Coming to faith in Jesus is the most significant decision that a person will ever make, and research tells us that the chance of a person doing so declines rapidly after the age of twelve. If we want to see more disciples of Jesus, it is crucial that we wade into their lives when they are children.

Warehouse 242 believes that the faith of the youngest members of our community is every bit as important as that of the adults. Our hope and passion is to partner with parents as they guide their children into the knowledge of God’s pursuit of them. We want parents and kids alike to know who God has created them to be, and how they can live out that identity.

Our desire is to support and equip parents in the coming weeks as our community continues to be impacted by COVID-19. We will be sharing resources and ideas to engage your family and would love to know if there are specific ways we can serve and connect with you during this time.

It is likely that your children will have questions about COVID-19, especially as their lives are impacted more. This article is a good resource that provides tools for continuing to talk about any questions or fears they may have.

Are you feeling as weary as we are with our new normal? Even though there have been some gifts during this season, we know that we were created for connection that goes deeper than what a virtual format can offer. We hope that you are giving yourself a lot of permission to feel and a lot of grace in these days. While there are lots of great resources out there, we wanted to provide something familiar to your kids. This a chance for you to see more of what happens on a typical Sunday morning at Warehouse.

If you have found yourselves wondering how to parent in the middle of not one, but two pandemics, you are not alone. The grief and lament over the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless other acts of injustice have left us heavy hearted and, at times, hopeless.

We are committed to teaching our kids about the heart of God and learning how we can move forward together. The book God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell is a reminder that racial diversity is part of the beautiful plan of God. Listen along with your child and consider adding this book to your library.

This podcast “How Will We Respond?” from Pardon the Mess, a Christian Parenting Podcast offers powerful and practical ways we can be better friends and parents.

And this article from Raising Prayerful Kids addresses our questions about how to talk with kids about racism.

CNN and Sesame Street have also created this town hall to talk about racism with some of our favorite familiar characters.

The read along of the book God’s Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams is a sweet reminder that “we carry pieces of God’s heart in us and when we love one another, the pieces of God’s heart are made whole.”

Lesson 1: God’s Good Creation

We’re so excited to begin a new series! Watch the video below to hear all about it!

Now that you know all about our new series, read along with us.

Wasn’t that fun? Now check out worship options here!

Lesson 2: What voices have you been listening to?

A read aloud of the book “I am Enough” to support the lesson

And here is a compilation of kids worship to go along with this series to remind kids of who they are and who God is. This will be the same worship for the unit. It includes space to leave prayer request. We would love to hear from your kids about how we can pray for!

Lesson 3: Loving Others

This week we review the Big Idea from the past year in Kids Warehouse and remind kids that Jesus said the most important thing we can do is love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. Next week we will dive in to the second part of the greatest commandment: loving others.

This read along book of a grandmother reading My ABC’s of God Loves Me is a sweet reminder of who God is and who we are.

Don’t forget our compilation of kids worship and the prayer request form to go along with this series! And here is a form for our family challenge this week so that the kids can keep track of the ways they are worshiping God!

Lesson 4: Who can I be a neighbor to?

We are continuing our series this week on God’s Very Good Creation by taking a look at the story of the Good Samaritan. We are changing the question from “who is my neighbor” to “who can I be a neighbor to?”

We have a read aloud of “God Made Me Unique” from our very own awesome volunteer, Paul VanGundy!

And don’t forget our compilation of kids worship and the prayer request form to go along with this series!

Lesson 5: This week we consider how we can be a neighbor to those who might appear to be different than us.

We have a read aloud of “Sulwe” from Tiz Karabinos! This is a beautiful book about a little girl who struggles to love her dark skin.

And don’t forget our compilation of kids worship and the prayer request form to go along with this series!

Take it further
We also have an activity to take the lesson and the discussion of racism further if your family is ready for that step.

Lesson 6: This week we are going to take a break from new video content. We hope this gives you a chance to catch up if you have missed some weeks and also gives you a little rest from online content.  We do have a few new things  for you this week.

First we wanted to gift our kids with a little reminder for their school space at home. A reminder that we can be grounded in God’s goodness, even during the hard stuff. We created this poster to print and hang up in your child’s learning space. When things become hard or overwhelming we hope this is a good visual for your children, and even for ourselves!

Our amazing volunteer and Elder, Carla Love, has a read aloud of the sweet book “Don’t Forget to Remember” by Ellie Holcomb.

A message about the truth, that we are dearly loved. A message for all ages! You can also watch Ellie Holcomb sing the song that inspired the book, here.

Lesson 7: This is the latest installment of our current series focusing on loving our neighbors with disabilities. We recognize that we have just begun to scratch the surface of how to love your neighbor, and that this is an ongoing learning process. Our hope is that this series supports your family’s conversations around this important part of being missional followers of Jesus.

For more information about Kids Warehouse or to add your information to our weekly email list, contact our Kids Warehouse Co-Directors Heather Khoe and Laurie Landry.

Where is Kids Warehouse?
The entrance into Kids Warehouse is located to the right of the main door into the Warehouse 242 arena. Enter through the Kids door and continue straight to reach the Kids Warehouse check-in table.

Who is Kids Warehouse for?
4-weeks-old infants through 5th graders have classrooms ready to welcome them each Sunday morning.
Infants through kindergarten classrooms can be found on the main level.
1st grade through 5th grade have classrooms and large group space upstairs.
Your KW check-in team member will be happy to escort you and your child to the correct room and introduce you to their teacher.
If your child has already graduated 5th grade and is a rising 6th grader through 12th grade, they are in our Student Ministry age range.

How do I check-in my children?
When you arrive at the Kids Warehouse check-in table, trained volunteers will guide you through the check-in process, show you to your child’s room, and will gladly answer any questions that you have.

Who will be caring for and/or teaching my child?
Kids Warehouse is staffed entirely by volunteers. Caregivers and small group leaders have been thoroughly trained and have gone through an extensive background check.

What will my child be learning?
In Kids Warehouse, we teach the Bible through interactive storytelling, multimedia, active games, crafts, and engaging discussion.

How can I volunteer in Kids Warehouse?
Kids Warehouse is growing exponentially, so we always have opportunities for volunteers who enjoy engaging with children, and serving with excellence. Learn more about serving in Kids Warehouse.