Soma Kids
We value our kids and seek to provide unique and intentional spaces for discipleship, teaching, and love. This happens within gospel communities during the week and at our gatherings on Sundays.
These spaces are:
- Gospel-Centered – Each week during our worship gatherings we share the gospel with children in loving and creative ways. Gospel communities are encouraged to do this as well.
- Story-Formed – We teach the full scope of the story of God to kids instead of moral lessons. We want to captivate kids with who God is, what He has done and what that can mean for them.
- Prayer-Filled – Our Sunday gatherings for children and gospel communities involve prayer. Kids servants and communities pray with and for kids and kids will see their community praying during their times together.
- Fun! – Each week our kids have lots of fun together with each other and kids servants as they sing songs, play games, do crafts and talk about the good news of Jesus. Gospel communities seek to live the kingdom life with the joy of the Lord – we love seeing our kids experience and get involved in this.
- Safe for Everyone – We are committed to the safety of our children during our gatherings and daily life together. Every Sunday gathering volunteer is background checked and follows our policy to ensure the safety of the children, parents and themselves.
Discipling Children in Soma
When God blesses parents with children, they are given the privilege of making disciples in every aspect of life. Discipleship at its best happens in the family.
As a church, we’re dedicated to equipping parents to be the primary spiritual influence in the lives of their children. As a community, we come alongside the ministry of parents to teach and model Jesus.
We value children in our gospel communities because Jesus values children. We want children to be active participants when we come together. While the current cultural trend is to separate parents and children in church and daily activities, it is our desire to nurture life-together as families inside the context of a gospel-centred community living on mission. It is actually within a community that children get to hear the gospel from lots of people and see the implications for following Jesus in normal life.
Parents as disciple-makers
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
– Deuteronomy 4:9
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
– Deuteronomy 6:5-7
Notice these words and phrases…’shall be on your heart,’ ’teach’ them, ’talk’ about them, when you ’sit,’ as you ’walk,’ when you ’lie down,’ and when you ’rise up’ are comprehensive and holistic in nature. Parents are therefore supposed to take advantage of every opportunity (formal or informal) to ensure that their children are taught to love God and obey His commandments.
You can do it, we will help
Ephesians 4:11-12 makes it clear that the leadership in a local church is primarily responsible for ’equipping the saints for the work of service.’ While the concept of equipping is broader than children’s discipleship, our development of parents is certainly assumed. We are committed to equipping parents to raise their children in the knowledge of the truth.
Below are some helpful resources for parents.