Sometimes kids’ ministry can be a little more like childcare, but not here. Through playtime, crafts, singing, and Bible stories, we want kids to hear the good news of Jesus Christ so they’d learn to know there is no one and nothing better than Him.

Children’s safety is of utmost importance to us so we make sure our leaders are qualified, our classrooms are clean, orderly, and safe, and our children are carefully watched over as they enjoy their time with us.

We want children to learn about Jesus just like their parents are, but not in the same way! All our Bible lessons and activities are designed to be engaging, encouraging, and educational for your child’s age group.

God did not make a boring world and Jesus was not a boring guy so we work to help children experience the goodness of God-given fun as they learn about how good He is.

We don’t want to supplant the parent's role in raising their kids to know Jesus, but we definitely want to supplement it by encouraging and equipping parents to raise their kids to know and love Jesus.

Hello! My name is Larissa Hewitt, and I am the director of Union Kids. I have been a part of Union Church since 2016, and have been tremendously blessed to see The Lord work over the last six years. I moved to San Clemente in 2018, and live here now with my husband, Matt, and our two year old son, Hudson. 

My love for children led me to receive a BS in Elementary Education from Liberty University, as well as to work full time as a preschool teacher, but my true passion lies in teaching children The Gospel. It has been so sweet to be a part of a ministry where we are seeking to do just that! 

Hi there! My name is Maddie Dano and I am the Assistant Director of Union Kids. I have lived in Orange County for most of my life, and I first attended Union Church in Fall 2020. Since then, Union continues to be a gift that keeps on giving in my life. The Lord has revealed so much of His goodness to me through His Word and through friendship at Union. In college, the He made it clear to me to work with children, and I recently started my career as a Speech Language Pathologist, working in pediatrics. The Lord has guided me to use the gifts He has given me for kids ministry.

I am so honored to serve in Union Kids alongside Larissa and the rest of my church family.  It has brought me so much joy to learn more about the Bible and God’s character with my little brothers and sisters in Christ. The Lord continues to use kids ministry as a reminder to have child-like faith. I am very grateful to be a part of what the Lord is doing at Union Kids!

Union Kids currently has four classrooms, serving children form 6 months- 11 years old.

• Nursery: 6 months-18 months
• Toddlers: 18 months- 2 years old
• Preschool/Kinder: 3-5 years old
• Elementary: 6-11 years old

We use The Gospel Project for Kids curriculum for all of our classes. The Gospel Project is produced by Lifeway ministries, and goes through the entire Bible from start to finish over the course of three years.