Welcome! Children are a vital part of our faith community. Our goal is to partner with families to share the love of God with children and nourish life-long relationships with Christ Jesus. Or, as we put it, to help kids grow in faith.
For more information about our Children's Ministries at Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton, IL, please contact Carey Williams Bebar, Director of Children's Ministries, at 630-668-3100 x105 or cbebar@garychurch.org.
Kids' Church
All preschool 3s through third graders are invited to the Lower Level after the children's sermon during the 9 a.m. worship service. Please sign in at our Gary Kids Check-in Station located just outside the Sanctuary.
Sunday School, 10 a.m. (will resume again Sept. 10)
Preschool through grade 3: Lower Level
Grades 4–5: Anderson Room, Main Level
Helping Hands
Fourth Sunday during 9 a.m. Kids’ Church
All children ages preschool 3s through grade 5 are invited to the Lower Level to use their “helping hands” to help our local, national and global neighbors.
Step Up Sunday
June 4, when kids will “step up” to their next grade.
Picnic in the Park
Sundays, June 4, July 2 and August 6, 10:30 a.m., Northside Park
Pack a picnic and meet up at Northside Park on the first Sunday of the month, June–August, for some relaxed church fellowship. Come to worship and Kids’ Church at 9 a.m. (we’ll have space in the fridge for your picnic food), and then meet at Northside Park after church. No need to register, simply grab your checkered blanket and join in the fun!
Register for Stellar VBS
Monday, June 19–Thursday, June 22
Stellar Vacation Bible School will launch kids on a cosmic quest where they’ll have a blast shining Jesus’ light to the world. Stellar rockets kids on an out-of-this-world adventure that’s light years of faith-building fun. Register your child entering four-year-old preschool through fourth grade and volunteer today!
VBS Volunteer Meeting
Sunday, June 11, 2 p.m.
All Stellar VBS volunteers are asked to join this 90-minute meeting, during which they will meet station leaders, learn about this year's curriculum, find out who will be on their "crew" and discover all of the great things we have in store this year to help students discover how they can shine Jesus' light in the world.
VBS Decorating Night
Wednesday, June 14, 6 p.m.
It's the final countdown! With T-minus 5 days to go until VBS Stellar
launches, we need all hands on deck to help transform our space into outer
space! Adults and kids alike are welcome at this favorite annual event; pizza
and snacks will be provided.
Thursday, July 20– Sunday, July 23
Families are invited to Pine Lake Camp in Westfield, WI to spend an extended weekend growing closer to God and each other through nature, worship and play.
Thursday: Check in, dinner, campy camp games and activities, campfire with songs and s'mores
Friday & Saturday: Active devotion, free play, campy camp games and activities, campfire with songs and s'mores
Sunday: Worship at the Lake, free play, check out
Accommodations
Retreat Center Room: Hotel style with private bath including one queen bed and one twin bed with twin trundle. Cost: $240 per room + $45 per person after two (family of three: $285, family of four: $330, etc.).
Rustic Cabin: Electricity, cold running water, toilet, and 8-10 twin beds (4-5 sets bunk beds). Shared bath house. Cost: $60 per person. Cabins can be shared by more than one family.
Meals
Cost: $110 per person 13+ and $60 per child ages 3-12
Thursday: Dinner
Friday and Saturday: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Sunday: Breakfast and lunch
Activity Fee
$40 per family covers the cost of weekend crafts and activities
Payment can be made at garychurch.org/give
Summer Reading: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Gary Kids are invited to read C.S. Lewis’s classic book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Four adventurous siblings — Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie — step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change … and a great sacrifice. Read the book as a family and join Pastor Carey for a special visit to Wheaton College’s Wade Center Museum to see the real Lewis family wardrobe!
Marion E. Wade Center Museum Outing
Friday, July 28, 12:30 p.m. (optional lunch at 11 a.m.)
Did you know Wheaton College’s Wade Center Museum houses C.S. Lewis’ Wardrobe and J.R.R. Tolkien’s desk? Families are invited to join Pastor Carey for a Wade Center tour designed with grade school children in mind, and an optional lunch at 2Toots Train Whistle Grill in Glen Ellyn. Registration coming soon.
Another way to stay connected to Gary Kids is by joining the Gary Kids Facebook page. Check out activities, videos, and devotions that help faith grow at home.
