About
Christian Education at St. Paul's
2007 - 08 Church School Schedule & Registration - click here! |
Overview
St. Paul 's provides Christian Education for all ages, scheduled around the 9:15 service each Sunday.
Children ages 3, 4 and 5 begin their morning with a special Creative Learning Class at 9:15 in the Parish Hall and join their family in church at the Peace.
Children in grades 1 and 2 are invited to attend the Children’s Chapel. Children’s Chapel begins at 9:15 and the children join their family in church at the Peace.
School-age children (Preschool- grade 7) attend Church School classes that are grade specific, following the 9:15 service, typically at 10:30 and ending at 11:15 .
Confirmation
Confirmation classes take place on Sunday after the 9:15 service, from 10:30 - 11:15am . Confirmation classes are in session from September through May. In 2005 the Connecticut Diocese handed down new guidelines for Confirmation , asking that youth be at least 16 years old when they are confirmed. At St. Paul’s, Confirmation is a two year process, with Confirmation 1 for students in grade 9, and continuing with Confirmation 2 for students in grade 10.
Youth Ministry
St. Paul's has an ever-growing youth ministry program for young people. The program for students in grades 6-8 is called the Junior Young Person Fellowship or JYPF. It meets every other Friday evening. The program serving grades 9-12 is the Senior Young Person Fellowship or SYPF. It meets on Sunday evenings. (See the correspondending pages on this site.) There is also a program for students in college or college-age. For further information contact our youth minister, Barbara Holms , at 259-3013.
Faith and Life Forum
Adults are invited to hear speakers on a variety of topics at the Faith and Life Forum, held Sundays after the 9:15 service (while the children are in Sunday School). The clergy and laity of St. Paul 's also offer a variety of special courses throughout the year. Nursery care is provided for children ages birth through 3 at our 9:15 and 11:15 services.
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Registration
Registration forms are mailed out to all Church School families that are registered with the church office as of July. The main registration starts in August, just before the start of a new Church School year, which is the Sunday after Labor Day. Knowing that our lives are ever changing, you may register your child(ren) at any time during the year.
Church-School Registration Form in printable PDF Format
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More about our Christian Education Programs
Creative Learning Class
Creative Learning Class is a class for children ages 3, 4 and 5. The children will explore their faith through story, song or crafts. Students attending Creative Learning Class will meet in the Parish Hall at 9:15 , and the children will be brought into the church at the Peace. Creative Learning Class is not in session on the first Sunday of the month, which is Children and Youth Sunday. On this first Sunday, all children are invited to attend the 9:15 service and come forward to sit at the altar rail for the special children’s sermon.
Children’s Chapel
Children in grades 1 and 2 are invited to attend Children’s Chapel at 9:15 , and they are brought into the church at the Peace. In the Children’s Chapel the children participate in informal worship that includes interactive prayers, story telling, and conversation about the gospel for the day. To get to the “Children’s Chapel”, please go through the double doors near the Old Post Road entrance, turn left past the office, go through a 2 nd set of double doors, and the Chapel is on the left, just past the nursery. Children’s Chapel is not in session on the first Sunday of the month, which is Children and Youth Sunday. On this first Sunday, all children are invited to attend the 9:15 service and come forward to sit at the altar rail for the special children’s sermon.
About Children & Youth Sunday
Children & Youth Sunday is the first Sunday of every month. During the psalm before the Gospel, children of all ages are invited to gather at the altar, where they listen to the special sermon geared towards our younger parishioner. Parents are always welcome to come and join their children at the altar.
Children of the parish are also encouraged to participate in the service by reading the lesson for the day, leading the Prayers of the People, ushering, greeting, serving in the choir or as an acolyte, and delivering the elements to the altar.
Church School Curriculum – Grades Pre-K through 7
The Pre-K class follows the All Things New curriculum. Children discover key stories of the Bible, together with Episcopal basics. Children are encouraged to bring home the “All Things Newspaper” which is intended to help parents reinforce the faith formation activities of the day. Children learn the stories of our faith through storytelling, playtime, music and crafts.
The K/1 class uses Living The Good News, which is an Episcopal lectionary based curriculum for their age group. The children explore the scripture of the church through song, stories, felt board, music and crafts. Children are given “take home papers” relating to the lesson of the day, and also a resource sheet to engage the entire family in the lessons learned that Sunday.
Church School for grades 2 – 7 follows a 4 week cycle.
During the first 3 weeks of the cycle, children in grades 2-7 learn about their faith stories via “The WORM”. The WORM stands for Workshop Rotation Model. Current curriculum is obtained through PowerXpress. Children learn one theme over a three week period in different workshops. Volunteer teachers chose their class from the following options: Cooking, Art, Games, Music, Storytelling, Computer, Science or Video. Each class during the three week period teaches the same lesson, psalm or bible story using one of these 8 methods, but they encounter it in different ways in each workshop. The more a child is exposed to the lesson, the more it is reinforced in their memories. Rotational learning is very flexible and adapts to many settings. Rotational learning is exciting for the students as well as the teachers. The teachers will change for each 3 week lesson.
The 4 th week for the children in grades 2 – 7 is "Stewardship Sunday”. While the teacher and classroom in the WORM rotations change each week, the Stewardship Sunday teacher and classroom will be the same for the entire Church School Year. Children will learn that, as children of God, we are called to practice good stewardship by giving generously of God-given gifts of our talents, our time, and our money. We are called to be stewards of our faith at any age.
Church School is in session from September through May. Registration packets will be mailed in early August. Registration forms will also be available on the hall bulletin board, or please call the church office to have one mailed to you. The church school calendar will be posted on the website in August, as well as various places throughout the church. Please check the website or Sunday bulletin for any changes to the calendar.
Shepherds
All children in 8 th grade are encouraged to act as a “Shepherd” in either Creative Learning Class, Children’s Chapel or Church School classes grades Pre-k through 7. The role of the Shepherd is to get to know the children in his/her class, to make the child’s experience in Church School a positive one by being a friend and good role model. The Shepherd also assists the teacher with greeting the children, attendance, encouraging discussion and helping in general
Confirmation
Confirmation 1 and Confirmation 2 use, among other resources, My Faith, My Life – A Teen’s Guide to the Episcopal Church, by Jenifer Gamber. This curriculum is closely linked to the Book of Common prayer and covers topics from Scripture, church history and sacraments, to the meaning of prayer and ministry in the lives of real teens today. In year 2, the students embark on a mentoring program which is an important part of their faith journey towards Confirmation .
Confirmation at St. Paul 's is a program that focuses on learning about the church and developing, through adult mentoring, a personal Christian commitment.
Please check this website or the Sunday bulletin for any changes to the schedule.
