Is church safe for my children?

You are standing at the gate on a Sunday morning with a six-year-old holding your hand, and the question in your head is not about theology. It is the plain one every parent asks: who is going to be with my child while I am in another room. This page answers that, and the others that come with it.

Who is with my children during the service?

LOWC Sunday School runs during the Sunday services and is led by our own volunteers from this church — people the congregation knows by name, not strangers brought in for the morning.

They are members here, they are known to the pastoral team, and they do not change week to week. If you want to know who will be with your child on a particular Sunday, ask at the desk and you will be told.

How do I know my child is safe?

You sign your child in, and you are the only person who can sign them out. Nobody else collects your child without you.

That is the rule and it is not bent for relatives, for friends, or for somebody in a hurry. If you need another person to collect them, you tell us at sign-in and we write it down.

Children are never alone with one adult. If your child needs the toilet, is unwell, or is upset and wants you, somebody comes and finds you in the service.

Can I stay with my child the first time?

Yes, and you are welcome to stay every week if you prefer. No parent has ever been asked to leave their own child.

Some children settle in ten minutes and some take a month. Both are normal. Sit at the back of the room, let them see you, and go when they are ready rather than when we are.

What are they actually taught?

Bible stories, told at the age they are, with songs and something to make. Nothing frightening, and nothing they will repeat at school that surprises you.

If you want to know what is being taught in a given term, ask and we will show you. We would rather you knew than wondered.

Is there anything for teenagers?

Yes. The youth group meets separately, and teenagers are old enough to decide for themselves whether they come.

We do not pressure a teenager who is there because their parents are. If they would rather sit in the main service with you, that is completely fine.

This week

• Come at 10:00 and sign your child in yourself, so you see how it works.
• Stay in the room with them the first week if that makes the morning easier.
• Ask one of the volunteers what the children are learning this term. They will be glad you asked.

May the God who took children in His arms and blessed them keep yours safe, and may you be able to sit through a whole service without worrying.