We recognize the reality that parents come to a progressive church like MissionGathering for a number of reasons. Due to this reality, we want to make sure that our kid’s ministry is different from traditional churches, so that parents can feel at ease that their family is in good hands. Below are commonly asked questions about MG Kids. If you have any other questions that are not listed here, please feel free to contact our pastor at braeden@missiongatheringsd.org. 

What is the check-in process like?

When you arrive at MissionGathering, there will be an iPad located directly to the right of the door where you can check in your child digitally before bringing them to their age-appropriate room. 

What age groups are available for kids?

There is a PreK-Kindergarten room at the front of the church facility, and a 1st-5th grade room in the back right corner. Kids who are not yet preschool age are welcome to join their parents in the main service. 

There is also a parent’s room available for parents with babies/toddlers where parents can continue listening to the worship service with rocking chairs, soft padded flooring for little ones to crawl, and plenty of baby toys. 

What will my kids experience at MG Kids?

Both PreK-Kindergarten and 1st-5th Grade experience age-appropriate free play, games and crafts, Bible story and discussion, followed by prayer. 

What will my children learn in MG Kids? 

MissionGathering has partnered with the scholars at The Bible for Normal People and the brilliant team at Illustrated Ministry to provide the best in biblical education for our kids! Both of these organizations take both scholarship and storytelling seriously, so kids are able to experience the stories of Scripture without any unhelpful dogma. These resources follow the same liturgical calendar that our Pastor follows in main service, so kids receive an age-appropriate version of whatever text or theme is being discussed in main service. This way parents can feel comfortable to continue the conversation with their children at home if they wish! 

How is MG Kids different from other kids ministries?

Our Pastor always says that “sermons at MissionGathering are meant to start discussions; not end them.” A similar approach is taken in MG Kids! 

The goal is not to indoctrinate kids to believe certain doctrines about God and the Bible, but to educate kids to understand main stories and ideas from the Bible. And yes - we emphasize the fact that these are stories. Some of us at Missiongathering might view the stories in the Bible as literal historical events, but not all of us do! Therefore, we talk about the stories in the Bible as just that: stories. Parents can decide if they wish to talk to their children about the stories as literal or metaphorical.

We partner with parents in cultivating the values of curiosity, inclusion, and justice. This means that questions are encouraged, and that parents are the decision makers in what they want to teach their children about God. 

How do I talk to my kids about the Bible?

The mention of parents getting to decide how to talk to their kids about God and the Bible can be intimidating. In what other context do we have discussions about literature written thousands of years ago in a different language? That’s right, we never do! Which is why it can be daunting when we want to introduce the Bible to our kids, but aren’t sure where to start. 

Missiongathering’s partner, The Bible for Normal People, has provided an excellent resource on how to talk to your kids about the Bible here. 

What safety precautions are in place? 

Safety is of the utmost importance to us! Every single volunteer in MG Kids is background checked, and trained on best practices for children’s ministry. This includes practices such as never being alone with a child, proper cleaning and sanitizing of ministry spaces, and paging parents to escort a child when they need to use the restroom.