Sunday School (September-May)

What? Rock Hour is our new program where kids will learn about God's love and Jesus' teachings through fun, theme-based activities. We'll use cool music, storytelling, visuals and fun hands-on activities to bring the bible to life. There will also be a strong emphasis on diversity to help our kids appreciate this big, beautiful world that God made!

Who? 1st Graders through High School are invited to take part in the first 15 minutes of ROCK Hour (9:00 - 9:15 a.m.) We'll sing rockin' songs, celebrate birthdays and make new friends. Oh, and we'll be led by our own ROCK Hour band! At 9:15 Voyagers and Coffee House will head off to their rooms to do their thing.

When & Where? ROCK Hour will be every Sunday from 9:00 - 10:15 AM. The fun begins downstairs in Kalweit Hall.

The ROCK Hour Goals

 1. Share key bible stories and apply them to today's situations.

2. Emphasize the compelling nature of God's unfailing grace and Jesus' teachings of love, kindness and forgiveness.

3. Foster an appreciation for the diversity in our world.

4. Develop and understand the importance of a relationship with God through prayer and other meaningful methods.

In order to achieve these goals we'll use: A. Music B. Storytelling C. Experiential Methods (hands-on activities like crafts, games and creative snacks to reinforce the stories) D. Repetition & Goal Charting

For our 2 year olds through Kindergartners Immediately following Children's Time during the 10:30 worship service, 2 year-olds through Kindergartners will head downstairs for their special time. Our "Little Rocks" will hear bible stories, sing songs and engage in fun-filled activities.

Pilgrim ROCK Hour - What's New? ROCK Hour "Stage" You'll notice our awesome, new stage area. That's where kids will hang out with the band at the beginning of each ROCK Hour. It's also where kids will see bible stories come alive through live drama, puppetry or cinema.

Milestone Program In November, the 1st-4th graders will receive "Milestone Jars" to keep at home. When they master a key concept, they'll receive a stone with the name of that concept from our Milestone Booth to take home. We'll also keep track of their progress on a chart at church. The Milestones that they will work toward this year are: 10 Commandments, Lord's Prayer, Great Commission, Great Commandments. They'll also receive Milestones when they take their first communion and become an acolyte.

Mission Project This year, our kid's offering money will go toward a mission project. From September through December 31 our focus will be Africa. We'll collect money to be used toward a Kenyan school lunch program. Can you believe that just $12 will feed a child lunch for the whole year? Watch for the animal banks to come home on September 16. In January, we hope to present the kids with a beaded bracelet reflecting the number of Kenyan children whose lunches we are sponsoring. We'll focus on a local mission project in 2008.

ROCK Hour Helpers "Roadies" There are plenty of opportunities for parents and other adults to join in on the fun. We need "Roadies" to assist our kids with projects, games and music as well as "actors" willing to re-create the bible stories. Our Roadies are what we used to refer to as church schoolteachers. Roadies can volunteer for a single Sunday or a month at a time (preferable). No preparation or special skills are required ... just a willingness to help and a cheerful presence for the kids. See a Children's Ministry staff or team member for more information.

ROCK Hour Band We're lucky to have some of the teens from Coffee House lending a hand to make our gathering music totally "suh-weeet"!