Children’s Ministries
PreK
-
5th
Heather Harman
Director of Children and Care Ministries
Heather began her Asbury journey in 2003 as a preschool and Music teacher at Asbury Child Development Center. Her background in Music and Education and compassion for her church family naturally led to her current role as the Director of Children and Care Ministries in 2013. Heather enjoys working side by side with Children’s Ministry and Care volunteers to be the heart and hands of Jesus. She and her husband Jeff have two adult children, Megan (Serge) and Josh, a precious grandson, Jackson, and a houseful of spoiled pets.
During Worship…
The Children’s Message is offered near the beginning of the 8:45 CAYR and 11:00 Festive services each Sunday by Ms. Heather or one of her helpers. All children are welcome to come forward to hear a mini-sermon that was designed just for them, explaining the scripture reading for the day in words they will understand. Every fourth Sunday of the month (Sept - May), Puppets for Christ provides the Children’s Message.
Following this message, children are invited to either stay for worship, or leave the service to go to the Nursery.
Children’s Message
The Nursery is available on Sunday mornings for children up to age 8.
It is located in the education wing in Rm. # 122, and provides a safe, fun place for children to enjoy while you attend a service or class.
Asbury’s Nursery staff is Safe Sanctuary certified and background checked.
Please contact Heather Harman at heather@asburyweb.org, or at the church office to inquire about Asbury’s Nursery.
Nursery
Prefer to have your children worship with you?
We also offer a ‘Prayground’ at the 8:45 CAYR service! This fun area is located right inside the worship space and includes books, coloring, and other quiet activities for children who would like to remain in the service with their families.
PRAYground
Sunday School…
crafts
Activities
Bible
Stories
games
videos
full faith experience
Sundays from 10:00-10:45AM
PreK(4) - 2nd Grade: Room 221
3rd- 5th Grade: Room 225
Led by dedicated, creative volunteers
from our congregation who are Safe Sanctuary certified.
Choirs
Melody Makers
ages 3 - PreK 5
Cherub Choir
K - 2nd Grade
Kingdom Kids
Singers & Ringers
3rd - 6th
Please visit our Music Ministries page for more info on our Children’s Choirs!
Special Events & Occasions
Family Bike Night
A fun time of gathering as we gear up for back to school and fall kick-off!
Third Grade Bibles
Late in September each year, all 3rd graders are presented with a beautifully engraved children’s Bible. This gift is made possible by the generous donation of the Holloway family, in memory of Marianna Holloway.
Trunk or Treat
Trunk or Treat is a safe, fun community event for families and kids of all ages! Children are greeted by rows of decorated cars offering treats! Cars must be pre-registered to participate and offer treats. Prizes are awarded for the best decorated vehicles! Watch for registration information in early October.
Check out 2024’s Trunk-or-Treat highlights here!
Vacation Bible School
Asbury’s 2024 VBS, Camp Firelight, was a huge success!
Join us next year for Road Trip, which rolls in July 13-16, 2025!
Puppets for Christ
Children can enjoy seeing performances by the Puppets for Christ, a youth ministry at Asbury.
They can be found the 4th Sunday of every month (September-May) in CAYR and Festive services. You won’t want to miss their Spaghetti Dinners!
Check out the Puppets for Christ Facebook page HERE.
Safe Sanctuary
Safe Sanctuary is a movement in the United Methodist Church to ensure that all children/youth/vulnerable adults and the adults who care for them and work with them are safe.
At the October 14, 2009 Leadership Team meeting, members voted to implement Safe Sanctuary Guidelines at Asbury United Methodist Church, effective December 31, 2009. The guidelines follow the suggestions found in the resource “Safe Sanctuaries for Youth: Reducing the Risk of Abuse in Youth Ministries” by attorney Joy Thornburg Melton. This resource is used by The United Methodist Church in its Safe Sanctuaries training.
Safe Sanctuary Resources