Children

Join us at the Greenhouse!
A place where young children are
thoughtfully nurtured and grown.

As you can see from the picture on his page, Pastor Chip Giessler’s interest in children is personal! He and Laura have twin 15 year olds and an 11 year old. Laura has a Masters in Education (Cal-Berkeley, 1989), has taught public school for 7 years, and is currently a reading specialist with the Loudoun County Public Schools. So it’s no surprise that children hold a very important place in the life of Evergreen Church.

Brandy Hedrick-Van Briggle, our Director of Children’s Ministry, is the mother of two.  She also has a heart for all the children who are and who will be part of the Evergreen Church family.  She wants each child to learn and experience again and again that he or she is loved by God and precious in God’s sight.  Brandy can be contacted at Children@EvergreenChurch.net.

Every Sunday, you will find loving, experienced adults providing engaging children’s ministry at the Evergreen Greenhouse.

	In addition to a nursery (0-24 months) . . .
	. . .you’ll find special classes in the Greenhouse full of fun activities for two year olds through 1st graders. Loving, experienced adults provide engaging, bible-based lessons and activities. Our two and three year olds attend the Sprouts class, and 4-6 year olds make up the Saplings.
	Older children (2nd through 5th graders) begin worship with adults in the worship center. Midway through the service they are dismissed for Kids’ Point 1 (a class for 2nd and 3rd graders), and Kids’ Point 2 (a class for 4th and 5th graders).

Evergreen church welcomes children of all abilities. If you have a child whose special need prevents him/her from attending a regular Sunday morning class, contact Brandy to discuss how we can accommodate your child in the Sonrise Room. We have a special needs intake form to help us know how best to show God’s love and care to your child.  

Every quarter Evergreen kids participate in a Mission Challenge program. Each quarter is a different theme (Ministry with the Poor, Faith Development, Worship, etc.) with challenges relevant to the particular theme. Children earn Mission Challenge Medals by completing 5 challenges in a given quarter.

Four times per year (on the 5th Sunday of months having 5 Sundays) the Greenhouse has Movie Day in lieu of Sunday morning classes. All classes meet in the computer room to watch an age-appropriate Christian based movie and enjoy gluten-free/dairy-free popcorn. Often Movie Days additionally involve a relevant craft, holiday project, or mission project.

Children & the Arts at Evergreen:  The Evergreen Children and Youth Choir is a meaningful way for children to express their faith using their God-given talents.  A new puppet ministry is also in the works.

Summer in the Greenhouse is slightly different from our school year program. We use the one-room church approach in order to give our hard-working volunteer staff a break, and to offer something a little bit different to our kids. Classes for children 4 years old and older are combined into one class, where the children watch a short video, make a craft and play a game.

The Greenhouse is staffed by volunteers , members of the congregation looking to make a difference in the life of your child. Volunteers are provided with an easy-to-follow curriculum and work on a rotational basis. All volunteers must submit to a background check. This is paid for by the church and involves the volunteer filling out a simple form.