Mission Kids
“There is so much richness being cultivated in the Mission Kids hallway week after week. The children’s ministry is what made us say YES to this church, building community, and becoming stewards at Mission Chattanooga.”
Mission Kids is available at our
9:00 AM Sunday and 5:00 PM Saturday services.
Nursery (6 months through 2 years): Dedicated care for our youngest children, including music, bible stories, and prayer. Our vision is that even the littlest of children will discover church to be a place where they are welcomed, loved, nurtured and consoled.
Little Ones (3 years through First Grade): Each classroom engages in music, call-and-response liturgy, prayer, Bible teaching, kinesthetic activities, and communion.
Children’s Church (Second through Fifth Grade): Children participate in their very own Procession of the Cross, Prayers of the People, music, Bible teaching, confession, and communion.
If you’re new or visiting the Mission, use the form button below to tell us more about your family!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you keep our children safe?
Each classroom has at least two volunteers who have been vetted by our Family Ministry leadership team, background checked through Ministry Safe, and trained before serving. The entire Mission Kids space is monitored by cameras at all times and is only accessible to staff, approved volunteers, and caretakers. We use Planning Center Check-ins for approved caretakers who can pick up children from Mission Kids.
Can I sit in on a class with my child?
Parents are warmly welcome to experience Mission Kids with your child if you want to learn more! Simply notify the leader overseeing check-in that day.
What if my child is distressed during check-in?
Check-in can be a challenging time for parents and children. We recommend a quick drop-off process, as prolonged goodbyes can sometimes increase, not minimize, a child’s anxiety! Our volunteers work hard to soothe upset children and engage them in play, and most children settle down within five to ten minutes of drop-off. Occasionally, however, some children are unable to be soothed. If your child cries for more than ten minutes or if the crying is intensifying, a volunteer will send you a text message, so keep your phone accessible!
When can I pick up my child from Mission Kids?
We ask that all children stay in Mission Kids until the main service is over. Caretakers line up in the common hall, where we call for children over an intercom system. The only exceptions are in case of emergency or if a volunteer notified you to pick up your child.
Do children receive the Eucharist (communion) in Mission Kids?
We serve communion to all children who have been baptized (as long as parents consent). If a child does not take communion, we will pray a blessing over them. We believe that both prayer and communion are gifts from God and are ways to interact with God. Children will have a cross on their name tag to indicate prayer in place of the Eucharist.
Can my child join the main service instead of attending Mission Kids?
Yes! Children of all ages are always welcome to remain with parents and worship in the service, if that is a family’s preference. We believe that children are as much a part of the body of Christ as adults, and we have a very child-friendly congregation! There is a Family Room near the main entrance, if you need a quiet space at any time. We also have the audio streaming from the service through our common hall.
“The joy our child has found in church, worship, and prayer is beautiful. We are so grateful for the intention put into Mission Kids every week!”
A note from our Pastor of Family Ministries:
Martin Luther said, “Most certainly father and mother are apostles, bishops, and priests to their children, for it is they who make them acquainted with the gospel.” Everything your child grows to understand about love first stems from how they are loved within their own homes. In 1 John, the author says: We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God.
It should come as no surprise that you are the first preacher of the good news to your children. Your identity as a child of God ultimately gives you the ability to be a good and loving parent and help your children see that they are children of God, little lights to the rest of the world.
My hope is that you find support and encouragement at Mission Chattanooga to do that well. Through community events, teachings and panels, and direct pastoral care, my goal is to walk alongside you to feel as equipped as you possibly can be to faithfully raise your children today.
Mission Kids is meant to be part of your child’s discipleship, but not all of it. In Mission Kids, we use the following guidelines:
A child’s long-term emotional development arc begins to develop around the ages of 3-4. That means that they’re building their identity: Am I good? Am I lovable? Am I safe? What is good and bad for me and around me? We aim to teach biblical truths that answer these questions, ensuring our children from an early age that God is a trustworthy God, full of love and safety.
Around the age of 7, children enter “the age of reason,” which is the developmental cognitive, emotional, and moral stage in which children become more capable of rational thought, have internalized a conscience, and have better capacity to control impulses. We use this as an opportunity to explore faith on a deeper level, holistically exploring why Jesus needed to rescue us all. We learn how we become more like Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit through prayer, study, and spiritual disciplines. And we can do that because of a firm foundation of a beloved identity.
Lastly, our teachings are always trinitarian, gospel-driven, scriptural, developmentally-appropriate, formative, and set in the context of Anglican worship.
If you’d like to learn more, I’d love to meet with you. You can reach me via email here.
- Courtney Allen