Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs." - Matthew 19:14

Children are lively, active members of the Highland family: taking part in worship, learning about God and studying the Bible, serving God through mission and outreach. Take a look below at some of the many ways children are involved at Highland UMC; simply click on a title or image to see more information about that particular program.

Our children’s programs are growing. What a wonderful problem to have. Have you ever wondered what it takes to run children’s programming at Highland? The answer is: Lots of church volunteers. There are multiple roles that need to be filled and they vary from just needing volunteers to play with the preschoolers for an hour, to volunteers to be the second adult in the Sunday School classes, to teachers. We are getting prepared for our Fall programming and need your help. Does this sound like something you would like to help with?

CHILDREN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL
As we start a new Sunday School year, we need a few volunteers to make it all happen. Volunteers are needed for the following areas:
- Preschool Nursery Volunteer (8:45-9:45 or 10:45-12:00)
- Two & Three Year Old – Lead Teachers
- Two & Three Year Old – Assistants
- Four Year Olds & Kindergarten – Assistants
- General Sunday School Substitute – to fill

Cross Training
For Cross Training to continue to be successful, we are in need
of some dedicated and willing volunteers. We need volunteers
for the following activities who are willing to commit to at least
one semester, if not the full year. Areas needing volunteers:
Volunteers Needed For:
- K & 1st Grade Bible Study Leader
- K & 1st Grade Bible Study Assistant
- 4th & 5th Grades Bible Study Leader
- 4th & 5th Grades Bible Study Assistant
- Recreation Leader
- Recreation Assistant
- Cherub Choir Assistants
- Joyful Noise Choir Leader
- Hosanna Choir Assistants
I have already heard how some of you would like to get involved! I am SO excited, but we are still in need of your prayers and your help. Just give me a call and we’ll see how your gifts and talents can help this growing ministry! Please call or email Anita Taylor (787-4240, ext. 109).

Two & Three-Year-Olds (Room 107): We teach the Live B.I.G. curriculum, which provides a weekly lesson plan to follow. The children love hearing the bible story, watching a 5 minute video of Bongo and making age appropriate crafts that reinforce the lesson. They have a blast with their friends as they learn about God.

• Adult 1: This adult is the lead teacher. The Live B.I.G. curriculum provides the bible story for each week along with several activities to pick from that help the children understand the lesson. This adult is responsible for reading the lesson, choosing the activities and arriving early to pull the necessary materials needed for the lesson.
• Adult 2: This adult is there to support the lead teacher, help where needed, and be the second adult in the room so that each class is always in compliance with Safe Sanctuary.

Four-Year Olds & Kindergarteners (Room 105): We teach the Live B.I.G. curriculum, which provides a weekly lesson plan to follow. The children love hearing the bible story, watching a 5 minute video of Bongo and making age appropriate crafts that reinforce the lesson. They have a blast with their friends as they learn about God.

• Adult 1: This adult is the lead teacher. The Live B.I.G. curriculum provides the bible story for each week along with several activities to pick from that help the children understand the lesson. This adult is responsible for reading the lesson, choosing the activities and arriving early to pull the necessary materials needed for the lesson.
• Adult 2: This adult is there to support the lead teacher, help where needed, and be the second adult in the room so that each class is always in compliance with Safe Sanctuary.

First & Second Graders: These kids participate in our own High Five! curriculum. Anita Taylor prepares the lessons that both the kids AND the adult leaders find fun and informative. The children do a bible study for half the time and then do High Five! for the other half. High Five! uses five-week units to focus on collections of Old and New Testament scriptures and topics, engaging kids through a variety of learning methods as diverse as drama, games, cooking, and creative crafts. The lesson is taught by two teachers and High Five! is taught by Joanie & Scott Loftin. The kids have a blast with their friends as they learn about God.

• 2 Adults: The two adults co-teach the prepared lesson and arrive a little early to read and discuss how the lesson will be presented to the class. They teach for the first half and then are adult helpers when the class moves to the High Five part of the lesson.

