Children’s Chapel and Nursery are back! Children’s Chapel is geared toward kindergarten and elementary school children. Nursery is for younger children. Drop-off starts at 9:45 in the parish hall. Middle school children are welcome to participate in Children’s Chapel and will have the chance to hone their helping skills. We will be starting a new Youth Group for middle and high school youth soon.
We offer Children’s Chapel & Nursery during the beginning of our 10:00 AM service. This is designed to invite children into a time of Episcopal worship, while honoring their unique gifts and perspectives as children. Before joining their families for Communion, the children gather in prayer, hear a story from the Bible, and then explore what it means through art and other activities. Using the Children’s Creed and other prayers written specifically for them, the children begin to connect the stories of the Bible with worship and daily life. This is co-led, with one adult focusing on the older children (school-age) and the other available to provide specialized attention to the younger children (ages 1 through pre-school).
One Sunday a month (usually the fourth but it sometimes changes so please check the calendar) our 10:00 AM service is designed to be more child-friendly, though we find the adults enjoy it, too. That week there is no Children’s Chapel. All ages are together in church. Worshiping together in this way reminds all of us that we are one community even if our needs and perspectives are different sometimes. We still offer nursery care (ages 1 through pre-school).
Children are always welcome to be with their families for the full worship service if that is their preference. We have “quiet bags” available to help calm the wiggles, though we do not expect them to be able to sit still or silently. Families with children are encouraged to sit in the front, closer to “where the action is” which helps to hold their attention and also is a great way for them to learn about worship and how it connects to faith.