A New Look to the Children’s Area

Renewal

For the past few years renewal has been a frequently used word around Fourth. For over a year we used it to describe our beautiful Sanctuary, and now Fourth’s children’s area. In the spring of 2023, we began a conversation on how we could make that very large off-white maze a little more child-friendly while keeping to the ambiance of Fourth. How could we make it easier for parents, especially visitors, to find their way around? What could we do to make it safer?

We wanted color, but not too much. We wanted theme walls, but nothing silly — walls that in some way glorified the Lord and taught the children as they looked while passing by. We wanted them to remember their place in this church, from what they heard and what they saw. The use of color seemed to answer some of our questions. Each emergency door with its own color: orange, blue, green, or purple – a little less bold than primary, with all teachers, even substitutes, knowing their color.

A Vision Realized

Nearing completion are the theme walls, each one with a purpose:

  • The Creatures Wall, with a map of the world and the most beautiful and funny creatures scattered throughout. Facing the wall, written out in childlike calligraphy, a hymn of the month we sang about one year ago: “All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing ‘Alleluia! Alleluia’.”
  • The Missions Wall, featuring the top section of the globe with seven children painted across, each one looking a little different than the other, and the verse, “For God so loved the world…”
  • The Creation Wall, a wallpapered section of the universe with the simple but profound verse, “The heavens declare the glory of God…”
  • The Runners’ Wall: Our children love sports, and we remembered Hebrews 12:1-2: “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”
  • The Peace Wall, with a bench painted under a tree decal with the verse, “Be still and know that I am God.”
  • The Image Wall, featuring artwork that reminds us we’re God’s design: “You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
  • The Charter Wall: What is our ministry’s reason for being? This is answered in Psalm 78 in that same whimsical calligraphy: “We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done…so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.”

Also refurbished are the alcoves:

  • The Parents’ Nook, with new furniture where parents can sit for a minute (or two) before heading off to Sunday School.
  • The Welcome/Information Alcove: This is right by the elevator, easy to find for visitors and convenient for children’s check-in.

Many Hands, Many Gifts

Indeed, the Lord gifts his people to do his work. Many thanks to the Facilities and Safety/Security committees for their guidance, Chesapeake Interior Painters for their patience in helping us figure out how we could paint “gradient” on the walls to add interest to the color, Jen Smedley, Leslie Lehir, Caroline Perrin, A.B. Dickinson, and Kelly Chase. Many thanks to our artist, Dorothy Hartley, who grew up at Fourth and has since moved away, but returned for this task. (I knew immediately that she understood Fourth and what we were looking to accomplish.) Thanks also to Pastor Corey Gray, Marce Bettridge, and Alisha O’Halloran, who have spent hours trying to figure this all out.

We’ve received lots of encouragement along the way, but my favorite response after many, many hours spent in planning designing, implementing came from one of our children: “I like the new coat hooks — they’re different colors!!!”