Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14 (NIV)
Children’s Ministries at Uvalde Methodist Church
What we believe and what we teach: Jesus Christ is our only means of salvation and freedom from sin and death. The Bible is the inspired and infallible word of God. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.
Nursery –Ages 3 & under on Sundays / Ages 12 & under for weekday events
Nursery care is provided throughout Sunday mornings while adults attend Worship and Sunday School. No reservations are needed. The church nursery is located in the Children’s Wing, Room B, just north of the Sanctuary. Our professional childcare staff members receive annual infant/child safety, first aid, and CPR training and have many years of experience providing love and nurture for our children. On arrival, your child’s temperature will be checked. Please sign in and make sure all items the child needs are clearly labeled and checked in. Be sure to share any feeding instructions, allergies, and special needs or concerns with the staff. Fill out a child information card as well so that care-givers may reference the information at any time. Pagers are handed out in case the staff need to contact you while your child is in the nursery.
The nursery is also available for other church-related events besides Sunday mornings, like bible studies and meetings. If you need the nursery or child care for an event, please contact Bethany Suarez or the church office at (830) 278-3135.
Children’s Sunday School (mid August – May)
Children’s Sunday School begins in the chapel. Children sing traditional and contemporary Sunday School songs and hymns that will connect them with other Christian children around the world. Children engage in a fun ‘Books of the Bible Rap’ in order to be able to navigate the scripture as they get older and become more proficient in reading comprehension. Children say the Lord’s Prayer as well as other prayers. Each month, children learn a Bible verse that is applied to their lives and current events. Chapel time is also used to announce exciting church-sponsored events and to reinforce Sunday School lesson themes. After chapel, children attend their Sunday School class according to age. In class, children hear or read scripture and/or scripture-based stories. The teachers use engaging activities and discussion to enhance understanding of biblical concepts. Activities vary from musical in nature to kinesthetic to artistic and more so that children with different learning styles are able to grasp the true meaning of the scripture. Children’s Sunday School is from 10:00-10:50. The children meet in the Chapel (if your child is new, please fill out a registration card at the Welcome table outside of the chapel) and go to their classes in the Children’s Wing. Children may be picked up in their classes at 10:50.
- Preschoolers & Kindergarteners meet in CW Room C (orange door)
- 1st – 2nd grades meet in CW Room D (yellow door)
- 3rd – 5th grades meet in CW Room E (purple door)
- 6th Grade meet for Confirmation classes in the Christian Life Center (CLC) Room 108
Confirmation Class
Room 108 CLC from mid August to May, ready 6th/7th graders, Sunday mornings 10:00 – 10:50
Class of 2025 begins August 11th, 2024!
Contact: Diane Underwood
Confirmation is a nine-month program for our 6th grade youth and their families. (See Confirmation tab for more info.) During the confirmation process, the individual is asked to embrace the Christian faith as their own. The youth are instructed in the basics of faith, including our identity, our history and heritage, our practices and our beliefs as a Christian community and as a United Methodist family and what it means to live the Christian life. However, our faith is not just about information. It is also about formation – being molded, shaped, and transformed into the image of Christ. We seek to provide experiences and opportunities in which the confirmand can be shaped as a Christian by providing an environment of love and acceptance in which they can explore their faith and learn how to apply it to their everyday life. We help the youth build relationships with God, each other and adults by partnering them with a mentor (Friend-in-Faith) and a prayer partner to help them through the confirmation experience.
God’s Kids Choir
Upstairs Choir Room, Wednesdays (September – May) from 4:30-5:25PM
God’s Kids is our children’s choir. They sing in our services once a month during the school year and participate in Christmas and other musicals. The children learn about music, projection, posture, and more. The most beloved part of practice (aside, perhaps, from the tongue-twisters) is prayer time. Children are learning how to pray aloud for one another in front of a group. What a precious gift for their hearts and the hearts of those they will encounter in the future! FMI, call Diane Underwood at 830-486-4242. Fall semester begins September 4th!
The Lord’s Supper – “Eat Your Way Through the Bible”
Christian Life Center, Wednesdays 5:30-6:30 (September – May)
Fall semester = September 4th – December 4th / Spring semester = January 15th – May 7th
All ages are invited to come eat their way through the Bible! (See The Lord’s Supper tab for more info.) While we do spoil the kids a bit during dinner, everyone is welcome. Young and old alike enjoy the fruits of the Garden of Eden, taste the stew of Jacob, work their way through the plagues, feast like David, and watch the loaves and fishes multiply! Come and learn, or re-learn, the deep stories of the Bible and find afresh the true heart of God. 2023-2024 = 1 Samuel & 2024-2025 = 2 Samuel.
