Bethany Community Church



MINISTRY OBJECTIVE

Bethany Community Church cares about children and their parents. As we strive to provide a nurturing, safe and secure learning environment both for the children and the teaching staff, the Children’s Ministry Handbook provides the framework for maintaining the intended learning environment. As we lay out the “policies” for Children’s Ministry, may we never lose sight of the goal – to glorify Jesus and worship Him through investing our lives in children.

The Children’s Ministry Programs at Bethany Community Church are intended to be a resource to come alongside parents as they teach and disciple their children. Ministry programs will provide a nurturing environment that allows children to discover truths from God’s Word that are fundamental to their spiritual development and will establish the foundation for a relationship with Jesus Christ. The programs will clearly present the gospel and provide Bible study, worship activities, mission experiences, and discipleship.

VALUES

Truth-based

We believe that God’s word is foundational truth, and it is our heart to train every child to use it as their guide, authority, and conscience in everything.

Relational

We believe that life-change happens best in the context of relationships. Gifted, godly, and passionate adults who exhibit Christ to children, their families, and each other will show kids how to do the same…this modeling will impact God’s Kingdom for generations to come.

Adventurous

We believe that church should be fun and that the Gospel of Jesus Christ should never be presented in a boring manner. Therefore, it is our commitment to challenge children toward a vibrant, growing relationship with Christ.

Innovative

We believe in inspiring kids to greatness by pursuing excellence in our programs. We want to be innovative and creative while examining everything we do to make sure it remains biblical, relevant and effective.

Nurturing

We believe that spiritual growth happens best in an atmosphere of emotional safety, physical security, and sanitary conditions. We are committed to exceptional standards in these areas.

Children’s Ministry Positions

Children’s Minister Minister, Pastor or Staff Person

Area Leaders Nursery

Children 3yr – 5th grade

Youth

Nursery Team Leaders Person responsible for a team of caregivers

Sunday School Class Lead Teacher Person or couple responsible for a specific Sunday School class

Children’s Church Lead Teacher Person or couple responsible for a specific Children’s Church class

Worker / Caregiver Persons who minister to children, accountable to a Sunday School class lead teacher, Children’s Church lead teacher, or Nursery Team Leaders

Worker enlistment and screening

Anyone wishing to work with children at Bethany Community Church must have been a regular attender for at least six months. (three months for Caregivers in the nursery.) On occasion this requirement may be shortened with approval by both the Staff Person assigned to Children’s Ministries and Area Leader (based on references from previous children's ministry). Anyone serving as Area Leader, Class Lead Teacher, or Nursery Team Leader must have been a regular attender for at least six months and either have joined the church through membership or have initiated that process. All children’s ministry workers are screened using the following procedures:

1. Application

All children’s ministry leaders and volunteers must complete the Primary Screening Form for Children or Youth Work and return it to the Area Leader of the area in which they wish to serve.

2. Interview

All children’s ministry leaders and volunteers, with the exception of nursery caregivers, must submit to an interview by either the Children’s Minister or the Area Leader in the area in which they wish to serve.

3. Criminal History Check

Individuals who have been arrested for, charged with, are on regular probation for, or have been convicted of sexually oriented or sex related crimes either, misdemeanor or felony, cannot serve in any area of children’s ministry. Bethany Community Church will rely upon law enforcement and reference checks for this information.

4. Age Requirements

Individuals must be 18 and older to work in the infant area of the nursery. Youth who are 13 and older may serve in the toddler & twos nursery or Children’s Church. Children younger than 13 may serve alongside their parents in Children’s Church. Anyone wishing to work with the middle school and high school aged youth must have graduated from high school.

Volunteer and Child Protection

Bethany Community Church intends to ensure the health, safety and well-being of volunteers and children. As a precaution and to ensure accountability from one adult to another, the following rules will be adhered to:

1. At least two adult volunteers should be in a classroom at all times.

2. Restroom Policy

- Volunteers will routinely need to assist children in the restroom with hand washing. Only children three years or younger should need help with the toilet.

