Building Strong Families, Rooted in Christ
Northside Kids exists to invite kids to experience the love and life of Jesus through story, sacrament, and community.
We believe that parents are the primary source of discipleship for their children. We seek to partner with families to help children grow into the life of Christ by encountering the story of Jesus, practicing the rhythms of the Church, and discovering that they are loved by God and called to share in his work.Every week in Northside Kids, our children will participate in the stories of Jesus and God’s people through reading and imaginative play:
Littles (6 months through 3 years): Dedicated care for our youngest children. Our hope is that even these early stages will provide opportunity for children to experience the church to be a safe and loving environment.
Middles (4 years through First Grade): At this age, we begin to introduce participation in call-and-response liturgy, Bible teaching, and activities to engage their whole selves in the stories of God’s love for us.
Bigs (Second through Fifth Grade): These children participate in the early parts of our worship service alongside their families before splitting off to receive their own developmentally appropriate lesson and Communion.
Each classroom has at least two volunteers who have been vetted by our Family Ministry team, background check through Ministry Safe, and trained before serving. The doors to each classroom are locked, and the children use a separate bathroom located in the nursery room. Additionally, we use Planning Center Check-ins for approved caretakers who can pick up children from Northside Kids.
Check-in can be a challenging time for parents and children. We recommend a quick drop-off process, as prolonged goodbyes can sometimes increase, not minimize, a child’s anxiety! Our volunteers work hard to soothe upset children and engage them in play, and most children settle down within five to ten minutes of drop-off. Occasionally, however, some children are unable to be soothed. If your child cries for more than ten minutes or if the crying is intensifying, a volunteer will send you a text message, so keep your phone accessible!
We serve communion to all children who have been baptized (as long as parents consent). If a child does not take communion, we will pray a blessing over them. We believe that both prayer and communion are gifts from God and are ways to interact with God. Children will have a cross on their name tag to indicate prayer in place of the Eucharist.
If you’d like to learn more or have any questions not answered here, we'd love to meet with you.
Please email justin@missionnorthside.org or give us a call: 865-356-2411.
ON MISSION
FOR HIXSON