Children’s Ministries

Children in a Sabbath School class at Edmonton Central Seventh-day Adventist Church

For our youngest

Children’s Ministries

The mission is stated plainly by the worldwide church: to lead children into a loving, serving relationship with Jesus Christ. Everything else here is detail.

What Children’s Ministries is

Children’s Ministries is the coordinating work that holds together everything this church does for its children — Sabbath School classes, worship, special programmes, and the volunteers who run them. The role exists so that leaders are supported rather than left to improvise, and so that a child moving up through the ages meets a coherent path rather than a series of disconnected rooms.

In the Adventist structure the children’s ministries coordinator sits on the church board, the personal ministries council and the Sabbath School council. That is deliberate. Children are not a side programme to be slotted in around the adults; decisions about the life of the church are supposed to be made with them in the room.

Much of the work is unglamorous and matters enormously: recruiting volunteers, screening them properly, equipping them with real training, and making sure the material a five-year-old is handed on Sabbath morning is worth their time.

What this looks like here

Sabbath School by ageCradle Roll, Beginners, Kindergarten, Primary and Juniors, each with material written for that stage.
Volunteers who are screenedEveryone working with children completes the required screening. This is not negotiable and we will not shortcut it.
Worksheets and take-homeWeekly material designed for small hands, so what happens on Sabbath does not stop at the door.
A path, not a patchworkChildren move from Cradle Roll through to Pathfinders on a route that is planned rather than accidental.
Working with parentsParents are the primary spiritual influence in a child’s life. Our job is to support that, not replace it.
Trained leadersWe use Adventist-produced material and encourage leaders towards children’s ministries certification.

Common questions

Where do I take my child on a Sabbath morning?

Come to the main entrance on 111 Avenue and a greeter will walk you to the right class. Sabbath School begins at 9:30 AM.

Are the people working with my child screened?

Yes. Every volunteer working with children completes the screening the church requires before they are placed with a class.

My child has additional needs. Can you accommodate them?

Tell us before you come and we will do our honest best. Call the office on 780-420-0215 so we can prepare properly rather than improvising on the morning.

Can I help?

Yes, and we need people. Speak to Shirani Daniel or the church office. Expect to complete screening and some training before you start.

The church bulletin, in your inbox

This week’s sermon, what is coming up, and news from the church family.

Edmonton Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, 10131 111 Avenue NW, Edmonton. Unsubscribe any time. We never pass your address to anyone else.

Go deeper

These are the official resources this ministry draws on. Everything below is free to read, and worth it if you are stepping into this work or simply want to understand it properly.

Children’s Ministries Quick Start GuideThe official Seventh-day Adventist guide for this ministry, free to download from AdventSource. Children’s Ministries on AdventSourceMinistry resources, articles and downloads from the Adventist Church in North America. NAD Children’s MinistriesResources, training events and material from the division children’s ministries department.

Get involved with Children’s Ministries

Speak to Shirani Daniel or the church office and we will point you to the right person. Everyone starts somewhere.

Call 780-420-0215 Contact the office All ministries
Scroll to Top