INTRODUCING FAMILY SUNDAYS:
An opportunity to worship 
together across the generations!

Beginning on Sunday, June 29, our church will observe "Family Sundays" on the 5th Sunday of months with five Sundays.  On these special Sundays, we will not offer Kids Worship during the sermon, nor childcare for our Pre-K, Kindergarten, and elementary-aged classes.  Instead, we are inviting families to worship together in the main service as a whole church family.  We are excited to introduce this rhythm into the life of our church, and we want to share a little bit about the heart behind it.

WHY FAMILY SUNDAYS?

We believe there is deep value in children experiencing worship alongside their parents and church family. While age-specific teaching is a vital part of discipleship (and something we will continue to offer regularly!), there is something powerful about children seeing their parents and other adults sing, pray, listen to the Word, and participate in communion.

When children are in the service:

• They witness authentic worship and learn from our example.
• They begin to see themselves as a vital part of the church—not just the “future” church, but the church right now.
• They learn rhythms and habits that will carry into their teen and adult years.
• They get to ask great questions afterward that spark meaningful conversations at home.

We know this will be new for some families, but we are confident that with grace, patience, and a little preparation, it can be a beautiful experience for both kids and parents.

WHAT TO EXPECT ON FAMILY SUNDAYS

On 5th Sundays:

• Children ages 4+ will attend the main worship service with their parents the entire time
• You will still drop off your child for Bible Study at 9:00 a.m. as usual.
• Please pick them up at 10:15 a.m., just before the worship service begins.
• Your child will then stay with you for the duration of the service.

We will have a few tools available to help keep kids engaged, such as activity sheets and sermon guides designed just for them. You might even see a kid-friendly moment incorporated into the service from time to time!

CHILDCARE FOR YOUNGER KIDS STILL IS AVAILABLE

We will continue to offer full child care on these 5th Sundays for younger children in the following classes:  
Babies, Toddlers, 2 year olds, and 3 year olds

Those classes all are in the preschool area, and you will check in and out your younger children as usual at the kiosks.
  

SCHEDULE FOR 2025

Here are the upcoming Family Sunday dates for 2025:

• June 29
• August 31
• November 30
  
  

We are truly excited to see our kids in the sanctuary with us on these special Sundays. We believe they will learn more than we think just by being present - and we cannot wait to grow together in worship, as families, and as a church.

Thank you for joining us in this new rhythm.  If you have any questions or would like help preparing your child for Family Sundays, please reach out to Kayla Whatley, Gateway's children's ministry director. We are here to walk alongside you!