Our Aim is for all children to experience a real and loving God through Vineyard Kids, to encourage them to learn about prayer, worship, Jesus’ life and who God is in ways that are relevant to their age.

Further details on this can be found on the VK Vision and Values page.

At the moment the children join in with the adult worship and then go to their different age groups in the mid session interval.

Age Groups

We currently have 2 supervised groups divided by age: 3-6’s and 7-11’s. Generally, the children join and transfer the term in which they are 3, 7 or 12, although we can be flexible to some degree depending on resources and needs of the individual child. Children under 3 have a parent supervised crèche on 3rd floor.

Babies and Toddlers (0-2 years)

Children under 3 have a crèche room on the 3rd floor full of toys, a bottle warmer and changing area to enjoy with their parents during the service. The worship and sermon will be relayed to the room so that parent’s don’t miss out!

Young children are free to be with their parents in the main auditorium or use the crèche room, however please note, children using the crèche need to be supervised by parents/carers at all times.

3-6s and 7-11s

We use Light material from Scripture Union and mix it with craft and games suitable for the ages and the topic. We also aim to pray with the children. We also value both the fun and friendship element of the sessions. We want them to love coming to church as much as the adults do!

Signing In

We ask that all children are signed in by their parent/carer into the group. They will then be given a numbered token. The token needs to be handed back to the adults in the session on collection of the child.

Ratios

Both groups have adult:child ratios that we adhere to for safety and for quality. They are as follows:

3-6’s	4 children to every adult
7-11’s	8 children to every adult.

Leaders and Helpers

Our leaders and helpers are all drawn from the church and have usually been part of Milton Keynes Vineyard for at least 6 months prior to being on the Vineyard Kids team. They have all been through the CRB checking process and will attend child protection training once a year.

They are committed volunteers and work very hard to bring the children the best they can and we are grateful to them for their ongoing commitment! Please show them your support and encouragement at every opportunity.

We encourage parents and those adults with children in VK to become part of the team. If you would like to help with Vineyard Kidz please contact Jill Harrison.

Social Events

We have a social event for the children once a term usually suitable for their age ability and interest. We like them to be able to invite friends along and will subsidise some activities. We use the same ratios and adults from VK will supervise the event.

Recently the children have been bowling together and the church has hired Activity Land so everyone could invite their friends. We had a great Bright Lights Disco as an alternative to Halloween which was a great success!

Child Protection

We are members of Churches Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS) and use their guidance and procedures for child protection. We have a child protection policy and have a named Child Protection Co-ordinator, Jill Harrison.

Websites for Kids…these are really good fun!

www.kidsranch.org
www.genesiswp.com/kids/
http://guide.gospelcom.net/resources/kids.php
www.christiananswers.net/kids/clr-indx.html#bible
www.bigideafun.com/veggietales/arcade/default.htm