Junior Church & No Limits
What is Junior Church?
It is simply as the name suggests, a version of church just for children. With activities presented in a very child-focussed way, it gives the opportunity for children to feel a valued part of the wider church and to learn about God in a way that is relevant to them.
Who is it for?
Junior Church caters for children in the three to thirteen age bracket.
When is it run?
It is run every Sunday morning between 11:10 and 12:25. The children come to the adult morning service at 11:00 for the first ten minutes and then split off for their own activities.
How many children currently attend?
On average, 40 children attend each Sunday.
What about helpers?
We have a team of dedicated teachers and helpers who have the children's interests at heart and make each week as exciting and relevant as possible.
What is the format?
Junior Church starts with an opportunity for all the children to "let their hair down" in a fun environment. We usually have a time for singing, sharing news, praying and setting the scene for the day's story. After this the children split into groups for their own class time. This is done on a school-age basis, with classes currently catering for the following age groups; nursery/reception, year1/year2, year3/year4 and year5/year6. During these class times, the day's story is explored in more detail, with particular emphasis placed on understanding what the Bible teaches and how it can apply to us today.
Do you have a mission statement?
I'm glad you asked that one, because at Thornhill Church we place a strong emphasis on aligning all our different activities to fall in line with the overall mission of the Church. This means that we are all pulling in the same direction, with the same goal in mind; "to be more like Jesus".
Our own specific aims are:
- The Junior Church Vision - (With God's guiding, the ideal future we want to create.)
As a united team of leaders we seek to model for Children how to become Christ followers. - The Junior Church Mission - (The what we are going to achieve.)
To supplement the family in their attempt to lay down a spiritual foundation that, in God's timing, will lead a child into, and later grow in, a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. - The Junior Church Values - (The how we are going to achieve the what.)
- To accomplish our mission, we must be child targeted in our approach.
- We value relevant teaching that is application oriented to reach today's children.
- We want to teach the Bible creatively in order to be on the wavelength of our children.
- We value shepherding times within small groups, where we can model an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ.
- We want Junior Church to be both a safe and fun place for all of our children.
I hope this has given you a flavour of what Junior Church is all about. If you would like to know more, please feel free to contact us