Promiseland at Willow

If you have an infant or toddler, you can bring a diaper, their pacifier, and a bottle or sippy cup. For a 2 year old, please just bring a diaper. For kids age 3 and up—nothing at all!

We always have extra diapers and clean, dry clothes as well, so don’t worry if you forget!

Head to the Welcome Center, right inside our D Entrance. We will get your child(ren) registered and walk you to their Promiseland room(s).

We will need the following personal information: parent/legal guardian names, children’s names and birthdates, home address, phone number(s), email address, name of your local high school, and any special instructions (allergies, special needs) for each child. This information is entered into our Promiseland database to help maintain our secure check-in system.

Every piece of information helps us serve your kids better! Your child’s birthdate helps us place them in the right classroom. Your mobile phone number(s) allows us to text you during service if your child needs you. Your email address lets us send you important information in our weekly parent email. The name of your local high school helps us place your child in a small group with others who live nearby, so we can fulfill our Promiseland purpose: “Create environments for kids to build relationships with God and others through small groups.”

Absolutely! Click here.

Promiseland opens at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, and 8:45 & 11 a.m. on Sunday. You’ll return to pick-up your child right after the worship services have ended.

Of course! Just mention that you would like to visit your child’s room at check in, and we’ll get you your very own guest name tag.

Kids play together, connect with friends in a Small Group, worship God, explore the Bible, and talk together about how the day’s lesson connects with their everyday life.

We have a safe and fun space designed just for birth to 12 months. Infants enjoy a 1:2 ratio of leaders to babies, and the rooms are full of baby-oriented toys. If your infant needs to sleep, there are cribs for them. We have a fridge for breastmilk and bottle warmers. If you can, please label their items with their name before you come.

Your child’s safety is important to us, and we have many elements working together to keep every child safe: all volunteers are screened through government-run background checks; volunteers receive ongoing training about child safety; and we maintain a thorough safety protocol throughout the hour, including a security tag system for check in and pick up.

We will send you a text if we need to contact you for any reason during the service. Please keep your phone available, with sound turned off or on vibrate. If you think we may not have your correct mobile number or want to add an additional number, stop at the Volunteer Check-In Desk in the main lobby for assistance.

Only if we have their phone number! If someone other than a parent or legal guardian checks in your child, that person needs to have their own listing in our church database and use their own phone number at check-in. We are happy to help them at the Volunteer Check-In Desk in the main lobby.

Promiseland is a nut-free space, and snacks (offered to kids from Age 2-Pre-K) are also gluten-free. If we are serving any special food items, you will be notified at check in.

If your child uses an epi pen, please bring it in a labeled bag, and it will remain with a trained volunteer through the entire service.

Willow Creek believes Baptism is for those who have made a personal decision to trust Christ alone for their salvation, once they have the maturity and ability to understand what that means. As a general rule, Willow Creek's Elders have determined that a believer must be at least 12 years old to be baptized.

Rather than baptizing infants or children, Willow encourages Christian parents to dedicate their children. This is a ceremony in which parents formally call upon God’s blessing for their child and publicly commit to raise him or her in accordance with Scripture.

Dedication is not a sacrament; nor does it impart grace or salvation to a child. Salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ as each person recognizes their sinfulness and receives forgiveness and eternal life through Christ and His work on the cross.

Willow Creek South Barrington is in the process of revamping baby dedication, as our church works through several transitions. Once we have our new plan in place, we will provide that information on our website. If you have any other questions, please email Jennifer at [email protected].

Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for the most up-to-date happenings in Promiseland. If you want to receive our weekly parent email updates, please contact Jennifer at [email protected].

Ask us! Email [email protected].