KidStep
Our mission is “Joining Children on their Spiritual Journey.” The purpose of KidStep is to intentionally focus on ways we can help children spend time with Jesus on their own and experience God’s love so that we can help children from birth through fifth grade take next steps of faith.
What to Expect
Small groups, bible teaching, and singing are all part of what happens on a Sunday morning in KidStep. We are excited to welcome your children to a safe and kid-appropriate environment. We have a check-in and check-out process for security purposes. Look for the check-in stations to receive name tags and ask any questions you may have.
Online Resources & Needs
January Lessons
1/5 - Paul Became a Christian
1/12 - Paul Became a Missionary
1/19 - God Can Forgive Anyone
1/26 - The Church Met Together
Volunteer Needs
We have a variety of volunteer opportunities in KidStep. To find out more information, answer questions, or test out any of these serving opportunities, please reach out to Jill Bennett, our volunteer coordinator. We would love for you to join the KidStep team!
Nursery Cleaning
We're looking for teams of at least 2 people (many hands make work much more fun) who are willing to wipe down toys, restock supplies, and check that all toys, swings, etc. are working and safe. The entire job should take 90 minutes or less.
Ideally, this would be done weekly on a Wednesday between 11:30 AM and 6 PM or a Thursday between 9 AM and 4 PM so that the rooms are fresh for Sunday. You are welcome to bring your children to help, however, if they are too small to help, we'd ask that you make sure they aren't undoing any of your hard work by playing with toys you've already cleaned.
With the right procedures in place, we can help control sickness and ensure that our nursery ministry is a safe place for infants and toddlers. Parents and grandparents will feel better about leaving their kids in an area that is in good order.
Sunday Mornings - Serving the next generation is one of the most important ways you can invest in your church community. KidStep’s vision is to equip volunteers and empower parents for this task and we welcome the opportunity to talk with you about the many opportunities we have that allow others to connect with families and share in the joy serving kids brings. Please email Jill Bennett for more information.
Moms Connect - Moms’ Connect provides a great opportunity for moms of young children to connect with God and each other through the journey of motherhood. KidStep collaborates with this ministry by providing children’s programming and loving care to their little ones. We are looking for additional volunteers to join this wonderful ministry. Moms Connect meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month (with a few holiday exceptions) from 9 - 11:30 AM. If you are interested please reach out to Jill Bennett for more information! We’d love to have you for the full session or as a part-time volunteer.
Child Dedication
Child Dedication is an important part of the life of Hershey Free Church. We value our partnership with parents in joining their children on their spiritual journey. Our child dedication process consists of a required class for the parents held prior to the dedication ceremony. Please register for classes.
Upcoming Events
45 Deep Dive | first Wednesday of the month | 7 to 8 PM | Core Cafe
In KidStep, we want to help kids take ownership of their faith; to know what they believe and why, and to be able to have confidence in articulating that faith. Deep Dive is a monthly Bible study with an apologetics focus for kids in 4th and 5th grades to help them grow in their faith. Check out this video to find out more about apologetics. Deep Dive meets on the first Wednesday of the month from 7 to 8 PM in the Core Cafe. Hope to see your kiddos there!
Family Forum | March 2 | 10:30 AM | Auditorium
Stand Strong - Part 2
We encourage parents and students in grades 4-8 to hang out together and engage in conversation related to pertinent topics during the 10:30 AM service. We want parents to feel empowered and have resources to continue faithfully leading their family. The morning’s discussion will center around Daniel and his three friends refraining from eating choice foods that are offered to them. We look forward to seeing you there!
KidStep Parent Connect | Sundays | 9 AM | room 302
Each Sunday at 9 AM, parents of children who attend KidStep have the opportunity to connect for Bible study and fellowship at KidStep Parent Connect. We hope to help parents understand the connection between emotional and spiritual health and to parent with that goal in mind.
KidStep Offering Opportunity | We are currently supporting David & Denise Love, who work with several groups. They work with Afghan refugees who have needs from mattresses to sewing machines. David also helps obtain Bibles and solar players for various people groups in South America.
Hilltop Christian Nursery School
Since 1979, Hilltop Christian Nursery School, a ministry of the Hershey Free Church, has been welcoming children to learn, to have fun, and to grow in their knowledge of Jesus. We invite your family to join the Hilltop family as we work together to create a learning environment tailored to the age and developmental stages of our students. We believe a child is a total person, designed by God to be well-rounded and maturing in every dimension.
We believe that the experience of each child should be consistent with his or her individual stage of development and, therefore, learning should be achieved in a way that is comfortable and natural for him or her. This can be reinforced with Godly principles through daily experiences.
Hilltop Christian Nursery School serves children ages 3, 4, and 5. Children should reach the classroom age as of October 1st of the admission year.
Registration for the 2025-2026 school year opens January 19 for Hershey Free families. Registration opens to the community on February 3, and spaces fill up quickly!