Preschool & Children

The Preschool and Children's Ministry at Immanuel provides a range of opportunities designed to sow seeds of faith in the lives of the chlidren God has entrusted into our care. We believe that the church must partner with families to nurture the faith of their children so that they will learn to love God with all their heart and soul, mind and strength. For the latest news from the Preschool & Children's Ministry, read "Family Matters," our monthly newsletter.

Sundays

On Sunday mornings, we offer four developmentally appropriate Sunday School classes for our preschoolers and children from 9:15-10:15 AM: 
 
Nursery
Room 2405
Director: Betty Kay Wasserman
Rotating Teachers: Cindy Lutz, Laurie Woods, Charlotte Lynch, Jan Hosse, Dee Dee King
 
Preschool
Room 2402
Teachers: Tana Hoffman, Paul Swiney, Linda Fields
 
1st-3rd Grade
Room 2311
Director: Tambi Swiney
Rotating Teachers: Dot Warren, Courtney Kihlberg, Kay Johnson, Tim Fields, Judy Auer
 
4th-6th Grade
Room 2313
Director: Patty Littlejohn
Teachers: Jeanie Reynolds and Carol Boozer
 
All preschool and children's Sunday School classes use curriculum produced by BaptistWay Press. Detailed information about the lessons for a given month is provided on the Education page of this website. Two extended session classes are offered during worship for children who have not yet begun kindergarten. Pastor Steven Meriwether offers a Time for Children in worship regularly (usually on the fourth Sunday of the month). On those Sundays, parents and grandparents are encouraged to bring their children to the sanctuary so they can participate in the Time for Children. Afterwards, a volunteer takes those children who are eligible for extended session upstairs to their classes.
 

Wednesdays

On Wednesday nights, children are invited to participate in children's choirs from 5:00-5:45 PM and mission groups from 6:15-7:00 PM. In between, families are encouraged to share a meal together in Fellowship Hall. Reservations for the Church Family Supper on Wednesday must be made through the office by Monday at noon. You can learn more about what is happening in Mission Friends by reading their quarterly newsletter.
 
Younger Children's Choir (4 year olds through 1st Graders)
Room 2311
Director: Lauren Baker
 
Older Children's Choir (2nd-6th Graders)
Choir Room
DIrector: Marilyn Shadinger
 
 
 
Mission Friends (3 year olds - Kindergartners)
Room 2402
Leader: Courtney Kihlberg
 
RAs (1st-6th Grade Boys)
Room 2212
Leader: Charlie Lutz
 
     Younger GAs (1st-3rd Grade Girls)
     Room 2316
     Leader: Lynn Woodall
 
     Older GAs (4th-6th Grade Girls)
     Room 2214
     Leader: Haley Woodall
 
 
 
 
 

Special Events

Every summer Immanuel hosts a Vacation Bible School for children ages 3 through 4th grade in our congregation and community. Thursday night of VBS week is Family Night, when parents and grandparents are invited to join their children in Fellowship Hall for a meal and a time of worship. Each year we choose a ministry project to support during VBS, and last summer we collected non-perishable food to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank. To help get our children excited about Vacation Bible School, we host a VBS Preview Night for our children in  late May and a VBS Music Night in June. This year our VBS will be held on July 9-13. You can pre-register your child for VBS at http://overboard.cokesburyvbs.com/ibcnashville.
 
Our 3rd-6th graders are eligible to participate in Passport Kids Camp in the summer. In 2012 we will attend Passport Kids Camp at the Clyde M. YorkCenter in Crossville on July 26-29. The theme of this summer's camp is "Life Together."

 
Associate Pastor Tambi Swiney hosts Terrific Tuesdays during the summer, when children and their parents and grandpare
nts are invited to join her on local field trips. Here is the schedule for this summer's Terrific Tuesdays: 
June 12 - Nashville Zoo
June 19 - Cumberland ParkJune 26 - Nashville Farmer's Market and Bicentennial Mall
July 3 - Fannie Mae Dees Park
July 17 - Treehouses at Cheekwood
July 24 - Hike at Radnor Lake, picnic at Pastor Tambi's house
 

On the Saturday before Halloween, the Preschool & Children's Committee hosts Fall Fest, a time of food, fellowship, and fun on the front lawn of the church. Children of all ages are invited to wear costumes to this event, where children can jump in a bounce house, get their faces painted, play games, take a hayride, sample tasty treats, listen to a story, march in a costume parade, search for pumpkins, and go trunk-or-treating. This year's Fall Fest will be held on Saturday, October 27.

On the Saturday before Easter, the Preschool & Children's Committee hosts an annual Easter Egg Hunt on the front lawn of the church, and on Easter morning children help place flowers on the flower cross in front of the church. 
 
On a quarterly basis, children, parents, and their grandparents are invited to attend Friday Family Fun Night, when families can participate in a meal and activities together. On Sunday, April 29, our new older children's playground was dedicated. Come over and play!
 
For more information about any of the Preschool and Children's Ministry programs, contact Associate Pastor Tambi Swiney at tswiney@ibcnashville.org.