• By serving kids at NorthPointe, we’re doing what Jesus loved doing (Mark 10:13-16)!

• At NP Kids, we believe that kids matter. How they are loved, what they are taught, how they connect with Jesus and others…it all matters!

• We want kids to have an opportunity to learn about Jesus on their level, with people who love Jesus and have a desire for kids to know Jesus’ love too.

• The NP Kids Staff prayerfully consider what kids need, at each age level, to grow in their relationship with Jesus. We’re continually seeking effective ways to share Bible stories and teach God’s truths to kids in a way they’ll connect with. We use activities, drama, crafts, and singing to engage kids in a way that makes them want to come back for more!

• As an NP Kids volunteer, you’re given an opportunity to make an eternal impact on the life of a child, and maybe their family too!
 

There are several areas you can serve, here is a brief description of some of them:
• Sunday Volunteer: From Babies up through 6th grade, we’ve got many ways in which you can serve such as: cuddling little ones in the Nursery, singing and playing with toddlers & preschoolers, working with older kids in small groups, teaching groups of kids in our large group rooms, helping with activities, drama or singing, welcoming families and helping kids get checked in.• Special Needs Ministry: This is a great opportunity to work with kids who have a special need or just require a bit of assistance in the classroom. You may be called upon to help on Sunday’s as well as other activities throughout the year.• KidsCore: KidsCore is our small group Bible Study program for kids. It occurs weekly on Tuesday nights during the school year (September-May).

• 5th & 6th Grade Events and Activities: We have lots of things going on for our Preteens and would love to have extra volunteers to hang out and have fun with these kids! There is our monthly Surge event and a yearly event called Event 56 (an on-campus weekend event), as well as Leadership events that happen monthly.
 

No. Everything you’ll need is provided for you!
 

Nope! In fact, we have a requirement that two or more volunteers must be with kids at all times.
 

Yes! If the person you’d like to serve with is an adult and has gone through all of our volunteer safety requirements (same as you), we’d love to team you up!
If you’d like to serve with a child (under 18), see details in the next question.
 

Yes! We LOVE our Student Volunteers! Take a minute to read through a few of the guidelines below, then complete a Student Volunteer Application. After that, we’ll get in touch with you to get you plugged in.

• If you’re in 4th grade or younger, you must serve alongside a parent who will provide guidance and supervision.

• If you’re in 5th or 6th grade, you can serve with kids as young as 2 years old thru 1st grade, without parental supervision

• If you’re in Junior High or High School, you can serve in any area (see exceptions for Nursery) as long as the kids you’re serving with are at least four years younger than you.

• To serve in the Nursery (Babies under 1 year), you must be 16 or older (unless serving with a parent)

• To serve with Toddlers (1 year olds), you must be in 7th grade or higher (unless serving with a parent)

• Student Volunteers under the age of 16 will not be allowed to pick up or handle a baby or toddler (even with parental supervision).
 

NorthPointe’s “Limitless Disability Ministry” is a great place to serve if you have a heart for kids with a special need or disability. One of the many functions of this ministry is to provide a “Buddy” for kids who might need additional assistance. If you’d like to be a Limitless Buddy, you’ll need to begin that process by completing the online Adult Application (or Student Application if you’re under 18). After the application is completed, we’ll be notified and will get back in touch with you soon to talk about your next steps, additional training, and to team you up with just the right child.
 

We focus on many aspects of creating and maintaining an environment of safety:
• Emotional Safety: At all times, our volunteers keep kids emotionally safe by keeping a positive and loving tone with them. We also ask our volunteers to arrive 25 minutes early to connect together as a team. This allows volunteers to be more relaxed and prepared as they welcome little ones and greet parents.• Spiritual Safety: Sometimes kids (of all ages) come to us carrying the weight of real life struggles and insecurities. Our desire is to provide an atmosphere where our volunteers can share the love of Jesus with them by simply being a “safe” person whom they can share those struggles with. We want to let kids know that it’s okay to not be okay and we are happy and honored to come alongside them no matter how they are feeling when they step into our rooms.• Physical Safety: The first thing we do is make sure all of our volunteers are safe people (see volunteer steps in previous questions). We also have a “See Something, Say Something” policy within our volunteer team and staff. All volunteers will be identified with an NP Kids name tag. Child ratios are also important to us. We want to make sure we have enough volunteers to properly care for the number of children we have. We also have a secure check-in/pickup process. Each child, 2nd grade and younger, is given a name tag with a security code. Parents must present a security tag with a matching number in order to pick up their child. If a parent does not have their tag, an NP Kids Staff member will need to authorize pickup.

• Another part of physical safety is health and cleanliness: It’s important to us that we provide a clean and healthy environment for kids. Hand sanitizer is provided, and we use disinfectant wipes and spray to clean toys, countertops, and anywhere else a child might be. If we notice that a child is not feeling well, we will separate them from other kids and contact parents to come and pick them up.
 

• If you’ve been here a minimum of four months… YES! We’d like the NP Kids Volunteers to have been at NorthPointe long enough to make some connections with others and get involved in the life of the church.

• We also require that all NP Kids volunteers attend NorthPointe’s Core 101: Belonging To A Church Family prior to serving.
 

Yes, it’s important that all NP Kids Volunteers grow in their faith by participating in the life of the church, including attending Sunday Worship Services. If you serve at a campus that has more than one service on Sunday’s, we ask that you serve during one service and attend the other one. If you serve with NP Kids at a campus that has just one Sunday service, we ask you to serve less often so you can be engaged with the church family.
 

• Take a few minutes to review the four introductory videos

• Click on the application (above) that best applies to you

• Within a week of receiving your online application, we’ll be in touch to talk with you about your next steps (fingerprints, background check, etc.)

• Attend NorthPointe’s Core 101 class

• After you complete the application and safety process (background check and fingerprinting), we’ll get in touch with you to schedule a personal meeting with one of the NP Kids Staff members. This an informal meeting that allows us to get to know you a bit better and gives you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have. We’ll also talk about where you’d most like to serve and take a moment to review the NP Kids safety policies.”

• Once all of these steps are taken, we’ll connect you with your area Director or Service Coach (based on the area you’re serving in), print an NP Kids name tag for you, and get you started!
 

It’s all about safety. When a parent leaves their children in our care, we want them to feel assured that we’re doing everything possible to keep their kids safe (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). For this reason, we ask all of our adult volunteers to take several steps to help create a safe environment. A few of these steps are mentioned in the previous question addressing “next steps”.
 

Once you get your fingerprints processed and documentation completed and turned into us, we should be able to get you onto a team within a couple weeks.
 

First, we’d love to place you where YOU would most like to serve! If it happens that the area you’d like to serve in already has plenty of volunteers, we’ll talk about other options and do our best to put you in an area you’d enjoy. Just before placing you on a team, someone on our NP Kids Staff will connect with you individually. This allows us to get to know you better and hear a bit about your personal journey with Jesus. This is also when we’ll talk about the best place for you to serve.