South Bend First Seventh-day Adventist Church

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

—Matthew 10:14

We are delighted to have so many children in our congregation. Who doesn’t enjoy seeing all those kids collect money from the grown-ups as they make their way up front for children’s story? Children are a blessing, and they are the future of our church! We are sure that many churches would love to have as many children in church as we do each Sabbath.

We believe that there is great value in having our children with us as we worship together each Sabbath. We also recognize that keeping our children occupied during the worship service in the sanctuary can be a challenge. We want to do all we can to help the parents of young children, so this Sabbath we will begin providing “quiet bags” for families with children who are five years old and under. These bags are filled books and toys that will give our young people something to do during church. The bags will be available at the back of the sanctuary where our friendly deacons and deaconesses will be handing them out. We have bags for children ages 0-3 and 3-5. We kindly ask that parents come to check out the bags for their children and take only one bag per family. The quiet bags can be picked up during the children’s story.

For kids who are older, there are some options as well. Be sure to pick up the “Kid’s Bulletin” from the greeters. These kid’s bulletins will have some interesting Bible activities for you, such as a word search and a sermon report sheet. The sermon report sheet will help kids listen for things that will be mentioned during the pastor’s sermon. There is also the Primary Treasure or Guide magazine that you can pick up during Sabbath School and bring with you to the sanctuary. Of course, parents are more than welcome to bring their own “quiet” toys, books, and other activities from home for their children if they wish. 

We hope that we can help make our Sabbath worship service an enjoyable and uplifting experience for people of all ages. Any feedback on how we can improve your experience in church at South Bend First would be welcomed.