Our kids are important to us, very important, as we realise that what they experience at a young age through the faith of their parents will influence them greatly as they grow up.
To let them experience what a worship service is like, the children stay in church for roughly the first 15 minutes. We often sing a children’s song with them, give them a short message, and sometimes they prepare and bring a song for the whole congregation.
After we have prayed for them they leave for their various programmes (in Dutch as almost all kids go to local Flemish speaking schools):
- Babies go to the crèche room to play. We also read Bible stories with the oldest toddlers, followed by a creative activity or a game.
- Little Lights (ages 2.5 to 7)
- Finding Jesus (ages 8 to 11)
Both these groups have similar programmes adjusted to their age. They read Bible stories, discuss them, and do some creative activities or games on the same theme.
- Teenagers (12 – 15) meet on alternating weeks for a programme in which they mainly address and discuss a Bible passage or a theme that is relevant to them. On the other alternating weeks they join the youth group of the nearby Dutch-speaking evangelical church EKL, which in the building of the Evangelical Theological Faculty (ETF).
Besides these Sunday morning activities, there are various Children and Teenager clubs which also meet on other days of the week. You can get more info here.