Children & Youth

Children and youth of all ages experience God’s love and learn to follow Jesus in all sorts of ways.

FMC seeks to cultivate a place where God’s love is felt and known through the love we extend to each other, and where the stories and practices of Jesus can seep into our hearts, minds, and bodies.

Worship, education, service, and fellowship opportunities that instill a sense of belonging (“You are loved!”) and grow our fascination with God’s creation (“Wow!”) are at the core of how we approach Christian formation, especially for the young ones in our midst.

Children & Youth in Worship

First Mennonite Church is a community of and for all ages. For the youngest children, infants through preschool, nursery care is provided throughout worship and Sunday School. (Parents are asked to please attend to their children during the fellowship time.) The nursery is located in the church basement.

Children who are kindergarten age and older are encouraged to join in the worship service, which includes a children’s story time, when children are invited to gather at the front of the sanctuary. Most weeks, children in the nursery are also brought into the sanctuary for the children’s story.

Children and youth are given opportunities to actively participate in the service by assisting greeters, lighting candles, reading scripture, and playing music. They also are encouraged to develop gifts of leading: giving a welcome and prayer or offertory prayer, leading a Call to Worship, and serving as worship leader,

Sunday school

Sunday school classes for children and youth (ages 2 years through high school) are held during the Fall, Winter and Spring quarters. Age groupings vary from year to year. We use MennoMedia’s Wee Wonders curriculum for our preschool class and their Shine curriculum for our grade school and middle school classes.  Topical and Anabaptist faith formation classes are also used from time to time for middle and high school youth. An intergenerational Sunday school class is held during the summer.

Safety Covenant and Safe Environment Policy

First Mennonite Church is committed to providing a safe environment where all children and youth can know and share God’s love. We have developed and follow practices to enact safeguards for our children and youth and promote community-wide accountability. Adults working with children and youth undergo a background check and do not supervise or teach children or youth alone. Parents are welcome to visit the nursery of Sunday school classes at any time. Each year we offer Safe Church training and everyone who is able to participate is encouraged to do so. Read our Safe Enviroment Policy.