Children

Children & Family Ministry Committee

A lay group charged with planning educational and service opportunities for children birth to 5th grade and their families, including Church School organization. Please contact Valerie Bateman for additional information.

Children & Family Education Programs

• Church School: Classes for two-year-olds through high school age taught by teams of adult parishioners from 10:20 to 11:05 a.m. each Sunday during the school year. Our final class for the 2008-2009 year will be held May 17.

• Children's Chapel: A Sunday morning service in the chapel that provides the first liturgical experience for children ages two through kindergarten. Children’s Chapel includes music, stories, prayer and the teaching of familiar responses heard in “Big Church.” Except in inclement weather, children meet on the playground before processing to the chapel. Children's Chapel is held during the 9:00 service except in summer, when it is held during the 10:00 service. For questions, please contact Boykin Bell.

• Youth Saints: Children in the 3rd grade and older who do not participate in choir are invited to serve as assistants in the Children's Chapel Program. Boykin Bell

• Worship Class for 1st & 2nd Graders: The class meets in the Library and Campus Center during the 9:00 service at selected times throughout the year. Please watch the weekly announcements for sessions. Gretchen Jordan.

• Vacation Church School: A week-long morning program in the summer for children who have completed pre-school through elementary school ages. In 2009, VCS will be held July 20-24. Registration for parishioners will begin April 1st and open for the general public on May 1st. Gretchen Jordan.

• Intergenerational Events: Occur throughout the year and provide education and fellowship for all ages during the church school hour. One of the most popular "intergenerationals" is the Advent Wreath making and Jesse Tree event held at the beginning of the Advent season.

• Outreach/Mission Events: Global stewardship and concern for those in need are encouraged throughout the year. Opportunities are provided to fill a Heifer International "ark," give to the Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza and support Chapel of the Cross missions in Honduras and South Africa.

• God and Me/God and Family: Small groups for children ages third-fifth grade. These groups are open to all children but allow boy and girl scouts the opportunity to earn scouting awards, including the boy scout "purple knot." Frank McBride.

• Serving the Church: Children and youth can serve the church in many ways, including singing in the choir, volunteering as a youth lector oracolyte, joining a group of Christmas carolers visiting the homebound, assisting in Children's Chapel as a Youth Saint or helping at the ABC Sale.

• Nursery: Care for infants through five-year-olds is offered during both the 9:00 and 11:15 a.m. services and during the church school hour. In the summer, nursery care is available only during the 10:00 service. Children ages two and older (and out of diapers) are encouraged to participate in Children's Chapel and Church School when it is offered. The nursery is located on the second floor of the Church School building and is staffed every Sunday with well-trained and loving caregivers. Joy Gattis

• Guild of the Christ Child: The Guild of the Christ Child is a group of parishioners whose primary responsibility is to welcome new babies into our parish, whether as new families or as new babies born to (or adopted by) existing parishioners. Click here for more information.