Insights & Information

What Kids & Parents Can Expect THIS Sunday!

Parents of our Kids Street Kids,

As we stand on the threshold of SUCH an exciting time in our ministry (new building, shifting locations, back to two Sunday AM sessions, etc.) which will kickoff this Sunday, it is easy to get excited! We have looked forward to this day for a long time, and have been “burning the candle at both ends” to try to be as prepared as possible. Never before has our children’s church had a “dedicated room” with the ample space to worship! Even though we won’t completely finish the project (with new worship set, etc.) until September, there’s an excitement in the air as we get ready to assume our new location.

What will happen in coordination with this imminent move is equally exciting, and I do feel the need to share a little of that exciting news! Here are some of the new changes that I think will be viewed as absolute improvements as we make the move to two services (effective this Sunday, July 6th) ...

• As you already know, Kids Street Church will occupy the current sanctuary, leaving an open large classroom. Initially, we had designated this as a space of "future growth", but we soon saw the need to utilize this space immediately to help relieve some “pressure points” in the younger classes of our Kids Street ministry. In a nutshell, we are going to take the age range currently served in TWO CLASSES (the current Preschool A and Preschool B) and now divide this group over THREE CLASSES. Preschool B class will move across the hall to the large double room (where Kids Church was), enjoying a much larger space! Preschool A class will move next door to the newly vacated and larger room (where B was). The new class will be held where the Preschool A class was located, and will be called Preschool T (for Transition).

• We have also completely re-designated the age range serviced by these classes, to keep the similar ages and development closer together. Effective immediately, we will list the age range of each class by using the birthday date ranges (including year). This way once a child enters a class in this department, they will stay there and won't move (unless they are promoted as a group).

• Having the new Preschool T class on the lower level gives us a place where we can receive our Toddlers as they reach "roughly" 18 months of age, and are in need of promotion. In the past, because of the "log jam" in the youngest class downstairs (and no room for THEM to promote to), we had to tell parents that their child (even though sometimes well past 18 months) needed to stay upstairs. This created another "log jam”. Well, no more!

• There will be a Toddler Time service held during both the 9:00 AM and 10:30 sessions, servicing the three classes on this lower level. The start times for these 12-15 minute segments of "informal" songs and worship will be 9:30 AM (for the first session) and 11:00 (for the second session).

• The Preschool C class from upstairs will no longer need to navigate the stairs to come down to Toddler Time. Effective immediately, during BOTH SESSIONS, this class will be escorted to the Kids Street Auditorium (current sanctuary) at roughly 9:05 am and 10:35 am, sitting in a designated section on the side (much like they have done during the 10:00 am session) to enjoy the music and puppets of our Kids Street Church service with our older children. Once the music time is over (around 9:35 am and 11:05 am), this class will be escorted back to their Preschool C room by the workers (for bathroom break, snack, etc.).

• In addition to the new class, bigger classrooms, etc. we have also really bolstered the staffing in our younger classes during both sessions: (1) we now have four staffers in the infant room during both sessions, including two ladies who are serving weekly - familiar faces good here! (2) there are eight staffers scheduled to service the downstairs level now, as opposed to just four or five that have been serving.

Please take a moment and look click on the following links to access important information to you as parents:

• CLASS ROLLS for Nursery/Preschool Classes (https://www.dropbox.com/s/9eqssovwwsftkqv/Infant%20%26%20Preschool%20SS%20Rolls%20with%20Birthdates.pdf): Based on the new birth date range for each of these classes, we have edited the class rolls accordingly and moved all Kids Street kids to their appropriate class. PLEASE take the time to check out this stack of rosters, look for your child, to see which class they will be attending and where they should be dropped off, beginning this Sunday morning. Also, when you check in on next time, this is the class that will print out on your child’s tag, so be sure to take him or her to this class.

• TBC KIDS STREET MAP and CHILD LOCATION GRID flyer (https://www.dropbox.com/s/ffu2icsi6qpkgbj/KS%20Campus%20Map%207-14.pdf): This is a very important document. On it you will see what class your child should be in, how they move from place to place throughout the morning (under controlled supervision), and also know where they are at any given point on aSunday morning. This document also gives the facility layout, including room numbers, which can be used in conjunction with the Child Location Grid. This flyer will also be distributed throughout the facility and can always be found at the Kids Street Welcome Center.

