Just as a greenhouse keeps small seedlings safe and cared for, this is what we want the smallest members of our church family to feel when they visit The Greenhouse. Here, our leaders get down and play with the children and as they play they repeat simple Bible truths to help these little ones begin to understand that God loves and cares for them.

We hope that toddlers move on from The Greenhouse having a simple understanding that:

• God loves them and made them special
• People in Church love them too

The Orchard is the place our 4 and 5 year olds meet each week. Here, through interactive video segments and classroom activities, the children are taught lessons from the Bible and discover how it applies in the everyday life of a pre-schooler. Each week children travel to an imaginative world with puppets, animation, songs, drama and group participation.

In The Orchard we aim to teach the kids that:

• God loves them and wants to be their friend
• They can show love to others by being kind and helpful
• They can talk to God and he will listen to them

Children can move from The Orchard to The Forest once they are in Year 1 at school. We have two intakes to the Forest each year – one at the beginning of Term 1, and the other at the start of Term 3.

In The Forest the children enjoy an action-packed programme that incorporates large group teaching with relationship building and application activities in small groups. During large group time the children watch a Bible story presented in an animated format and a drama/skit that brings to life the main point for the day. They sing songs and play lesson oriented games. In small groups the children are able to apply what they have learnt and be challenged to think about how it impacts their lives.

Our goals for The Forest are to have kids who know that:

• God loves them and that God created them to be in a relationship with him (through prayer, worship and reading the Bible)
• They can show others love by treating them the way they’d like to be treated
• It is important to make wise choices

Our Year 5 and 6 kids meet in The Jungle. This group uses curriculum designed to help them firm their faith and encourage them to make it real in their lives. Every child in the Jungle is also given the opportunity to serve in the Forest. They are able to choose one or two of the following responsibilities – set up/pack down, worship assistant, small group assistants, or running the powerpoint.

When kids finish in The Jungle and move on from BotanyKids we hope these kids will also learn:

• About how to develop and deepen a relationship with God
• How to treat others in loving ways
• That being part of the church family means serving alongside each other
• How to make wise choices