Welcome to Grace Downtown's

Family and Children's Ministry

As the family of God, we are encouraged to love each other, honor each other, and to lift up each other. The Family & Children's Ministry of Grace Downtown focuses on more than just kids and Sunday School - which is so very important. Parental growth and assistance is a vital part of our ministry for the sake of the parents and children alike. We also know that children need to have other adults engaging with them on their faith and life. We work to help all members - parents and others - engage with our children to point them to Jesus in every aspect of life. Being a member of Grace Downtown means you are godparents the children of other members. What a blessing to influence the next generation of the Church to know and love Jesus all the more through volunteering in the nursery, being a teacher, and walking alongside parents in raising their children. 

Our faith speaks to the importance of an individual family unit within the church functioning in good health, so we offer a host of other ministries and events to help men and women navigate every stage of family relationships, from dating to preparing for marriage to the first years as newlyweds to ongoing opportunities to grow together as parents, partners and members of the broader community.

Contact Debby Jaggard at GraceDTKids@gracedc.net for more information on any of our programs for kids and parents. 

Programs for Children -

- Paid workers and/or church member volunteers are present in each room. Teachers present as indicated below.

- We use KidCheck for sign in. Please download the app to your phone, create an account, and upload photos of you and your child for safety measures in check ins/outs. You'll use your phone to sign in your child and initiating printing of name takes. Be sure to input an accurate & present cell number to receive check out details and alerts. Find sign in carts on the 1st & 2nd Floors in front of the elevator.

Nursery - Infants to New Walkers - Room 302 
Newborns to New Walkers can enjoy supervision and age-appropriate interactions with Grace Downtown staff members and members of our church community. (All childcare staff and volunteers have passed appropriate background checks. Workers are also First-Aid trained.) 

Nursery - Strong Walkers to Young Twos - Room 203
Strong Walkers and Young Two's can enjoy supervision and age-appropriate activities with Grace Downtown staff members and members of our church community. (All childcare staff and volunteers have passed appropriate background checks. Workers are also First-Aid trained.) 

Toddlers - Upper Basement (to the Left)
Two and three year olds - birthdays 10/1/2019-9/30-2021 - gather for play, activities, lessons, and music with Great Commission Publications Toddler material. Consistent teachers provide developmental appropriate material and activities. 

PreK4-Kindergarten - Lower Basement (to the Right)
Based on school year placement, kids are join together for play, activities, lessons, and music with Great Commission Publications Preschool material. Consistent teachers provide developmental appropriate material and interactions. 

1st & 2nd Grade - 3rd Floor Library
1st & 2nd Graders join their teachers throughout the entire service for a deeper dive into Biblical stories from Great Commision Publications. Consistent teachers provide developmental appropriate material and interactions. These students will stay in the worship service for each 5th Sunday (4 times a year.) 

3rd-5th Grade - Start in service, returns to the service - Room 300
Third through fifth graders start in the service to experience worship with the full congregation. They are dismissed mid-service for a discipleship group. Their material rotates with Truth78 fighter verses, Understanding their Faith to membership, and learning how to live a life for Jesus. These students will stay in the worship service for each 5th Sunday (4 times a year.) 

Programs for Adults

Preparing for Marriage
This seminar provides an overview of marriage within the context of the Christian faith, helpful tools for discerning if marriage is a good path for you, and the relational skills a couple needs to navigate the joys and challenges of beginning a married life together. This seminar is presented in the spring & fall and is required for anyone who wishes a Grace DC pastor to officiate their wedding.

Marriage Small Groups
Groups of 3-5 married couples work through a six-part curriculum developed by Grace DC's Marriage Care Team designed to strengthen relationships and help foster conversation about how to love and serve your community as a couple.

Moms' Group
Weekly Thursday morning small group meetings (with provided childcare) form the backbone of moms' group, but these meetings are supplemented with additional lunches, dinners and other social activities throughout the city. Contact Beth Kaufmann at bchapmanxo@gmail.com for more details. 

Parenting Seminars
Annual classes by experts and seasoned families providing forums for learning how to navigate the challenges of raising a family in the city and highlighting what can make city parenting a unique joy.