- Men are not allowed to take an individual child to the restroom, but may accompany a group of boys in the restroom.

- Boys, kindergarten and younger, who require the assistance of a volunteer in the restroom may be taken to the women’s restroom by a woman. Boys who are first grade and older need to use the men’s restroom only.

- A volunteer must let a hall monitor know when they are taking a child and/or children into the restroom if another volunteer is not accompanying them.

- For children who do not need assistance in the bathroom, the volunteer must check the restroom before the child enters it and then wait outside for the child.

3. Appropriate touch is part of a healthy ministry. Using good judgment, the following are appropriate ways to touch kids:

- an arm around the shoulder - walking hand in hand

- carrying small children piggy-back - short congratulatory or greeting hugs

- assuring pat on the back or shoulder - handshake and high-fives

The following are ways a volunteer should NEVER touch:

- never touch a child in anger or with aggression

- never touch a child in any manner that may be construed as sexually suggestive

- never touch a child’s private parts (for example: any area that would normally be covered by a swim suit)

Bethany Community Church offers the following nurseries and classes:

|Sunday School Hour |Worship Hour |

|Infant Nursery |Infant Nursery |

|Toddler Nursery |Toddler Nursery |

|Twos Nursery |Twos Nursery |

|3 yr old Sunday School |3 yr old Children’s Church |

|4 yr – Kindergarten Sunday School |4 yr – Kindergarten Children’s Church |

|1st-3rd Grade Sunday School |1st-3rd Grade Children’s Church |

|4th-5th Grade Sunday School | |

Promotion of Children

• Infants – 4 year olds will be promoted routinely as determined by the Children’s Ministry leaders. Parents will be given at least two weeks notice before the promotions occur.

• Kindergarten – 5th grade will promote at a time that corresponds to start of area schools.

PROCEDURES SPECIFIC TO SUNDAY SCHOOL AND CHILDREN’S CHURCH

Volunteer Arrival and Attendance

Bethany Community Church takes seriously our obligations to children. Attendance is one of the important obligations and volunteers must abide by these guidelines.

1. Arrival time

Lead Teachers and workers must arrive early enough to organize their room and be ready to welcome children and parents – 20 minutes is normally a minimum. Volunteers who are serving during the worship service need to arrive before the conclusion of Sunday School so they are there during the transition to Children’s Church. Most first time visitors will only attend the Worship service so it is helpful if these children are greeted by the workers who will be serving with them.

2. Departure

At least two volunteers must remain in the classroom until the last child has been picked up by a parent.

3.  Lead Teacher responsibilities

This person will be the coordinator within their respective Sunday School or Children’s Church class.  They will know who is to teach and lead the various parts of the class each Sunday, see that attendance (and offering, if applicable) is taken and turned in, and will be the contact between the Area Leader and the workers in their class.

4. Notification of absence

Workers must notify their class lead teacher to inform them of an upcoming absence and confirm that a substitute has been found. When Class Lead Teachers are going to be absent, they must notify their Area Leader and confirm that a substitute has been found.

5. Substitute Requirements

Lead Teachers and Workers must make every attempt to find a substitute from the list of children’s workers provided by the Area Leader. If they are unable to find a substitute, they must contact the appropriate Area Leader.

6. Name tags

Volunteers in the children’s ministry must wear a yellow name tag while they are serving. Name tags will be stored in the classroom tub.

7. Sunday School and Worship Attendance

Volunteers should be consistently growing in their walks with Christ. Adult leaders should be participating in Sunday School and Worship as often as their serving schedule allows. Youth who are serving during the Worship hour must have attended Sunday School that same morning, and youth are only allowed to serve the equivalent of three months during the year.

Three Year Old Area

1. Check in

Children will be checked in at the appropriate classroom and given a security name tag. Parents take their portion of the security name tag with them. Remind the parent that the name tag is necessary for pick up.

2. Check out

A child may not be released unless a parent has the security name tag which corresponds to the name tag on that child.

3. Bathroom

There are no diaper changing facilities available for this class so children must be potty trained before being promoted to this department.

