NURSERY l SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL l YOUTH OF MESSIAH l VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

NURSERY (Up to Age 4)

Some families will also want to take advantage of the parish nursery. The nursery is available every Sunday beginning at 9:15 a.m. through the end of the morning. Staffed by trained parish volunteers under the leadership of the nursery coordinator, the nursery is located on the second floor of the Parish House (greeters and ushers will be happy to escort you and introduce you to the morning’s staffers). We ask that an adult (not older siblings) bring the child to the nursery and pick up children at the end of the morning. Please feel free to tell the staffers of any special instructions or special requests for your child. You will be given a buzzer to carry into church in the unlikely event that your child needs you to return to the nursery early.

 

SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL (PreK - 6th grade)

Our Sunday Church School is for children age 4 through grade 6 (7th through 12th grade have their own Sunday morning class) and meets after the 9:30 service September through May. Our curriculum, Workshop Cycles, recognizes that all children learn in different manners and benefit from a cycle of repetition coupled with innovation. Each 4-6 week cycle focuses on one Bible story or theme. Each session begins with all the children gathering to hear the focus story being repeated each week but told or read by a different storyteller; then dividing into groups based on age and ability, the children move through a series of workshops. These workshop activities, which change weekly, explore or reinforce some aspect of the story through a variety of drama and music, computer work, movies, discussions, art projects, kitchen or science activities.

The children in our Church School program participate in worship services throughout the year, from the highly-anticipated Christmas Program the week before Christmas, to the Mother's Day Service, where the children serve as ushers, read the lessons, compose and lead prayers, preach the sermon and join the clergy at the altar for the consecration of the sacrament.

YOUTH OF MESSIAH (YOM) (7th - 12th grade)

Youth of Messiah is a ministry program which serves both middle and high school students with the mission of sharing God’s love. Through our ministry, teens learn how they may have a relationship with God and grow in their faith. We teach our teens that the best way to lead is by example. Our actions define who we are as Christians and so our ministry strives to reach out and serve others.

Youth of Messiah is a place where teens can discuss what is on their minds in a safe, loving, and accepting environment while growing in our faith. Youth of Messiah meets every Wednesday night throughout the school year at 6:15 p.m. We begin by eating dinner together and playing a few games. Afterwards we move to the Youth Room for our lesson. Our Wednesday evening lessons vary in topics ranging from friends, school, social issues, relationships, poverty, etc. to discussions on growing in our faith, coexisting with other religions, reaching out to others, and sharing our faith.

Our ministry also meets on Sundays following our 9:30 a.m. service. We will often base our discussion on the sermon of the day and relate the teachings to youth culture. These Sunday morning meetings are also a time for our youth to share what is on their minds, what is going on in their lives, and to build their relationships with fellow youth.

We also plan several recreational and ministry trips for our youth throughout the year. In the past, we have taken trips to a Navajo reservation in Arizona, to Philadelphia, Guatemala, and Tennessee for week-long mission trips. We also are involved in community service projects in Montgomery County, Philadelphia, and also at Church of the Messiah.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Each summer, a week-long Vacation Bible School is held for children ages 4 through 6th grade. To assist working families, VBS is held in the evening from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Leaders and teachers are adult volunteers and members of the youth group. Through stories and songs, craft projects, games and snacks, children learn not only about the love of Jesus but the love of the parish community as well.

Click here to register for the 2012 VBS, July 8-12, 2012.