Children Ministries
Welcome from our Christian Education Director, Margie Walker
Hello! Thank you for visiting the Painesville United Methodist Church (PUMC) website. I’m glad you’re thinking about attending worship and/or Sunday School with us! Below is a little bit more information about what to expect during your worship experience, nursery availability, Children’s Church/Sunday School, and Bible Studies/Adult Sunday School with PUMC. If you have any questions or need help with direction or information while at the church, please feel free to ask a greeter, or an usher, or have them point me out to you. For more information, please contact me at the church office.
Parking and Building Layout
Parking is available around Painesville Square, behind the church building, and next door behind the Lake County Administration Building. Entrances to either parking lot is off the square and they share a driveway. The driveway to the left is the church and to the right is the county building. There are stairs from the county building parking lot to the church.
Handicapped parking is along the driveway side of the church; and near these spaces, you will find the glass Atrium entrance and inside the Atrium is the elevator.
Take the elevator to the 1st floor to enter the church offices, Circle Room (fellowship), and Sanctuary. The 2nd floor will lead you to the balcony of the Circle Room; and where you will locate the Western Reserve District Offices and Christian Education & Youth Office. This level also leads to the balcony of the Sanctuary and Choir Loft. Parson’s Fellowship Hall is on the lower level – LL – for potlucks and events.
On the entry level “E” of the Atrium is our Chapel and to the left is our Education Wing. On the main floor of the Education Wing, you will find our Adult Sunday School Classrooms, Resource Room, Choir and Bell Music Rooms, Stitchers Room, and Nursery. Upstairs in the Education Wing are our Children’s Church/Sunday School Classrooms, Youth Room, and History Room.
Restrooms
Restrooms are located throughout the church. There is a unisex restroom in the Narthex west corner under the balcony stairs. To the right side of the Sanctuary before the Circle Room is a women’s restroom, and to the left side of the Sanctuary in the kitchenette is the men’s restroom. There are also restrooms in the Education Building on the west side on both levels.
What should I wear?
We are an easygoing congregation and want you to feel comfortable and enjoy your worship experience. You will see some folks wearing their Sunday best dress/suits; others dress in casual business clothing. Others will wear a T-shirt and jeans. We want you to be comfortable; come as you are and worship with us! There are coat racks in the Narthex and to the right side of the Sanctuary is a coat room before the Circle Room. The Sanctuary does have air-conditioning and heat, so you are comfortable in every season.
Nursery
Our nursery attendant is Mrs. Helen Kovacs. She has been working with the children and families of PUMC for 10 years. She has 18+ years’ experience in childcare overall. Our nursery is located on the main floor of the Education Building and is available during worship services for infants up to kindergarten. Once you enter the Education Building from the atrium area, you will go down the hallway on the right, and the room is on the right at the end of the hallway.
If it is your first time in the nursery, Mrs. Helen will have you complete an information form that includes any allergies or medical conditions for your child(ren) or complete this online. Parents/Guardians will need to update this form yearly. For all other Sundays your child(ren) will be in the nursery, you will be required to check-in and check-out your child(ren). The adult who checks in the child(ren) needs to be the same person to check-out the child(ren) that day. If for some reason the check-in adult will not be returning to check-out the child(ren) this must be indicated to Mrs. Helen at the time of check-in. You will also be provided with a pager that will be used if there is a need for you to return to the nursery room during the worship service.
Please provide any necessary items needed for the care of your child(ren) – diaper bags, bottle, favorite toy or blanket, special dietary snack if needed, etc. Please keep ill children at home for the safety and health of all other children.
Worship Bulletins
Worship bulletins are available on tables just outside of each inner entrance to the sanctuary. We invite you to take one so you can follow along with the worship service. Where there is an asterisk (*) in the bulletin, this indicates that those who are able to stand, please stand. Bold passages are responsive texts, often lead by a liturgist or the pastor as a call and response.
Sanctuary Rocking Chair and Worship Activity Supplies for Children
All children are always welcome to attend worship service! If your little one becomes restless, you may use the comfy rocking chair at the back of the Sanctuary. Next to the rocking chair is also a basket with clipboards, colored pencils, and some activity sheets that the children may use during the worship service, as well as some books on the bottom shelf under the basket. The children’s worship bulletin located on each clipboard usually follows Pastor Winkler’s scripture lesson for the day. Please return the clipboard and coloring pencils back to the basket at the end of the worship service. There are also coloring booklets and packs of crayons in the Narthex.
A Special Note About 1st and 3rd Sundays
Communion is typically served on the 1st Sunday of the month and is open to everyone. You do not have to be a member of PUMC to take communion, and all children are also welcome at God’s table. In the United Methodist Church, we serve grape juice rather than wine; this allows all to participate. We also offer a gluten-free bread that the pastor will indicate when he invites you forward to partake.
