Kids and church
As we grow as a church, we are committed to growing a Childrens’ Ministry for kids of all ages that is safe, fun and where kids can grow in their understanding of God’s love.
Kids Party
During the Sunday morning services we have two classes for primary school age children and a parent-led creche for the infants and toddlers. From the lobby, follow the signs upstairs to the three classrooms (on the first balcony level of the church). Email Kaisa, VA Kids & Family Coordinator, with any questions.
Parent-led creche: 0-3 years old - 'Bijtjes' (Little Bees)
'Bijtjes' is a place where God’s love is being communicated to the little ones and a place where their parents get encouraged in their role. Parents of this age group rotate leading this group. The rotation and support for this group is co-ordinated by Kimberly Valencia. If you are new and have any questions about the rotation please contact Kimberly for any questions.
4-6 years old - Vogeltjes (Little Birds)This class starts off together with the older kids in 'Zwannenzaal' with a welcome circle, game, prayer and a healthy snack and drink. After that the class will move to their own space next door, 'Amsterdamzaal' where the teachers will lead a short program that often includes story telling, crafts, music and movement. At this age the central truth that we communicate to the children is that God is their Creator and Father who loves them.
Teachers: Tanisha Hodgson, Renate Vink, Gabriella Lima, Maaike Pauwels, Virginia Figueroa
7-11 years old - Eekhoorns (Squirrels):
After the large group time with the younger children (welcome, prayer, games and snack) this class settles down for their lesson. The lessons include a short interactive teaching (key themes are such as friendships, prayer, healing, worship and service), time for reflection and prayer. At this age children learn to know Jesus as a Friend and Lord who is part of all aspects of their lives. We value making time for children’s personal encounter with God.
Teachers: Kaisa Stenberg, Karin Neerhof, Carine Versteeg
Currently we are looking for two more teachers for each Kids Party classes. If you are interested in getting involved we would love to hear from you!
Practical information:
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Meeting Point begins with about 20 minutes of worship; kids are invited to join their parents in church for the worship.
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When it’s time, the Kids Party Leaders will meet the children in the back of the room and walk with them upstairs where the children’s program will be held. If your child is younger than 3 years old, or you are new at the church, (or for any other reason,) we ask you to accompany your child upstairs to meet the Kids Party Leaders. This would be a good time to ask any questions you may have and we will ask you to write down any allergies or special information that the classroom teacher should be aware of. We also ask for your mobile number so that we can contact you via SMS during the service if your child needs you. Please keep your phone on vibrate in case we need to get in touch with you during the service.
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Two adults are present in all children’s classes.
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Each class is bilingual (EN & NL).
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We ask all the parents to come and collect their child(-ren) at the end of the service (when the last song is played and the service is closed with a prayer).
Vineyard Amsterdam Parents Letter, Winter 2013
Dear Vineyard Amsterdam parents/ care-takers,
I am Kaisa Stenberg and I help co-ordinate children's, youth and family work as one of the pastoral leaders here at Vineyard Amsterdam. I am delighted to see some new families visit our Sunday Meeting Point in the past weeks. You are warmly welcome. I was also super excited to hear that three new babies were born in the beginning of the year within our Vineyard community! Congratulations to the fresh parents and many blessings on your new adventure of caring for and seeking to nurture the spiritual, emotional, physical and cognitve development of your little ones.
Our prayer is that Vineyard Amsterdam would be a safe, fun, and loving place of an authentic community for all ages. The children and youth are encouraged to join all aspects of the worship, service and community life with the older folks. During the Sunday worship services they are welcome to worship with the rest of the congregation for the first 20 minutes or so and then we will offer them age appropriate care and teaching during the sermon. This year we continue building on the current three groups that were established last year: 'Bijtjes' infants and toddlers (0-3-y), and two primary school age groups: 'Vogeltjes' (4-6-y) and 'Eekhoorns' (7-11-y).
We are actively exploring ways and looking for leaders to start a teen group as well. Please keep that in your prayers as we are seeking God for provision and creativity.
