We exist to help the youngest members in our community to begin their walk with God for the rest of their life.
This is a ministry specifically designed with children in mind! We desire to teach kids in fun and age-appropriate ways the truth about God and His love for them, to shepherd them to know and love Him personally, and to know how to share that love with others.
WHEN does it take place?
Every Sunday morning at 10am during our Sunday Gathering time! Children in the Nursery Class (babies who aren't yet walking) and Walkers Class (walking one year olds) can be taken to their classes as early as 9:50am.
WHERE is it located?
All Kids LIFE classes meet at Flint Hills Christian School, where we meet for our regular Sunday Gatherings.
are you interested in helping our children walk with God?
It takes a lot of people to care for our infants through 6th graders every week. Kids LIFE workers are background checked and are over the age of 12. They can serve by cuddling babies, playing with toddlers, teaching a class, or helping in a classroom.
Class
Nursery through Pre-K
This year, your child will be studying God’s truth using the Jesus Storybook Bible. We have chosen this popular children’s bible because of our strong desire to partner with New Hope families. Many of you are already using this resource at home, and it is always available on the resource table at church. We recognize that the responsibility, as well as the privilege, of nurturing the faith of children rests primarily on parents. Parents have the greatest opportunity for teachable moments – everyday situations in which the truth of God’s Word can be applied. Faith nurturing should not be seen primarily as a classroom experience, but rather as a consistent weaving of spiritual truth into everyday life. New Hope desires to partner with parents, and we are hoping this will allow you to connect better with what your children are learning, allowing you to feel more equipped to talk to your children about Truth. I urge you to consider purchasing the Jesus Storybook Bible to have at your own home if you don’t already own a copy. What a wonderful opportunity to reinforce the lessons being learned at church.
The Jesus Storybook Bible Curriculum invites children to join in the greatest of all adventures, to discover for themselves that Jesus is at the center of God's great story of salvation - and at the center of their story too! It is true that Jesus is at the center of each and every Bible story and every story "whispers his name!" The Bible is one complete, true story. Although it consists of 66 separate books, which make up the Old and New Testaments, it has one central and comprehensive message. What is this message? The saving work of God to reconcile sinners to Himself through Jesus Christ, that God may be glorified forever. Because Jesus is central in God’s eternal plan of salvation, Jesus is central in the entire Bible, from start to finish.
The Jesus Storybook Bible was written to assist children in understanding the “big picture” of the Bible. The curriculum has been designed to help children see that the focus of the Bible centers around the Person and work of Jesus. Through this study we hope that children will better comprehend the intentional flow of the Bible – the progressive revelation of God’s plan of redemption and the eternal, sovereign nature of that plan. The children will be learning God’s truth in age-appropriate lessons, crafts, games, and activities in each of their classrooms.
Nursery
Point Person: crystal lenz
Walkers
POINT PERSON: KARYN CLANTON
Twos Class
Point Person/Lead Teacher: Sandy Winter
Lead Teacher: Aaron Clanton
Threes Class
Point Person/Lead Teacher: Mindi Sturm
Lead Teacher: Kristey Wiebers
Fours/PreK Class
Lead Teacher: cARISSA TUMMONS
LEAD TEACHER: KRISTINE GEVOCK
Lead Teacher: Keri Mills
Class
Kindergarten and 1st Grade
This year, your child will be studying the curriculum Jesus, What a Savior! Our children (like us) are helpless sinners, deserving of God’s eternal wrath. Children need to hear this truth so that they, like us, can turn to the perfect and only remedy—the free gift of salvation through Jesus the Savior! Each lesson in Jesus, What a Savior! is designed to present the material, including Bible stories, in a way that proclaims the centrality of the greatness and worth of God. This chronological study on redemption focuses on God’s revelation of His Son, Jesus, as the one and only hope for desperate sinners—the good news of the Gospel!
This curriculum uses selected Bible stories presented chronologically to present these key redemptive themes:
· the incomparable greatness and worth of God, who is to be desired and treasured above all things;
· the desperate condition of sinners, who have fallen short of treasuring the glory of God and are helpless to save themselves;
· the all-sufficient work of Jesus on the cross to save sinners who put their trust in Him.
Finally, our prayer is that through the presentation of the Scriptures, the explanation of the gospel, and the work of the Holy Spirit, the children will recognize their own sin and helplessness, and turn and embrace Jesus Christ as their only hope, and be reconciled to God through His shed blood on the cross!
Clearly the responsibility, as well as the privilege, of nurturing the faith of children rests primarily on parents. Parents have the greatest opportunity for teachable moments – everyday situations in which the truth of God’s Word can be applied. Faith nurturing should not be seen primarily as a classroom experience, but rather as a consistent weaving of spiritual truth into everyday life. Children will take home a worksheet each Sunday so that KidsLIFE can partner with you. We hope that you will be able to use these sheets as a resource for your child’s spiritual development, asking them about what they learned, and helping them apply those truths to their own life.
