At First English we value each child and youth as part of a family. Each young person is real and beloved, as they are, and is part of an extended community of faith. We seek to participate in the growth and transformation of each person at First English.
Family Ministries
At First English, we seek a partnership with families, working together as the primary source of our children’s faith formation in the home. We share resources, read books, enjoy conversations, laugh, play, and support one another as we lead the spiritual life of our families. We intentionally come together a few times each year. Whether swimming at one of the local water holes, enjoying an ice cream social, watching movies or sharing stories together, we seek to recognize Christ at the center of our daily lives.
One way we welcome children to FELC is with a “Faith of a Child” time in worship, when children will come forward for Welcome, Water, Wonder, and Worship. Welcome is to let them know we are glad they are here. Water is to help them reconnect each week with their identity as beloved children of God through baptism into Christ. Wonder is a time to hear a Bible story. Worship is a time to pray and give thanks.
Another way we are welcoming children in worship at FELC is with a Spirit Space in the Chapel of the Saints. Children with their parents will be welcomed after the Faith of a Child time (or before if needed) to a child’s space for quiet play and reading, including a rug, floor pillows, soft blocks, coloring supplies and lap desks, Bible story books, and other play items. Each week they will receive a coloring page relating to the scripture readings for the day. Parents will have chairs to sit in while supervising their children and participating in worship. Children and parents can remain in the Spirit Space together for the remainder of the liturgy.