Third, Fourth & Fifth Graders: These kids participate in our own High Five! curriculum. Anita Taylor prepares the lessons that both the kids AND the adult leaders find fun and informative. The children do a bible study for half the time and then do High Five! for the other half. High Five! uses five-week units to focus on collections of Old and New Testament scriptures and topics, engaging kids through a variety of learning methods as diverse as drama, games, cooking, and creative crafts. The lesson is taught by two teachers and High Five! is taught by Joanie & Scott Loftin. The kids have a blast with their friends as they learn about God.

• 2 Adults: The two adults co-teach the prepared lesson and arrive a little early to read and discuss how the lesson will be presented to the class. They teach for the first half and then are adult helpers when the class moves to the High Five part of the lesson

Live B.I.G. is designed to help children ages 3-13 learn about the love of God through Jesus so they can live their “Belief in God” (B.I.G.).  High Five! uses five-week units to focus on collections of Old and New Testament scriptures and topics, engaging kids through a variety of learning methods as diverse as drama, games, cooking, and creative crafts.

Infants & Toddlers (Room 108) 8:15 AM -12:15 PM
Our Infant & Toddler Nursery is provided by a paid nursery staff. This staff is chosen by their experience and desire to provide loving, nurturing care to our youngest worshippers. There are two nursery staff in the room at all times.

This room can get busy. You have little ones who often want to be held, need fed, and/or need comforting because of their separation anxiety. An additional volunteer would be helpful to have as an extra set of hands. Do you have that special nurturing talent of soothing a child and helping out with feedings and diaper changes?

Age 2 years to Kindergarten (Room 107) 8:45-9:45 AM & 10:45 AM -12:15 PM
Our Preschool Nursery is provided by church volunteers, some of whom are parents of small children while others are called to serve in this special area of ministry. By providing nursery care for this age group, parents are able to worship knowing that their children are being cared for in a safe and nurturing environment. We always encourage families to worship together with their children, but sometimes children need time to just be a kid.

Two adults are needed during the early services and during the traditional service each Sunday. The only responsibility is to supervise, play, and have fun with the children during this one hour. Do you enjoy preschoolers? Have you ever wished you could spend one hour once every 6 weeks having a blast with them? Some love being read to and some just enjoy the play time with each other. We take single adults, parents (both moms and dads), and grandparents.

We also offer Nursery care for Infants & toddlers for all midweek classes & specially scheduled worship services, by request.  To sign up for childcare for midweek classes & special worship services, contact Anita Taylor, our Director of Children's Ministries at (919) 787-4240 ext. 109 or by e-mail.

Even the youngest members of the Body of Christ can share God's love through outreach and service to the local and global community.  Some of our regular projects include:

• Spring Cleaning at the Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network (W.I.H.N.) Day Center
• Collecting school supplies for local schools
• Race of Grace
• Food Drive & Kids' Day at the NC Eastern & Central Food Bank
• Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Project
• Gift Baskets for shut-in church members
• CROP Walk
• Toys for Tots

CROP Walk
All Are Invited to participate on Saturday, Oct. 2! As part of the church wide effort, all of our children and their families are asked to participate in this year’s CROP WALK. So, save the date for Saturday, October 2nd! We are encouraging all of our families to spend that morning walking to fight hunger. Look for sign up and pledge forms soon.
 

Children’s Sabbath
Sunday, October 17th
All children and their families are invited to join us for Children’s Sabbath on October 17th at the 11:00 worship service in the Sanctuary. We will be celebrating our children and our Highland Children’s Center. The children will play an active role in worship and we would like all families to be there!
 

Worship Readiness for Kindergarten & 1st Graders
Starting on September 12th, children in kindergarten and 1st grade are asked to participate in a four week Worship Readiness program. We want our kids to be ready to worship with their church families. Please pray for these kids and the leaders as we offer this new and exciting program for the children in our church! The dates are Sept. 12, Sept. 19, Sept. 26, and Oct. 3rd. More information will be sent out soon.
 

