It takes a village…
We want to be your village. A community of support that will have your back through all the ups and downs of parenting. Whether it’s “you can’t have chicken nuggets for dinner every night” or “you were supposed to be home by 10:00” — we’ll be in your corner.
We’ll be in your kids’ corner, too. We’ll believe in them. Cheer them on and celebrate with them. Know them by name. Know their stories. Be there when they fall and remind them of the most foundational Christian truth of all: You are loved.
Sunday Mornings
Every Sunday during the 10 a.m. service, we offer childcare and educational programming for kids of all ages.
Nursery Care
Infants and toddlers up to age 3 can play, nap, and experience God’s love in the nurture provided by our seasoned childcare staff. The nursery is available to parents beginning at 9:15 a.m. and throughout the duration of all Sunday programs.
PRAY-Ground
We have a special, kid-friendly space in the meetinghouse itself: a pray-ground with toys and books, where children who remain in worship with their parents can roam and play freely. And what happens there really is worship! It is worshipful play. Playful worship.
We want kids’ earliest experiences of church to be of a warm, fun, and joy-filled place. A place where they feel — even before they know the words for it — the protecting, caring, loving embrace of God and the community that gathers in God’s name.
sunday school
In our Sunday morning Kidventure program, children in preschool and in elementary school gather for a summer-camp-themed experience of spiritual exploration. They sing songs around a “camp fire” together, learn stories from the bible, pray, play, make friends, and have fun!
We encourage them to ask all the wonderful, brave questions that come so naturally to kids. We want to give children a faith that they won’t find themselves growing out of.
Here’s what our kids will be learning this fall season:
How to be a good friend
- September 8 – The golden rule
- September 15 – How to say sorry
- September 22 – How to ask for what you need
- September 29 – How to play well with others
How to be a good teammate
- October 6 – How to work well with others
- October 13 – How to win well
- October 20 – How to lose well
- October 27 – How to cheer others on
How to be a good family member
- November 3 – How to be helpful
- November 10 – How to fight fair
- November 19 – How to have fun together
- November 24 – Christmas Pageant rehearsals begin and run through December
Have questions about room locations or logistics? Our Director of Children and Youth Ministries, Amber Scovell, would love to talk more with you and welcome you to the program.
Vacation Bible School
On the following midweek, no-school days in Darien, we offer free, single-day morning (9am-12pm) VBS programming :
- Thursday, October 3, 2024 (Rosh Hashanah)
- Tuesday, November 5, 2024 (Election Day)
All children in preschool (age 3 and up) through fifth grade are welcome to join the fun!
You can register your child here.
Milestone Ministry
Like life, faith is a journey.
We’ll be with you all along the way. At every major developmental milestone, we’ll welcome you into a group of other parents and kids to explore the spiritual dimension of the changes your family is experiencing.
We’ll gather together for learning and discussion, and then send you home with concrete takeaways — simple faith practices to ground you and your child as you grow together.
Here are some of the milestones we mark and celebrate:
- Baptism (infants or any age)
- Raising a Healthy, Happy Preschooler (ages 2-4)
- First Communion (3rd grade)
- Reading the Bible (4th grade)
- Confirmation (8th grade)
- Graduation (12th grade)
Additionally, every fall, we invite children returning to school to bring their backpacks or lunchboxes or gym bags with them to worship for a special ‘Blessing of the Backpacks’ during our September ‘Welcome Back Sunday’ service.
There’s more!
Family ice-skating parties. Movie nights. Picnics. Christmas pageants. Intergenerational service projects. There’s always something going on!
