Christian Formation Programs
Nursery: Infants and toddlers are welcomed in the nursery room located on the second floor down the hallway from the elevator. It is staffed year round by trained nursery attendants. The newly renovated space is filled with age appropriate equipment, books and other materials. Children over the age of three are encouraged to attend children’s church when they are comfortable doing so. There is a changing table located in the nursery and in the lower level restroom. There is also private space for nursing mothers.
Children’s Church for
preschool-kindergarten: During the first portion of the service,
children in preschool and kindergarten can choose to attend a special
children's church in the second floor Olcott Room. The scripture
readings are presented to the children on their level through story,
song, crafts and creative movement. The children also take turns taking
on the special roles of priest, deacon, acolyte and altar guild each
week using smaller versions of the vestments and vessels used in church.
They are surrounded by the stories, symbols and images of our tradition,
so they can learn their own language of faith and make it their own.
Elementary: Education sessions are held in various rooms on the third floor for children in grades 1-6, September through May, from 9:45a.m. -10:30a.m. An interactive, rotation style Episcopal curriculum is used called Workshop Cycles in which children gather to experiment Bible stories and key concepts in an innovative style. A rotation style model means that children work on the same story or concept for several weeks, using different learning approaches to allow the children to learn and internalize biblical stories or concepts, all while using their five senses and the total spirit of the child. Children visit different workshop rooms each week for three or four weeks as they experience the story or concept in a different way that affords some continuity for children unable to attend every Sunday. It uses multiple learning styles to appeal to many different children. Workshops include Art, Storytelling, Music, Computer, Games, Cooking, Movies, Drama or Puppets, Science and Geography Studies. Children will also participate in a year-long service program called the Twelve Baskets Project, described in a later section of this booklet. This year the Millennium Development Goals, adopted by the United Nations and the Episcopal Church to eradicate extreme poverty, will also be incorporated in our workshops.
Teens: Middle school youth meet weekly on Sunday mornings to explore their faith in many ways. They will be involved in the Workshop Cycles program and also engage in their own program of spiritual formation. Confirmation classes are held on Sunday morning for 9th and 10th graders at 9:00 a.m. This is a two-year program with confirmation in the 10th grade. Led by a team of adults, the youth engage in scripture study, a mentorship program, discussion and exploration of their faith with particular attention given to the catechism. A monthly service opportunity is available to our youth in connection with the Twelve Baskets Project and plans are underway to provide a monthly activity for youth.
Intergenerational Events: Several times throughout the year, the parish sponsors events based on the seasons of the church year where all ages can gather and plan, pray, and learn together. A separate page for intergenerational events is included in this booklet.
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