Children
Every Sunday morning during term time, we run groups for children aged 0-14.
We believe God reveals himself to people—even young children—through his Word (1 Samuel 3:21). In light of this, we aim to teach the Bible faithfully in an age-appropriate and engaging way.
Our Groups
Creche
Looking after our littlest members so parents can hear the sermon. For children aged 0-2.
Diggers
Digging into the Bible. Songs, stories, games and crafts. For pre-school children aged 2-4.
Builders
Building our lives on Jesus. Bible teaching, games and crafts. For children aged 5-7 (Reception-Y2).
Transformers
Being transformed by God’s Word. Bible teaching, challenges and games. For children aged 8-11 (Y3-6).
Voyagers
Voyaging through life with God’s Word in the driving seat. For children aged 11-14 (Y7-9). Voyagers stay in the main service every 4th week.
What Happens On a Sunday?
All children must be checked in as you arrive. At the welcome desk, you will find a tablet where you can register your child for the first time, or check them in for any of the groups. There are always people around to help with this if you need assistance.
We encourage all the children to stay in the main service for the beginning, and we often have a children’s song included (actions are optional)! We also have benches at the front of the hall for any children to use if they want to see what is going on a bit better.
At the right time, children will be invited to go out to their groups—just follow the crowd! Please use the map below to find your room, and do ask for help if you have any questions. All children must be dropped to their group and collected at the end of the service.
After the service, children are welcome to use the Main Hall and Side Hall to play, or they can go outside to the Junior School play area if they are supervised. Please make sure they don’t run around the school corridors or classrooms.
During the Year
We also have some fantastic events for children running throughout the year, including a Holiday Bible Club in the February half-term, a Light Party on Halloween and an Easter Bunny Hunt with the community, alongside classics such as our Nativity Service.
Safeguarding
At Emmanuel, we are very serious about our responsibility to keep children safe. Every volunteer who serves on a children’s team goes through a safeguarding process which includes being a Partner for at least 6 months, a DBS check, character references, and a safeguarding interview. Learn more here. If you have any questions or concerns about how we keep children safe in our church, these are the people to contact:
Luke Illsley
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Hannah Illsley