We presently have about 50 children in our small-but-growing Sunday school program. One of the advantages of our smaller congregation is the personal attention children receive. Jesus invited children to step out of a crowd so he could relate to and love them personally. We try to do the same at Western. Our children don't live in a separate part of the church's life, disconnected from adults. We attempt to involve them holistically into the life of the entire congregation. At Western, we know our children by name and treat each of them as unique and special.
We have a safe, nurturing nursery, stimulating classes for children ages 3½-10 with dedicated teachers, occasional musical events for and by the children, and limited programming for teenagers. As our kids grow, we will be adding classes for kids above age 10. Parents are the key leaders for what happens with the children. We use the ecumenical Bible Quest curriculum.
Sunday morning child care begins at 9:30 a.m. Children start Sunday mornings in worship at 11:00 a.m. There is a children's sermon early in the liturgy. The children then leave to go to their classes. They are dismissed directly to their parents following completion of the sanctuary worship service. Parents worshipping at Western for the first time are invited to join their children and observe classes.