Mercy Hill Kids

Just off the Sanctuary in the back, we have what we call the Mother's Room. This is a space for moms (or sometimes dads) to use when needing to care for their littlest ones (e.g. feeding, changing diapers, providing naps, etc.). Audio from the service is piped in so you can still take part even while tending to your baby's needs. Its location near the Sanctuary means you can sit with the rest of the church and then easily step out when needed. We hope you find this helpful!

As your little one becomes more and more mobile (and vocal!), we know it can be tough to engage in the worship service on Sundays. Mercy Hill desires to serve you during these early years of development. We absolutely love having your little ones in the Sanctuary, so please know that you are more than welcome to stay in the service. However, if you are feeling the need to let them roam more and play, then you may enjoy what we call the Family Room!

Each week, in the central area, between the Mercy Hill Kids classrooms in the back, we will have a small couch area for nursing, blankets and pillows and toddler toys, and the worship service streaming on a TV. This way you may follow along with the service, even as your little one explores and learns. Please feel free to make use of this space!

Once your child is of age, they are ready to join us in one of the classrooms in the back! We currently have three classes divided by age/grade:

• Pre-K to K Class
• 1st to 2nd Class
• 3rd to 5th Class

It would be our joy and privilege to care for them!

Note: Occasionally, we hold Family Services where children sit in the service with their parents. On these Sundays, we will provide activities for you to make use of. The Mother's Room and Family Room here again serve as spaces you can make use of as you have need.

When your child reaches 6th grade, we try to integrate them into the Sunday Service with the larger church body. It is important that they grow acquainted with the deeper things of Christ and see more of his people in worship, etc.  

But that doesn't mean we don't carve out specific spaces and times dedicated to personally ministering to them and meeting them right where they're at. Of course we do. That's what Mercy Hill Youth is all about!

After the service, on nearly every Sunday of the month, there is something going on for your youth to take part in. Of particular importance is the study that takes place on second Sundays of the month (unless otherwise noted). On these days, the youth meet after the service to enjoy free pizza, make new friends, share prayer requests, and discuss matters of faith. They won't want to miss it!

Click here to learn more.

Mercy Hill Kids makes use of the Gospel Project curriculum. We think that this Christ-centered, chronological curriculum is uniquely positioned to help us fulfill our mission. In every study, whether we are in the Old or New Testaments, your kids will be brought to see how Jesus is the point of it all and the one they too so desperately need. The curriculum also comes with material for parents to help you follow up with your kids and go deeper into the Scriptures and into their hearts and lives.

Our hope in this is that, not only will your kids come to understand more of Jesus and the gospel, but you as a parent will start to feel more equipped and able to minister to them as well. We know that being a parent is hard and not everyone is sure how to go about reaching and raising their kids for Jesus. By engaging with us in this material, we trust you will start to grow . . . right along with your kids!

Each week, we also give time to revisit and rehearse the key truths of biblical Christianity as organized for us in the New City Catechism.  

Theology may seem too advanced to teach young children. However, as these seeds are planted, they will not return void. For many kids, full understanding of the topics presented in the New City Catechism will not be achieved until years later. That's okay! Exposing them to deep theological truths now will help lay a foundation in their hearts. Years from now, when the world presents temptations, Lord willing, kids will come back to what they have learned and the Spirit will help transition these things from mere head knowledge to transformative heart knowledge. Truly, the questions presented in this catechism are not too advanced. Instead, they root our kids in a biblical worldview that will help them to combat the lies of the enemy as they mature and come to engage with the world around them.

Churches often speak of doing "baby dedications." That is well and good. It is right for parents to, in effect, give their children to God—to dedicate them to him (cf. Exod. 13:2; Neh. 10:35-36; 1 Sam. 1:27-28; Luke 2:22; and esp. Luke 18:15 and Matt. 19:13-15).

But, at Mercy Hill, we like to see things as moving in the other direction as well. Not only are the parents giving their child to God, but God has also given this child to them. And with this gift comes a high calling, a commissioning—to labor with all one’s might to reach the child with the gospel and raise him/her up in the ways of Christ.

When parents express interest in dedicating their child and being commissioned in this way:

• First, we will have them engage with a sermon on the subject.
• Then we'll meet to discuss and pray.
• After that, we'll choose a Sunday and devote part of the service to the dedication and commissioning.
• Our hope as a church is to then simply carry on in partnering with the parents as they seek to reach and raise their child for Jesus.

If you're interested in participating in a parent commissioning + baby dedication, please let us know.

God often uses tangible, physical signs as a means of getting spiritual truths into our hearts. In many ways, that's what baptism and communion (the Lord's Supper) are! These ongoing ordinances given us by our Lord are helpful for every Christian, but they are especially helpful for kids. As you likely know, kids often back into deeper truths through tactile, tangible avenues (i.e. crafts, visuals, etc.).

Baptism is for any child who makes a credible profession of faith. It's for those who see their need of the cross and desire to follow Jesus with all of their heart. It can often be hard to determine when a child has reached such a place spiritually. That's why we're to help!

If your child has expressed interest in being baptized, please reach out to us and we'll begin the process of discovery and discernment together!

Currently, as a church we take communion together in a formal way near the end of our Service on the third Sunday of every month—and the children come in to join us! Though we only permit those children who have already been baptized to partake of the bread and the cup, we like to have all kids in the service witnessing this celebration. We have found it leads to good discussion between parent and child and prepares the way for baptism and a growing faith in Jesus!

Mercy Hill Kids sends out their own weekly newsletter. This helps families stay connected and encourages parents to follow up on what their kids are learning in class and dive deeper with them in what we’ve called an “Evening Service” (i.e. talk and pray with them around the dinner table or before bed one evening during the week). This email will contain at least a few basic elements:

• A summary of what was covered in their child’s Sunday class
• A link to the New City Catechism question of the week
• Parenting and discipleship resources
• Upcoming events and activities
• Resources for teachers and helpers

If you're not receiving these newsletters but would like to, please reach out to us at kids@mercyhillchurch.org. 

Another way we seek to partner with parents is by encouraging them to consider serving as a worker in Mercy Hill Kids. Certainly, we understand that parenting is exhausting at times, and we are delighted to give parents a break on Sundays so they can be ministered to in the service. But we also want parents to catch the vision that they are the leading edge of gospel witness in their children’s lives—that God wants to use them before he ever uses us. Many parents feel too inadequate or unequipped for such things. Serving with Mercy Hill Kids is a wonderful opportunity to learn what it looks like to share the gospel and lead kids to Jesus. Our curriculum does a lot of handholding and, over time, we believe it will really help parents come to feel more confident in the role God has called them to.

If you are interested in volunteering with Mercy Hill Kids, please do let us know! We're always "hiring" : )