The Church offers many youth programs for all ages -
from Nursery through High School.

Overview of Programs for Children:

The children’s program at Garden City Community Church is designed around the vital concepts of community, education, service and spiritual growth. Our programming, which emphasizes interaction between clergy, church members and youth, teaches our young people about the Christian faith through activity-based learning.

In addition to teaching the fundamentals of Christianity, our activities in the church emphasize service both within our own church community, and beyond the doors of our church. Students at Garden City Community Church learn what it means to be a part of Christ's church by participating in a community of faith, acceptance, openness and welcome within the doors of our church and then by bringing Christ's love to bear on their every-day lives. In the spirit of welcome that defines our program, we as a church invite any young people who wish to be a part of any aspect of our programming to contact the church. Come experience Christ's love in this special place with this special group of people!

Sunday School

Church School at the Garden City Community Church takes place during the 10:30am worship hour. Children attend the first 15 minutes of the Worship Service with their family, which includes a brief ‘Children’s Message’, and then they are shepherded to their classrooms. Currently there are approximately 150 children in our program which extends through 7th grade ably run by approximately 30 teachers and 25 youth assistants.

Do we teach the Bible at the Garden City Community Church?

YES !, says Christine Hanson, the current Church School Administrator at the Garden City Community Church.

“For example, this year our Sunday School program for the 6/7 grade class focuses on incorporating Bible lessons and passages with our every day lives.  Topics include exploring current events in relation to Bible characters.  One recent example was the study of Jonathan and David (1 Samuel 20) and how it related to modern times.  Who in modern times has stood up for others, possibly even facing death?  Some of the topics we discussed were Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Schindler, Mother Theresa. For the younger classes, (Pre-K through 5th grade) we teach Bible fundamentals and basics such as prayers, The Ten Commandments, the books of the Bible, bible research and more, all through the David C. Cook curriculum.”

Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School is an early summer opportunity for children pre-school through 3rd grade to experience a wonderful week of learning, crafts, fellowship and fun. This past year’s VBS had a Rain Forest Adventure theme and record attendance. It is open to all children in the community.

Special Sunday Services and Events

All children have opportunities to to take part in a special services and events. The Christmas pageant this past year was an original production based on the Charlie Brown Christmas and led by Christine and Guy Malone. Our Minister of Music, Robert Ludwig, included children of all ages in a music and drama production for the Christmas Eve family service , entitled ‘Radio J-O-Y’. Children’s Chapel Services are held twice a year where the older children in the Sixth and Seventh grade classes are given the opportunity to lead in special skits and music along with the Youth Minister.

Service Projects

The Service Sundays are a way to help the children understand that being a part of a Christian community means “doing for others” and that being a part of Church School is Learning to Serve/Serving to Learn. Outreach Service projects have included participating in a church-wide event giving food donations, candy treat bags and health kits for soldiers in Afghanistan, preparing trays of lasagna for the Mary Brennan INN, and having a fund drive to make a donation to Heifer Intl. Pictured below are 75 wrapped gifts and 70 bags of food collected for children through the Family & Children’s Association ‘Family Ties’ program based in Hempstead and serving families and children at risk throughout Nassau County.