Kids Church 

Northside caters for kids of all ages in our special Kids Church program, making coming to church fun and encouraging for them. 

Our 9:30am morning service starts with the entire church family together, including children. Children are encouraged to actively participate in the worship time, and the whole church gets involved in singing songs with actions and movement which appeal especially to our kids. We often also include a special talk aimed at the children early on in the service. 

After this, or at another appropriate spot in the service, kids are welcome to either take part in the different Kids Church programs available for them, or to remain with their parents for the remainder of the service. 

Parents are asked to sign their kids in to Kids Church, preferably before the service begins, or otherwise when they escort their children to their respective areas before rejoining the service. The main service concludes at approximately 10:30 and the Kids Church program concludes at 11:00am, at which point parents are requested to pick up and sign out their children.

BABIES

On the mezzanine level of the church facility we have a Parents’ Room which is ideal for infants who are not yet walking, and their parents. There is plenty of play equipment in this room to keep infants occupied while parents can still feel part of the service by looking down from the room onto the auditorium stage area and can continue to hear the service through an audio feed. In the Parents Room there are also baby change facilities and a kitchenette with microwave. Our Parents’ Room does not have child care capabilities, so it is requested that parents remain with their children at all times while in this room.

TODDLERS: “Little Blessings” 

Northside’s youngest children are indeed little blessings, and our desire is that each child that is cared for in Little Blessings experiences God’s love and enjoys coming to church. This room is available for any child who is able to separate from their parents but not yet able to participate in preschool-type activities. Of course, some kids require a bit of support from parents in the separation process and parents are welcome to remain with their child as long as is necessary in this transition process. Each week of the school term we have a Little Blessings Carer leading this room, providing a consistent face and organising appropriate activities which teach a simple message of God’s love for them. We also ask parents to volunteer on a roster basis for assistance in supervision of this room.  

PRESCHOOL AND PRIMARY SCHOOL

Downstairs in Kids Church, we kick off each Sunday with a large group teaching program for the Preschool to Primary School groups. Whilst the littlies and the youth go off to their respective spaces, this group gathers together for an interactive lesson which may include Drama, video, art, music, storytelling, and all sorts of fun and frivolity. During this time the kids have a chance to participate in offering and in sharing their memory verse. 

After this, the children go into their different rooms according to their ages. In each of these rooms, the leaders facilitate a specially tailored program of craft, play, music, stories and other creative activities. These fun and engaging activities relate to the central teaching story for the day and help the kids connect with the lessons in a relevant and powerful way. They are designed to suit the needs and nature of the particular stages of development for each room and they are divided as follows:

Preschool, aged 3–5: “The Garden”

Infants, Years K–2: “The Jungle” 

Primary, Years 3–5: “Urban Kids”

MIDDLE SCHOOL, Years 6-8: “Verve”

This new initiative sees our kids in Middle School supported through this specific stage of development. Ending primary school and starting high school can often be a turbulent time. Kids in Verve get to share this journey together. The leaders of Verve are inspired and trained Young Adults with a passion to support these kids.

Parenting is hard work. And often it can feel like we are doing it on our own. What this can amount to is tired parents who often feel overwhelmed at the responsibility of raising healthy, well-balanced children, and whom often neglect themselves in many ways.

The good news is that there is a space in time at least once a week where we can all come together and share the load of life together at playgroup.

At Northside we hold Playgroup every Tuesday from 9:30-11:30 and every Thursday from 9:30-11:15 (or whatever time within this bracket that suits you child’s sleep times). Playgroup is open to all kids who are not yet at school, and their parents (or carers – grandparents and nannies are welcome too). Playgroup provides an opportunity for children to participate in a variety of play activities, including craft, stories, music and free play.

We hope that at Northside Playgroup, you will experience a caring community. Our aim is to provide families with an environment that is supportive and safe, where parents and children feel valued, accepted and loved. Playgroup is a time that is for sharing in relationships, and for loving and nurturing each other and our children.

Northside’s Mothertime group has been running for over six years. It meets monthly at Northside Community Church on a Monday from 10am-11.30am (approx) and includes a regular group of Mum’s and Mum’s-to-be from both the local Crows Nest, Lane Cove, Chatswood area and from other areas of Sydney.  The group is lucky enough to have volunteer carers for the children (ladies from the Church) to enable the Mum’s to have a good chat without having to worry about their children! Each month we share morning tea and discuss a topic that Terri has prepared for the month. The topics focus on a different aspect of parenting and mothering each month and provide insight, encouragement and recognition of value and worth in being a mother.   

There is an annual Mothertime Retreat where the mums get to escape for a weekend for rest and rejuvenation. The next retreat is 28th - 30th August 2009 at the beautiful Noonaweena on the Central Coast. For more information contact Kylie Beattie via the Church office.

There is also a Mothertime web site www.mothertime.com.au  that provides information on the group, discussion topics and a chat area for Mum’s.

There are five key aims for Mothertime:

1. To encourage mothers to see the value, worth and significance of all that they do.

2. To create a network of care and support for mothers in the community, through the formation of Mothertime groups.

3. To provide a place of warmth and acceptance, to gain mothering skills, share problems, and find appropriate help.

4. To facilitate the formation of new friendships between mothers.

5. To link mothers who are at risk or experiencing difficulty with the appropriate professional help.

TERRI HARWICK’S VISION FOR MOTHERTIME

“I have a big vision for Mothertime. I dream of seeing a Mothertime group in every community in Australia, and even beyond! Mothers today are encountering such intense stress and pressure, as they attempt to find a balance between work and family time. I want to encourage mothers to recognize that at the end of the day, when the dust settles and the perspective clears, nothing will ever be more important than investing in young lives and happy families. Mothertime supports and upholds the one who holds the very fabric of society together, in her very capable (and very busy) hands! I am not saying the job will be easy, but I AM saying that it will be worth it!”            

Terri Harwick, Mothertime Founder