Children and Youth Christian Formation
Sunday Morning Sunday School -- Sundays at 9 a.m.
Preschool through Grade 5
Our program for these children and youth is similar to the one-room schoolhouse. Teachers are supported by classroom “grandparents.” The curriculum is Godly Play. Godly Play teaches children the art of using religious language - parable, sacred story, silence and liturgical action - helping them become more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives. Based on the insights of Maria Montessori, this program honors the child's natural sense of the sacred and seeks to provide a richly structured environment in which the religious potential of a child may freely develop.
Junior High (Grades 6 – 8)
Junior High is a time for great change in a young person. In the Jr. High class, we turn from the childhood Bible stories that have nurtured us in our early years and the crafts that bring them to life. We transition from hearing the stories to investigating the Bible and finding how the truths there-in can be applied in our daily life both at home, on the sports field, and in school. We base part of our class on reading and reflecting on the Sunday lectionary. The rest of the class period is dedicated to describing how we spent our week and practiced the principles that are found throughout the Bible and in the Word of God. By the time a student leaves the Junior High class they have learned to question the Bible for its deeper meanings and have started building the ground work for their individual faith journeys as they continue into senior high and adulthood.
Senior High (Grades 9-12)
The curriculum utilized in the Senior High Christian Education and Faith Formation is based in the Episcopal understanding that our faith finds authority in Scripture, Tradition, and Reason. The classroom instruction is based on the weekly lectionary passages, but is often read from biblical sources other than The New Revised Standard Edition (e,g., The Good News Bible, The New Jerusalem Bible, The Message, The Torah, and The Tenach). This encourages additional discussion and interpretation of the passages among participants and gives them the opportunity to have a more personal understanding of the texts. This is often reinforced with additional historical notes concerning the authors of the passages, the time when they were written and the audience for whom they were written. The classroom mentors also attempt to explore the relevance of the lectionary materials to contemporary society.
Worship at 10:30 on Sundays
We understand the ancient formula "lex orandi, lex credendi" (the law of worship is the law of belief), or more simply, the way we worship forms the way we believe. We invite children and youth to worship with us. Children, age 8 and older, serve as acolytes (altar girls and boys). Younger children (up through age 7) are invited to attend the "Sermon Class" in the Parish Hall during the sermon time. But all children are invited to join in our worship and to receive the sacrament of Holy Communion. We want our children to know that they are part of the family of God and that they are welcome at the family table!