Programs for Children and Youth


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CHURCH SCHOOL AND YOUTH PROGRAMS

Our child and youth Christian education classes are filled with laughter, singing, sharing and caring. We "make a joyful noise unto the Lord" and teach our children about Christ's love and the joy of helping others in his name.

Our church school children, junior high confirmands, and teens are under the care and guidance of Mrs. Patricia Harris, our Director of Spiritual Formation. The curriculum is chosen by the Christian Education Committee and Mrs. Harris, and is reviewed every few years and compared with new offerings. Currently, the Live B.I.G. curriculum is being taught, supplemented by other age-appropriate materials. www.iLiveBig.com

LIVE B.I.G. (Belief in God) has three big truths:

1. God is a great BIG God;

2. God loves us with a great BIG love!

3. We are part of God's great BIG world!

We offer a care for infants in our Starry Night Nursery
Preschool fun in our Noah's Ark
Our Sea of Galilee room is for K-2nd grades and we Live B.I.G. with crafts, hands on activities,
and praise singing along with Bongo, our favorite bird puppet
On the Mount we live B.I.G. by coming to know the love of God through Jesus using art, drama, dance, games, worship. prayer and hands-on activities.

Nursery

Our youngest children play in the Nursery under the watchful eyes of caring members of our congregation. Nursery care is provided on Sundays, for special services and many church programs. The Nursery is on the main floor, just down the hall from the sanctuary and next to the Pastor's study.

Toddler and Preschool classes

Children ages two to five participate in classes designed to accommodate short attention spans and the need for activity. Old and New Testament stories, simple crafts, games and songs—and snacks, of course—are shared as our children learn to respect and be kind to each other. Enrollment each year determines the number of classes, but class size is small so that each child receives maximum attention from our enthusiastic teachers.

Kindergarten through 5th grade

Our Sunday church school program seeks to provide a variety of classroom experiences that:

Help children become familiar with the content of both Old and New Testaments,
Understand the concept of being a covenant people with God,
Begin to develop a personal relationship with Jesus,
Lay the foundation for bringing God's work and word into the world.

In addition to church school, our third graders receive a children's Bible early in the year and participate in "Bible Buddies", a program that pairs each child with a mentor and uses fun activities and get togethers to foster an interest and understanding of the Bible.

SOUL and Confirmation

Sixth through 8^th grade children participate in SOUL and begin to explore in greater depth what it means to be a Christian; the history of our denomination; world religions; and putting faith into action. Sixth and 7^th graders also attend Confirmation classes, led by our pastor and lay leaders. The two-year program provides opportunities for each student to work with a mentor to prepare for being an adult member of the church.

Crew Club

Crew Club provides an opportunity for middle school youth from several area churches to get involved in age-appropriate service activities and to have fun in a social setting. They meet each month with volunteer adult leaders.

"Reflections"

Teens meet with adult facilitators on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month from October through May to explore issues of faith, social justice, and the unique pressures and opportunities facing today's high school students. Debates, games, projects and Bible challenges keep things lively up in the teens' loft room.

Program Objectives

1.    To provide an opportunity for high school/newly confirmed members to deepen their faith through study and discussion in an informal and highly interactive environment.

2.    To encourage youth to probe and explore issues of faith and morality which directly affect their lives.

3.    To provide opportunities for our young persons to share the faith journeys of adults within our congregation.

4.    To help our youth grow in their familiarity with the Bible and the impact it has on their lives.

5.    To allow our youth to express their faith in age-appropriate ways, and encourage them to feel confident in developing unique, personal methods of prayer.

Feed Your Spirit (FYS)

High school age members members from several local churches share ideas and activities twice a month. They also participate in youth retreats, mission service projects, and a week-long mission trip each summer where they have helped build playgrounds, repair homes and get a personal "big picture" view of how Christians can help others in the world.

LIVE IT!

A new small group opportunity for high school girls, Live It! meets every other Tuesday night. The group cooks dinner together and discusses spiritual and social topics of particular interest to teen girls. Craft activities and mission projects round out the program.

The 2010-2011 youth schedules will be posted soon. Until then, call us for information: 847-392-6650.