Serve & Play
Usually the 1st Tuesday most months
Children engage in service projects in and around Uvalde. Then, they get rewarded through play time at a local play spot which includes a meal. This is a free event. Parents must sign a consent form to travel in church vans. Younger children still needing car seats must be driven by and accompanied by a parent.
[Examples of previous service projects completed are: Book Drive for Dalton Elementary, Refreshments for Voters, Food Pantry food bagging, goody bags for UPD officers, sidewalk chalk art for Flores Elementary at the start of school, See You At The Pole prayer time at every school campus flagpole every September, Thank You Tea for UMH hospital worker appreciation, singing & visiting at local nursing, rehab, and assisted living facilities, and creating gifts for Teacher Appreciation week.]
Summer Children’s Church
Sundays 10:00-10:50, Drop-Off & Pick-Up in the Children’s Welcome Center
Every summer, Sunday school teachers receive a well-deserved break and children of all ages gather together for whole-group lessons and activities. There is a new theme each summer and service projects that the children create and/or complete focusing locally and globally in mission for Christ. Some themes of previous summers include: the Good News; Discipleship; Outreach. 2024 Theme = Names of God.
Vacation Bible School 2025 = July 14 – 17
Our Vacation Bible School takes place every July (in the evenings one week, Monday – Thursday, from 6:00 – 8:30PM) and combines worship, education, and a marketplace. Online registration begins June 1 on this site’s Home Page.
Each year, children gather into tribes (the 12 tribes of Israel), wear ‘Bible-times’ costumes, learn scripture and engage in discussions and activities within their tribe camps–including tents!, and get to experience an old-world marketplace where they may hear music, eat various kinds of foods, create interesting crafts, and buy fun items (all with coins that WE provide). VBS is for children ages 5 (going into Kindergarten) through 11 (going into 5th grade). Parents may begin online registration on the homepage of this site in late May. Parents are invited to stay for worship at the beginning and end of the night and may also check out the events throughout the week. Volunteers are welcome and should register during May/June and fill out a background check form. This summer’s theme was Jesus, My Cornerstone. Theme Song = ‘Cornerstone’ by TobyMac featuring Zach Williams
Children’s Sabbath
One Sunday every Fall (September 29th, 2024)
The children will lead and take part in all aspects of service. That means that some will greet, some usher, some be liturgists (read scripture and call to worship), lead in singing (God’s Kids Choir will sing and others will lead in hymns and praise music), make announcements, and give testimony (testimonies will replace a sermon).
This is a special day to highlight the gifts and roles of the children within the church community. Come celebrate these young ones who will be the leaders of their generation!
Other Special Events. . .
Christmas Gift Shoppe
1st or 2nd Sunday in December, 2-4pm (Dec. 8th, 2024)
The Christmas Gift Shoppe focuses on sharing the love of Jesus through mindful giving. Participants make Christmas gifts for free, wrap or bag them, tag them, and personalize cards to give to those special people that could use a thoughtful gift. Children will be encouraged to give gifts to teachers, custodians, law enforcement officers, cafeteria workers, nurses, mail carriers, and other service professionals as well as friends, family, and neighbors. Gift-making opportunities include ornaments, jewelry, treats, and novelties. There is also fun for the whole family with the nativity photo booth, gingerbread nativity building, drinking hot chocolate, playing games, listening to music, and more.
Easter Festival
Usually held Palm Sunday
Every year children and their families are invited to an educational and celebratory event focusing on Jesus’ final week on earth and what his death and resurrection means for us. Activities vary each year, but children have gone on resurrection journeys, built a resurrection garden, baked resurrection rolls, held butterfly and balloon releases, gone on pony rides, played meaningful games, created symbolic crafts or gifts to share, taken and served each other communion, fed animals at a petting zoo, and much more. March 24th = Children’s Passover Seder
Other Seasonal Activities
Christmas Caroling
December 11th, 2024
Resurrection Journey Stone Soup Thanksgiving
(alternate years, Palm Sunday)
Christmas Gift Shoppe. Lemonade Stand
(1st or 2nd Sunday in December) (raising money to sponsor Compassion child)
Confirmation Parties Confirmation Retreat
(seasonally) (late March/early April)
Outreach Projects
(Heifer Int’l, H.O.T.T. Days, & more)