Children's Ministry
Grades 1-4
Welcome! Thanks for your interest in the Children’s Ministry at First Baptist Smyrna. I hope you’ll find the following information helpful and I invite you to join us soon. Please feel free to contact us for additional information.
Susan Shay
Minister to Children
sshay@smyrnafirst.org
“Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will live by your Truth.” Ps 86:11
Ministry Overview: Our focus in Children’s Ministry is guiding children to develop a right relationship with God and others through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, built upon the living and active Word of God. Biblical principles and the character of God are taught and modeled by loving Christian adults. The Children's Ministry provides a welcoming environment to children across a spectrum of cultures and family dynamics. All of our programming includes age-appropriate and age-appealing learning activities that vary according to the setting and nature of the program itself. We invite your children to join us, as together we discover the fullness of God’s love for us!
Programs:
Sunday mornings:
Powersource: Plug into the power of God’s word! Between 9:30 and 10:30 on Sunday mornings, leaders and children explore the Bible in age graded, small group classes. Games, music, crafts, story-telling and drama are just some of the ways God’s Word comes alive during this hour. Come make some new friends in Powersource!
G-Force: Experience God Full Blast! At 10:40 AM on Sunday mornings, children are engaged in a high-energy, media enriched, interactive worship program where they learn about God and how to enjoy Him—on their level. Talented adults creatively lead children through drama and music and puppets and illusions and more as they discover more about God and His wonderful plans for their lives. This active time includes a theme-related snack, games and small group learning experience as well.
G-Force is provided as a worship option for first through fourth graders, three quarters of the year. The remaining Sundays, families are encouraged to worship together in our morning worship service in the sanctuary.
Wednesday nights:
KidZone: On Wednesday nights during the school year from 6:15 -7:30PM, kids in first through sixth grade move through three zones, four-to-six weeks in length. In the KNOW Zone, the emphasis is on God’s Word with TeamKid (Kids in Discipleship). In the GO Zone, the emphasis is on missions — sharing God’s Word with others, at home and abroad, using the Children In Action program. In the GLOW Zone, music is the method of highlighting the truths of God’s Word through KidPraise.
Enrollment begins with a kick-off program in August. At the culmination of each zone’s final rotation, there is a “Zone” celebration. TeamKid with a teambuilding challenge night, Children In Action with an awards presentation, and KidPraise with a musical/drama presentation on the big stage in the sanctuary.
Other programs:
Bible Drill is an intensive study of God’s Word with a focus on memorization. This program is offered statewide by the Georgia Baptist Convention. After preparation, participants compete in local, associational (regional), and state drills to prove competency in locating books of the Bible, in locating and reciting memory verses, and in identifying and locating key Bible passages in an extremely limited amount of time — literally, a matter of seconds.
Bible Drill schedule will be posted on the News & Events page and listed in First Baptist Smyrna publications.
Summer Activities:
Vacation Bible School: A fun-filled, friend-filled, active few hours a day that give children an overview of God’s unconditional love for them and a foundational understanding of living life according to His word through games, stories, music and more. A knowledgeable and experienced staff of caring adults and older youth lead children through this fast-paced, fun week culminating in a family night celebration that’s not to be missed! Vacation Bible School can truly be a life-changing time in a child’s life.Vacation Bible School schedule will be posted on the News & Events page and listed in First Baptist Smyrna publications.
Camps: Relationships with God and friends are made, refreshed and deepened as our children who have completed third through sixth grade enjoy fun, fellowship and faith building activities at an overnight camp one week during the summer. The great outdoors — with activities including swimming, zip line, hiking, canoeing, rock slide, hayride and bonfires — enhance this time away in worship and play. Click here for registration forms
Day Camps: Building friendships and having fun are the focus of our children’s day camp. Children who have completed first and second grades spend the hours between 9 AM and 1PM appreciating God’s world and the wonderful way in which they are made. Science, cooking, painting, bowling, planting and crafting create an environment of discovery and fun. Click here for registration forms
Camp schedules will be posted on the News & Events page and listed in First Baptist Smyrna publications.
Special Events:
In response to the spiritual growth needs of our children and the spiritual and practical needs of our community, special events for children are offered from time to time.
Check the New & Events page and First Baptist Smyrna publications for announcements of special events.
