Children’s Ministries at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church
Children and Worship is our Sunday morning program for preschool-5th graders
Worship Centers provide space for children from age three through fifth grade. Worship Center is what we call a classroom traditionally known as Sunday school rooms. Each week Celebrants (formerly known as Sunday school teachers) engage the children in the morning's activities. We have three Worship Centers: one for Preschoolers, one for Kindergarten-2nd grade, and one for 3rd-5th grade.
Children are taken to their Worship Centers before worship begins. They begin by gathering in a circle, greeting and sharing a call to worship. "Story" is then told by the Celebrant using three-dimensional figures. Following the telling of the story, important time is spent wondering about the events of the story. “I wonder… what is the most important part of this story? I wonder… what can I take away from the story and still have the story? I wonder… where can I find myself in this story?” It is here that the children can enter the story and claim it as their own. They might imagine where or when they might have done or felt something similar to what the story conveys. Here, they wonder together about the deeper meanings that might arise from the telling of the story.
Following the telling of story, the children are given the opportunity to respond. A variety of art materials are provided along with the invitation to re-tell the story using the materials. They may be invited to sing or dance, to journal or work together on a mural, to look up more information, to create a work of art.
Following their response time, the children re-gather in a circle before the altar. It is time to sing and share the morning's work. A candle is lit and portions of the morning's story are read from the Bible. Children offer their prayers of concern and joy. The morning closes with all sharing a "feast" together after which the children are led upstairs for Holy Eucharist.
Every week, we seek to provide an experience of God for the children. We believe that by giving children the stories and images of faith, by giving them visuals in their worship practices, by showing them symbols which are important touchstones for faith development, we will give them tools that will enable them to see the sacred in the ordinary and help them sense God's presence in every place and every time. It is our goal that they might experience the presence of God everyday, not just within the walls of their Worship Centers.
We would like the recognize and thank Julie Kuhn for creating and sewing the beautiful wall hangings for the worship center rooms. We are so grateful for her sewing ministry, as well as having been a storyteller in the worship center. She also added bookcase runners for the bookshelves in each of the rooms. Her creations help to remind the children of the change of church seasons in a beautiful way. Many thanks, Julie!
Children’s Oasis is our Wednesday evening program for K-5th graders
Oasis is our intergenerational Wednesday night program. It starts with a delicious, home-cooked meal for all ages. Then, participants are organized by age range. Infants through preschoolers play together in the nursery, while Kindergarteners through 5th graders explore their faith.
Oasis is hands-on, fun, and practical faith development for a multi-age classroom community.
