Pre-School Mission Statement
Central Baptist Church Pre-School Ministry is partnering with parents to nurture their children through the teaching of the Bible and by demonstrating unconditional love so they may become fully developed followers of Christ.
Message to Parents
We welcome your child to the Pre-School Ministry at Central Baptist Church where preschoolers come first. When preschoolers come to church, they always bring family and friends with them and families are our priority! We love preschoolers and desire to see each one reach his or her potential by establishing a spiritual foundation that can be built upon as he/she continues through life one day accepting Christ as Savior and Lord, to live a Christ-like life and to serve our Lord obediently.
Our pre-school ministry supports the family. The Bible challenges fathers and mothers to teach their young children the things of God, to nurture them spiritually, to "bring them up in training and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). It is our privilege and great joy to serve with you in the spiritual training of your child by providing Bible centered learning experiences and care utilizing trained teachers, clean and safe surroundings and a well-balanced curriculum designed to meet the needs of preschoolers each time your child comes to church.
We welcome you to Central Baptist Church.
Stephanie Johnston, Interim Preschool Director
Curriculum
The curriculum used by our Pre-school division is published by the Southern Baptist Convention. It is Bible-based and planned for the growth and development of Preschoolers.
Lifeway Bible Teaching Babies thru 3's
These are quarterly periodicals published to offer guidance for teachers in Sunday School according to age levels.
Baby Life
This is a yearly family magazine designed for parents of preschoolers under the age of two years.
Parent Life
This is a quarterly family magazine designed for parents of preschoolers.
We recommend, The King James Version, New International Version or Holman Read-to-me Bible or Bible for Toddlers is an excellent choice for your preschoolers first Bible. There are sixty-four pages of special teaching aids for parents and teachers of pre-school children including a guide to a child's spiritual development, an explanation of how to use the Bible with preschoolers and an extensive list of Bible verses and thoughts. Also you will find forty-four Bible stories, thirty-six full color illustrations by Paul Karch, red letter and subheadings throughout easy to read text. This Bible is an excellent choice for both the pre-school er and his/her parents.
Activity Teaching
At church, we teach preschoolers about God through activities. Activities are very different from play. When children choose and use materials for play, they do so without the active involvement of a parent or teacher.
Activity teaching occurs when a person uses play to achieve a spiritual purpose. It must be planned with a specific goal in mind. Activities also require the ACTIVE involvement and guidance of a teacher. The teaching activities we use at church are : blocks, books, art, pictures, home-living, music, puzzles and natural world (nature). Bible stories and Bible thoughts are used in conversation with a child during the activity.
In order to produce good activity teaching experiences for the child, preschool directors and teachers plan appropriate teaching / learning situations. They carefully choose materials to stimulate the child's growth. The preschoolers' curiosity and creativity are stimulated by giving him opportunities to explore and experiment. They use teaching methods which are child-centered rather than teacher-centered, thus feeling happy and care for by the people at the church.
Through these feelings, the child will someday understand God's love. The love a child received from the people around him will serve as a model for his journey through life.
How to Use Bible Thoughts
As a parent, you can help your child learn about God by using Bible thoughts in your daily conversation. Bible thoughts are simply the main theme of a verse of scripture put in words a preschooler can understand. Your child's Sunday School leaflets will give some of the Bible thoughts which will be used each Sunday. Listed below are Bible thoughts you may use in your daily conversation with the preschooler(s).
| I like to go to church. (Psalms 122:1) | God is good to us. (Psalms 73:1) |
| The sun shines in the day. (Jeremiah 31:35) | Jesus went to church. (Luke 4:16) |
| We are helpers. (2 Corinthians 3:9) | God give us food. (Psalms 136:25) |
| Jesus had friends. (John 15:14-15) | Jesus loves us. (John 15:2) |
| Jesus said, "Love one another." (John 15:17) | We work together. (1 Corinthians 3:9) |
| Help one another. (Galatians 5:13) | God made the birds. (Genesis 1:21) |
| God makes the grass grow. (Psalms 104:14) | God loves us. (1 John 4:10) |
| God made the fruit. (Genesis 1:11) | God sends the rain. (Jeremiah 5:24) |
| The stars shine in the night. (Genesis 1:16) | Jesus grew tall. (Luke 2:52) |
| God made the stars. (Genesis 1:16) | God made the animals. (Genesis 1:16) |
| God made the moon. (Genesis 1:16) | God made the night. (Psalms 104:20) |
| God gave us ears to hear and eyes to see. (Proverbs 20:12) | Thank you God. (2 Timothy 1:3) |
| God made the sun. (Genesis 1:16) | God made the water. (Psalms 104:10) |
| Be glad and sing happy songs. (Psalms 9:2) | Jesus said, "You are my friends". (John 15:14-15) |
| I am wonderfully made. (Psalms 139:14) | God made me. (Psalms 139:14) |
| Bring an offering. (1 Chronicles 16:29) | Children obey your parents. (Colossians 3:20) |
How can you help?
Sunday School Teacher - A commitment to at least a year of weekly service in teaching preschoolers newborn - 4 years about Jesus and his love.
TeamKids - Three and four year olds experience high energy Bible learning thru songs, art, games, Bible stories and other activities in TeamKids on Sunday evenings from 6-7 pm.
Helping Hands Ministry - Our adult church members are encouraged to participate in the Helping Hands Ministry. This is a ministry of the Adult Sunday School to preschoolers. Volunteers serve during one Sunday School hour in a preschool class to assist teachers in meeting the needs of the children.
Mothers Morning Out - A weekday program for ages 6 months - 4 years where preschoolers are learning through Bible and craft activities about God's love for them.
Preschool Music - A weekly commitment on Wednesday evenings to teach preschoolers the love of Jesus through music.
Mission Friends - A learning experience thru stories and crafts about missionaries. This is a Wednesday evening class.
Special Events - We offer many special events for preschoolers and parents. (For example: Happy Birthday Jesus Party, Round-Up, Dessert with Mommy, Dinning with Daddy, etc.)
Parents and church members are encouraged to participate by volunteering to assist the leaders of these and many other Preschool ministry activities and events.