Gateway KIDS is a fun place for children, birth through sixth grade, to GROW SPIRITUALLY as they learn who God is and how much He loves them. Children and volunteers CONNECT in small groups where each child can feel safe, cared for and known.
Your child’s safety is our first priority. All of our Gateway KIDS volunteers are background checked, and our safety team maintains a constant presence in our KIDS environments. We require child check-in by an adult using the iPads in the atrium. Kids will receive a sticker with their name and parents will receive a pick-up sticker.
Parent stickers are required at dismissal time.
If your child needs you during the service, we will notify you.
Nursery/Preschool
Our nursery is a peaceful, nurturing space where our littlest ones first begin to spend time with God through loving care and simple Bible truths. Every moment is filled with gentleness, comfort, and the beginning seeds of faith as volunteers reflect God’s love through their presence.
In preschool, children explore who God is through multi-sensory, hands-on learning that helps them spend time with others and spend time with God in playful, engaging ways. Through stories, songs, and activities. Through stories, songs, and activities, they will learn how to spend time with God, spend time with others, be a helper, and tell others about Jesus!
K- 4TH GRADERS
Our elementary environment invites kids into dynamic worship, large group teaching, and interactive small group activities that help them spend time with God and others, use their gifts, and begin to share their story.
5th and 6th Grade
“56” meets during the weekend experience to discover Biblical truths, grow in relationship with each other and have fun in the process. This is accomplished in a small group setting with ice breakers, video skits, exploring the bible, and praying together. Throughout the year, 56 will have exciting opportunities to gather together with their peers for social interaction and crazy fun. They will also have service opportunities enabling them to grow their hearts for ministry and develop their leadership skills and gifts.
Buddy Ministry
Mission: To provide a place during the Sunday Experience for special needs kids to belong, participate, & grow spiritually.
We believe that everyone was created in the image of God, on purpose and for a purpose (Genesis 1:26-27). We also believe that we are all essential to the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:14-17), and we desire to share Christ’s love and good news with all people.
One way we show value to kids with differing needs is by ensuring they’re not only included in all that we do in our KIDS Ministry, but that they truly belong. To accomplish this, at a minimum, we partner with families to:
-Nurture the faith of every child.
-Include them alongside their peers with a “Buddy” adult support person, though this is dependent on volunteer availability (see below).
-Provide a sensory room in the elementary environment for those who need a break at any time. We recognize kids can have a range of sensory, behavioral, or other challenges, so we do our best to individualize our approach to helping them access as much of the content as they can. The sensory room can serve as a calming and effective tool for this purpose.
We encourage caregivers to complete our “Buddy Ministry Intake Form”. We will then work to pair your child with a Buddy who will get to know your family to best coordinate care while your child is here at Gateway Church. Because Buddies are matched specifically to each child’s unique needs, finding the right fit can be a slower process, and we currently do not have a set timeline for when a match will be made. While we work to find a “Buddy” for your child, we will need you to stay in your child’s classroom and serve as their Buddy.
Note: We cannot provide therapy, behavioral modification programs, medical care or recommendations to you or your child. We are, however, always happy to discuss partnering with your child’s existing home and/or support worker’s plan to make their time in Gateway KIDS Ministry as meaningful and safe as possible. We are excited to serve your family and look forward to hearing from you!
Questions?
We’d love to talk in person on the weekend, or you can email us anytime.