Jesus famously said, “Let the little children come to Me, and don’t hinder them, for to such belongs the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matthew 19:14). It was common back then (even more than today) for children to be ignored and pushed aside. The Lord, however, saw the value and spiritual purity of a child as something worth emulating. He told His disciples that to be like a child was to be greatest in the Kingdom (Matthew 18:1-3).

At North Heights, we recognize that little children are the future of Christianity, but only if we do our part to ensure they grow up in a faithful, Bible-focused environment. We take our role as mentors and teachers very seriously; as such we offer a variety of programs to nurture a love of Jesus and provide little minds with a foundation of knowledge to carry them into adulthood.

Bible Classes at North Heights begin at 9am on Sunday mornings. On Wednesday nights we assemble at 6:30pm for a few minutes of singing, prayer and a devotional before dismissing to our various classes. Our teachers are well-equipped to instruct students on whatever Bible material they’re studying that quarter. Teachers rotate in and out of their classroom every thirteen weeks, to ensure our adults who volunteer their time don’t get burned out, and to ensure the kids who sit in the classes are taught a variety of subjects by a variety of our members. Class material is arranged, sorted and prepared by volunteers; they even help decorate the rooms. We do that so the teachers are free to focus entirely on preparing their lessons for the upcoming Sunday or Wednesday. You can’t help but be encouraged by the way the whole congregation comes together to ensure we have the best possible Bible classes for our young people!

One of our many endeavors here at North Heights is our awesome Children’s Library. One of our members, Laura Rumans started by converting a classroom into a place for young people to come after worship to sit and read, visit with friends and, of course, check out books. Literature is carefully selected to ensure there’s only material appropriate for kids’ little minds; there is a tremendous variety to enjoy and the kids really love visiting the library whenever the door is open.

K.I.D.S. (Kids in Divine Service) is a program that allows our young people to get involved in helping and serving their church family and even the greater Batesville community. The kids will meet at our building to work on crafts, thank you cards or other service projects, all with a heart that seeks to love our neighbors as Jesus teaches. K.I.D.S. is a great way to get a child active in the congregation before they are old enough to obey the Gospel.

VBS is a big part of many congregation’s summer and it’s no different here at North Heights. We really go all out, decorating our building and preparing material for kids to enjoy during the week. Great songs are sung, lessons are learned, friends are invited and treats are enjoyed. It’s one of the highlights of our year and after experiencing one of our VBS’ it’ll be the highlight of yours too!

Children’s Bible Hour is a special “lesson time” for our children, available each Sunday, from pre-K up to first grade. We understand little ones need a little help learning how to sit still and quiet during worship, and we know also how important it is for their parents to focus their minds on the Lord during worship. Something’s gotta give! Children’s Bible Hour is our solution. It begins immediately after we take the Lord’s Supper: A song is sung to dismiss the little ones, who then assemble together and are taught their own lesson, geared toward their age-range. Meanwhile, the adults remain in the auditorium to focus on the sermon with fewer distractions. After worship is ended the kids will remain in their room until their parents pick them up. If there is a baptism, the kids will dismiss back to the auditorium in order to take part in the blessing of seeing a person wash their sins away. We believe in this program and in the way we carry it out. A lot of good has been accomplished as a result of it.

For more information, watch this…