Our mission is to create a safe space for kids to…

  • Discover the Love of God

  • Explore the Bible

  • Build community and friendships

  • Equip parents to be disciple makers

  • Have fun!

    • Volunteers complete a detailed onboarding and training process with background checks.

    • Our check in and check out process is detailed with safety in mind.

    • We staff our team with plenty of volunteers to care for the children attending.

    • Our caring volunteers help kids & families feel a sense of belonging.

    • We point to Jesus and the truth of the Gospel every Sunday.

    • We encourage kids to continue to take their next step in discipleship.

    • We open God’s Word together.

    • Kids are encouraged to memorize Scripture.

    • We teach the Bible as one big redemptive story.

    • We’ve made spaces for kids to be in a small group with their peers.

    • We learn together, worship together, laugh together, and serve together.

    • We provide opportunities for kids to connect with each other outside of Sunday mornings.

    • We provide classes to help parents guide their kids in discipleship.

    • We offer easy access to resources in our lobby.

    • We encourage parents to participate in small groups for adult discipleship.

    • As a team we don’t take ourselves too seriously.

    • We’re having a ton of fun, but we aren’t just playing around, and we’re growing too!

    • We make sure to include plenty of time on Sundays for games and laughter.

Your First Visit

From babies six weeks old to 5th graders, our team wants to give your family an excellent experience.

When you arrive, our team will happily show you the way to the children’s area. You’ll go to the first-time check-in station where you can tell us a little about your family to help us serve you well. On our check-in form, we’ll ask you things like what allergies your child may have, how many children are in your family, and get your contact information.

Then you and your child will both get a sticker with a matching code on it. This sticker is also what you’ll use to pick up your child after service. If for any reason we need to reach you during the service, we’ll display the sticker code on the digital displays on either side of the stage. Please have this sticker ready when you enter the children’s building at the end of service.

Our volunteers - we call them Difference Makers - are screened, background checked and trained before serving in our kids ministry. We work hard to provide a safe, clean environment with excellent care of your child.

December

From the *brite curriculum:

This Month’s Biblical Theme Is: God is a promise keeper.

When sin entered the world, God made a promise to His people to send a Savior who would redeem them. Our great God did not leave us to our sin but kept His promise! This month we are celebrating the fruition of that Genesis promise. Jesus is our forever King, Messiah and Rescuer. The stunning beauty of the Christmas season is that God is the promise keeper who sent the greatest gift of all, Jesus!

Want to know more about *brite curriculum? Check it out here.

Upcoming Events

  • December 14th during the 11:00 Service

    This class for parents and elementary kids to attend together to learn what it means to follow Jesus. Take home resources will be provided. This class will meet in the Large Group Classroom at Essential Church.

    REGISTER

  • December 21st during the 11:00 Service

    This class is for kids who have accepted Christ as their Savior and are ready to be baptized, or they have questions about baptism.  A parent or guardian will need to attend class with the child.  The class will take place in the Large Group Classroom at Essential Church.

    REGISTER

  • Essential Kids is going to Summer Camp!

    Essential Kids is taking students 2nd grade (completed) through 6th grade to CentriKid Summer Camp at Shocco Springs July 3-5, 2026. This is a great opportunity to make memories, build friendships AND grow closer to Jesus! Join us for one of two informational meetings on Sunday, December 21st right after the 11:00 service (12:15) OR Sunday, January 11th at the same time.

  • 2nd and 4th Sundays Every Month

    Come be a part of pointing the next generation to Christ - join the Essential Kids Team! We have volunteer (Difference Makers) orientation to give you all the details and opportunities available on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month from 12-12:30. Sign up today!

    REGISTER

  • Parent and Child Dedications

    We are so happy to partner with parents and join you in this special time of dedicating your child to the Lord and yourselves to raising your child in the ways of the Lord.  We ask each family wanting to participate in the dedication service to attend a class the weekend prior.  If you have already attended this class at Essential and are dedicating another child, you do not need to attend the class again.  Our next dedication service will take place on Mother’s Day 2026. Please email shari@essential.fyi for details.

More good things to know…

  • Christmas Eve Service

    December 24th at 5PM

    Join us for our Christmas Even service to be held outside at Lakewood Baptist Church in Huntsville.

  • Family Resource

    The team at Awana who produce our curriculum - *brite - send out an awesome family email every Friday. Sign up at the link below.

  • January Kids' Lesson Theme

    From *brite:

    “This Month’s Attribute of God Is: Jesus is the Son of God

    At Jesus’ baptism, God declared Jesus His beloved Son. Jesus resisted Satan’s temptations and proved His divine authority. People recognized Jesus’ power and chose to follow Him. Jesus calmed creation and cast out demons with only His words. His words and miracles showed that Jesus was not just a teacher, but truly the Son of God.”

Friday Family Email

Nursery

Preschool

 

Elementary

PARTNERING WITH PARENTS 

We believe the best way we can help your kids develop a strong spiritual foundation is by partnering with you. Together, we can help encourage, train, and pray for them as they grow in their faith. We’re praying they become resilient disciples of Jesus! To come alongside families we offer classes throughout the year for parents to attend with their child.

  • Bible Presentation Class and Celebration is for rising 1st graders to learn how we got the Bible and why it’s so important. Each child will be presented with a Bible of their own. We’ll also celebrate their move up to the elementary classes.

  • Starting Point helps kids know what it means to follow Jesus.

  • Baptism Class for Kids helps them know what baptism is, when to be baptized, and what to expect.

  • Graduation Celebration is a class taught by our Essential Kids and Essential Youth leaders as kids graduate kids ministry and move into youth ministry.

  • We also have a class for parents who are ready to have their child dedicated at Essential. This class helps prepare you for the journey of pointing your child to Christ.

Here are some practical ways you can help us make the most of your child’s time spent at church:

  • Pick a consistent service time to help your kids build a relationship with their leader and other kids their age.

  • Practice the current scripture memorization with your kids.

  • Stay connected to Essential Kids by following us on Facebook and Instagram.

  • Build relationships with other Essential parents - Join a Small Group.

  • Pray for your children each week as they come to church, and pray for our teams as they serve and care for your kids.