Ministering to children is a great joy and privilege as well as an awesome responsibility. At TACF our desire is to partner with parents to raise up a generation that knows and loves God intimately. We strive to create an environment where learning about God is coupled with knowing God and His great love for us on a deep personal level.
It is our desire that children’s experiences with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit be powerful and life changing. This is accomplished through the teaching of fundamental kingdom principles, practical practice of implementing these principles in their daily lives, and consistent challenge and training in developing spiritual disciplines early in life. We want children to find their identity in God at a young age and to know and understand the purposes He has for them so that their lives are filled with purpose and direction. We want to partner with parents in identifying and developing spiritual gifts from infancy and to nurture these gifts to maturity.
Therefore every time we meet our goal is to create an environment where God’s presence is felt, God’s love is experienced, and God’s word is taught. Children are given the opportunity to practice what they are learning and are encouraged to utilize their gifts as they are sent out with a specific challenge to take God’s presence, love, and word with them into the world.
Currently, TACF’s children’s ministry is divided into two classes. There is a nursery class for children up to age four and an elementary class for children from ages five through twelve. The division of classes is something that is constantly under review as we desire to minister to children at a level that best matches their maturity and development. We are hoping to add a preschool age class for three, four and five year olds soon.
Because we believe that it is important for families to worship together and for children to learn from their parents the discipline of entering into worship, our children remain in the sanctuary for our time of corporate worship. This also allows the children to experience first hand the various ways God moves during times of worship and allows them the opportunity to become an active part of the body.