First UMC of Middlebury
Lifting the love of God and the teachings of Jesus Christ
Mission
In John 21:16, Jesus says, "Feed my sheep." The children of First United Methodist Church take this teaching to heart. They are disciples of Christ who want to feed people by telling about Jesus and giving food to the hungry. Each Sunday a child becomes "Charlie Cheddar" - a hungry mouse who's on the look-out for food. Charlie carries a picnic basket to all the Sunday School rooms and collects items for the Middlebury Food Pantry. Adults, youth, and children all participate in our efforts to feed His sheep.
Throughout the year, the children collect money and/or items for various mission projects. Our 4th and 5th graders "adopt a family" each Christmas, and they have a blast shopping! The children also do hands-on mission projects, such as making page markers for the church hymnals, sewing baby blankets, and packing children's kits to be sent overseas.
Nursery (Newborns - age 3)
Sunday 9:15 - 11:30 a.m.
It is our desire to provide a safe and caring church nursery for our children, where they can be ministered to while their parents are attending worship and Sunday School. The nursery is an important place, as the toys and equipment in the nursery aren't just for playing. These things, and the workers who serve there, help children learn that church is a happy place where they can discover new things about God and the world God created.
It is our desire to provide a safe and caring church nursery for our children, where they can be ministered to while their parents are attending worship and Sunday School. The nursery is an important place, as the toys and equipment in the nursery aren't just for playing. These things, and the workers who serve there, help children learn that church is a happy place where they can discover new things about God and the world God created.
Nursery care is available during worship and Sunday School
so that parents can spend time with scripture and other adults!
Junior Church (age 3 - 2nd grade)
Junior Church takes place during the worship service. The children begin in the sanctuary with their parents, and then are invited to "follow the leader" downstairs at some point during the service. The curriculum consists of a Bible story along with a craft, coloring page, or game which goes along with the story. Learning about God and His love for all children in a fun (and sometimes noisy!) environment makes Junior Church a great place to be. During the last hymn of the worship service, the leader brings the children back up to the Fellowship Hall where they enjoy a snack and wait for their parents.
Sunday School 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Preschool (ages 3-5)
Exploring Faith teaches children about Jesus through songs, crafts, games, Bible stories, and prayer. Learning that Jesus loves them and that they can love Jesus is what this curriculum is all about.
Kindergarten - 3rd grade Workshop Rotation
Workshop Rotation is a creative way to teach the same lessons that we learned as children. During one rotation (two - four weeks), the children concentrate on one Bible story. Through art, computer, cooking, games, music, science, and story, workshops allow children to go deeper into each story, internalizing it, and growing in their faith as they learn how Bible stories relate to life today.
4th - 5th grade Tweens
Tweens are kids who aren't little or grown up - they're in-between. This is a place where kids can ask questions - about God, family, how to act in school, or anything else - and work with each other and their teachers to figure out the answers.
Kindergarten - 3rd grade Workshop Rotation
Workshop Rotation is a creative way to teach the same lessons that we learned as children. During one rotation (two - four weeks), the children concentrate on one Bible story. Through art, computer, cooking, games, music, science, and story, workshops allow children to go deeper into each story, internalizing it, and growing in their faith as they learn how Bible stories relate to life today.
4th - 5th grade Tweens
Tweens are kids who aren't little or grown up - they're in-between. This is a place where kids can ask questions - about God, family, how to act in school, or anything else - and work with each other and their teachers to figure out the answers.
Tweens want to be treated like grown-ups - sometimes.
So sometimes, they use Faithzine - a magazine that combines Bible lessons with issues that
pre-teens face in today's society.
Tween want to be treated like kids - sometimes.
So sometimes, they join the younger children for workshops - computer, cooking, and science are usually their favorites.
Wednesday Nights (6:15 - 7:15 p.m.)
(Meets September - April)
Preschool - 5th Grade KIDS' Club
KIDS' Club is a program for the children of this church and children in the community. We begin with a shared time of community where birthdays and special events are celebrated, and prayers and songs are shared. After that, the children divide up by ages, and each group studies a Bible lesson and applies that lesson to their own lives. KIDS' Club is a fun experience where faith and accountability become more real.