Kids just want to have fun! I’m sure there is a lot of truth to that statement, but at Light Force Ministry we also believe kids want to do something special, something important. We work at giving them opportunities to do something special for Jesus Christ.

In order to learn anything real well you need to put it into practice. We like to see kids involved, doing works of service for God and man. Individual classes for each grade build a solid foundation of Bible knowledge. Larger groups give an opportunity to be involved with worship and prayer, as well as service in sound, video and music.

Keeping kids excited about being in church is an important part of helping them to grow in Christ and keep on growing. Our goal is to lead the children to a firsthand knowledge of Jesus Christ and what He wants to do in their lives as individuals as well as what God wants to do in His body of believers. Children need to know that they are the church.

Children’s Events

Royal Rangers Pow Wow
Jun 28 - Jun 30




Kids Camp
Jul 22 - Jul 26




Vacation Bible School
Aug 12 - Aug 15

News

Sunday School – Sundays at 9am

We have classes for all ages from 2 years old up through 6th grade. Our 4 & 5 year olds are combined in one class and our 5th & 6th grades are combined in two classes, one for boys and one for girls, all others are individual grades and ages. Our classes follow a September to September school year with classes continuing through the Summer months.

Super Church – Sundays at 10:45am

During the second adult worship service there is a Super Church service for children in grades 1 through 6 in our Lighthouse Auditorium. This is our opportunity to worship God together; invite God into our lives; to see children understanding that God wants to work through their lives right now! We involve children in the service through our Worship team, Sound technicians, spotlight and other helpers. The services are multi-media presentations using music DVDs, video segments, live object lessons, skits and games. It is our desire to see children get grounded in the Bible as God’s inspired word for today and develop a biblical world view.
We also have preschool classes for 3’s, 4′s, 5’s and Kindergarten.

Children’s Choir – Sundays at 5pm

Children’s Choir meets in the Lighthouse Auditorium from September through June with a few weeks off at Christmas. The kids work on a musical to be presented the Sunday before Christmas and then a medley of songs that are presented in local nursing homes and Senior Centers in our area. Our goal is for the choir to learn commitment and servant ministry as well as music. This group is for 1st – 6th grade boys and girls. This Spring of 2011, we have been a part of the TV Series ‘Together In Song’ on WGBY in Springfield. We do not have Children’s Choir during the Summer.

Seeds of Faith Journey – Sundays at 6pm

‘Seeds of Faith Journey’ is a combination of Bible teaching, crafts and physical activity. Oh yes, we also provide a snack since many of the children come at 5:00pm for choir. This activity is designed for children in 1st through 6th grades and operates from September through May. It does not meet during the Summer.

Junior Bible Quiz

JBQ is a highly competitive program that involves studying 576 questions of different point value.  The questions are all Bible based and cover a wide range of topics.   We compete against teams from other churches in Southern New England and also compete at the Regional and sometimes National level.  This program is for children in 1^st through 6^th grades and some stay on to become officials and team assistants.  This is part of an overall emphasis on discipleship among elementary age children.

Royal Rangers – Wednesdays at 7pm

Royal Rangers is designed for young men ages 3-17; the focus is to “Reach, Teach and Keep Boys for Christ”. Boys are taught four fundamental foundations: Love of God, love of family, love of others and love of nature. Through classroom training and Bible study, planned recreation, camping and hiking the Ranger program ministers to the mental, spiritual, social and physical areas of a boys life. Local and District events give the boys opportunities to stretch themselves and see how much they can achieve.

For additional information, please follow this link to the Royal Rangers national website.

Girls Ministries – Wednesdays at 7pm

Girls Ministries is an Assemblies of God Ministry program geared toward winning girls, aged 3 to 17, to Jesus Christ through love and acceptance. Girls Ministries provide an environment of support and accountability while helping girls to develop their gifts and abilities. In addition, girls build lifelong friendships that will help them stay strong in their spiritual walk. Girls Ministries is a discipleship program based on the Titus 2 principle of women mentoring girls and encouraging them to develop their God-given gifts and abilities.

For additional information, please follow this link to the Girls Ministries national website.

BGMC – Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade

BGMC is more than a giving program; it’s also a mission’s education program. BGMC is equipping kids to know, to care, to pray, and to reach the lost. Kids are taught about countries, people groups, and missionaries. They are also taught about the “lost” and how important it is to be a witness. As you can see, BGMC is a great program for everyone!
BGMC started in 1949 and is represented by a character named ‘Buddy Barrel’. These yellow molded plastic barrels are given to all the children to use to collect their missions offering and then they bring them in on the first Sunday of each month. Since 1949 over $102,600,000 has been raised for missionaries around the world.
Go to www.bgmc.ag.org for more details

Nursery

Bethany’s Nursery Ministry cares for children 2 and under. Childcare is offered during each of our services including special services. The Nursery facility features four Nursery rooms and each room has age appropriate toys and equipment. We also have a comfortable nursing mother’s room where moms can watch the service taking place in the sanctuary.

Children are checked in at the front desk and are given a name tag. Parents are given a pager. If a parent is needed, their pager will vibrate and light up, letting the parent know to come to the nursery wherever they are in the building. Pagers are returned when parents pick up their child(ren). All nursery workers have had a background check completed. The nursery is supervised at all times by a Team Leader who is trained to handle different situations including emergencies. Team Leaders are also First Aid and Infant/Child CPR Certified.

For our older 2 year olds, Sunday school is offered during our 10:45 am worship service. It is a slightly structured and hands-on class where the children are taught about the love of God, Jesus, and the Bible.

On Wednesday evenings at 7:00 pm, we offer the Sunlight Kids Club™ which is a Pre-Rainbows program for 2 year olds. Your child will be delighted to have their own “club” complete with T-shirts and certificates!

The Nursery also offers training for those who would like to learn how to care for and teach children from birth to 2 yrs. If you are a new mother, there is a wealth of resources available to you. Come visit us!!

If you would like more information about our Nursery, please call Laurie Lange at 789-2930 ext. 116.

‘Blessed Event’

Blessed Event is Bethany’s ministry to Expecting and Postpartum women. Prayer, support, meals, and even some Doula type services are provided through a network of resources. These services may include light housecleaning, 1-2 hours of babysitting, or errand running during the first 2-3 weeks Postpartum. This ministry is a joint effort between Women’s Ministries and the Nursery Ministry in order that both the needs of the mother and the baby are met. Special attention is given to those who may not have family close by for support and in some cases even a birthing coach may be provided.

PARENTS!! New stuff on VERSE HERO! ImpressKids.com has stepped up their website and made things much easier all around. No more individual ‘Game Keys’! When you register (no charge to you) on their website and open up our place for activities, Light-ForceCM, then you and your children will be able to play any of the activities that have been placed there. You may have received a letter already or you may receive one this week. But, if you have elementary age children and have not received a letter by Wednesday, Nov 16, then please contact Pastor Chuck or Linda in the office. I’ll be praying that this makes a big impact on your family and look forward to working with you to plant God’s Word in the hearts and minds of your children.
BTW, this works very well for teens and adults. We can all use help to memorize scripture and will benefit from the results! You can navigate through their website without a letter of explanation. Just be sure to click the box ‘Ask To Join’ at the end so that we can approve your membership.