4. Personal items

All personal items (including sippy cups) need to remain at home. Children will be given a snack and water.

Four year olds – Fifth Grade Area

1. Check out

Parents must pick up children following an event. A child is NOT allowed to leave alone nor or they allowed to leave with another parent or sibling unless a provision has been made prior to the class.

Sick Children

For the protection of children and teachers, a child who has been ill during the preceding 24 hours cannot be accepted in a preschool or children’s room. Children who appear ill during a program session will be isolated/with supervision, and the parents notified to pick up the child.

Discipline

Children’s ministry workers are not to administer physical discipline, such as spanking. Using physical restraint to prevent a child from doing something disruptive or dangerous is permitted and may, in some instances, be necessary. Affirmation and verbal praise is always encouraged for appropriate behavior.

Suggestions for maintaining discipline:

1. Pray for your kids and your patience consistently. Ask the Lord to guide you throughout the class and to give you wisdom for each situation.

2. Plan your class time thoroughly. Often the best deterrent to a discipline policy is a well-planned class.

3. Be consistent and prompt in handling discipline problems. Discipline must be consistent to be effective. Do not threaten a consequence unless you intend to follow through. At the beginning of class it may be necessary to remind your class of the guidelines.

4. Seek both a resolution and reconciliation.

5. Acknowledge and verbally reward positive behavior. Encourage children who are behaving and following the rules.

Parent Expectations

1. Child Registration - A card containing general information about the child and the parent’s location while at church should be filled out for each child. Cards will be accessible in the child’s classroom.

2. Parents shall not leave the church area of Five Points without their child.

3. To ensure safety, only children and teachers should be inside the classroom areas. Parents are asked to remain outside the classroom areas and wait for a teacher to receive or dismiss their child.

4. Personal toys and games need to be left at home.

5. Parents are asked to arrive no earlier than 10 minutes prior to a session and to retrieve their child no more than 10 minutes after a session end time.

Room set up and clean up

Leaders and Workers are expected to set up their rooms each Sunday. Assistance will be provided moving heavy items from storage to the room. At the end of class, workers must pack their classroom tub(s) neatly and have the tables and floor area cleaned of any major messes. Again, assistance will be provided as necessary to move heavy items from the room to storage.

Taking Class Attendance

Attendance needs to be recorded weekly and turned in to the Children’s Ministry box (at a location yet to be determined.)

Money Offerings

Offerings will also be taken weekly. We want to encourage children to give an offering of their own money when they get an allowance or earn some by doing errands, etc. Classes are encouraged to have a class mission project. The teacher should keep the offering money for these projects until a “reasonable” amount is collected, then turn it in to the Area Leader with instructions on where it should go.

Supplies and Equipment

1. Supply Tub

Each classroom will have a standard supply tub that will include paper towels, cleaning wet wipes, hand sanitizer, band-aids, napkins, snacks, name tags, and craft items that are age appropriate.

2. Toy Tubs

The two-year-old through kindergarten classrooms will have several tubs with age appropriate toys. These toys should be used as children arrive and depart, and during the transition from Sunday School to Children’s Church. Children may also play with these toys during “free time” after the lesson has been taught.

3. Betty Luken’s Flannel Set

Bethany Community Church has purchased three of the large Betty Luken’s flannel sets. These are a great resource to teachers in the preschool and primary grades and we encourage you to use them weekly. These sets will be checked out to the Lead Sunday School Teachers in the 3’s class – 3rd grade.

4. Obtaining photocopies for class

You are welcome to stop by the church office during the week to make photo copies for your class. If this is not convenient, there will be a box (location to be determined) at Five Points on Sundays where you can place items that need to be photocopied. Please fill out the appropriate form (found with the box) and the items will be copied for you during the week and placed back in the box for you to pick up the following Sunday.

5. Craft supplies

If there are special supplies that you need for a craft you can go ahead and buy them and turn the receipts in to Debbie Jo Hodges for reimbursement. Leftover supplies can be turned into Debbie Jo also and she’ll use them to begin stocking a craft cabinet at the farmhouse offices. As we learn what items are commonly used for our curriculum we’ll begin to stock them for you.

