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.

• Each week we livestream our Sunday services at 10:30 AM. You and your family can participate in our worship together.
• We also create age-appropriate weekly videos for your kids. You can find these videos on our church YouTube page.
• And print off the weekly Just for Kids document for your kid(s)!

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?

The Parent Cue app is specifically designed to 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 would like everyone in our church who has a child—from a newborn baby to a 5th grader—to download it.

Once you are synced with Hershey Free, you'll find faith-based content. Every week, most families experience some variation of morning times, drive times, meal times, and bedtimes together, so the 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 Hershey Free Church (330 Hilltop Road)

10.  Click Sync to This Church

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

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.

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. 

Winter Coats

October is Fire Prevention Month, which is a good opportunity to think about fire drills and the possibility of evacuations. For this reason, please leave a jacket with your child on Sunday mornings.

Advent Bingo

Advent begins on Sunday, November 27. Advent is the season of preparation and celebration of Christ, who arrived in our hearts, in our world, and will reign again one day soon. It’s an intentional way to slow down our hearts amidst the busyness of the Christmas season, and remember the reason we celebrate. We have created a fun Advent Bingo activity for you to complete as families. You can pick up a copy on December 4 or download them below. Be sure to take photos as you complete activities and share them with us using #KidStepAdventBingo!

KidStep 45 Hangout | December 9 | 6:30 to 8 PM | KidStep Tower

Hangouts are designed for 4th and 5th graders to have an easy and fun environment to invite friends. These hangouts also give students a chance to experience what a Wednesday night will be like when they enter our Student Ministries in 6th grade. Join us to play games, share a short lesson, and enjoy snacks together!

Christmas Choir | December 4 | 12 PM | Core Cafe

KidStep is excited to celebrate Christmas! In preparation, we are recording a video of KidStep kids singing a Christmas song that will be shared during our Christmas Eve services! Wear your best Christmas outfit for the recording on Sunday, December 4, at 12 PM. Meet us in the Core Cafe for pizza before recording takes place.

Along with recording the video on Sunday, December 4th after service, we are also offering an option for your child(ren) to participate in a live version during our Christmas Eve service. The live version will happen ONLY at the 3 PM service on December 24 and we are asking kids to report at 2 PM for a run through. We're excited to offer both options so we have a live choir at the 3 PM service and the video recording shown at the 5 and 7 PM services. We'd like both the live version and the recording to be as full as possible, so we hope you'd consider choosing both options! Whether you are participating in the recording, the live Christmas Eve option, or both you must register your child(ren) below.

Christmas Movie Night | December 16 | 6:30 PM | Auditorium

Join us for a showing of The Grinch movie. Bring your own folding chair and wear your pajamas! Movie snacks will be provided free of charge. Invite friends and family for a fun Christmas night out!

Christmas Bags | December 18 & 24

This year Christmas Day falls on a Sunday. Our worship service will be online only that morning at 9 AM. We are providing Christmas Bags for all KidStep families, which include a craft, hot chocolate, and a few additional surprises to encourage families to participate in our online Christmas Day service together. We have put together a few extra bags for anyone to invite a neighbor, family, or friend who doesn’t have a church home. You can pick these bags up in the KidStep area on Sunday, December 18 and 24.

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 being held on September 18 at 9 AM in room 303.

Nursery Volunteers

Our nursery is growing, and we need more loving arms to hold babies and play with toddlers. Many times the nursery is the first connection new families make in our church and is such an important ministry. An open nursery can provide a much-needed break for parents to worship undistracted. Please help us avoid the dreaded “room full” message at check-in by volunteering with us. Please email Jill Bennett for more information. 

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.