Join us for our weekly events!
Sunday Mornings
Opportunities for children to worship and learn about God’s amazing stories in the bible are available at both the 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services. Our schedule as of January 1, 2012 is as follows:
9:30am Service -
First Steps Nursery and preschool (ages 0-5)
Kid’s Connection (1st-4th grade)
Planet 56 (5th-6th grade)
11am Service –
First Steps Nursery and preschool (ages 0-5)
Spring 2012 Life Groups for Children
NOTE – Fall Life Groups conclude on December 21st, 2011 and will begin again for the Spring semester on February 15th, 2012.
Children’s Life Groups meet on Wednesday evenings form 6:30-8:30pm. Children may be dropped off as early as 6:15pm and picked up as late as 8:45pm to allow adults to attend a Life Group on that evening.
“Childcare for adults attending Life Groups” – Children ages 0-3 will spend the evening listening to bible stories, crafts and playing games. A snack will be provided. This groups is reserved for parents attending a Life Group on Wednesday evenings.
Taught by SU students ( Ages 0-2 )
“Mission Friends” – Preschoolers will be connecting, growing and serving at their own pace. Mission Friends is the missions organization of WMU® for preschoolers whose primary objective is to provide a strong foundation in a Christian and missions lifestyle. Mission Friends provides developmentally appropriate missions learning experiences to help preschoolers move from a self-centered focus to a focus on others, to become aware that not everyone knows about God’s love, and to understand ways they can help others know about this good news! (Preschoolers ages 3-4 Group)
“Adventure Kids and Explorers” – Children in Kindergarten through 4th grade will connect with their peers and learn God’s foundational truth. They will be exploring the Questions of Life as they dig into the books of Job, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon and applying it to their lives. (K-1st grade Group and 2nd-4th grade Group )
“Grapple” - Preteens are bombarded on a daily basis with difficult challenges, temptations and questions. We’ll tackle these challenges head on and plunge students into the Bible to find answers to their biggest questions about life, God, relationships and themselves. We’ll dig into the real-life issues students are dealing with every day – and find out what the Bible has to say about these issues. (5th-6th grade Group )
For more information about Life Groups for children, please contact Cheryl Tolbert at 443-235-0255 or ctolbert@allenmemorial.org.
What is AMKM?
AMKM is a children’s ministry uniquely designed with your child in mind! Kids, birth through sixth grade, experience safe, age-appropriate environments where the Bible is taught in a creative and relevant way. Join the fun and experience a world where kids meet Jesus on their level! At Allen we believe in Connecting Kids to Christ so they will Grow and Serve others through Him.
Who Attends AMKM?
ALL children (babies through 6th grade) attend AMKM each Sunday! Our First Steps Ministry on the first floor of the children’s wing is designed for babies through age 5. Upstairs in Studio Connect, children in 1st-4th graders join together for bible lessons and small group time. Our 5th and 6th grade ministry has it’s own special space to meet the needs of this unique group.
What is Available for Nursing Moms?
A viewing room is available just outside the sanctuary in Room #149 for moms and babies. This is a “Moms Only” room for women who are nursing their babies.
How Can I Stay In The Loop?
If you’d like to learn more about the curriculum we use and upcoming events, be sure to visit the AMKM page on the AMBC website. You can also keep up with quick updates, encouragements and reminders by following AMKM on Facebook.
If you’d like to learn more about the curriculum and what the Children’s Ministry staff are up to, be sure to visit the AMKM Blog. If you use an RSS reader, you can subscribe to the blog. You can also keep up with quick updates, encouragements and reminders by following AMKM on Twitter.com.
Relationships
We desire for each child to experience a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. We also value children’s relationships within the small group setting as they relate to their group leader and other children. Children are placed in a group of familiar faces where relationships can grow!
Age Appropriateness
We are passionate about children learning about Jesus in a way they understand. Our environments and lesson materials are created based on the physical, mental and emotional needs of each child.
Nursery (infant through 2 years old)
The nursery is available during our 9:30 and 11am services on Sunday and is a safe, nurturing environment where we want a baby’s first experience with their church family to be one filled with love and trust. We do provide a snack, usually goldfish and apple juice, during our time with your children. If your child has a food allergy, please notify his/her teacher. We offer age-appropriate activities that will teach your child about Jesus through crafts, stories, games and songs. Our classes are divided according to ages and are assigned an animal name. Be sure to look for the animal outside your child’s door!
Infants: Lambs
One’s : Turtles
Two’s : Frogs
Preschool (3 years through Kindergarten)
Classes are offered during both the 9:30 and 11am Sunday morning services. We know that children in this age are in major discovery mode so we use hands-on learning to introduce young children to God and His amazing love for them. We also recognize that children this age need more one on one contact so we utilize comfortable but stimulating classrooms with appropriate adult-child ratios. Two through five year olds also have bathrooms in their classrooms for ease in pottying. Our classes are divided according to ages and are assigned an animal name. Be sure to look for the animal outside your child’s door!
