FAMILY MINISTRY PHILOSOPHY
At the heart of our Family Ministry program is our commitment to nurturing environments at every stage of a child's journey, from infancy to adolescence, where they are cherished, supported, and empowered to embrace their faith journey with joy and confidence.
Nursery Wing (0-2 years old): Embracing Safety and Security
In our Nursery Wing, we wrap our youngest members in a cocoon of safety, ensuring they feel secure, loved, and cared for. Our goal is to provide families with peace of mind, allowing them to fully engage in worship knowing their little ones are in good hands.
Pre+K (3-5 years old): Cultivating the Rhythm of Discipleship
Building upon the foundation of safety and security, we introduce our young ones to the joyful rhythm of discipleship. Here at Northside, children discover the beauty of knowing God intimately, making it a natural part of their journey from an early age.
Elementary (1st-5th Grade): Nurturing Critical Spiritual Disciplines
As our children grow and begin developing a rhythm of discipleship, we journey with them deeper into their spiritual growth, focusing on four essential disciplines that anchor their faith:
Middle School (6th-8th Grade): Encouraging Faith Ownership
As each student transitions from elementary to becoming the newest member of our youth ministry (NSY), we empower them to take ownership of their faith. Through the study of God’s word, thought-provoking discussions, and personal reflection, we challenge them to deepen their relationship with God and make their faith their own.
High School (9th-12th Grade): Inspiring Faith Leadership
In their final years of youth ministry, we continue to disciple students in following Jesus and we provide opportunities for them to be further equipped with the skills and confidence to live out their faith and become leaders through programs such as NSY: LEAD where they are equipped and encouraged to lead by example, serving their peers with humility and integrity within NSY.
At every stage of our Family Ministry journey, we strive to create warm, welcoming, and nurturing environments where children and families can grow together in faith and discipleship of Jesus.
Nursery Wing (0-2 years old): Embracing Safety and Security
In our Nursery Wing, we wrap our youngest members in a cocoon of safety, ensuring they feel secure, loved, and cared for. Our goal is to provide families with peace of mind, allowing them to fully engage in worship knowing their little ones are in good hands.
Pre+K (3-5 years old): Cultivating the Rhythm of Discipleship
Building upon the foundation of safety and security, we introduce our young ones to the joyful rhythm of discipleship. Here at Northside, children discover the beauty of knowing God intimately, making it a natural part of their journey from an early age.
Elementary (1st-5th Grade): Nurturing Critical Spiritual Disciplines
As our children grow and begin developing a rhythm of discipleship, we journey with them deeper into their spiritual growth, focusing on four essential disciplines that anchor their faith:
- Prayer
- Each week we not only pray, we teach our children the power of prayer and study what God’s Word teaches on prayer, nurturing their relationship with God and empowering them to communicate with Him confidently.
- Worship
- Each week we host live worship where our children are taught what it means to worship and why we do it. They’re taught of God's goodness and faithfulness and are encouraged to lift their hearts in praise. For our Pre+K students, we distill this into a simple phrase “Keeping God #1”. Our elementary students are taught how the world and distractions often trick us into putting other things before God and how we “recalibrate” our hearts through worship and remembering God’s promises.
- Bible
- It’s of utmost importance to us at Northside that all believers rely ultimately on the Word of God and feed on it daily. In Northside Kids we regularly have the children pick up a physical copy of the Bible and open it to our passage of study to allow them to become familiar and comfortable with it. Lessons each week are biblically centered truths guiding them to discover God's Word as a source of wisdom, comfort, and strength. For our Pre+K kids, we use the simple phrase “The Bible is God talking to us!”
- Fellowship/Connection
- We foster a nurturing community, centered on our common faith in Jesus, where children experience the warmth of fellowship, surrounded by caring adults who walk alongside them in their faith journey and we encourage volunteers to get to know each child and their family.
Middle School (6th-8th Grade): Encouraging Faith Ownership
As each student transitions from elementary to becoming the newest member of our youth ministry (NSY), we empower them to take ownership of their faith. Through the study of God’s word, thought-provoking discussions, and personal reflection, we challenge them to deepen their relationship with God and make their faith their own.
High School (9th-12th Grade): Inspiring Faith Leadership
In their final years of youth ministry, we continue to disciple students in following Jesus and we provide opportunities for them to be further equipped with the skills and confidence to live out their faith and become leaders through programs such as NSY: LEAD where they are equipped and encouraged to lead by example, serving their peers with humility and integrity within NSY.
At every stage of our Family Ministry journey, we strive to create warm, welcoming, and nurturing environments where children and families can grow together in faith and discipleship of Jesus.