Ministries for our Children & Families

Holy Comforter is a family friendly place! Our children are an important part of our church family, and we are working hard to provide fun and meaningful ways for them to learn about their church and God's love for them. We also think it's important to support the parents of our children, and offer them opportunities for fellowship with other parents within the congregation. Please come join us ~ visitors are always welcome!

Holy Comforter offers your family:

Nursery for infants and toddlers - Available Sundays during the service and coffee hour from 9:20 - 11:20am

• We recommend the nursery for infants and toddlers under the age of three, but we recognize that each child is unique and has different needs. Because we want church to be a positive experience for every child, we encourage parents to decide when their children are ready for Sunday School.
• We want each child to feel safe and comfortable in the nursery, so we invite parents to accompany their children in the nursery for the first few visits if it will help put them at ease.
• Parents are also welcome to keep their children with them during the service. Two cry rooms are available at the back of the Sanctuary if needed. A changing station is also available in the women's restroom down the hall.

Sunday School for children in pre-school through 5th grade - Sundays starting at 9:15 AM

Godly Play is spoken here!

What is Godly Play? Godly Play teaches children the art of using Christian language - parable, sacred story, silence and liturgical action - helping them become more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives. When Christian language is learned by the Godly Play approach, it is learned as a means to know God and to make meaning of our lives. This approach is quite different from the traditional model in which the teacher tells the children what they need to know. Godly Play is not about things that are that simple. It is not just about learning lessons or keeping children entertained. It is about locating each lesson in the whole system of Christian language and involving the creative process to discover the depths of meaning in them. It’s about understanding how each of the stories of God’s people connects with the child’s own experience and relationship with God. Godly Play respects the innate spirituality of children and encourages curiosity and imagination in experiencing the mystery and joy of God. The goal of Godly Play is to show how to be open to the Holy Spirit, The Creator, and the Redeemer all at once and all the time in every place. To achieve this goal is to help children become deeply rooted as Christians and yet at the same time use this powerful language and community to be open and creative.
• Godly Play is a creative and imaginative approach to Christian nurture.
• Godly Play is based on long established, tried and tested approaches.
• Godly Play encourages participants to make meaning for themselves by inviting them into stories and providing the opportunity for them to connect the stories with their personal experience.
• Godly Play is a non-coercive way to encourage people to move into larger dimensions of belief and faith through wondering questions and open-ended response time.
• Godly Play values process, openness and discovery.
• Godly Play is a way of preparing children to join in the worship and life of their congregations as they develop a deeper understanding of stories, symbols and rites.
  Although it was originally developed as a resource for children, Godly Play is now being used with a wide range of age groups in a diversity of settings.
  
  © 2011 Godly Play Foundation — All Rights Reserved

Mom Matters - Meets First Thursdays at 6:30 PM

A group for moms of infants through school-aged children, Mom Matters meets one evening each month and provides a fun, meaningful night out for moms. Please see the Mom Matters page for more information.