As Family Pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church – Twin Cities, I am always cultivating new programming or revising it. We have traditions like 3rd Grade Bibles or First Communion classes, but I also like to try new things to see what works. We are a multisite church, and ministry does not look the same at each campus. And, that’s just fine! The reason I put this post together is that I get quite a few inquiries on what I am doing for families, or Sunday School, or baby ministry, so I thought I would list it all here or you can check it out on this page:

Infant/ Toddler Ministry (Newborn – Age 5) is booming at the Minneapolis and Minnetonka campuses. I think it is because we offer a variety of ways to worship together as a family, invite kids into the life of the congregation, and small groups.

Semi-New Pew Card on helping families and other households worship together. Created by Graphic Designer, Whitney Stofflet. Check it out:

Prayer Grounds, Family Friendly Spaces, and Nursery: Both campuses have family friendly spaces or prayer grounds in the back of the sanctuary. At the Minneapolis campus, there is also a family friendly space in the room adjacent to the sanctuary, and the nursery is staffed year round.

IT’S BACK!  Baby Book Club (Newborn to Age 3): Kids learn through repetition and in the laps of someone they love. Books help parents/ caregivers share their faith and kids love it! Back by popular demand is the Baby Book Club: Each month, families get a faith book, an activity, and spiritual practice for a nominal fee right to their mailbox. 

Itty Bitty Get Togethers (Newborn to Age 3): Families join me on the last Tuesday of the month for a pizza party. Parents, grandparents, or caregivers will eat together, join in some play fun, and read a book right before bedtime. We even sing in worship! (Minneapolis Campus)

NEW! Preschool Get-Togethers (Age 3-5): Families join me on the 2nd Tuesday of each month for a pizza party. Parents, grandparents, or caregivers will eat together, join in some play, and read a book right before bedtime. (Minneapolis Campus)

Kid’s Sunday Morning Offerings: We practice Children’s Church, and we use the Children’s Church material at Sparkhouse Digital, which I have been writing for the last year or so. My goal for families is to learn to worship together, while at the same time allowing parents or caregivers a chance to hear to sermon.

ECHO & EXTENDED ECHO Sunday School for Age 3 – 5th Grade (Minneapolis):

ECHO: On the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays of the month, ECHO kids start and end with their parents/caregivers in worship. After Storytime, kids follow the leader out of worship to sing songs, learn the Bible story with our parable puppets, Zebu and Zebob, and play games together. They return to sit with their parents at the offertory. 

EXTENDED ECHO: One the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, we have Extended ECHO for the kids. The only difference is that kids do not return into the sanctuary at the end of the service. Instead, parents pick up kids in Iverson Hall on the lower level. 

NEW! Parent Share – Coffee Time (Minneapolis): Everyone wants a group to belong to at church. Starting September 22, parents of elementary-age and younger kiddos will gather for some parent share time in the fellowship hall. Grab a cup of coffee, let the kids play, and join in some conversation together. 

ENCORE Sunday School is at the Minnetonka Campus. They meet on the second and fourth Sunday of each month right after worship. They craft, play, sing and wonder about God’s love with trusted adults. Parents are not required to attend with their children, but are invited to participate in ways that are most comfortable for your family. You might find us baking bread, ringing handbells, splashing in the baptismal font, or making crowns. The Encore! calendar of events includes service projects that build connections between our outreach partners and care ministry team, too. 

Wednesday Evening Classes are for kids who want to go deeper into Bible story. They are set up like a more traditional class, and we use the Bibles that kids receive as gifts from their faith community: Spark Bible and the Connect Bible.

Spark Bible Investigator for Kindergarten – 2nd grade: The Spark Story Bible will be our guide for this adventure. As a Wednesday night group, we will investigate Bible story mysteries, deepen our relationships with our peers, and serve our community with what we find out. 

Connect Bible Investigators for 3rd – 5th grade:It’s like Pre-Confirmation, but more fun! The Connect Bible will be our guide for this adventure. As a Wednesday night group, we will investigate Bible story mysteries, deepen our relationships with our peers, and serve our community with what we find out.

NEW! Little Liturgists: This work is under construction for the fall, but basically it will be how we integrate children and students into the life of worship as readers, communion assistants, families as greeters and ushers. So stay tuned.