At Oak Tree, we believe that investing in the next generation is essential. Every week, we strive to provide a safe, welcoming, and Christ-centered environment. Caring teachers and leaders prepare the environment, activities, and age-appropriate Bible lessons with your child(ren) in mind. The mission of Oak Tree Kids is faithful to the mission of Oak Tree. We exist to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission.
Mission: Our aim is to partner with parents to nurture the heart of each child toward knowing, loving, and serving Christ.
Our Philosophy of Ministry
1. Teaching students God’s Word
2. Equipping parents for ministry at home
3. Training leaders for ministry
4. Providing a safe environment
1. Teaching Students
The Bible is not just a collection of stories teaching moral lessons, nor is a child’s greatest need behavior modification. A child’s greatest need is to be born again, because from birth they are dead in their sins (Ps 51:5; Eph 2:1). So the greatest gift we can give the next generation is the gospel. Only the gospel is able to rescue their soul from sin and death and secure for them an inheritance in heaven forever. But what is the gospel? While the core of the gospel is forgiveness of sin through the death of Christ (Matt 1:21; John 1:29), this is only the center of a much bigger story. After all, why do we need forgiveness? What is God’s plan for those who are forgiven? The Family Ministry Team at Oak Tree Church seeks to lead children and teens through the whole story of God’s great rescue mission. We does so in the hope that our children and teens would come to a comprehensive understanding of the gospel message and that by the grace of God they would look to Christ in saving faith.
2. Equipping Parents
The most important job of a parent is to raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4; Col 3:21). Parents are to be the primary evangelists and spiritual trainers of their children. Parents must work very hard at this, in every season, teaching their children every day by their regular example and specific instruction (Deut 6:7). Our commitment to parents is to support and equip them in their mission, and one way to do this is by providing helpful resources. Every week, parents will receive our Connection Newsletter on Friday’s that will have details regarding the Sunday lesson being taught. Oak Tree through our chosen curriculum will provide a family devotional, as well as other valuable resources to parents. Please see our parent resource page here. Upon request, we also have a parent packet with additional resources and family fun activities to do together as a family.
3. Training Leaders
The church is commanded to edify and equip its people to serve (Eph 4:11–16). The Family Ministry at Oak Tree Church will chose a specific curriculum as a resource for members working with our students. The curriculum provides worship songs, objectives, outlines, questions, introductions, illustrations, and applications. Oak Tree Church is committed to providing regular training sessions for ministry leaders so they can be properly equipped to teach and engage our students in a class room setting.
4. Providing a Safe Environment
Oak Tree Church will seek to provide a safe, welcoming, structured, age-appropriate environment for children and youth.
Scripture
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them
diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:6-7
That the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children. Psalm 78:6
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Psalm 127:3
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians. 6:1-4
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from
whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:14-15
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 3 John 1:4