Changes in New City Kids!
This week brings two exciting changes in our New City Kids program! The mission of New City Kids is to partner with parents to build a firm gospel-centered spiritual foundation for their children. As we continue to grow, we want to keep our methods flexible but our mission the same, so we have a couple of changes to help us to do that.
1. 9:00 AM Classes
With our recent move to two services, we've seen a shift in class attendance and want to make sure we are making the best use of our available resources! To open our classes to as many kids as we can, our 9:00 AM service will offer these four classes beginning March 25:
- Nursery/Toddlers (anyone in diapers) will meet in the "Hot Air Balloon Field"
- Pre-K & Kindergarten (potty trained through K) will meet in the "City Park"
- 1st & 2nd grade will meet in the "New City Zoo"
- 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade will meet in the "City Theater" or "New City Cafe" (depending on size)
Our 11:00 AM service will remain the same as it has been:
- Nursery/Toddlers (anyone in diapers) will meet in the "Hot Air Balloon Field"
- Pre-K will meet in the "City Park"
- Kindergarten & 1st grade will meet in the "New City Zoo"
- 2nd & 3rd grade will meet in the "City Theater"
- 4th & 5th grade will meet in the "New City Cafe"
We will continue to keep this model flexible as New City grows and we welcome more families each week!
2. Classroom Curriculum: The Gospel Project
This Sunday also launches a series in a new curriculum in all of our classes (except the nursery). We have been using the Jesus Storybook Bible for some time and love it's focus on Jesus throughout all of Scripture. However, it is just shorter than a calendar year, and that has us teaching important lessons like Christmas and Easter at odd times! We want to incorporate these church-wide celebrations in to our lessons and reinforce what our kids are learning at home, so we are taking a break from the JSB to get back on track. In the meantime, we are going to teach Lifeway's The Gospel Project.
From Lifeway's website:
Every story casts His shadow.
66 books. Dozens of authors. A holy canon thousands of years in the making. Every word, every verse, bears His testimony. Of the Holy Messiah. Jesus Christ. Eternal King.
The Gospel Project® is a chronological, Christ-centered Bible study for Kids, Students, and Adults that examines how all Scripture gives testimony to Jesus Christ. Over the course of three years, participants will journey from Genesis to Revelation and discover how God’s plan of redemption unfolds throughout Scripture and still today, compelling them to join the mission of God.
We are excited to teach through a portion of this program on the New Testament letters this Spring, showing our kids how all of Scripture points to God's ultimate redemptive plan in Jesus. This week's lesson will focus on Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and next week will take us to the crucifixion and resurrection as we celebrate Easter. I encourage you to read more about the Gospel Project, and talk with your kids about what they're learning in class!
"Getting children to meet in the morning and the afternoon is a waste of their steps and yours if you do not set before them soul-saving, soul-sustaining truth." -Charles Spurgeon
At New City, we want to use every opportunity to help others live in light of the gospel, and our kids are no exception. Pray with me that these changes serve our families well and open doors for the gospel to be proclaimed - with kids, parents, visitors, and friends. Thank you to our faithful volunteers who love and serve our kids and their families week after week!
Gratefully,
Heather