PROCEDURES SPECIFIC TO THE NURSERY

Responsibilities and Procedures for Nursery Care Givers

1. “A Primary Screening Form for Children or Youth Work at Bethany Community Church” must be completed and on file in the church office.

2. Please commit to memory your Team letter (A, B, C, etc) and Team Leader name and write the dates you are to serve for the year on your calendar.

3. Upon being contacted by your Team Leader, confirm your plans to serve or provide the name of your replacement worker. Please be sure the trade or replacement complies with #4 below.

4. There are to be no youth (under the age of 18) working in the Infant Room.

5. Men cannot change diapers or take children to the bathroom.

6. When you are scheduled to work in the Infant or Crawler Room and it is necessary for you to bring your children, they are not to lift or hold the Infants or Crawlers, but they may sit in the floor and play with the nursery children.

7. If youth come down to the nursery area and ask to help, tell them they must be a scheduled worker and refer them to your Team Leader.

8. If your address or phone number changes, please inform your Team Leader.

9. There are to be two caregivers scheduled for each room. If there is only one caregiver in a room due to circumstances not planned for, their room may combine with another room that has two caregivers.

10. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the service you are to serve in. This is critical for the changeover.

11. Caregivers are to wear nametags, first and last names please.

12. We are using a labeling system for informational purposes as well as security. Each parent will fill out the information on the label (sticker) and place the label on their child’s back. The caregivers are to check the labels when they arrive in the room for caregiving instructions. When a parent comes for their child, they are to present their part of the label to the caregiver and the numbers are to be matched before releasing the child.

13. It is crucial that caregivers pay close attention to allergy information, especially before giving out snacks. Children with allergies should have a red “A” stamped on their right hand. The “A” should be stamped on the label and allergy information indicated.

14. It is our goal that all diapers be checked and changed, if necessary, before the end of the service. Diaper stickers, indicating the child’s diaper has been changed, should be put on the diaper or on the back of their clothes after changing.

15. Never leave a child unattended at the diaper changing station. Proper diaper changing procedure is posted at the changing station.

16. At the diaper changing station there are disposable gloves that you must wear. A new pair must be put on with each different child’s diaper you change. The disposable paper is to be placed under the child during changing and then thrown away.

17. Please use diapers and wipes out of the child’s diaper bag. Wipes will be available at the diaper changing station to be used if there are none in the child’s diaper bag.

18. Snack bags or containers need to be sealed tightly after each use. The approved snacks provided by the church are Cheerios, Animal Crackers, and Goldfish crackers. When snack bags are empty, discard them and get a new bag of snacks from Central Supply.

19. Bottles (provided by parents) and snacks may be given to children, but you are not responsible to feed baby food.

20. When batteries are changed in the pagers, please dispose of the used batteries in the trash can near the diaper changing area.

21. The Central Supply Area is currently located in the lower cabinets in the Toddler Room. If a supply is depleted, please refill or replace it from Central Supply.

22. After a baby bed has been used, the sheet must be removed and placed in the dirty sheet hamper. A fresh sheet should then be put on and the Clean Sheet tag placed on top of the sheet. If the child has soiled the sheet in any way, the mattress should be sanitized with diluted bleach water (in spray bottle) and dried with paper towels before putting a clean sheet on.

23. If a toy has been in the mouth of a child, it should be placed in the dirty toy container when the child is no longer playing with it.

24. Caregivers are not to administer ANY medications to children, even if the parent asks them to.

25. Caregivers are not to have coffee or other hot liquids while supervising nursery children.

26. Discipline may be necessary in some of the rooms. Our policy is to talk with the children about the inappropriate behavior. If this does not produce change, speak with them again and tell them that if the behavior does not change we will have to get their parents. If there is still a problem, page their parent so they may be aware of the situation and handle it themselves. Corporal punishment will not be used by any caregiver.

