Our mission is “Joining Children on their Spiritual Journey.” The purpose of KidStep is to intentionally focus on ways that we can help children from birth through fifth grade take next steps of faith.

You already know a thing or two about life, character, faith, and what it takes to be the human you were created to be. If you’re like many parents, you want to pass on that knowledge to your kids whether they are three years old, seven, or seventeen. But sometimes the day-to-day pace of parenting crowds out the intentional conversations we want to have with our kids. Where do we start? When do we find the time? How do we know if we’re being successful?

We use the Parent Cue app to specifically help you raise kids in faith and character by strengthening the relational rhythm of your home, elevating important topics of conversation, and connecting you with our church so we can support your family. The app is free, and we want everyone in our church who has a child—from a newborn baby to a 5^th grader—to download it now.

Once you are synced with our church, you'll find faith-based content. Every week, most families experience some variation of morning times, drive times, meal times, and bedtimes together, so Parent Cue app gives you four cues each week to help you connect with the heart of your child. Each cue is strategically designed for the age of the child you are raising and helps you develop family patterns that will enhance your long-term relationship with your child over time.

Directions to set up Parent Cue

1.     Download the Parent Cue app

2.     Select Create an Account

3.     Enter your name, email, and set a password

4.     Verify your email

5.     Add your child(ren)

Note* When you add your child you can turn off the countdown. The countdown displays how many weeks until your child turns 18.

6.     Select Sync with Your Church

7.     Select Find My Church

8.     Enter Hershey, PA

9.     Select Evangelical Free Church of Hershey (330 Hilltop Road)

10.   Click Sync to This Church

11.   Access weekly content by hitting the PC button at the bottom of the screen

You can participate in our worship services by joining us for our live-stream each week at 10:30 AM. Print off the weekly Just for Kids document for your kid(s)! Caitlyn Hahn, the Director for Children's Ministries, shares a few thoughts from the Bible each week. You can find these videos on our church YouTube page.

KidStep meets on Sunday mornings at 9 and 10:30 AM. Class sizes are limited. Check-in will happen on a first-come, first-serve basis based on each room’s maximum capacity and the number of volunteers available that Sunday morning. Masks are optional.

Nursery (Birth - 24months) – Our nursery is open at limited capacity during both 9 and 10:30 AM services. Nursery kids will be promoted to preschool when they turn 2 years old.

Preschool (2-Year-Olds – PreK) – Our preschool classrooms are located in the KidStep Tower at the 9 and 10:30 AM services, with two rooms divided by age. We have a 2 & 3-year-old room and a 4 & 5-year-old room. Preschool kids will be promoted to the next room on the Sunday after their birthday. Preschool programming will include worship and Bible time, craft time, snack time, and playtime.

Elementary (Kindergarten – 5th Grade) – Our elementary classrooms are located in the KidStep Tower at the 9 and 10:30 AM services, with three rooms divided by grade. We have a Kindergarten and 1st Grade room, a 2nd & 3rd Grade room, and a 4th & 5th Grade room. Elementary kids will be promoted to the next grade on promotion Sunday in the fall. Elementary programming will include worship and Bible time, group time, and activity time.

• There will be NO Elementary KidStep on September 4.
• September 11 is Promotion Sunday.

KidStep Check In/Check Out Policy

The KidStep staff team would like to remind parents that ONLY children in our 4th and 5th grade class are permitted (with parental approval) to check themselves in and out of class. All children in preschool through 3rd grade must be accompanied and checked-in to their classroom by a parent, caregiver, or sibling over the age 13. Children in these groups will only be released with the pick up sticker that matches their name tag. 

Passage Ceremony | September 11 | 12 PM

We welcome families of KidStep kids entering 6th grade this fall to participate in our Passage Ceremony, on September 11 from 12 -1:30 PM in the Auditorium with lunch included. This is a special time to help your family transition into CORE Student Ministries as well as have a time of celebration and intentional commissioning. Please RSVP by August 28. CORE meets weekly on Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM beginning September 11 and Wednesday evenings from 6:45 to 8:45 PM starting September 14. 

KidStep Family Potluck | September 18 | 4:30 PM | Under the tent

Join KidStep for a fun evening to share a meal, play games, and just enjoy being together with other families! Please sign up to bring a main dish, side, or dessert to share!

Child Dedication

Child Dedication is an integral part of the life of Hershey Free Church. We value our partnership with parents in joining their children on their spiritual journey! We offer 4 dedication ceremonies each year - late winter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and early fall. Our child dedication process consists of a required class for the parents held prior to the dedication ceremony. Register here for the next available child dedication class.

Summer Serving | through September 5

Every summer, KidStep offers our preschool and elementary school leaders a well-deserved break! This is a great way to show our appreciation, and it allows your children's teachers time to rest, relax, and recharge. For this to be successful, we ask our KidStep families (parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles) to serve 2 or more Sundays between June 19 and September 4. 

Elementary classes will have pre-recorded lessons and preschool will have a summer video curriculum. Both can be done with just a little preparation and prayer! You can serve in your kid’s classroom or another class of your choice. Can we count on you to help out? View the available slots on our Summer Serve Sign Up below and select your dates! Reach out to Jill Bennett, the KidStep volunteer coordinator, with any questions.

Sunday Morning SOS Team

We’ve decided to implement an SOS Team for Sunday mornings ONLY. This team will receive a text on a Sunday morning if/when we need to open an additional room or cover a last-minute call-off. Reply to the text and meet us at the KidStep Tower check-in station if you're available. If you aren't available that day, simply don't reply. If you are willing to be part of this team and have current child abuse clearances, please take 30 seconds to complete this 3-question Sunday Morning SOS Team form below.

Be sure to follow us on Hershey Free Church's YouTube Channel to stay up to date on resources and information.