About Children’s Ministry
The ministry to children is a vital and important part of our overall outreach to families. Beginning with an understanding of how children learn, a multi-intellectual plan that combines music, puppetry and song of the children’s choir program with the telling of the story of God’s salvation through games, art, and the many forms of storytelling found in the children’s education program. These programs work in cooperation to lead the children of Lewinsville on a rich and enriching journey of faith formation.
Program Year 2022-2023
Classes for children this year will once again be a part of the Family Ministry Messy Church program. This program will begin on Sunday, September 19, 2021, and will continue to be held on the third Sunday of each month throughout the program year.
We also encourage you to enroll your children in one of our many choirs for children. Lewinsville provides singing choirs and ringing choirs.
And finally, your children will greatly enjoy participating in Puppets in Church, our puppet ministry.
A rich Sunday morning educational program that explores the Christian faith for all ages is presented every Sunday morning. This program year, Lewinsville is instituting the Messy Church program – a worshiping community of all ages, centered on Christ, showing Christian hospitality, giving people a chance to express their creativity, to sit down together to eat a meal, and have fun within a church context.
Kids Stuff Publication Download Here
Register Your Family for Messy Church
Messy Church is a once-monthly time when families come together to enjoy being together, making things together, eating together, and celebrating God together through his word, through music, and through prayer. The once-monthly events are bolstered by break-out sessions for all other Sundays, providing a forum for parents.
Nursery and Childcare:
Child care is available on the lower Heritage Hall for infants and toddlers through age 3. Two certified child-care attendants staff the nursery along with parent volunteers. A safe and attractive outdoor play area for preschool/kindergarten aged children. Maria Bravo is our nursery care provider along with Ana Alfaro. If you have any questions about the nursery and child care providers at Lewinsville please don’t hesitate to be in touch with nursery care volunteer, Alison Stager at Tmoge@yahoo.com.
Pre-School children will participate in Messy Church. On Celebration Sundays, they will participate in the intergenerational activities and follow the schedule for Celebration Sundays. On Break-Out Sundays, the per-schoolers will begin in room L-17 at 8:45am for Joyful Noise. At 9:30am – 10:30am children will focus on the Godly play Bible stories, in room L-04.
During the first half hour, the children will learn to sing songs with our Children’s Choir Specialist. The second half hour will focus on the Godly Play Bible stories. Godly Plan is a term coined by Jerome Berryman to describe an approach to children’s spiritual formation that is based on creating a sacred space in which to present the stories of our faith, wonder about them together, and then allow the children open-ended opportunities, usually with art supplies, to engage the story on their own terms. The stories are told very simply, with simple props and without interpretation or moral instruction. After a story is presented, the children and the storyteller wonder together about aspects of the story that draw their interest.
Elementary age children will participate in Messy Church. On Celebration Sundays, they will participate in the intergenerational activities and follow the schedule for Celebration Sundays. On alternate Sundays, the children will continue activities from the Messy Church themes in MiniMess held in Room L-02.
Sermon Stories
In addition to our Christian Education program, children ages 4 through Grade 2 are invited to participate in Sermon Stories during the 11:00 am worship service.
Lewinsville Choristers & Lewinsville Bells (Grades 4-12)
These choirs learn repertoire appropriate for use in worship services while developing lifelong leadership, musical, and worship skills. Rehearsals for choir and bells will alternate Sundays.
Rehearsals: Sundays, 5:00-6:15 pm
Director: John Nothaft, Director of Music Ministries
Junior Choristers and Bells (Grades 1-3)
This choir offers beginner level voice choir instruction and elementary bells instruction. Emphasis is placed on developing the fundamentals of singing and music theory, with a focus on learning about music in worship. Through fun musical activities, movement, and simple songs, children explore their voices and learn the basics of singing alone and in a group, gaining a familiarity with Christian worship.
Rehearsals: Sundays, 3:30-4:15 pm
Director: Evan Ayars, Children’s Choir Specialist
CHOIRS & PUPPETS FOR CHILDREN and YOUTH:
- Junior Choir/Junior Bells, Grades 1-3:
- 3:30-4:15 pm on Sundays (alternating Sundays for Choir and Bell)
- Grades 1-12, Puppets:
- 4:15-5:00 p.m. on Sundays in the Sanctuary
- [Snack time for Junior Choir/Bells Children:
- 5:00-5:30 p.m.]
- Lewinsville Choir/Lewinsville Bells, Grades 4-12:
- 5:00-6:15 p.m. on Sundays (alternating Sundays for Choir and Bells.)
Youth Fellowship will meet from 6:15-8:15 pm Sundays
Choirs, puppets, and bells signup here:
We are so glad you're here! The Lewinsville Music programs are so important to us and we look forward to having your child participate.
Please sigh up your child for one or more of our programs listed below. We meet on Sundays, for the youth choir program (Lewinsville Choristers and Lewinsville Bells) and the Puppet Training are back for grades 1-12.
You may refresh the page for registering more that one child. Thank you.
The puppets are back!
Get ready for a new year of puppet performances. For children and youth who love to perform but are a little shy in front of a crowd, these “thespians” perform “under cover.”
Puppets at Lewinsville is for children grades 1-6 and youth, grades 7 and up, anyone who would like to learn the art of puppetry. No previous experience is required. We work with professional style puppets of various sizes & styles and give presentations in worship, as part of storytelling, and for general entertainment in and out of church.
This fall we will be preparing for the “Haunted Puppet Show” performed during the Halloween Trunk or Treat event in October, the Nativity story for the Preschool Angel Breakfast in December and the puppet characters in the Christmas Musical performed for the Family Christmas Eve service. Our year ends with the big performance given in May for the Washington Cathedral Flower Mart in D.C.
Rehearsals will held Sunday afternoons, 3:45-4:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Rehearsals will begin Sunday, September 18.
Choirs, puppets, and bells signup here:
We are so glad you're here! The Lewinsville Music programs are so important to us and we look forward to having your child participate.
Please sigh up your child for one or more of our programs listed below. We meet on Sundays, for the youth choir program (Lewinsville Choristers and Lewinsville Bells) and the Puppet Training are back for grades 1-12.
You may refresh the page for registering more that one child. Thank you.