CHILDREN & YOUTH CHRISTIAN  EDUCATION

 Jennifer Dunn  -  Director of Children's Ministries.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me. Don't keep them away. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to people like them."

PRESCHOOL THRU GRADE 6 

Passing on our faith to children is important to all Christians. This is a priority here in Christ Church. 

• The goals of our Sunday School program are:  

• To lay a spiritual foundation by telling the story of God's action throughout history with His people.

• To build relationships with God through Jesus Christ.

• To nurture a healthy Christian community between adults and children.

• To encourage participation and understanding of communal worship, prayer and praise. 

• To provide opportunities for adults to share their gifts and talents while passing on our faith to our children.

'ALL THINGS NEW' the curriculum for Todays' Episcopal Children. 

The Episcopal Children's Curriculum is a comprehensive program covering the Old and New Testament, Episcopal Liturgy and Church Traditions at each level.  This program welcomes today's children through immersion experiences that promote inclusion and community diversity through choices of story, image and activity.  It offers scripture stories that are both vital to self understanding of the Church and engaging to children.  It incorporates current research into multiple intelligences by emphasizing a variety of hands-on activities over verbal instruction.  We also find in this program biblical background, basic information on the Episcopal Church as well as presenting methods of teaching development, art and movement.

Each week our lessons are laid out in a manner that is helpful and useful for our teachers. Each Sunday the children receive a 'Children's Paper' with age appropriate activities for the child to use at group time and then take home to share with parents.

Our interactive prayer book for children grades 1 - 4 helps them learn more than a dozen of the most familiar prayers of our Episcopal liturgies. Students add their own words and drawings to personalize their prayer books.  

Our Teachers are excied about this curriculum.  They find that as they teach your child they are learning so much themselves. This program is different from the Sunday School you might remember from your own childhood. However, all we need to use this program, is a heart that respects children and an eagerness to grow in a Christian community.

Our ambition as Children Educators is:

• To nurture the child.

• To treasure each child as a gift from God.

• To recognize and foster children's spiritual and unique gifts.

• To appreciate childrens' abilities and readiness to represent Christ and His Church.

 'Give a little love to a child, and you get a great deal back.'

 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION GRADES 7 - 12

'O Lord, you alone are my hope. I've trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.'

Our Sunday School curriculum serves young people up to High School age. It features a comprehensive scripture teaching used widely in Anglican/Episcopal churches in many parts of the world.

Living The Good News provides a lectionary based curriculum that shapes and transforms lives. The program resource addresses all stages of spiritual growth and commitment. We find in these lessons an exploration of everyday Christian living.   Each lesson includes an overview of how the scripture readings fit together. It gives a brief background for each reading and a reflection and response question based on the ancient cycle of bible readings known as the lectionary.

For close to three decades, Living The Good News has provided Christian Churches with up to date Christian education. This program bridges our everyday stories with the timeless stories of our Chrisian faith and celebration of God's unending love and grace.

Increasing pressure to fit in is strong for young teens. These timely sessions help leaders communicate unconditional acceptance and tells how faith helps teens weather problems, accept shortcomings and make wise choices.

The program helps equip leaders with confidence and resources to face and explore teenagers' challenging questions. Ideas for self discovery and service invite teens to put God's love to work in their peer groups, church and community. Scripture readings, insightful commentary and discussion questions help leaders prompt deeper thinking about Christian beliefs and how to live them out in daily life.

It is a jungle out there when you are a young teen. Peer pressure is heating up.    Lines are drawn dividing whose cool and who isn't. There are cruel comments and malicious whispers running rampant.

Providing a warm and loving refuge is a primary goal of our program for this age group.   We aim to teach the powerful role that prayer and the sacraments can play in helping them cope with everyday concerns.

This is a new curriculum for our Teachers and Students and we are excited about the content. We ask that you the parents support us as we try to prepare your teenager for the future.

'What does the Lord require of you?

To act justly, and to love mercy: