PROGRAM AREAS FOR CHILDREN

Infants and toddlers

Ms. Carolyn Hurling is our child care provider during the first half of the 10:30 service, caring for one to three children on a typical Sunday. Nursery takes place on the stage of the parish hall, within sight and sound of Sunday School, and closes at the Offertory so that all children are in church for communion.

There is also a rocking chair at the rear of the church and a toddler play space near the front. Both receive regular use by families with small children.

Sunday School

Sunday School functions as a friendly and very diverse mixed-age class, with children from Kindergarten through 7th grade. Children begin the church service with their families, go to the parish hall after the opening hymn, and return at the Offertory.

Sunday School time is divided between worship and activity time. The "lesson" is presented in the context of worship, with singing, story, conversation and prayer. All our curriculum is home-grown, and centers on hymns, Bible stories, the church’s year, and the church’s life together in prayer, sacrament, and faithful living. Typically, we learn a hymn as a unifying device for a seasonal unit such as Epiphany or Lent; the story or lesson may come directly from the Bible or via the feltboard, the Sunday Paper Junior, or some other source. The older kids set the tone with lively, insightful questions and comments; the younger ones fearlessly join in, or quietly absorb the stories and discussion.

Activity time is designed to be a group effort, to which all the children can contribute regardless of their age, ability, or regularity of attendance. We extend the projects over an entire unit, and try to have the end result be something of permanent value and/or something to share with the parish as a whole. In 2003 we created a mural depicting the life of Jesus which now hangs in the parish hall, and decorated the immersion font for Debbie Troutman’s baptism in November. The kids have developed a strong visual sense of our Scripture story. Their artwork regularly adorns the cover of the Sunday morning bulletin; they decorate the Paschal candle every year and make baptismal candles for every child or adult who is baptized; and their banners are carried in processions.

The Christmas pageant serves as our learning unit for the season of Advent, as it has for over 20 years. It would be hard to overestimate the importance of this annual tradition in building community, creating memories, and instilling a deep sense of our Biblical story in several generations of children.