At Lake Harriet UMC, we believe that the church starts with families. They are not just the future of the church, they are also our present! Without children, youth, and families, the church is not as vibrant as it can be. That’s why we explore faith, love, justice, diversity, compassion, and service in an open atmosphere that doesn’t fear questions or differences of opinion. We focus on faith, fellowship, and fun all year long!
Want to find out more? Explore our website or contact, Ariel, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries below.
Please fill out the registration form at the bottom for your kids to join in the fun!
If you and your child wish to stay in worship, you are more than welcome to any space in the sanctuary. Our Wesley Room, attached to the sanctuary, is also available should you need a space for your child to play or move around or use a rocking chair for feeding or sleeping.
Our nursery staff:
At Lake Harriet UMC, we believe that all children should be in worship, being their noisy, wiggly, amazing selves. Children should be seen, heard, and celebrated as the body of Christ and the present of the church! We offer children’s bulletins, activity and coloring sheets, and various fidget toys for children to use during worship, though we welcome movement and encourage children to be their authentic selves.
Additionally, our Wesley Room, attached to the sanctuary, is also available should you need a space for your child to play or move around a lot, or to use a rocking chair for feeding or sleeping. There are many free drawing pages and a library of excellent books in the space as well.
During worship, children (and everyone of all ages!) are welcome to come up front for the Rainbow Chat, a special part of the service where we focus on something small from the message and talk about it in a way that is more accessible for younger children (though older children and adults are always welcome to join us!)
If this is not a fit for your youngest preschoolers, the nursery is available up to age 5. We have excellent nursery staff and volunteers who have undergone a complete background check and safety training, and they are well-prepared for your little one. Upon check-in you will be given a beeper to notify you if your child could use your comfort.
After worship, Pre-K through 3rd grade children are invited to Godly Play, part of our enrichment hour from 10:45am-11:30am. Godly Play is a hands-on storytelling practice, where children are invited to explore and wonder together about many different stories from the Bible and join together in a feast (a small snack that they help prepare and serve!) at the end.
On the first Sunday of the month, some things look a little different. In worship, we celebrate an All Ages Worship Service. This means that families help lead different elements of worship, and our children’s music groups often lead and share music on that Sunday. We also share in communion together.
During Enrichment hour on the first Sunday, we have One Room Kid Min (short for Children’s Ministry), where Pre-K through 5th grade are together for either a special teaching time that is not Godly Play, or a special event. On this Sunday, we explore special topics together that help us understand our world is extremely diverse and should be celebrated!
In the summer, we offer a variety of programming for Pre-K through 3rd grade including:
The summer schedule dates are released mid-September, with registration opening at the beginning of January.
**Please make sure to register your child for children’s ministry using the form below.
Monthly Calendar at bottom of page.
At Lake Harriet UMC, we believe that all children should be in worship, being their noisy, wiggly, amazing selves. Children should be seen, heard, and celebrated as the body of Christ and the present of the church! We offer children’s bulletins, activity and coloring sheets, and various fidget toys for children to use during worship, though we welcome movement and encourage children to be their authentic selves.
Additionally, our Wesley Room, attached to the sanctuary, is also available should you need a space for your child to play or move around a lot, or to use a rocking chair for feeding or sleeping. There are many free drawing pages and a library of excellent books in the space as well.
During worship, children (and everyone of all ages!) are welcome to come up front for the Rainbow Chat, a special part of the service where we focus on something small from the message and talk about it in a way that is more accessible for younger children (though older children and adults are always welcome to join us!)
After worship, 4th and 5th grade children are invited to Bible Black Belts, part of our enrichment hour from 10:45am-11:30am. Bible Black Belts learn how to use and read their Bible (a new Deep Blue CEB Bible is given to them when they enter 4th grade), start to make connections between the Old and New Testament, engage in various activities to help their understanding of the story, and form relationships with each other and with God.
On the first Sunday of the month, some things look a little different. In worship, we celebrate an All Ages Worship Service. This means that families help lead different elements of worship, and our children’s music groups often lead and share music on that Sunday. We also share in communion together.
During Enrichment hour on the first Sunday, we have One Room Kid Min (short for Children’s Ministry), where Pre-K through 5th grade are together for either a special teaching time that is not Godly Play, or a special event. On this Sunday, we explore special topics together that help us understand our world is extremely diverse and should be celebrated!
