Milestones

Milestones are significant moments and markers in the life of your child and family. They present a unique, special opportunity to celebrate and remember the Lord’s faithfulness. Additionally, they provide a rallying point for the church and home to partner together for the purpose of celebrating the child and equipping parents. The Village would love to celebrate each of the following milestones with your family and provide resources and equipment for parents to mark them.

Milestones for Kids (Birth–5th Grade)

Baby/Child Announcement

Children are a blessing both to their biological family and the family of God. To mark this first family discipleship milestone, we celebrate these precious gifts from the Lord. We announce new babies and adopted children to the congregation during our Celebration Services.

Announcement instructions go out a month prior to each Celebration Service. Parents who participate in this milestone are invited to attend our Foundations of Family Discipleship class.

First Picture Bible

First birthdays are a blast. But there’s much more to celebrate than presents and a smash cake. Parents can mark this milestone by giving their 1-year-old their first Bible. In Little Village, this milestone marks the beginning of classroom curriculum and Bible teaching time.

Children at TVC receive a birthday card in the mail near or around their first birthday congratulating them on this milestone. Parents can bring this card to the First-Time Families desk in Little Village and pick up their free picture Bible.

First birthdays are also a time when parents can partner with their community to host a baby dedication ceremony. Though not explicit in Scripture, dedicating children to the Lord is a helpful milestone both for reminding parents that children are good gifts to be stewarded and encouraging accountability in godly parenting within community.

First Storybook Bible

Children at TVC receive a birthday card in the mail near or around their third birthday congratulating them on this milestone. Parents can bring this card to the First-Time Families desk in Little Village and pick up their free storybook Bible.

Kindergarten Blessing and Children’s Bible

Kindergarten Blessing marks the first big ministry transition for children at TVC. After five or six years in Little Village, children now promote to Kids Village (1st–5th grade).

This significant milestone is celebrated every August on the Sunday prior to Promotion Weekend. Little Village marks this important milestone by giving each child their very own ESV Children’s Bible to take with them to Kids Village. Parents of kindergarteners are released early from the main service to join their children in Little Village and speak a word of blessing and encouragement over their child.

ID Retreat

Early adolescence is an age of opportunity for parents and curiosity for children—particularly around the topics of identity, gender, and sexuality. Parents of 5th graders can celebrate this milestone with us at ID Retreat. We’ll have age-appropriate teaching and activities, and you’ll spend lots of one-on-one time talking with your child about topics like identity, self, and manhood/womanhood.

5th Grade Blessing and Mix56

The transition from elementary to middle school is a big one for kids and parents. During their final Sunday in Kids Village, 5th graders get to hear from their leaders and ministers and enjoy some special snacks. As a KV graduation gift, they receive a devotional journal to encourage and teach them to read the Bible on their own. During the following weekend, these incoming 6th graders are invited and encouraged to attend their first Middle School Ministry event, Mix56. This overnight event is designed to welcome and introduce them to the Middle School Ministry and its events, staff, and small group leaders.

This transitional milestone is celebrated every August on the Sunday prior to Promotion Weekend. Just like Kindergarten Blessing, parents of 5th graders are released early from the main service to join their children in Kids Village and speak a word of blessing and encouragement over their child.

Milestones for Students (6th–12th Grade)

ID Retreat 2.0

Talking about sex with your kids can be awkward, but don't let that stop you from having one of the most loving and necessary conversations with them—especially when they’re in middle school. ID Retreat 2.0 is an overnight milestone event for 7th graders and their parents that’s designed to further conversations about identity, sex, and gender introduced at ID Retreat two years prior. Over the course of the weekend, parents will be equipped and set up to have meaningful conversations with their children while making fun, lasting memories together.

Fish Camp

Transitioning from middle school to high school is a major marker in the life of a student. High school brings a ton of challenges and opportunities that allow the parent and small group leader to partner together for the discipleship of the student.

This milestone retreat provides incoming freshmen the chance to meet and develop relationships with their peers and small groups leader(s) before transitioning to our High School Ministry. Part of the weekend includes a parent meeting to help equip them to see their student grow to own their faith before graduating high school.

Student Mission Trips

We believe that God does something profound in the heart of a student when they see how He is moving in places outside of the DFW area. Our hope would be to have every high school student go on an overseas mission trip prior to graduation.

This milestone helps students learn how to share their faith, participate in the mission of God globally, and foster a heart for evangelism in their everyday life. We desire for students to take the gospel from their neighborhood to the nations.

High School Graduation

Every May, our graduating seniors will get the opportunity to recount all that God has done in their lives through our Senior Family Dinner and recognition in the main gathering on Sunday.

This milestone invites the family to affirm their student through encouragement, the body to pray over the students as they transition to what’s next, and for the student to consider how God would desire to work in and through them as they head to college/work.

More Milestones

Baptism

Baptism is a significant event in the life of a believer, a demonstration of being united with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is also a celebration of becoming a part of the community of believers. Baptism is something that should be understood and cherished. At The Village, we treat the baptism of children with special care and have created a class to help parents walk with their children through the baptism process.

Family Mission Trip

Experiencing a short-term mission trip together can be one of the most impactful and transformative things your family does. We encourage families at TVC to make this a family discipleship milestone by participating in one of our short-term family trips. Only one adult and one child need to participate in order to qualify for a family trip.

Featured Opportunities

Elementary Baptism Class We treat the baptism of children with special care and have created a class to help parents walk with their children through the baptism process.

Baby/Child Dedication Little Village provides helpful resources to aid families in the dedication of their child.

Family Mission Trip We encourage families to make a discipleship milestone by participating in one of our short-term trips.

Learn more

Remembering God’s work in the life of the family and child