Three’s: Monkeys
Four’s: Giraffes
Kindergarten: Elephants
Elementary (First through Fourth Grade)
Children at this age love stories so we provide them with plenty of biblical stories with relevant applications which is what we hope will be a part of a strong foundation for truth. Elementary-aged kids love to move and play so we focus on lively worship and plenty of purposeful activities. Kids in grades 1st-4th meet for a time of worship and learning through games, crafts and prayer. Children start off in small groups according to their grade in school. We then have large group time of worship, teaching and prayer in our large group room. The kids then return to their small groups for application activities.
Fifth and Sixth Grades
“Tweens” are at a particularly critical time in their lives when they can grasp their faith in new ways and can begin to make decisions that will affect their teen years. We meet this challenge through a group that meets for biblical instruction on Sunday mornings at 9:30am called Planet 56, and a time of crazy fun, fellowship and teaching on Wednesday evenings.
Safety
We believe that safety is vital as families entrust us with their children each week. Therefore, every child’s name tag is matched to a parent-identification number and every volunteer is screened with an interview and background check. We maintain safety in the nursery by conducting background checks on every worker, providing annual training for nursery staff and doing weekly cleaning of the facility and its contents. For more information, please contact Jancy Glisson.
Creative Bible Teaching
We strive to bring Bible stories to life through activities and discussions that keep children engaged. We want all children to love God’s word and understand the value of applying it to their lives.
Fun!
Kids love fun! We realize that when children have fun at church, they can’t wait to come back. We value creating fun ways for children to learn about Jesus.
First Time at AMKM?
Look for the area designated for first time families. We will meet your family and check your child into our database system. Once your family is checked in, one of our volunteers will be happy to show you the age appropriate room we have created for your child.
We will ask for the following personal information: family member’s names, children’s names and birthdates, family address, phone number, and any special instructions (allergies, special needs) for your child. Please complete the Child Information Form and bring it with you next Sunday. You may download this form and print it HERE.
You and your child will be given matching identification tags that are exclusive to your family and your visit. Your child will need to wear the name tag portion of your matching identification tags which bears a code that is matched to your portion during checkout at the end of the service. During checkout, you will return to your child’s room and show your tag in order for your child to be released back to you.
On your way home, be sure to ask your child: “Did you have fun?” and “What did you learn today?”
A Special Note
If for some reason your child were to need you during the service, your last name and family identification code would appear on the screens in the sanctuary. We would ask that you exit the sanctuary immediately and look for a staff member who will direct you to your child’s room.
What Should I Expect When I Return to AMKM?
As you enter AMKM, your first stop should be at one of our registration areas where a friendly volunteer will check your child in for the service you are attending. Registration volunteers will need the last four digits of your phone number or your child’s full name in order for us to locate your family in our database system.
You will receive a set of stickers with a family identification number for you and for your child. Your child will wear the sticker with his or her name. Please hold on to your portion of the sticker until checkout at the end of the service. You will need it to check your child out of AMKM. No child is released unless the matching identification sticker is presented.
If for some reason you were to lose your identification sticker, please go directly to our AMKM First Timer Check-In. Be ready to present your driver’s license for identity verification in order to receive a duplicate identification sticker.
We want to provide your child with a safe, fun, and Christ-like environment. We work along side parents to help them guide the spiritual growth of their children.
Child Dedication
Child dedication is a time during our Sunday morning services where we ask parents and the congregation to publicly commit to raising children in our church according to God’s plan. These dedications occur approximately four times per year. If you would like more information about child dedication, please contact Jancy Glisson.
Christian Parenting Websites
If you`re looking for more resources as a parent, try the following for information about your child`s development, obtaining great tips, or getting inspired.
focusonthefamily.com
familylife.com
crosswalk.com
lifeway.com
christianity.today.com/momsense
biblicalparenting.org
christiananswers.net
desiringgod.org
graceandtruth.net
Our children’s ministry is designed to partner with parents in ministering to children by helping them discover and grow in their faith, belong to the body of Christ and share that faith with others. Along with ministering directly to kids, we know that parenting in today’s culture is a huge challenge and we want to come alongside parents to help equip them to be effective in shaping their children spiritually.
We also want to encourage anyone who loves working with children and interested in sharing their gifts to consider being a part of the children’s ministry team. To download a children’s ministry application, click on the appropriate link below:
If you are interested in receiving more information regarding our children’s ministry, please contact Cheryl Tolbert, our director of Children’s Ministry.