Point Person/Lead Teacher: Cara LeMoine
Lead Teacher: SHARON GROGAN
LEAD TEACHER: AMY REID
Class
2nd and 3rd Grade
This year, your child will be studying the curriculum In the Beginning…Jesus. The Bible is one complete, true story. Although it consists of 66 separate books making up the Old and New Testaments, it has one central and comprehensive message - the saving work of God to reconcile sinners to Himself through Jesus Christ, that God may be glorified forever. Because Jesus is central in God’s eternal plan of salvation, Jesus is central in all of the Bible, from start to finish. Although Jesus is not mentioned by name in the Old Testament, His presence is everywhere. In fact, the purpose of the Old Testament is to set the stage for Jesus’ arrival.
In the Beginning…Jesus was written to help students understand the “big picture” of the Bible – to see that the focus of the Bible is the Person and work of Jesus. Through this study, we hope they will better comprehend the intentional flow of the Bible – the progressive revelation of God’s plan of redemption and the eternal, sovereign nature of that plan. Furthermore, by beginning with Jesus and His death on the cross, we emphasize the necessity of Jesus in fully understanding the Old Testament.
Our prayer is that through the presentation of the Scriptures, the explanation of the gospel, and the work of the Holy Spirit, the students will recognize their own sin and helplessness, turn and embrace Jesus Christ as their only hope, and be reconciled to God through His shed blood on the cross!
As Deuteronomy 6:5-9 says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Clearly the responsibility and privilege of nurturing the faith of children rests primarily on parents. Parents have the greatest opportunity for teachable moments – everyday situations in which the truth of God’s Word can be applied. Faith nurturing should not be primarily as a classroom experience, but rather as a consistent weaving of spiritual truth into everyday life. Children will take home a worksheet each Sunday so that KidsLIFE and parents can partner together. Please use these sheets as a resource for your child’s spiritual development, asking them about what they learned, and helping them apply those truths to their own life
Lead Teacher: DAVE GEVOCK
Lead Teacher: Mat Bishop
Lead Teacher: Rudy MILLS
Class
4th and 5th Grade
This year, your son or daughter will be studying God’s use of His names as a means to reveal His character. Perhaps you are wondering, “Why a study for young people on the names of God? Isn’t it enough for them to know a few names, such as God, Good Shepherd, Jesus, Messiah, and Savior? Do they really need to know all these names that many adults don’t even know?”
While it is true that young people do not need to know all these names, a study of God’s names is spiritually profitable because a study of the names of God is a study of the character of God. As youth see who God really is, the irresistible goodness and greatness of His character will draw them to Him. How can you help but admire a God like Elohim, who created the whole universe from within Himself? How can you help but stand in awe of Yahweh, who exists without need of anyone or anything? How can you not be attracted to Jehovah-Jireh, who anticipates your every need? How can you not be comforted by El Roi, who sees every situation you face in life, or by Jehovah-Shammah, who is “there” for you at all times? How can you not love Jehovah-Rohi, who watches over you with a Shepherd’s love for His sheep? As the Scripture says:
“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have no forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
It is our prayer that as your son or daughter studies these names and the character of God is impressed on your child’s mind and heart, his or her response will be like David’s:
O LORD, our Lord, how majesitc is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:1a
Lead Teacher: KEITHEN MEYER
Security
In order to keep Kids LIFE a safe and secure environment for children, the following security measures are always in effect:
Volunteers at the doors of each classroom will make sure that the parent/adult listed on the check-in/out sheet has signed in the child and initialed for the child to be released. This happens every time a parent checks a child in or out of the classroom.
No adult is allowed to work in an environment without a completed application and reference check, and appropriate training. A name tag with a volunteer's full name and picture are worn to signify trusted adults in our ministry.
Guests need to wear a name tag indicating that they are a guest, should they choose to stay in the classroom with their children.
Every classroom or environment will have two adults present at all times. We call this the “Two Adult Rule.” No adult is to ever be alone with a child.
Ministry Director
Kira Buser
Kira began serving in New Hope children's ministry in college, but moved to Oklahoma City after graduating with a degree in Elementary Education at Kansas State. Her family moved back to Manhattan in the Fall of 2011, where Kira began helping in Kids LIFE once again. She became Director in the Spring of 2016. She is married to her husband, Brad, and they have four children.
Kira is passionate about partnering with families for the purpose of helping children come into a saving knowledge of Christ, and then becoming active disciples, discovering the joy that can only be found in relationship with Him.
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