Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
(Psalm 127:3)
We believe that children are gifts from God and are essential parts of the faith community. Our desire is to love them and train them in the ways of the Lord. Our prayer is that God would do a work in their hearts which they are unable to do for themselves, that they would trust Christ early in life, and thus worship and enjoy God forever.
One of the ways we minister to our children is through weekly catechism times during our morning worship service. Children are given theological questions and answers to memorize at home so that their minds, from a very early age, are filled with biblical truth. To see our catechism plan go to www.newcitycatechism.com.
Our Sunday school is age-graded with each class built around Gospel-focused lessons. For a list of Sunday school classes, please click here. To view our Sunday school curriculum see www.gospelproject.com.
Safety: At HCF we strive diligently to ensure all our gatherings are conducted in a safe environment. Likewise, we take our children’s health and safety very seriously. Our nursery/preschool wing is accessed through a single check point which is continually monitored while children are present–though there is an additional emergency exit that is always locked from the outside. All classes, nurseries, and other sessions are taught or supervised by at least two adults who have been screened and who have also completed special background security checks. Our volunteers work hard to give parents great assurance that their children are nurtured well and protected while entrusted to our care.
Of note, at HCF we do not have a special “children’s church” during our normal worship services. While childcare/nurseries are provided for infants through 5 year olds, all children age 6 and older remain with their parents or guardians during worship. We believe children learn and benefit greatly as they witness their parents, and the church in general, engage in corporate worship. We, by no means, expect small children to be totally silent or still for 90 minutes; however, we expect them over time to adjust to corporate worship, become curious and ask questions about things that happen (Lord’s Supper, baptisms etc.) and even to participate through singing and children’s catechisms among other things.
VBS: One ministry especially geared towards children is our yearly Vacation Bible School. To read more about VBS @ HCF click here.