Youth & Family

It’s often said that it takes a village to raise a child; we believe it takes a church. We take the calling seriously to lead our kids on the path of knowing and following Jesus as Saviour and Lord for their whole lives, and see this as responsibility of parents and church working in tandem to guide them in a network of nurturing relationships.

We seek to include kids in worship and church life, to equip parents to nurture them in grace, and to cultivate discipling relationships with adult mentors/teachers, and with other peers in various contexts.

We include kids in Sunday worship, encouragement groups, and other events. We think it is powerful and important for kids to learn from what they see their parents and other adults doing, and remember that they are also a vital part of the body of Christ. Yet we are also aware that they will need certain teaching and worship practices accommodated to be meaningful to them. Thus Shore worship services have parts when kids participate together with the congregation, and other parts during the sermon when Sunday School is available to bring the Bible and the gospel to them in language they can readily understand and interact with amongst their peers. In all things we seek never to thoughtlessly dismiss or disregard them.

We equip parents to nurture in grace. This is a common theme of our preaching and discipleship of adults in general, and happens specifically as our teachers and mentors of children and youth correspond with parents to let them know what is being taught, and to suggest ways to further engage the Bible, worship, and prayer at home. We also seek to schedule occasional ‘parent forums’ where a topic related to the gospel nurture and discipline of children is presented and discussed.

We cultivate discipling relationships realising that real life is the classroom for spiritual growth. We seek to walk alongside kids over time, continuously pointing them to Christ and the biblical gospel in the ups and downs of life. We also foster peer friendships in which kids can grow accustomed to talking about and living out an authentic faith together. Our goal is to see kids grow up wanting to know and follow Christ, and cherishing the sweetness of doing so in community as something central to who they are.