Your Kids Will Love It Here!

Our Goal: To teach your kids the good news and show them Jesus. 


We are Gospel-centered:  We teach the Bible as one story that points to Jesus. Jesus is at the center of the gospel, just as He is at the center of the entire Bible and all of creation. We will point kids to Jesus so they see him so strikingly he becomes their one, overriding hope and their greatest love. 


We are Application-oriented: We believe when kids rest in Jesus, their joy over his beauty and what he’s done for them will spill out into the way they live. We show children that our central hope is in Jesus’s full saving work, not just his instructions. When kids are stuck in the pressure-filled mode of trying to measure up, we will bombard them with the good news. 


We are Creative:  We continually look for new and creative ways to engage children in their classes and in the life of the church. 


We are Committed to equipping leaders and volunteers: With help from the church’s leadership, we provide opportunities for Children’s Ministry leaders and volunteers to grow in their faith and understanding of the gospel. We utilize teaching helps from The Gospel Project, including videos and blog posts. 


We are Family-focused: We acknowledge that God designed parents to be the primary disciplers in their children’s lives. We strive to build relationships with families to support them and equip them to disciple their children. We provide opportunities for parents to see what their children are learning each week, and we find ways to encourage families to live out the gospel on mission together. 


Our kid classes are Fun: We use fun to guide the ministry in pursuit of its mission (fun itself is not the mission). We use technology, singing and moving, games, and activities to help children experience the gospel story and see how much God loves them. 


We are Prayerful:  We commit to pray for children—that God would awaken them to the truth of the gospel. 


We are Relational:  We welcome children in our church worship services so they experience the fullness of the Body of Christ, learning and worshiping with church members of all ages. We also provide children with kid-focused environments where they can learn in ways they best understand. 


We ensure your child's safety:  We ensure all teachers complete Safe Sanctuaries training and background checks on a regular basis. (See below)


We are Transformative:  We ensure our teaching goes beyond behavior to the heart by teaching the gospel. 


We are Mission-Oriented:  We invite children to serve in all areas of the church. We encourage the congregation to acknowledge that God has given each child ideas, experiences, talents, skills, and giftings to be used now for the church’s mission to bring glory to God.

Children's Church                                                                                  

Children’s Church at St. James is for all children from three years old through fifth grade.


Children are encouraged the sit with their families in the Sanctuary during the Sunday morning 11:00 worship service. At a point in the service, usually just before the sermon, the children are dismissed and taken downstairs for their own worship experience.


Following the 11:00 service, parents may pick up their children downstairs in Room 103. 

Nursery

Sunday Morning Nursery is for children under the age of two and is available from 8:45a until 12:30, encompassing the 9:00 and 11:00 worship services as well as the Sunday School hour at 10:00.


Your child will be cared for by trained volunteers. Please check in at the Nursery prior to the worship service.

Our Committment to Keep Your ChilD Safe

The following reflects our commitment to provide protective care of all nursery, children, youth, vulnerable adults, and volunteers who participate in church-sponsored activities. 


1. All paid staff and volunteers that will work with all children or youth under the age of 18, as well as vulnerable adults will undergo and pass a background screening. The screening will include a written application, a criminal background check, a reference check, and an interview/orientation.  Background checks on current volunteers will be rerun every 3 years. 


2. A volunteer must be an active participant at St. James and, under the discretion of the person(s) on staff responsible for the area of ministry in which applicant wishes to serve, they may be allowed to work with infants, preschoolers, children, youth, or vulnerable adults. However, a volunteer may not be a lead teacher until they have been active at least 6 months. This will not, however, prevent presentations or instruction by visitors such as missionaries, if the session is conducted in conjunction with workers previously approved for nursery, children or youth work under St. James Church policies. 


3. All chaperones or supervisors of overnight or off-campus activities for infants, preschoolers, children, youth, or vulnerable adults must be approved in advance by the St. James  minister/director responsible for the age group involved in the activity. In the absence of the minister/director, the Executive Minister can also approve chaperones and supervisors. 


4. St. James Church will not knowingly allow anyone who is a known abuser of minors and/or vulnerable adults to work with our infants, preschoolers, children, youth, or vulnerable adults and will take measures, as outlined above, to ensure that such persons are not allowed to work with our infants, preschoolers, children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults. 


5. St. James will employee the “Two Adult Rule”: There will be 2 unrelated adults in each classroom or 2 related adults and a “rover”, someone who moves amongst the classrooms during the program period. 


6. Any person who works with infants, preschoolers, children, or youth must obtain written parental permission before going out alone with an infant, preschooler, child, or youth or before spending time with him/her in a situation in which no other adult is present. This applies to any child or youth under the age of 18. 


8. All volunteers and staff who work with infants, preschoolers, children, youth, and/or vulnerable adults will be trained in the following areas: 

  • St. James policies designed to promote safety of our infants, preschoolers, children, youth, and vulnerable adults and to prevent any form of abuse. 
  • How to recognize signs of sexual and other kinds of abuse. 
  • The obligation to report suspected incidents of abuse, inappropriate contact, or suspicious behavior to the appropriate minister/director for the age group involved in the activity. 

In the absence of the minister/director, the Executive Minister should receive the report. Volunteers and paid staff who do not consent to a background check and attend orientation/training shall not be allowed to work with nursery, children, youth, or vulnerable adults. 


9. A security system must be maintained to insure that children are returned to their appropriate custodial parent or guardian. Children who are newborns through 2nd grade must be picked up by a parent or guardian. Children in grades three through five may be released from their classroom with previously obtained written parental permission. 


10. Parental permission, including a signed waiver/release form, must be obtained in writing in advance for involvement of infants, preschoolers, children or youth under the age of 18 in St. James sponsored programs or activities which involve leaving the St. James campus. Parental permission, including a signed waiver/release form, must be obtained for children or youth in advance of involvement in overnight activities. No adult who is not on the approved volunteer or staff list may be present at these events. 


11. Any allegations of abuse will be promptly investigated by a St. James staff member. 


12. Any allegation of abuse as defined by GA Code 1975 will be promptly reported to both the pastor and Executive Minister, who will then in turn contact DFACS. 


13. The pastor, Executive Minister, or legal spokesperson shall be the only persons authorized to discuss allegations of abuse with news media on behalf of St. James.