At Portage United Church of Christ, we feel that it is never too
early to start building a relationship with Jesus Christ. For this
very reason, the Christian Education of our children is an extremely
important ministry at our church.
We invite you to review our programs, and we look forward to
worshiping with you and your family. Please contact Director of
Children's Ministry Tammie Frandsen at
tammiefrandsen@portageucc.org if you
have any questions about our program.
Church School Program
Church School is offered at the 10 a.m. service
during the summer and at both the 9:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. services
during the school year. Nursery care is also offered at all
services. Each Sunday during the school year, children attend
the opening portion of the worship service through the children's
message. After leaving the sanctuary, the children divide up for
age-appropriate Christian study.
Infants and toddlers
are cared for in our nursery facility by a team of trained workers.
This allows parents to attend the worship service comfortable in the
knowledge that their young children are cared for in a consistent
and loving environment.
Children in Preschool are
cared for in the nursery during the 9:00 a.m. service. The
Preschool class at the 10:45 a.m. service finds the Hands-on
curriculum is a good resource to help them discover the wealth of
knowledge contained in the Bible. This curriculum helps the children
relate the newly-learned Biblical truths to their everyday lives.
BLAST OFF!
(Bible Learning Adventure STations Open For Fun!)
Children in Kindergarten through 5th grade are experiencing Blast
Off! This program is designed around the concept of the rotational
Sunday School model. Fall 2004 started our first year of a four year
rotation. Children will hear Bible stories and then participate in
centers/stations pertaining to the stories, becoming actively
involved in learning these important lessons.
Our teachers are parents, grandparents, and friends of children
within the church school program, working in teams on a rotating
basis. They are trained in the church school curriculum, and are
eager to assist the children in growing in their Christian faith and
to share their love for Jesus with the children.
Family Events
Over the course of the year, there
are many opportunities for young families to get together and enjoy
Christian fellowship. They may include activities such as:
Potluck dinners with a multigenerational
program
Bingo Parties at a retirement home
Easter Egg Hunt
These events are casual in nature and
low in cost!
Special Programs
Two very special programs which we look forward to
each year are the annual Christmas Pageant and Vacation Bible School
programs.
Our Christmas Pageant is held
in mid-December. We encourage all of our children to participate in
this fun reenactment of the Christmas Story. The congregation also
participates in the singing of our favorite carols. The pageant
concludes with fellowship over punch and homemade Christmas cookies.
Vacation Bible School
is held in June. Children ages four through 5th grade are invited to
attend. Older children, teens, and adults participate as teachers,
guides, and helpers. Our 2005 program, entitled Serengeti Trek,
featured singing, snacking, and learning about Jesus through crafts,
games, storytelling and discussions.
Each fall, we honor our
second grade students with the presentation of a personalized
Children's Bible with a special Scripture inscription chosen just
for them. The second graders and their families celebrate after the
service with a special brunch.
Outreach gets a big
emphasis in our program. A portion of the children's offering is
used to sponsor a young person through the Tibetan Children's
Village in Dharamsala, India. Our children also remember our Tibetan
friend at Christmas and birthdays with gifts. The children enjoy
learning about life in the village through letters and pictures from
our friend. In addition, the children have the opportunity to
participate in special collections such as One Great Hour of
Sharing, Mitten Tree, Love Inc., UNICEF and the Loaves & Fishes food
pantry.
PUCC Kids Klub
Kids Klub meets every
Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., from September through
March. This
program is a fun mix of music, arts and crafts, devotions, games, and
service projects. Kids Klub is open to children from Kindergarten
through the 3rd grade.
(Portage Adventure Xtreme)
PAX is our youth group for 4th and
5th graders that meets every Monday from 4 until 5:30 p.m. We
enhance the learning from Sunday morning with devotions and more
sophisticated handicrafts (everything from cooking to rocket making,
photography to hand bells) and activities. PAX also enjoys
adventures such as laser tag, bowling and putt putt golf.