On the 3rd Sunday of each month, we invite the children and youth to assist with our Change for Change collection. We collect spare change. Do pennies, dimes, nickels, and quarters really add up to anything we can do anything with? Actually – yes! These funds help us do missionary work – the missionary work of Christ in a community – right here in Painesville! Missionary work means we serve others and help meet the needs they have – hence the name “Change for Change”. We appreciate your contributions and the children’s help to make this mission work possible!
Children’s Message, Children’s Church (Sunday School), and Ringing Angels
Children in Kindergarten through 4th grade are welcome to attend Children’s Church during the school calendar year, September through May. All the children will attend at the beginning of the 10:00 a.m. worship service with their family. Part way through the worship service, Pastor Jim or I will call the children to the front of the Sanctuary for Children’s Moments. There they will be seated in the front pew and listen to a brief lesson before being dismissed to Children’s Church back in the Education Building on the second floor. The children will be escorted back to the classroom by Mrs. Vivian, Mrs. Patty, and/or myself.
Our Children’s Church students began a new handbell ringing group in 2022; the students are learning how to read handbell music and play the handbells with Ms. Vivian and Ms. Patty during Children’s Church. The children spend approximately 10 to 15 minutes working on their handbell skills. (Performances will be held at periodic worship services throughout the school year.)
After the worship service, we escort the children to the Circle Room for pick-up. Each child attending Children’s Church will need a parent or guardian to complete a registration form prior to attending Children’s Church. A paper copy of the form is located in the Circle Room or complete this online. Parents/Guardians will need to update this form yearly. Click Here to Register. The form will also include space for any allergies or medical conditions for your child(ren). Please keep ill children at home for the safety and health of all other children.
Bible Studies, Book Studies, and Adult Sunday School Classes
We offer a variety of Bible Studies, Book Studies, and Adult Sunday school classes.
Michael Huston leads a year-round study using seasonal materials available through Cokesbury. This study meets on Sunday mornings at 8:30am in the Resource Room. The Resource Room is located in the Education Building. If you enter the church from the glass Atrium doors, go the right into the Education Building, the classroom will be the first room on the left. If you come in from the Education Buildings wooden doors along the driveway, walk through the Education Building past the nursery and choir room, the room will be on left of the stairwell. A book is available quarterly with an estimated cost of $10-$15 each session. Join us any time!
Julie West leads a book study on Sundays at 11:15am in the Adult Sunday School Room, located in the Education Building across from the nursery. Julie and the class suggest and pick a book from authors of Christian material. Each book study lasts between 5 to 13 weeks, depending on the book, and the estimated cost of $10-$15 per book. Most of these studies require reading one chapter at your leisure during the week, with discussion and the possibility of a video on Sunday in class. Head to her classroom after worship if you would like to be a part of this study!
Pastor Jim leads a Tuesday night Bible Study during the school year, September through June. Topics, books, and studies vary. This class meets at 6:30pm on Tuesday nights via Zoom; join us from wherever you are! If you’d like to join this group and are not already on the distribution list, contact the church office during Monday office hours and we will add you to the email list for our Zoom studies!
We offer various other small group book studies throughout the year. Keep an eye out for those in our announcements or E-blast emails. There are sign-ups for these studies in the Circle Room or you may contact the church office.
We have studied books by Christian authors: Adam Hamilton, James W. Moore, Brittany Ann, Lysa Terkeurst, Max Lucado, Sarah Young, Joyce Meyer, Lee Strobel, to name a few. And the most important book of all time, the Bible – God’s Word.
Fellowship
You’re invited and all are welcome to refreshments and fellowship at 9:30AM and 11:00AM (after each worship service) in the Circle Room. Help yourself to coffee, hot water for tea or hot cocoa, juice boxes, and tasty treats to nibble on while you gather in fellowship and get to know others. There is no cost for the refreshments; however, there is a freewill offering box on the table and if you so choose to donate, Thank you!
Children’s Summer Vacation Bible School (VBS)
Every summer, PUMC hosts a one-week Vacation Bible School session for children ages 4-12. Each year the theme is different and based off scripture in the Bible. Kids gather for lessons, scripture memorization, games, crafts, music, and snacks. Registered Church Volunteers, as well as I, teach the lessons, help with games, crafts, music and prepare the snacks. Each child must be registered for VBS. When the dates are announced for VBS, you will find a paper registration form in the Circle Room or complete the form online. Click Here for registration info. The form will also include space for any allergies or medical conditions for your child(ren). Please keep ill children at home for the safety and health of all other children.
Safe Sanctuary Policy
Our goal is to maintain a safe environment for all to experience God’s abiding love and fellowship within the community of faith. All PUMC Staff, Volunteer Teachers, and I have completed the Safe Sanctuary Training (Protection Policy of Vulnerable Persons). PUMC is required and has completed a background check on each volunteer teacher and staff member.
Looking For Youth Ministries?
Click the button below for information about our youth ministries program.