Welcome to KidzTown at Embry Hills! “Growing Kids Like Christ” “So Jesus grew both in height and in wisdom, and he was loved by God and by all who knew him.” ~ Luke 2:52 NLT Children are important at Embry Hills United Methodist. Our goal is to help each child grow in their love for God, to follow Jesus and share God's love with others. Looking at the brief glimpse of Jesus' childhood, Luke tells us he grew physically and mentally. He grew in his love for and by God. And Jesus grew socially as he related to other people. KidzTown believes in helping families develop the whole child, creating a balanced life that includes the same areas in which Jesus grew: physical, mental, spiritual and social. We hope you take a peek at the many opportunities available for your children here in KidzTown at Embry Hills. We offer beautiful and safe facilities and loving hearts to welcome your child. If you have any questions, please give me a call at 770-938-0661 ext. 114 or by email at valerieh@embryhillsumc.org. Rev. Valerie Harvard Pastor to Families with Children KidzTown Calendar Go to the monthly calendar. Check out everything going on in the children's ministry! KidzTown Scrapbook Coming soon…. Sundays at KidzTown KidzTown Nursery Ages 2 and under Our youngest members are loved and cared for during our morning beginning at 8:30 until 12:30pm. Infant Nursery - Room 301 – Our infant nursery is for children 18 months and under or until they become steady on their feet. Toddler Nursery - Room 303 – Our toddler nursery is for those children who are 18 months to 3 years. Once a child is 3 years old on September 1st, they may join the regular Sunday School program and Extended Session. (During the 8:45am service, children ages 3 through Kindergarten are allowed to stay in the toddler nursery while parents/guardians worship) KidzTown Preschoolers Ages 3 and 4 9:45am – The Little Kids Club meets for Sunday School in Room 305. KidzTown is just beginning to adapt the elementary model of Sunday School for our preschoolers. Based on the Workshop Rotation model, the children will be learning a Bible story, topic or character lesson over a 6 week period using a variety of learning methods. They will occasionally use some of the special rooms like the KidzTown Cinema or venture into the KidzTown Connection to reinforce the story though computers. It's a wonderful hour for our preschoolers. 11:00am – All preschoolers are invited to attend worship with their families. If a family members are involved with the choir or other worship duties, they will be escorted to worship as a class. Early in the service all children are invited to the steps for Children's Moment. Each week this is an exciting time for the children and our pastors as together we discover the contents of “the box” KidzTown Elementary Kindergarten through 5th Graders 9:45am - For our elementary age children, KidzTown offers the newest concept in education for children to learn about God's love, the Bible and how to follow Jesus. Unlike traditional Sunday School, KidzTown employs a variety of active learning methods to help the students really know and understand the lessons. The children spend about 6 weeks on the same Bible story, topic or character lesson visiting several different workshops which correspond to various learning styles. Ordinary classrooms have been transformed into full scale learning centers that include sounds, hands-on activities, and visually stimulating environments. Our teachers do not rotate, but stay in one place, preparing one lesson (with some age-appropriate modifications) for each 6-week rotation. Consistency and relationship-building are provided by a team of Town Clerks who remain with one class for an entire school year. This model used in KidzTown is based on the Workshop Rotation Model, which has been developed by a grassroots network of churches from several different denominations. KidzTown currently use the United Methodist PowerXpress curriculum produced by Cokesbury. All elementary children, Kindergarten through 5th grade, are warmly invited to join us each morning at 9:45am in the KidzTown Square (Room 312) where all ages gather for a brief introduction of the lesson, fellowship and fun songs. After gathering the children are escorted to their respective workshops. Our current workshops include: KidzTown Clubhouse houses the arts & crafts workshop and the science workshop in a very cool hang-out designed for the students to express their understanding of the stories through a variety of art mediums and interesting science experiments. KidzTown Library is just that, a children's library! In it we hold our storytelling workshop. Here the children are able