In the preparation for a Christmas play last December we found out that the children enjoyed drama and theater a lot! Also, it was great to see adults, teenagers and children from our community having so much fun together working on the play. Because of that we have decided to offer a Drama Focus Group for all ages! This is an open group for anyone who enjoys acting, regardless of age, spiritual background, previous experience in drama, etc. This will be three Saturday afternoons in February and March. The details and registration info will be available soon.
The mothers continue meeting once a month for a time of fellowship, prayer and encouragement. If you would like to get connected please contact Kimberly for more information.
Marriage is the foundation for a healthy and happy family life. As a church we are committed to supporting families on their journey to maturity and it's a great joy to be able to offer a tool for married couples to enrich their relationship. Bram and Karin Neerhof will be hosting a marriage course. The group will start on the 25th of February and over the period of seven weeks will cover topics like communication, conflict solving and sex. For more info contact Bram.
Those were some things that I wanted to bring to your attention as we kick off this year together. Know that I am hugely encouraged by your commitment to your family and hunger for God's Kingdom. It is beautiful to see families who genuinely care about God, one another and the world around them. I am praying for you that God would meet you through His grace and love in new and unexpected ways this year.
Finally, if you have any questions, suggestions, prayer requests, or just want to share something that you and your family is experiencing, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Warmly,
Kaisa Stenberg
On behalf of the Vineyard Amsterdam Children’s Leaders
I am Kaisa Stenberg and I help co-ordinate children's, youth and family work as one of the pastoral leaders here at Vineyard Amsterdam. I am delighted to see some new families visit our Sunday Meeting Point in the past weeks. You are warmly welcome. I was also super excited to hear that three new babies were born in the beginning of the year within our Vineyard community! Congratulations to the fresh parents and many blessings on your new adventure of caring for and seeking to nurture the spiritual, emotional, physical and cognitve development of your little ones.
Our prayer is that Vineyard Amsterdam would be a safe, fun, and loving place of an authentic community for all ages. The children and youth are encouraged to join all aspects of the worship, service and community life with the older folks. During the Sunday worship services they are welcome to worship with the rest of the congregation for the first 20 minutes or so and then we will offer them age appropriate care and teaching during the sermon. This year we continue building on the current three groups that were established last year: 'Bijtjes' infants and toddlers (0-3-y), and two primary school age groups: 'Vogeltjes' (4-6-y) and 'Eekhoorns' (7-11-y).
We are actively exploring ways and looking for leaders to start a teen group as well. Please keep that in your prayers as we are seeking God for provision and creativity.
In the preparation for a Christmas play last December we found out that the children enjoyed drama and theater a lot! Also, it was great to see adults, teenagers and children from our community having so much fun together working on the play. Because of that we have decided to offer a Drama Focus Group for all ages! This is an open group for anyone who enjoys acting, regardless of age, spiritual background, previous experience in drama, etc. This will be three Saturday afternoons in February and March. The details and registration info will be available soon.
The mothers continue meeting once a month for a time of fellowship, prayer and encouragement. If you would like to get connected please contact Kimberly for more information.
Marriage is the foundation for a healthy and happy family life. As a church we are committed to supporting families on their journey to maturity and it's a great joy to be able to offer a tool for married couples to enrich their relationship. Bram and Karin Neerhof will be hosting a marriage course. The group will start on the 25th of February and over the period of seven weeks will cover topics like communication, conflict solving and sex. For more info contact Bram.
Those were some things that I wanted to bring to your attention as we kick off this year together. Know that I am hugely encouraged by your commitment to your family and hunger for God's Kingdom. It is beautiful to see families who genuinely care about God, one another and the world around them. I am praying for you that God would meet you through His grace and love in new and unexpected ways this year.
Finally, if you have any questions, suggestions, prayer requests, or just want to share something that you and your family is experiencing, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Warmly,
Kaisa Stenberg
On behalf of the Vineyard Amsterdam Children’s Leaders