We recognize the reality that parents come to a progressive church like Pilgrim Congregational Church for a number of reasons. Due to this reality, we want to make sure that our kid’s ministry is different from traditional churches, so that parents can feel at ease that their family is in good hands. Below are commonly asked questions about MG Kids. If you have any other questions that are not listed here, please feel free to contact our pastor at BLStorkersen@gmail.com.
What is the check-in process like?
When you arrive at Pilgrim, you will find the children’s campus to the left of the sanctuary. You will see a classroom door open where you will check in your kids by filling out a sheet with their name and your phone number.
What age groups are available for kids?
We currently have PreK through 5th grade available for Little Pilgrims. Babies and teenagers are welcome to join their parents in the main service.
What will my kids experience at Little Pilgrims?
All kids experience age-appropriate free play, games and crafts, Bible story and discussion, followed by prayer.
What will my children learn in Little Pilgrims?
Little Pilgrims has partnered with the brilliant team at Illustrated Ministry to provide the best in biblical education for our kids curriculum! Illustrated Ministy's Kids curriculum, Mini Revolutions, take both scholarship and storytelling seriously, so kids are able to experience the stories of Scripture without any unhelpful dogma. Kids will experience an ongoing 3-year cycle of different Bible stories; intentionally skipping over the violent stories.
How is Little Pilgrims different from other kids ministries?
Our Pastor always says that “sermons at Pilgrim are meant to start discussions; not end them.” A similar approach is taken in Little Pilgrims!
The goal is not to indoctrinate kids to believe certain doctrines about God and the Bible, but to educate kids to understand main stories and ideas from the Bible. And yes - we emphasize the fact that these are stories. Some of us at Pilgrim might view the stories in the Bible as literal historical events, but not all of us do! Therefore, we talk about the stories in the Bible as just that: stories. Parents can decide if they wish to talk to their children about the stories as literal or metaphorical.
We partner with parents in cultivating the values of curiosity, inclusion, and justice. This means that questions are encouraged, and that parents are the decision makers in what they want to teach their children about God.
How do I talk to my kids about the Bible?
Research from the Fuller Youth Institute shows that there’s no one size fits all approach to passing on faith to the next generation, so we highly recommend reading the book Woven: Nurturing a Faith Your Kid Doesn’t Have to Heal From. It provides helpful frameworks for thinking about your own family dynamics, and how faith might fit into your lives based on your unique family. Spoiler alert: the best way to pass on faith to kids is by creating a warm home environment.
What kids Bibles do you recommend?
There are very few progressive kids Bibles out there, but after searching far and wide we would recommend the following:
Age 4-8: Children of God Storybook Bible by Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Age 5-8: Psalm Book: Prayers and Poems for Kids by Naomi Krueger
Age 6-12: Book of Belonging: Bible Stories for Kind and Contemplative Kids by Mariko Clark
Age 10+: God’s Stories as Told by God’s Children by Over 50 Biblical Scholars/Theologians
What safety precautions are in place at Little Pilgrims?
Safety is of the utmost importance to us! Every single volunteer at Little Pilgrims is background checked, and trained on best practices for children’s ministry.