Preschool and Elementary
Children are treasured at First Friends
This is more than just a run-of-the-mill mission statement. This guides what we do, as we model how Jesus feels about children.
We read in Mark 10:13-16:
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them,
but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant.
He said to them,
"Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you
the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God
like a little child will never enter it."
And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them
and blessed them.
If children are truly treasured, that would imply several different things:
If we treasure children then we will make them feel welcomed, treasured, accepted, and loved.
If we treasure children then we are going to do our best for them. Our programs will have excellence, our materials will be the best we are able to provide, our rooms will be safe and clean... all because we treasure children. We hold them in high esteem.
If we treasure children then we are going to meet them at their particular developmental level. We're not going to try to make them be little adults or little youth. No, they're going to be met where they're at, the way Jesus meets all of us.
If we treasure children then we want to have the best people we can to minister to them, so we screen our volunteers, we train our volunteers, and we nurture our volunteers. Why? Because we treasure them, as we treasure the children to whom they minister.
If we treasure children then we will purposefully introduce them to their Creator God and to His Son, Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit. We will gently help them see thier need for a savior, and help them grow closer to Jesus.
If we truly treasure children, then these are the things we will do.
Our Mission:
- To meet children at their level of development
- To teach them the love of Christ, and the joy of His forgiveness and salvation
- To help them learn the truth of His Word
- To encourage their growth within the body of believers
Our Vision for Children:
- That they will be restored to the Father's heart
- That they will grow as His disciples and become leaders in Christ's likeness
- That they will be challenged to reach nations in the Spirit's power