Children

Children are tomorrow’s leaders. We here at First Baptist Church Gresham recognize the importance of meeting the needs of these children and training them up in the way of the Lord. All of our children’s programs have been designed with this in mind.

Sunday School

Our Children’s Sunday School is divided up into classes designed to meet the specific developmental needs of each child. The divisions for Sunday

School are as follows:

Nursery– Newborns up to three-year olds are accepted in our nursery. Ms. Lacy VanArsdall and Mrs. Carlie May teach the children Sunday School as well as care for the children during all church meetings. Our nursery is equipped with video surveillance and the room is located at the south end of our education wing.

Pre-School & Kindergarten– Mrs. Frankye Owings and Mrs. Dixie Swinford head up our 3’s and 4’s - They bring bible stories down to the level where the children can understand through the use of interactive lessons and reinforcement through additional activities. The classroom is located upstairs in the Multi-Purpose Building.

Children I– Children who are in first and second grades are taught by Mrs. Violet Stephens and Mrs. Vivian Hancock. Biblical concepts are reinforced in this class through activities, music and drawing. Children will have fun while learning about the Bible.

Children II– Mrs. Sharon Simmons and Mrs. Diane May teach our Children II division, comprised of those who are in third and forth grades. These teachers take children a little deeper in the Bible through the use of activities and discussion, helping them gain a greater understanding of God’s word. Children II class meets upstairs in the Multi-Purpose Building.

Pre-Teens - Mrs. DeeAnna May and Mrs. Erin Magouirk lead our pre-teens (students in fifth and sixth grades) by providing engaging lessons that help bring real-life applications to bibilical concepts found in the Old and New Testaments. This class is centered on interaction between students and teachers. The lessons often involve a game or activity that reinforces the learning to help students commit the bible lesson to memory and put it into action. The Pre-teen class meets upstairs in the Multi-Purpose Building.

Junior Church

During Sunday Morning Worship Service (10 AM), all children Pre-K through second grade are encouraged to attend our Junior Church located upstairs in the Multi-purpose Building. Junior Church allows children to receive a message from the Bible delivered at their level of understanding. During this time, a lesson will be presented to the children, they will sing praises and hymns and even be presented with the opportunity to give an offering. A small snack is also provided at the beginning of the hour.

A rotating staff of teachers is headed up by Bro. David May, Mrs. DeeAnna May and Mrs. Sherry.

Noah's Park

On Wednesday nights, starting at 6:00 pm, all children in Pre-K through 4th grade are invited to attend Noah’s Park, upstairs in the Multi-Purpose Building. This is a time for children to gather together to learn about different themes from the Bible. Mrs. Dana Tunnell teaches the lesson along with Mrs. Heather Rowe and Mrs. Stephanie Coats. During this time, the teachers use games, crafts and other activities to reinforce the lesson.

Mission Projects

Our children's department here at First Baptist Gresham feels it is important for children to learn to serve others. As part of this mission, every year the children participate in Operation Christmas Child through Samartian Purse Ministries. The children are collecting small items to pack in shoe boxes that will be sent around the world. If you would like more information, visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org/occ/ or contact Violet Stephens who is heading up this project.

Special Events

Throughout the year, our children's department hosts or participates in various special events. Some of these events include class parties while others are department-wide annual events. The major events for 2011include, but are not limited to,: Girl's Camp, Vacation Bible School, Back to School Blast, Fall Festival, and Brunch with Santa. Be sure and look in the church newsletter to find out more about when each of these events will take place.

You are always welcome in the children's department here at FBC Gresham. If you would like more specific information on any of our programs or events, please feel free to email DeeAnna May, our Children's Department Coordinator, at fbcgresham@att.net.