Rev. Andrea Andress: 602-840-8360 ext,142 andrea@pvumc.org
C.M. Assistant: Eric Everett 602-840-8360 ext,141 eric@pvumc.org
Safety (Also see Child Care Safety Information at the bottom of this page) Keeping children safe and healthy at home, at church and at school is a job that requires constant vigilance on the part of every adult. Staff and laity must agree to follow specific safety guidelines by filling out and signing volunteer safety forms before working with children and youth. As a further safety measure, all staff fingerprints are screened.
Our mission: The Children’s Ministry Team introduces children to a relationship with Jesus Christ and nurtures those relationships through educational programs and social advocacy.
Childcare: free of charge, is always available without reservation on Sunday mornings and evenings in our Child Care Center. Childcare is available for other times during the week when you are on campus for classes, rehearsals or meetings with a 48–hour advance reservation. Call Childcare Director Kathy Ratliff at 602-840-8360, ext. 134, and leave a message. The church is happy to underwrite the cost of childcare, but we ask that you help us be good stewards of our resources. If you find that you do not need childcare, it is very important that you call to cancel your reservation — even if it’s last minute.
Parents, you are encouraged to help your children feel comfortable in their Sunday class by talking with them ahead of time. Help them look forward to a joyful time of meeting new friends, having time to play, participate in activities, and have a snack. Make sure they know the teacher is going to be glad to see them and will make sure they have a great time. You are welcome to visit the class with your children at any time
Children’s Sunday Class Descriptions:
Baby Sunday School
Beginning each year in September, we teach babies who are age 9 - 24 months during the 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. worship hours. Bring your babies to the Child Care Center and sign them in for Baby Sunday School. The first eight eligible children will be in the class.
Baby Sunday School uses the aims and methods of innovative educators in teaching the tenets of faith. We strive to stimulate the child’s perceptions of experiencing God’s world by visual, auditory and sensory methods. Repetition is a keynote of teaching. The objectives are as follows:
1. Provide a relaxed purposeful and happy Christian environment
2. Enable the children to experience faith through caring, loving and nurturing
3. Communicate to the children that God loves them and has created their world
4. Help the children know that they are special and important to the church
5. Enable the children to learn through perceptual means using all the senses
6. Begin the process of self-discipline, patience and the pleasure of sharing
7. Involve parents in their children’s spiritual growth
FaithQuakes for fourth through sixth graders is a dynamic worship and learning experience that incorporates drama, music, humor and games with small group involvement. Ask a child, “Have you ever been bored in church or Sunday school?” Vibrant worship, learning and ministry is not about trading liturgy for entertainment. Adults have the ability to design their own learning. Children depend upon us. The greatest compliment for FAITHQUAKES comes from parents who tell us they do not have to drag their pre-teens to church.
Children’s Church School – Parents, bring your children to the first part of worship, so they may participate in worship with adults as part of their learning. Since children learn by doing, they can easily engage in the portion of worship at 11:00 a.m. that precedes Children’s Time.
Children’s Time during worship in the Sanctuary consists of songs, the act of friendship (greeting each other) and a short prayer.
Explorers: Young children explore faith following children’s time in the Sanctuary.
Godly Play: Montessori-like approach for children who are age four through first grade following children’s time in the Sanctuary.
Bible Zone: Children leave worship following children’s time in the Sanctuary for small group activities and return to participate in Holy Communion during the 11:00 a.m. worship.
Sunday Morning Opportunities for Children at 8:00 a.m. Childcare available for children of all ages in the Child Care Center
Mini–Singers: Children three years though kindergarten experience praise, music and motion. They help lead in worship through music twice a year at 11:00 a.m.
Special Children’s Events:
Baptism
Baptism is a sacrament ordained by Christ, representing the beginning of a lifelong process of growing in Christ and the sacrament of initiation into the Body of Christ, the church, which joins the person baptized with Christians everywhere. Babies, children and adults are baptized in the United Methodist Church. For more information on baptism, please call the church office at 602-840-8360 or
email Betty Cochran. bcochran@pvumc.org
Third Grader's Bibles
Third grade Sunday School students receive a gift from their church - a children's Bible - in a special ceremony in the fall. Third graders and their parents attend activities to become acquainted with the Bibles.
Acolytes and Scripture Readers
Children in fifth grade and older can choose to serve their church as acolytes and scripture readers in the worship services. Acolytes are trained and dedicated in September, and serve by assisting with baptisms, communion, and lighting candles. Scripture readers are invited to read periodically.
Christmas Events
The Children’s Ministry Team plans special events for the children during the Advent season. Additionally, the children celebrate Jesus’ birthday at the end of December and the Wise Men visit classes at the start of Epiphany.
Easter Events
Children, ages 3 and up, participate in a traditional Palm Sunday parade in worship services and then return to class. Children can participate in a special event on campus the Saturday before Easter each year.
Club 34
A monthly afternoon fellowship program for children in grades 3 and 4.
Club 56
A monthly afternoon fellowship for children in grades 5 and 6. Club 56 Bible Study also meets monthly for Bible study and covenant discipleship.
Vacation Bible Camp
Come and ask, seek, and knock on the door to a deeper relationship with God. Each adventure is filled with a powerful Bible story and fun crafts, games and music, special visitors and much, much more.
Camp Narnia
This week-long camp at Mingus Mountain, sponsored by the Desert Southwest Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, is for children who've completed grades three through six. Led by Paradise Valley United Methodist Church staff and volunteers, the camp is built around the lessons of C.S. Lewis' books, Chronicles of Narnia.
Imagine That! Summer Camp
Imagine That! Summer Camp, led by Director Bev Nystedt, offers a wide variety of classes for preschoolers through sixth graders in two, three-week sessions.
Missions Projects
Children have the opportunity to participate in missions projects throughout the year and as part of Vacation Bible Camp.
Children’s Choir Children in grades one through six are welcome to be a part of the Children’s Choir. This group sings in worship regularly and participates in special events in the life of the church.
Fellowship Ministry
The Fellowship Ministry Team hosts several annual and ongoing events designed to bring families together into one big church family. For more information or to get involved, please contact Rev. Andrea Andress at 602-840-8360,ext.142 or Andrea's assistant
Eric Everett eric@pvumc.org Please check our calendar for specific dates and times.
Annual Church Hayride
One of our church traditions is an October hayride and cookout with line dancing and pumpkin decorating.
All-church Retreat - held on Labor Day Weekend
One of our traditions is this annual all-church camp. Crafts, fishing, hiking, stories, campfires and intergenerational fun are all part of the experience at Mingus Mountain Camp just two hours north of Phoenix.
Rev. Andrea Andress, Associate, Children’s and Family Ministries, works with the Children’s, Nursery and Fellowship Ministry Teams. The volunteers and staff serving on the Children’s and Nursery Ministry Teams create and set in motion a wide variety of children’s events and learning activities. This team works with a larger group of volunteers, who are especially trained to give loving attention to children. We want all the children who attend to look forward to and treasure the time they spend learning about God’s love and care for them.
Children's Ministry Director - Rev. Andrea Andress
602-840-8360 Ext 142 andrea@pvumc.org
