday every two to three months to assist during Children’s Chapel, offering them a time to worship with their child, in addition to providing loving care to all children present. Children’s Chapel takes place in the Chapel and children are picked up in Room C114 in the Children’s Building immediately following the 11:00 service. Please stop by the Chapel table in the Narthex to sign in your child each week, and fill out his/her nametag. In order to make a smooth transition into Children’s Chapel, parents are invited to join their children as needed.

Worshipping with Your Child
Children learn how to participate in worship by being in worship. However, many parents worry about how their child will behave or whether he/she is absorbing anything that happens. Following are a few tips to help you help your child feel comfortable in worship:

Relax! God put the wiggle in children—don’t feel you have to suppress it in God’s house.
Pick up a worship kit for your child in the baskets outside the Sanctuary.
Save the Children’s Bulletin your child received when entering the Sanctuary for use during the sermon.
Use a gentle touch: an arm around your child’s shoulder or your hand in his/hers gives reassurance and appropriate attention.
Explain quietly the parts of the service.
Help your child find the pages in the hymnal. Use the book marks in the worship kit. As you sing, move your finger along the words to help your child learn how to read a hymn.
Sing the hymns, pray and voice the responses. Children learn good behavior in church by copying yours.
Encourage them to come to children’s sermon and ask them to participate in the message.
Allow your child to help pass the offering plate and put money into it.
Following the service, ask your child how he or she experienced God in worship today. This helps set the expectation that we do encounter God in worship.
Always remember that the way we welcome children in church directly affects the way they respond to church, God, and Christ. Let them know that they are at home here at First United Methodist Church.

Tell me, I’ll forget.
Show me, I may remember.
Involve me and I’ll understand.
—Chinese Proverb

Kindergarten Worship Unit
During the spring semester, the Kindergarten Sunday School class will participate in a twelve-week study about worship, following the Children Worship! Curriculum. During this time, the children will learn what worship means, the different parts of the worship service, special hymns, and participate in their own worship time. Information is provided for parents to help reinforce this learning during worship. The study culminates in a special family worship time on a Sunday morning during Sunday School with a family fellowship activity to follow the 11:00 worship service.

Acolytes
Students in grades 4-6 have the opportunity to participate in the worship service by serving as an Acolyte. Acolytes carry the cross and the light into worship and assist in Holy Communion and Baptisms. Training sessions are held in August or early September.

Children’s Worship Services
Throughout the year elementary children will participate in planning, and leading special services for children, usually held during the Sunday School hour. Parents are always invited to participate.