Porterfield Memorial United Meth

	Children's Ministries Director Carol Bowe
Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church - 2200 Dawson Road, Albany, GA 31707 - Phone 229-436-6336

For several years our church has been providing a variety of ministries for our children. During the school year, we offer an after school program for our own children as well as children in our community who are not church members. We take our children on two trips during the school year: the Fall Children’s Retreat at Epworth-By-the-Sea and Sea World. We have a five-day preschool in our church. Additionally we provide a parent's morning out program. During the summer we offer a preschool program, newly named “Oceans of Fun.” We also host Vacation Bible School and we provide transportation to one week of Elementary Camp at Epworth-By the Sea. New to our church last year was the renovation of our elementary wing and the implementation of Rotation Sunday School. Porterfield Day School Our Day School provides positive Christian education, allowing children ages 6 weeks to 4 years to develop physically, spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. We want to guide children as they grow in their social skills and learn to relate to both children their own age and to adults other than their parents. We’re here to introduce and enhance the role of the church as a meaningful part of the lives of families with small children. We use a curriculum that has been designed to help the students master various goals and objectives, which are appropriate for their age. We are so blessed to have a group of teachers who are not only nurturing and loving, but also well trained and experienced in working with children. We have classes Monday – Friday (depending on age) from 9 am – 1 pm. Please contact Director, Yvette Armstrong, 435-1064, ext. 22 for more information. Wednesday Programs On Wednesday, a Day-Away Program is offered from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Children come to the nursery area anytime after 9:00 a.m. bringing a sack lunch and necessary supplies for their personal needs. Porterfield’s nursery staff supervises playtime, rest, creativity, and lunch. You must have reservations for this program and can call Carol Bowe for more info. Children are included in the fellowship and fun of Wednesday Night Suppers each week. Nursery care is provided for infants and younger children not ready for this meal. A special serving table is provided for children with pizza, chicken strips, etc. They are welcome to add any vegetables from the adult table. We ask that children eat with their families and remain in the fellowship hall through the singing of “Happy Birthday”. During adult announcements, children are escorted to other activities. Toddlers go to the nursery for playtime. Four-year-olds & kindergartners participate in Quarter Notes (see music). Elementary students gather for Bible study and games. Rotation Sunday School K.O.O.L. Studios is the name of our rotation Sunday school for elementary-aged children. K.O.O.L. stands for Kids Of Our Lord. We have decorated and named our rooms. They are called KFC Café; AOL; Creation Station; Hymnsong Theatre; J.A.M. Sessions; Sunday Morning Live It is called rotation Sunday school because children rotate, or travel to, each of the workshops over a period of 6 weeks. By the end of the 6 week period, children will have gone to each of the 6 workshops and experienced the Bible story in 6 different ways. Some rotations will only be 4 weeks, and the rotation will be adjusted to accommodate that curriculum. Teachers volunteer to teach these 4 to 6 week rotations. Learn more about Rotation Sunday School,( R.S.S.) here: http://www.rotation.org/ Every year children will have one or two shepherd pairs. Shepherds are adult volunteers who guide the children each week from room to room. They are responsible for giving out nametags, taking roll, staying with the children in the classroom and assisting the teacher when necessary. Shepherds provide the continuous relationship with the child over the course of the Sunday school year. Each rotation will focus on one key Bible memory verse. There will be a memory verse poster in each workshop classroom. Children will try to memorize the verse by the end of the 6-week rotation. Sometimes, small prizes will be given to encourage the children in this activity. F.F.G.O. and TERRIFIC TUESDAYS FFGO – (For Fifth Graders Only) FFGO is a specially designed program For Fifth Graders Only in which Carol Bowe (Children’s Director) and Steven Jones (Music Director) tag team for an unforgettable weekly event. Church vans will pick up the students from school and bring them to the church for refreshments, fellowship, choir, Bible study, fun, and mission projects. At the end of the school year the participating children will be invited to go on a mystery graduation trip. There is no charge for this ministry. Terrific Tuesdays (Grades 1 – 4) Terrific Tuesdays are fun afternoons for first through fourth graders. Transportation is provided from every school in our area for students. Refreshments and free play time is enjoyed to work off the “sitting at the desk” cramps. The crowd is then divided into two groups: first and second grades; third and forth grades. Each group has about 45 minutes of choir with Steven Jones and the same time for Bible study and games with Carol Bowe. Many youth and adult volunteers make this the best afternoon of the week. Registration forms are available in the Porterfield information racks. There is no charge for this ministry. Created by God Fifth and sixth Graders and their parents are invited to participate in this mini-retreat led by Kaye McIsaac and adult volunteers. It focuses on the emerging development of children into teenagers and then adults and the issues with which they will deal. The Biblically based United Methodist curriculum leads sessions about independence, sexuality, decision making, moral values, Christian choices, etc. Parents are required to attend for one hour each day. Most classes are held in November and January. Check with the church for dates. Sea World This is an annual overnight experience that includes spending Saturday in the Sea World Park. After supper on Friday we will join the Sea World staff for an overnight experience sleeping with the dolphins, manatees and whales. The 2007 trip took place January 12th and 13th. See Pictures on Kids Photo Web Children at Epworth-KidzQuest Our annual weekend retreat at Epworth by the Sea for 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grade children. This event is held in the early fall and is a great time of worship, Bible study, games, recreation, crafts and fellowship. During the summer, we usually have a staff member, Kaye McIsaac, who works at one of the Epworth Elementary Camps, and we provide transportation to and from Epworth for that week for our children. We have felt that this is a great way to encourage our Porterfield children to participate in a United Methodist Church camp and spread their wings. More Summer Programs VBS- Vacation Bible School - see 2007 pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/pfkids Elementary Camp – Epworth Nightcrawlers Tuesday & Wednesday fun days for preschoolers & infants Times and dates vary. Call or come by the church for more info as summer progresses. Advent On the last Sunday in November before Advent begins, we have an Advent event for families with children age 3 years and up. At this event, we share Advent traditions, make an advent wreath to take home and have a casual supper. Check your bulletin for the date and call the church to make a reservation prior to the event. New Bible Presentations During morning worship in August, rising Third Graders are presented with new Bibles. Their reading skills make it possible for them to begin to claim God’s stories for their very own and Porterfield Church wants to be a part of this. E-Mail Carol Bowe, Dir. Of Children’s Ministry