Children’s Ministry

Welcome Families!

Children have a place of belonging at Grace Meridian Hill. They are included in the worship of God and it is our joy to pray for them weekly in the service. Each time we baptize a child, we vow before God to plant gospel seeds in their hearts, water them and to bring nourishment through our holistic care. For this reason, each member of Grace Meridian Hill gives their time towards serving in our Children’s Ministry programs. We want children from their first time at worship or weekly, to know and experience the rich love of God in community.

Meridian Hill Kids strives to GROW in relationship with Jesus, to EQUIP our kids and volunteers with gospel truth, and to SERVE our church and neighbors to the glory of God.

Sunday Ministry

We are currently offering Sunday school classes for our infants and kids up through 5th grade.  Please email Elisabeth Lee, our Children's Ministry Coordinator, at children@gracemeridianhill.org to register.

What to Expect Upon Arrival? 

When you arrive at the Meridian Hill Kids welcome table, you will receive a warm greeting from the Sunday Coordinator. There, you will sign your child in for the morning. Please note: Infants and toddlers (Caterpillars and Butterflies) can be taken to their class before service begins and any time after. 

Sunday Morning Classes

Caterpillars (3-18 months)

• drop-off in class any time after 10:15 - Classroom is on the second floor
• pick-up immediately after service

Butterflies (18 months - 3 yrs)

• drop-off in class any time after 10:15 - Classroom is on the second floor
• pick-up immediately after service

Ladybugs PK3 & PK4

• drop-off in the foyer after the Children's Prayer and Dismissal - Classroom is on the second floor
• pick-up immediately after service

Grasshoppers K & 1st grade

• drop-off in the foyer after the Children's Prayer and Dismissal - Classroom is on the basement level
• pick-up after the sermon (during the "Q&A" if applicable) before communion

Dragonflies 2nd - 3rd grade

• drop-off in the foyer after the Children's Prayer and Dismissal - Classroom is on the basement level
• pick-up after the sermon (during the "Q&A" if applicable) before communion

Dragonflies 4th - 5th grade

• drop-off in the foyer after the Children's Prayer and Dismissal - Classroom is on the basement level
• pick-up after the sermon (during the "Q&A" if applicable) before communion

Class Time

Our teachers and assistants are deeply committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment. Their relational care will assist with an important aspect of our mission–building a gospel community through providing a Christ-centered example.

Each class time will feature these core components: 

• A personalized welcome and warm-up activity
• Time for prayer, scripture, and discussion
• A response activity
• Time for play and building friendships

Note: Our Children's Ministry Team is committed to serving children as individuals in community. If your child has any special needs (allergies, developmental differences, unique challenges, etc.) that you think their teachers ought to be aware of, please contact Children's Ministry committee member, Meagan Boyd, at children@gracemeridianhill.org to discuss how we can best support your child. 

Health and Safety

COVID Precautions 

As a church of covenant members committed to the well-being of our children, we want to take every measure to ensure their safety. We want to protect our children and caregivers and promote the well-being of those in our community. Therefore, we affirm our commitment to follow these clear measures: (Last updated November 2022.)

• MASKING: Masking is optional for parents, volunteers, and children in the context of our ministries.
• AIR PURIFIERS: HEPA air purifiers are placed in every small classroom, and windows are cracked open whenever possible, to improve ventilation. First Church’s HVAC system and cleaning procedures are in line with CDC recommendations.
• DISINFECTING: Toys, equipment, and surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected each Sunday. 
• DISTANCING: Children seated at tables will be at least 3 feet apart to the degree possible.
• SYMPTOMS: Children and adult caregivers with Covid-19 symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, headache, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, diarrhea) should stay home out of an abundance of caution. See detailed provisions on “sickness” below.
• VACCINATIONS: Per the Grace DC Child Safeguarding Policy, adopted by the Session of Grace DC on February 10, 2020: “GraceDC recommends that parents who are members or regular attenders ensure that their children are up to date on their immunizations, but all children are able to use the nursery and participate in Children’s Ministry events independent of their vaccination history. In the event public health authorities declare an outbreak of vaccine preventable disease in the Washington, D.C. region, Grace DC will consult with health professionals to assess our practices and may update this policy to maximize protection for the children in our congregation.”

Detailed health and wellness policies 

Our official Grace DC Child Safeguarding Policy (further details below) includes these other health and wellness provisions in section 2.9 which are in effect at all times, including our stated policy on vaccinations above. (Note: We will connect the full policy to our website soon. For now, the full policy can be obtained by emailing Amber at children@gracemeridianhill.org.) This full section reads as follows:

Sickness

Children with acute signs or symptoms of serious sickness are not permitted to participate in children’s ministry events. Caretakers can use the following guidelines on prohibited signs or symptoms to assess whether their child is fit to participate:

• Temperature over 100.5° taken orally in the last 24 hours
• Diarrhea or vomiting within the last 24 hours
• Runny nose, that is yellow or green discharge
• Any unexplained rash within the last 24 hours
• Persistent, productive cough
• Pink eye or other eye infection
• Exposure to Sickness

Exposure to Sickness

If it is known that children have been exposed to an illness that is easily spread from person to person, caretakers and teachers will be notified by the Children’s Ministry Coordinator.

Child Safeguarding Policy

Our safeguarding policy, noted above, was created with our entire community in mind and approved by our Grace DC session. This policy provides guidance and procedures that must be followed by all members and regular attenders of Grace Meridian Hill (GMH) when interacting with children in any official church ministry context. From the Child Safeguarding Policy our points of purpose are to:

1. Affirm the commitment of Grace DC to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults and to the prevention of all forms of abuse.
2. Establish common values and principles for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and provide protection, guidance, and best practices. 
3. Determine procedures that govern all interactions with children or vulnerable adults in any official Grace DC ministry. 
4. Ensure that all members and regular attenders of Grace DC know their responsibilities in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. 
5. Equip children and vulnerable adults to recognize and advocate for appropriate relational boundaries both within and outside the Grace DC community.

In light of these purposes, we reiterate these policy reminders each week to our Children’s Ministry teachers and volunteers verbally and in written form: 

• If an adult is alone with a child/children, they must be the child’s parent/caregiver. If either teacher or assistant needs to leave the room, text the Sunday Coordinator to stand in. 
• Volunteers and workers are not to accompany children to the bathroom. At preschool age, they must go with their parent(s). When children from the Caterpillar, Butterflies and Ladybugs classes need to use the bathroom, teachers are to text their parent(s) or the Sunday Coordinator (who can get their parent). Elementary age kids are old enough to go to the bathroom on their own. 
• Outside food is not provided or allowed.  
• Children are not permitted out of the designated classroom area.
• Children must have a sticker tag with their name and number. Kids are dismissed only to their parent/caregiver with the same numbered sticker.
• Teachers and assistant teachers will check the registration sheet, children’s stickers, and special documents on the teacher’s clipboard to see if children in class have allergies or other special conditions volunteers need to be aware of or know procedures for.

Volunteering in the Children’s Ministry:

Are you passionate about sharing Jesus with the next generation? We'd love to have you on our team!  You can sign up through contacting Elisabeth Lee, our CM Coordinator, at children@gracemeridianhill.org. 

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