FirstKids - First Christian Church of Decatur

Welcome!

FirstKids is our ministry for all children from birth through 5th grade. It is our priority to create worship environments for children to feel seen, known, loved, and valued by God as well as the leaders on our ministry teams. We teach the Gospel message of Jesus Christ every weekend and accommodate services as needed for children of all varying abilities. If you have specific questions or concerns about our services, please contact Heather Vance at hvance@firstdecatur.org or 217-875-3350.

FirstKids In Person

FirstKids programming for birth-5th grade is available Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 9am and 10:30am.

FirstKids Online

Worship family-style from home! Each week, we provide online worship videos for kids Birth-PreK and Elementary. We send links to these videos every week via our FirstKids email. Sign up for FirstKids emails:

Birth - PreK

K - 5th Grade

Our Core Values

PARTNER WITH FAMILIES

Our time with kids on the weekend is limited, so we understand the importance of supporting families as they lead and encourage their kids to have relationships with Jesus. We communicate weekly with families to provide resources and opportunities to grow and serve together in our church as well as in the community.

VOLUNTEERS

We choose consistent, trustworthy volunteers who are compassionate, loving, and dedicated to teaching kids about Jesus. All volunteers must adhere to DCFS standards and pass background checks prior to serving. They also commit to following Biblical values and truths that are consistent with our church's beliefs.

TRUST

Starting from birth, we begin building trust with families to help them feel confident entrusting their kids with us. We make it a priority to keep our ministry areas safe and secure, hoping to give families peace of mind as they attend worship services.

FUN

From drop-off to pick-up, kids are encouraged to have fun and play with friends. During services, we use upbeat worship songs with motions, video Bible stories, and a variety of age-appropriate hands-on activities for all learning styles and abilities.

Plan Your First Visit

FirstKids is located in our East Auditorium. As soon as you enter our FirstKids space, stop by the Guest Check-In Desk on the first floor near the elevator. A friendly host will be available to help you check-in and give you a tour of our worship spaces. You'll meet your child's leader(s) and learn about our drop-off and pick-up procedures. FirstKids Birth-Pre-K is located on the 1st floor while FirstKids Elementary is located on the 2nd floor. The safety of our kids is very important, so be sure to review our Safety Policy.

Safety Policy

SAFETY & SECURITY
Every adult volunteer who serves in a family ministry area is a mandated reported who must undergo a rigorous national background check and complete an online child sexual abuse training course. All volunteers (teenagers and adults) must review and sign our policy and procedure handbooks prior to serving with children. Additional trainings include fire, tornado, and active shooter response plans. All approved volunteers wear lanyards with their names and serving roles listed on the tags. If you have any questions, feel free to ask our staff any questions at any time!

SICKNESS
If your child has experienced any of the following symptoms within the last 24 hours, please refrain from bringing them into the ministry areas: fever, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, persistent coughing, eyes red or draining, nasal discharge that is green or yellow, and any other questionable symptoms. If we are alerted to any of these symptoms, we will ask you to please take your child with you in order to keep all children in a safe and healthy environment. Thanks in advance for your cooperation!

CHECK-IN PROCEDURE
To ensure the safety of all of our kids, first-time guests will be asked to register their child at the FirstKids Guest Check-In Desk located next to the elevator. You will receive a security tag and your child will receive a name tag, then he or she will be ready to enter the area. You must present your security tag in order to pick up your child. If you lose your security tag, you must present your ID.

If you have further questions regarding our safety policy, feel free to contact Heather Vance at hvance@firstdecatur.org or 217.875.3350.

Stay connected!

Sign up for our weekly FirstKids emails. This is the best way to keep up with the latest FirstKids news and to receive parenting ministry tips.

Birth - PreK

K - 5th Grade

Text our family ministry number at (217) 747-8392 to say "hi" or for any questions you may have. To get automatically signed up for text updates, use the keyword FKPREK or FKELEMENTARY (depending on your child(ren)'s age).
Join our FirstKids Facebook Group where you'll find resources for kids and parents

Milestone Events

FirstKids Birth-PreK

Baby visit in the hospital
We give gifts and pray a blessing over the sweet baby and his/her family.
Baby Dedication [ DETAILS & REGISTRATION HERE ]
We recognize that it’s important to dedicate our children back to God and to trust Him to help us guide them in their faith journey.
MOPS [ DETAILS & REGISTRATION HERE ]
MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) encourages and equips moms of young children to realize their potential as mothers, women, and leaders in relationship with Jesus and in partnership with the local church. Meets the 1st and 3rd Thursday September-May. Join anytime.
Kindergarten Celebration
This is an event for incoming kindergarten students and their parents to learn what the transition to FirstKids Elementary will look like. Each child receives a Bible, and they learn how to find things in it with their parents. We also remind families what our mission is in Family Ministries.

FirstKids K - 5th Grade

SuperStart
SuperStart! is a pre-teen conference sponsored by Christ in Youth (CIY). Fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students and parents are invited to attend this yearly event presented at another church out of town. It is a great experience for kids (& adults!).

Faith 45

While these milestone events are something every parent looks forward to celebrating, we understand that not all events on your parenting journey are joyous ones. Are you or do you know someone experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss or have you experienced this in the past? We want to help. Through Faith 45 ministries, we want to provide support for families going through pregnancy or infant loss. We hope to share God’s hope in a season that can feel so hopeless. Contact Heather at hvance@firstdecatur.org or call/text (217) 747-8392.

Questions

We'd love to hear from you! Simply contact any of the following FirstKids staff:

MEGHAN FRITZSCHE

Elementary Director
mfritzsche@firstdecatur.org

VICTORIA BEHNER

Elementary Asst. Director
vbehner@firstdecatur.org

MELISSA PETERSEN

Pre-K Director
mpetersen@firstdecatur.org