About Little Shepherds
The mission of Little Shepherds at FPC is to communicate God’s message of love and redemption through Christ by prayer, teaching, example, worship and play. Application of His Word will be taught at the young child’s level in order to equip each child to be Little Shepherds in their homes, school, churches and community, growing up into Christ, mature in their faith and making wise decisions.
"Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray." –Proverbs 22.6 NRSV
The purpose of Little Shepherds is:
- To provide each child the opportunity to develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially and spiritually to the child’s fullest potential.
- To provide a safe, clean environment that provides support and nurturing for the children of our congregational members and children from the surrounding community.
- To express the message of God’s love through Jesus Christ by providing quality care to children.
- To be good stewards and utilize the beautiful facilities God has provided.
- To live out the gospel of Jesus Christ with the little ones and their families.
At First Presbyterian Church, Little Shepherds is a developmentally appropriate program designed to enhance the growth of young children ages three months through four years of age. We believe that young children learn through play. Play is their work. In the Little Shepherds program, we provide a variety of play activities in an open, nurturing atmosphere. By structuring a safe and stimulating environment, the staff provides experiences which allow children to develop trust in themselves and others, as they interact with people, materials and ideas. Each morning the children will experience age appropriate toys, explore activity centers, (which include art, music, block play, dramatic play, science, and language development) and participate in creative group activities and story time. Weather permitting, they will enjoy outdoor fun on the playground and walks on our grounds. A midmorning snack is provided and a bag lunch from home is served about noon.
A child may begin coming to Little Shepherds as young as three months and as old as four years.