Children's Church

Youth Room

This room is for the older children's class, grades 2 to 6, and can hold a capacity of up to XX people per the room occupancy load. Note that Plan to Protect ratios require a minimum of two screened volunteers for up to 10 toddlers and up 20 elementary-aged children. This minimum can include one teacher and helper in the classroom, as well as one teacher or helper with the hall monitor having clear visibility into the classroom.

Set-up

• The room layout tends to vary week to week depending on how Cedarview Church leaves it. 

• Customise the room as the teacher and helper see fit for the lesson; typically, the tables are set up in a U-shaped layout with chairs, and the teacher utilises the TV and laptop as part of their lesson. 

  • For special STEM lessons, tables are usually set up separately to create stations that groups of children can stand around.  

  • For joint activities that include the younger kids, the small tables and chairs are brought in from the Elephant Room.

• Cedarview youth may leave sports equipment or toys from time to time; ensure that any unwanted items or debris are removed or put away from children's reach.

Take-down

• Wipe down all tables of craft debris and snacks, and sweep the floor.

• Typically, volunteers return the layout to how they found the Youth Room that week.

• Put away craft supplies in the Elephant Room cabinet.

• Once all trash has been disposed of, tie the bag up but leave it in the garbage can for the Cedarview custodian to replace.

Roles and Responsibilities

We are so grateful and appreciative of our volunteers' hearts and willingness to serve our church's next generation! These roles tend to overlap and are iterative; we are always open to new ideas in how to run Children's Church more effectively and efficiently. Our children's safety is our number one priority and we require those serving to have:

• Certified Plan to Protect training which needs to be refreshed once a year, and

• A Vulnerable Sector Check (i.e., police check), which needs to be renewed once every three years.

Teacher

• Teaching and leading the class for the assigned Sunday. 

• Preparing lesson materials for teaching on Sunday, which may include reviewing the curriculum topic and suggested lesson ideas for the upcoming week, preparing craft materials and printing leaflets. 

• Providing feedback to other teachers and leadership team on curriculum materials.

• Aiding in special event planning, if needed (e.g., Easter, Christmas). 

• Periodically reviewing the Hall Monitor binders for children's updated care information (e.g., allergies, behavioural notes, photo permissions).

Helper

• Assisting the teacher with any set-up and take-down, if asked.

• Managing the classroom during the lesson time, when needed.

• Handing out snacks and materials for the lesson.

• Shadowing the teacher for the lesson and activity, when appropriate.

• Periodically reviewing the Hall Monitor binders for children's updated care information (e.g., allergies, behavioural notes, photo permissions).

• On occasion, there will be a helper-led Sunday where there is no assigned teacher and helpers will facilitate Children’s Church for the younger children’s class. During these Sundays, there will be stations including activities for the children to participate in rotation. These stations will be prepared in advance by the CM Stewardship Team. Both helpers would work together to share the Bible story with the children, facilitate rotation through the stations, and prepare snack time at the end of class. 

Hall Monitor

• Setting up the registration table for taking attendance via Planning Center at 2:30pm.

• Signing children in and out of Children's Church and assisting new families to register their children: https://renewalchurchottawa.churchcenter.com/registrations/signups/3823204 

• Acting as a float helper if needed during Children's Church, such as taking children to the washroom, retrieving parents as needed or watching a classroom while a teacher or helper is away. 

• Checking the washrooms (e.g., lingering children, taps needing to be turned off).

• Notifying teachers and helpers when Eucharist is occurring as a time warning.

• Ensuring the Fish Room sign-in clipboard and pen are available outside the Fish Room prior to the start of service, and collecting the clipboard at the end.

• Charging devices (i.e., phone, tablet and laptop) during Children's Church.

• Monitoring the snack supplies to flag when more snacks and napkins/plates are needed to the CM Stewardship Team.

Last updated: September 20, 2026