Children’s Ministry

“All the days planned for me were written in your book before I was born.” Psalms 139:16

Welcome to the Children’s Ministry page! At Oak Dale Church, it is our desire to create and maintain a fun, respectful, nurturing and safe environment as we come alongside and support parents in the task of raising and teaching the next generation in the ways of God. Our goal is for children to learn about God's love, grace and forgiveness for them, in hopes that they will desire a personal relationship with Him. This is accomplished on Sunday mornings and with a variety of other activities occurring during the week or throughout the year.

SUNDAY MORNING

On Sunday mornings, during both the 9:00am and 11:00am gatherings, we always welcome children to be in the auditorium as families worship and listen to God’s Word together.  Other options include the nursery,  Growing Oaks classes at 10:00am, and childcare during the 11:00am gathering.

Nursery: There is an unstaffed nursery available for parents' use during gatherings.  It is located to the left as you enter the front doors, with two rocking chairs situated just outside the nursery door. Inside the nursery, additional rocking chairs, a changing table, and a sleeping area are available.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

Childcare: When you enter the church building, please look to your left and proceed to the children’s check-in area. A children’s ministry volunteer will greet you and assist you with signing in your child. Children, infants up to age 4, are required to be checked in and out of our childcare/children’s ministry area by a responsible adult. Check in begins at 10:50am for those respective services. In the Child-Care room the children will be supervised while they play, color, sing Bible songs, and be shown and told how much Jesus loves them!

 “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor” Isaiah 61:3

Growing Oaks (GO) Ministry: Children ages 2-10 years old are using The Gospel Project curriculum.  (www.gospelproject.com) The Gospel Project is a chronological study through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation with a Christ connection in every lesson. Your child will discover how God’s plan of redemption unfolds throughout Scripture and still today, compelling them to join the mission of God.  Learning the major stories in the Bible along with essential doctrines of the Christian faith is accomplished using storytelling, hands-on activities, games, and videos. Our prayer is that God’s word would move in each heart and lead them to heart-felt worship and repentance.

Classes offered are:

• Ages 2-4 (located within the Childcare Area, your child will need to be checked in/out by a children’s ministry worker).
• Ages 5-10 (Located in the multi-purpose room in the back of the fellowship hall; your 5-8 year old child does need to be checked-in/out of this area.)

An important part of the Sunday morning Growing Oaks class time is a 20-minute assembly for ages 5-10. The children are encouraged to share both praise reports and prayer needs and as we worship and pray with them, we aim to teach the wonders of God in spirit and truth.

As teachers and children’s ministry volunteers, as we interact with the children, we want to live and show the following: love for each other and for God, respect for adults (John 15:12), for others (Matthew 7:12) and for self (Galatians 5:22-23) as well as a respect for the House of the Lord (1 Corinthians 10:26). In doing so, we want to be a living example of the transformation that occurs as we worship God, and how we can learn to serve each other.

Security and Safety at Oak Dale

Your child’s security and safety are important to us, so we ask that every child ages infant through age 8 be checked-in and checked-out at the check-in desk by a responsible adult or someone the parent has designated. A childcare ministry volunteer will be there to assist you. Check-in and out times should be up to 10 minutes prior to the service and up to 10 minutes after the service has ended.

All children ministry worker’s (age 18 and older) are required by Oak Dale to complete child abuse clearances from the Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Dept. of Human Services, and a Federal Criminal History report from the FBI which includes submission of fingerprints to the PA State Police.

EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

Child Dedication

Oak Dale invites parents to participate in a ceremony dedicating their children back to God. The child dedication ceremonies are held each spring and fall as part of our Sunday morning worship gatherings. Please contact the church office if you wish to dedicate your infant or child to the Lord.

What about infant baptism?

While some Christian faith traditions baptize infants as a sign and seal of the covenant of grace, Oak Dale reserves baptism for believers who choose to publicly mark their commitment to Christ and His church.

Vacation Bible School: Joining with other community churches, SalisburyVBS.com is held for one fun-filled, action-packed week in the summer where kids ages 3-12 engage in crafts, games, and songs as they learn Bible stories.

The Pumpkin Patch: Held each October, on the same evening as Salisbury Trick-or-Treat at the Salisbury Elk-Lick High School gymnasium, and hosted by the Oak Dale Junior and Senior Youth Groups, this is a fun evening with a carnival-like feel to it with games, face-painting, candy and refreshments. While the kids have a great time, it is also a family event in which the whole community can participate.

Worship:  We give praise and thanks to God, spending time in prayer and singing of songs, surrendering ourselves to Him.

Transform: We grow to be more like Jesus as we hear and memorize the Scripture, listen to Bible stories and interact with adult believers.

Serve: sharing His love with others by praying for each other and showing love in practical ways.

Feel free to contact our  Children's Ministry Director, Peggy Nixon, 301.997.4199 or slatelady3190@yahoo.com. We are excited about your interest in our children’s ministry and look forward to seeing you and your children this Sunday at worship.

We love children! We love bringing them to Jesus!