In the summer, we offer a variety of programming for 4th and 5th grade including:
The summer schedule dates are released mid-September, with registration opening at the beginning of January.
hover to learn more
The Appalachian Service Project is a high school service learning opportunity. Each summer, a group of high school youth and leaders from our church embark on a week long trip into the Appalachian region to fix homes and serve the community, establishing relationships with the families they are serving and learning about a different culture and community of the United States.
View ASP WebsiteAt Lake Harriet UMC, we believe that youth should be in worship as they start to become young adults learning and exploring the word of God in a new way. We celebrate youth as the body of Christ and the present of the church! We offer a bulletin specifically for 6th through 8th graders to help guide them through worship as they start to see and hear topics differently.
On Sunday mornings, there are no official meetings of middle school or high school aged youth, however the youth room is open and available for any youth who wish to hang out with friends on Sunday mornings.
We offer a Wednesday night ministry for 6th through 12th graders called Youth Night from 6:30-8:00pm. We focus on relationship building and diving deeper into the word of God and applying it in our daily lives. We rotate through four specific focus areas each month:
We also have once a month events outside of church. Trips to the zoo, Whirlyball, Escape Rooms, The Event, and other fun outings are included (and suggestions are always welcome!) Sometimes these events are for 6-12, and sometimes they are for 6-8 only.
Additionally, we offer summer programing for those in 6th through 8th grades:
The summer schedule dates are released mid-September, with registration opening at the beginning of January.
hover to learn more
The Appalachian Service Project is a high school service learning opportunity. Each summer, a group of high school youth and leaders from our church embark on a week long trip into the Appalachian region to fix homes and serve the community, establishing relationships with the families they are serving and learning about a different culture and community of the United States.
View ASP WebsiteConfirmation: Starting in Grade 9, high school aged youth can chose to enroll in Confirmation – a year long class that teaches youth what it means to be a member of the church and helps them explore their faith in a deep way before choosing to become a member of the church. For enrollment or more information, email Ariel Johnson at [email protected]
At Lake Harriet UMC, we believe that youth should be in worship as they start to become young adults learning and exploring the word of God in a new way. We celebrate youth as the body of Christ and the present of the church!
On Sunday mornings, there are no official meetings of middle school or high school aged youth, however the youth room is open and available for any youth who wish to hang out with friends on Sunday mornings.
We offer a Wednesday night ministry for 6th through 12th graders called Youth Night from 6:30-8:00pm. We focus on relationship building and diving deeper into the word of God and applying it in our daily lives. We rotate through four specific focus areas each month:
We also have once a month events outside of church. Trips to the zoo, Whirlyball, Escape Rooms, The Event, and other fun outings are included (and suggestions are always welcome!) Sometimes these events are for 6-12, and sometimes they are for 9-12 only.
Additionally, 9-12 graders have the opportunity to go on the ASP Trip. For more on the ASP trip, view the ASP flip box on the sidebar, visit their webpage, asphome.org, or contact Ariel for a packet of information
Twice a year, we host Milestone Fairs! These events feature every milestone and provide an opportunity to achieve milestones that you may have missed before, or to complete a milestone that your child is now ready for!
Stay tuned for upcoming Milestone Ministries updates in 2024!
Babies Milestone
An opportunity to meet other families with little ones and learn more about Children’s Ministries at Lake Harriet UMC.
Age 3 Milestone
Welcome to the Children’s Enrichment Hour: We learn about our Godly Play curriculum and introduce your family to all the fun we will have together on Sunday mornings.
Age 4/Pre-K Milestone
Children and parents learn more about talking to God together. How can we pray? Where can we pray?
Kindergarten Milestone
Children explore the sanctuary with a behind the scenes tour and learn more about worship.
First Grade
Children learn about the sacrament of Baptism, it’s significance, and the symbolism of water.
Second Grade
Children learn about Holy Communion and what it means for us.
Third Grade
Each child will receive a new Bible and learn together with their parents about how to use it.
Fourth & Fifth Grade
Learning about mission and service to the world in Christ’s name. Children will participate in a hands on service project.
Sixth Grade +
6th graders move on from Children’s Ministries to join the Youth Ministries program.
