Children
Our Christian education program is designed to provide children with time and space for their own spiritual growth. Sunday school classes meet during the weekly 10:00 am service. We divide the children typically into three separate groups: preschool (three years old – kindergarten); grades 1-3; and grades 4-6. Nursery services are available for infants and toddlers.
Some Sundays, the lesson is in the tradition of “Godly Play,” (an Episcopal Christian education curriculum with roots in the Montessori philosophy). Other Sundays, the story comes from the Sunday lectionary and is the basis for age-appropriate crafts or activities. Alyssa Trometter is our Sunday School coordinator. As part of our outreach program, the children also visit a nearby nursing home, the Arlington Rest Home, several times during the year.
The 10:00 am service on the first Sunday of the month is a Family Service. The Nursery is open, but there are no separate Sunday School classes. Children are invited to remain in church during the worship service.
We invite all members of the parish family to be involved in our Christian education activities – as teachers and assistants. All those of us who have spent time with the children in the past know that it is a spiritually rich (and often surprising!) experience.
If we, as people of faith, value our children, we will recognize that one of our most significant responsibilities is to help them stay in touch with their spiritual selves. In order for children to be able to do this, they need to be allowed time and space to grow in their understanding of God.”
– Betty Shannon Cloyd, Children and Prayer: A Shared Pilgrimage