INFANT DEPARTMENT NOTES (UPSTAIRS): These three classes will continue to be loosely defined in six-month increments, and our coordinators will oversee working with the parents to promote the children as they reach these breakpoints AND parents are accordingly comfortable with their development.

• Infants (Birth to 6 mos.)
• Crawlers (7 to 12 mos.)
• Toddlers (13 to 18 mos.)

PRESCHOOL DEPARTMENT NOTES (CHILDREN'S BUILDING): As mentioned before, these classes have been re-designated so that, effective immediately, children will be placed into a class based on their BIRTHDAY (including the year). Each child will stay in his or her assigned class until our annual promotion in September.

• Pre T (Birthday 6-1-12 to 12-31-12)
• Pre A (Birthday 10-1-11 to 5-31-12)
• Pre B (Birthday 9-1-10 to 9-30-11)
• Pre C (Birthday 9-1-09 to 8-31-10)
• Pre K (Birthday before 9-1-09 but not in Kindergarten)

PRE C NOTE: This class will go over to the Kids Street auditorium during the early part of each of the two sessions, to enjoy the music and puppets. Parents are reminded that if they need to drop off or pick up their child between either 9:05-9:35 or 10:35-11:05 am, they will most likely find the classroom empty, and will need to come to the Kids Street Auditorium to find the class. Please access the Kids Street Church service through the middle back doors of the foyer (see details below under Kids Street Church notes).

PRE K NOTE: This pre-Kindergarten Sunday school class will meet at 9:00 am and then attend Kids Street Church at 10:30 am. This is the only class that it a little “off the grid”, meaning that the other younger classes (Grades K-2) will be dropped off Kids Street Church at 9:00 am and then be transported to theirSunday school classes around 10:15 am for their 10:30 am Sunday school time.

GRADE 1 GIRLS CLASS NOTE: This class has changed locations, and will now meet in C-211 instead of C-208. This new room is much larger and we think will be a better classroom fit for these girls.

KIDS STREET CHURCH NOTES:
For pickup and drop-off in the new Kids Street Auditorium, it is important that you understand this new policy …
BEFORE the 9:00 am Kids Street service for Grades K-2 begins, the side connector doors will be open for parents to drop off their children. At 9:00 am when the service starts, those connector doors will be closed.
BETWEEN 9:00 am (start of the first service) and AROUND 11:40 (end of the second service), all parents who need to access the Kids Street auditorium for any reason (pickup, drop off, etc.) will need to go to the foyer and enter through the back, middle set of double doors. PLEASE help us with this. Reasoning? DURING the services, entering this side door will distract the service and BETWEEN the two services, we will have the bulk of the early service kids coming OUT these doors to be transported to their classes.
At the CONCLUSION of the 10:30 am service (for Pre K and Grades 3-5), we will open the connector doors and parents can them come in and claim their child.

KIDS STREET WELCOME CENTER NOTE:
Many have asked if the location of our Kids Street Welcome Center will change … no. It will remain in it’s current location, since that is a good mid-point of all Kids Street classes and worship locations. Keep in mind there are two check-in kiosks located just up the steps of the connector, heading toward the Activity Center on the left. These are good kiosks to use if you are dropping your child off at the new Kids Street location.

FINALLY (Whew! Thanks for your patience in taking the time to read this important information.) … As a reminder, our Open House is this Saturday from 4-6pm. I do realize that the primary reason for this Open House is to give our church family the chance to see the new building, and I hope you take advantage of this opportunity. Just know that we hope you also schedule a few minutes to stop by the Kids Street area of the facility. We will have Kids Street leaders, coordinators and specialists ready to answer your questions, along with Austin and myself.

I don't know what else to say. I just know without a shadow of a doubt that God has been behind the plans all the way, and I praise Him for bringing us to this point in our ministry.

Thanks again for your patience as we approach this historical day in our Kids Street children’s ministry. Please don't hesitate to reply back to me with any suggestions, feedback or changes that need to be made.

See you on Sunday!!

KIDS STREET INFORMATION

Kids Street--Web

Phase 2 Shot of TBC B&W 17

Join us Sunday at

9:00am Traditional Worship
10:30am Contemporary Worship