Children

We are planting a seed of God inside them, a seed that will germinate in time to come.

At New Life International Church, our children are not sent away to be kept busy. They are taught, prayed for and built up in the word of God, in their own space, at their own level, by people who love them.

Our heart is simple. We want every child to know who God is in their life, to grow in the fear of the Lord, to learn how to carry themselves, and to leave here week after week having heard something that stays with them.

Children’s church is centred on worship and on building the foundations of faith. It is also where children meet their own peer group: having their own church time, with scheduled breaks and age-appropriate activities, helps them learn.

And every child is valued here, including children whose parents do not attend our church. All are welcome.

What children gain here

Spiritual formation: guiding children from an early age to understand salvation, the works of God, and the teachings of Jesus creates a stable foundation for lifelong faith.

Moral development: children’s church is a safe setting to learn biblical character, love for others, honesty, kindness, and patience (Galatians 5:22).

A sense of belonging: through prayer, worship, and fellowship, children grasp that they are a vital part of God’s family. That belonging nurtures self-worth and encourages positive friendships.

A Sunday with us

Our children meet in three age groups, so that every child is taught at the right level: 3 to 5, 6 to 8, and 9 to 12. From 13, young people move up to join our teenagers, and many of them come back to help at children’s events, leading drama on Children’s Day and looking after the younger ones.

A Sunday with us is full. There is the word of God, taught in a way children can hold onto. There are Christ centred programmes on screen. There are toys for the younger ones. And for the older children there are Bible games, like the one where they race to name people and places from Scripture.

They eat, they drink, they play. But they also learn. That is the difference.

On a Sunday, children can start beside you in the main service and go up to their classes when the service begins at 10:30, or come straight upstairs from the start, where the teachers are already there praying.

The people who teach them

Our teachers do not simply volunteer and start the next Sunday. Every teacher goes through training first, and spends time in each of the classes, watching how the children are taught and how they respond.

We ask that our teachers are responsible, genuinely born again and, above all, patient. Children need patience. We say it plainly: you cannot give what you do not have. Our teachers teach out of their own foundation in Christ.

Children’s Day

Once a year the children take the lead. There is drama, there is singing, and there is a service that belongs to them. Our teenagers come alongside to help with the drama and to look after the younger ones. It is one of the highlights of our year.

Outings

We take the children out. No classroom and no chairs, just days out together.

For parents

You can come at any time: bring your child straight upstairs to the classes, or sit together in the main service first and let them go up when it begins.

Pick-up is upstairs too. Come up directly for your little ones after the service, and take your time: we stay with the children until every parent has arrived, even after church has closed.

Questions, or a first visit? Speak with the head of the children’s department or any of the teachers. They are there for you as much as for the children.