Whether the children are sharing their gifts and talents or growing in their relationships with God, the children are encouraged to be active participants in many special events:

• Spring Musical during Worship performed by the Chorister Choir
• Easter Egg Hunt & Palm Sunday Luncheon – an event for the whole family
• Vacation Bible School
• Raleigh District UMC Music Arts Camp
• Family Movie Nights
• Gift Bibles received by our Rising 2nd Graders
• Fall Festival & Trunk-or-Treating
• Christmas Pageant
• Christmas Caroling

Cross training in the athletic arena means that one practices a variety of exercises or sports to achieve fitness and strength of the entire body. At HUMC, we believe a multi-disciplinary practice is also important for the total health of our spiritual bodies. 

Through the 4 components of Cross Training, Choir, Bible Study, Recreation Time, and Dinner, the children (Cross Trainers) will follow the example of the early church described in Acts 2, who spent their time together in study, worship, breaking bread, and fellowship. While the children are not required to participate in all 4 components, we believe the children will receive the most benefit by participating in all areas. If you are not already participating, please consider joining us for our Wednesday programming.  

For additional information please view the Crosstraining brochure.

Wednesday’s Schedule:
3 & 4 year olds
4:25 - 4:55 pm - Cherub Choir in Room 101

K &1st Grades
4:30 - 5:00 Recreation in Bradley Hall
5:00 - 5:45 pm - Joyful Noise - Choir Room
5:45 - 6:45 pm - Cross Training Dinner
6:45 - 7:30 pm - Bible Study in Room 101

2nd-3rd Grades
5:00 - 5:45 pm - Hosanna Choir - Handbell Room
5:45 - 6:45 pm - Cross Training Dinner
6:45 - 7:30 pm - Bible Study in Room 105

4th-6th Grades
5:00 - 5:45 Bible Study
5:45 - 6:30 pm - Cross Training Dinner
6:30 - 7:30 pm - Chorister Choir
 

Our Children’s Bible Study groups for Kindergarten - 5th Graders use the Faith for Life 2 curriculum, which is both age-appropriate and relevant to each age group's spiritual development.

Click here for details about our four children's choirs, for preschoolers through 6th Graders.

The Children’s Ministry Team is planning to sponsor Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Project again for 2010. To help us with 2010 Shoeboxes, we are going to collect items throughout the year. Each month, we’re going to ask for your help by selecting an item that we’ll need to go into those boxes.

September’s Box Items
School Supplies

**PLEASE REMEMBER – All items will need to be small enough to fit into a shoebox. Please bring in this month’s item and put them into the Operation Christmas Child Donation Tub outside of the church office area.

Please do not bring in any shoe boxes, we have plenty! Thank you.

ACTion Time is our program for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Graders to give them the chance to participate in Bible lessons, life lessons, games, and other meaningful activities. We also explore ways to share our faith with others through service and mission work. This group has fellowship time with each other and with our Highland youth. This is a great bridge into the Youth Fellowship program.

We meet Sunday evenings during the school year, 5:00 - 7:00 pm in room 101.

Some of last year’s activities included:

• Roller skating at Jellybeans
• Movie Trip to see Veggie Tales' The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything
• Bowling
• Pizza Dinners
• Race of Grace Participant Bag Stuffing
• CROP Walk
• Tie-Dye T-shirts

Please complete this Registration Form to sign your children up for ACTion Time.

Come be a part of the children’s spiritual growth. We have a wonderful group of kids. Just interacting with them and getting to know them is fun and rewarding. You will laugh and probably learn a thing or two from the kids as well. Does this sound like something you would enjoy? We need your help. Please contact Anita Taylor, Director of Children's Ministries at (919) 787-4240 ext. 109 or email.

• Adult 1: Anita Taylor plans and prepares for the lesson.
• Adult 2: This adult is there to support the lead teacher, help where needed, and go on field trips with the group.

---