27. Incidents between children where an injury is involved should be handled as follows:

a) Page the parents of the injured child; IF the parents of the injured child ask who the offending child is, we need to tell them. We also need to tell them that we will be talking with the offending child’s parents

b) The offending child’s parents need to be told that day

c) Avoid paging both sets of parents at the same time

d) If it is a repeat offense and/or parents don’t seem to appreciate the seriousness of the situation, then the Children’s Minister will need to talk with the offending child’s parents.

28. Please refer any problems or questions to your Team Leader.

Additional responsibilities and procedures for Nursery Team Leaders

29. If there are any changes on your team for the week, be sure the team leader whose team is affected is contacted with the changes.

30. Two weeks prior to your team serving, contact caregivers by phone or email.

31. The week that you are to serve on Sunday, make follow-up phone calls if team members have not called you.

32. Recruit caregivers/diaper changers/subs for your team (and other teams).

33. Confidential screening forms must be completed by each caregiver. The office has a tracking system and will be monitoring them.

34. Keep any changes on your team updated, including names, addresses and phone numbers. Please pass any changes along to the Nursery Area Leader as soon as possible.

35. Most communication will be by email. Changes will be given to you and you are asked to keep your information updated.

36. Window sheets are to be filled out with caregivers names and posted at each room.

37. Caregivers need to wear nametags. Encourage everyone to be friendly and greet the parents and children.

38. When you have a new caregiver starting, please go over all procedures with them so they

can function as efficiently and comfortably as possible.

39. Be sure your caregivers know how to use the paging system.

40. When supplies are depleted, please replace them from Central Supply, (location to be determined).

NURSERY PARENT INFORMATION

It is our desire to offer the best, stable, loving, Christ like care we can to your child in the Nursery at Bethany Community Church. In an effort to continuously improve the quality of our care, we would like to provide you with some information that we thought you might find helpful.

• Security/Caregiving: There is a two-part label available at the Nursery Welcome Desk. You will mark the caregiving instructions for your child on this label and place it on your child’s back. If you have an infant, please place it on the front of them and not on their carrier. The second part is to be kept until you pick up your child. At this time, please help our workers by presenting your part of the label when requesting your child. The numbers on both labels are to be matched before your child is released. A second procedure is to write your child’s name on the sheet attached to a clipboard at the door of your child’s room. Please check your child in and out. If your child is moved to another room, the Team Leader or Caregivers will do the check-in/check-out procedure.

• Allergies: There is a rubber stamp with the letter “A” on it at the Nursery Welcome Desk. If your child has any allergy, please stamp the label, which goes on your child’s back as well as their right hand. The red ink is washable. There is also a place on the label to write the allergy information.

• Labeling: Please label your diaper bag, the child’s bottle or cup, their pacifier, wipes container, and your child. If you do not bring a diaper bag and bring only a single diaper for your child, please write their name on the diaper.

• Personal Toys: Please do not allow your child to bring any of their toys from home.

• Pagers: Pagers should be on vibrate and held or attached to your clothing. Please do not put the pager in your purse or lay it on the pew. When picking up your child, please return the pager to the Nursery Welcome Station.

• Nursery Room Location: Sometimes children may be moved to a different nursery room to accommodate numbers of either children or workers present.

• Discipline: Our policy is to talk with the child about the inappropriate behavior. If this does not produce change, we will speak with them again and tell them that if the behavior does not change we will have to get their parent. If there continues to be a problem, you will be paged so you are made aware of the situation and handle it yourself.

• Sickness: Please do NOT leave your child in the nursery if any of the following conditions exist:

1. A child with a runny nose, sneezing, coughing, or obvious cold symptoms not allergy related.

2. A child who has had a fever within the last 24 hours.

3. A child who has vomited due to stomach flu or virus within 24 hours.

4. A child with an undiagnosed or contagious rash (other than diaper rash).

5. A child who has had abnormally loose stools or diarrhea within 24 hours.

6. A child with an eye that is red, itchy, and has a discharge.

7. A child with chicken pox, until no longer contagious.

8. A child who has head lice or any nits in his/her hair.

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