to act out the Bible stories in our puppet theater and through other means of storytelling. KidzTown Connection is our computer lab, equipped with 6 brand new state-of-the-art computers, provides an opportunity for the children to explore the Bible stories through a variety of software. They can even print out their own Bible storybooks! KidzTown Cinema is our audio-visual workshop. Here the Bible stories come alive through videos. Not only are movies watched, but the children will have opportunities to make their own videos….and yes, we do serve popcorn! KidzTown Café offers a gourmet experience. During the cooking workshop, kids hear the Bible story and respond to it using an especially well-loved teaching tool -- food! Foods from Bible times as well as more modern cuisine are a fun and tasty part of this workshop. 11:00am – Kids Own Worship All children are invited to attend worship with their parents. We believe that participating in worship is essential to the spiritual formation of the child. But sometimes, that's hard for children, so on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month during the school year, we offer a special time for Kindergartners through 5th graders. Following the Children's Moment on the steps, our elementary children are escorted to KidzTown for a special child-friendly time of worship. Parents may pick their children up in KidzTown following the service. Wednesdays at KidzTown Children's Choirs Cherub Choir: Prek4-Kindergarten. Rehearses from 5:30 to 6:00 in the rehearsal hall. Carol Choir: Grades 1 and 2. Rehearses from 5:00 to 5:30 in the rehearsal hall. Junior Choir: Grades 3-5. Rehearses from 4:15 to 5:00 in the rehearsal hall. Young Ringers Grades 3-5. Rehearses from 5:00-5:30 in the Sanctuary. Wednesday Night Supper 6:00 – 6:30pm Families are invited to join us for supper on Wednesday nights. No need to worry about cooking and washing dishes. Relax with your family and church friends. Zowie Hour for Kids 6:30 – 7:30 pm Zowie Hour immediately follows Wednesday night supper and is offered to allow parents and guardians a time for short or long term classes. Because the children have spent a day in school, Zowie Hour is their “down time.” While having fun, the children are developing their social skills. Zowie Babes – 2 years old and under Room 303 The infant nursery for children 2 years and under is open at 5:30pm until 9:00pm Zowie T's – 3 and 4 year olds Room 305 Our preschoolers come together for an evening of fun and play. Z Kids – Kindergarten through 5th graders Room 312 Our elementary children come together for an hour of fun, games, creative activities. During this time, we work on our developing our social skills after a long day of school. Extended Wednesday Evening Childcare 7:30 – 9:00pm Room 303/305 For parents involved with Chancel Choir rehearsal, ESL classes or other later running studies, all children are taken to the nursery at 7:30pm. Other KidzTown Happenings Club 45 – A special time of fellowship, service and discussion for our 4th and 5th graders. Will be held at various times during the year. L.U.M.B. – Each October, following the presentation of Bibles to our 3rd graders, we offer L.U.M.B. – also known as Learning to Use My Bible classes. Our Bibles are the lens through which we develop our world view. Learning how to use the Bible in a comfortable, relevant way helps our children in their spiritual formation. Family Friday Nights At various times throughout the year, special events are planned with the whole family in mind, such as movie nights, scavenger hunts, seasonal celebrations, and other fun opportunities for the family. The Great Pumpkin Party A Wednesday fun time for the children with costumes, pumpkins and crafts. Advent Celebration This is an intergenerational event, usually held on Wednesday evenings, that help children, their family and friends begin the Advent season. Special crafts, special stories and themes make this a wonderful evening for all. More information as Advent gets closer! Summer Events Vacation Bible School – A fun filled week for rising Kindergartners through 5th grader usually held during the month of June. VBS 2007: June 18th - 22nd Lift Off! Soaring to New Heights with God Wacky Wednesday Events – Special summer fun on various Wednesdays during the summer including the every popular Water, Water Watermelon Day Monday Movies – G-rated movies and a popcorn snack off the perfect combination for a time to cool off and chill out on Monday afternoons. New! Mad Scientists Camp – Our Wacky Wednesday Mad Scientists days were such a hit during the summer of '06, we're looking to book a full week of science camp. Stay tuned for more details!!!