Our Life Together: Christian Education & Formation - Children's Ministries
Children (ages birth - 5th grade) are a valued part of our faith community, and they are invited to
be active participants in the full life of our congregation—perhaps the best faith formation available: after all, as the
old saying goes, "faith is caught, not taught."
In addition, though, we do offer a number of education and formation activities and programs specifically for children,
offering them age-appropriate ways to engage more deeply with their own faith, with the Bible, and with the history, traditions,
and practices of Christianity.
Sunday School
For children from kindergarten through 5th grade, we offer engaging Sunday School classes and
activities on Sunday mornings during the 10:00 am worship service. After the "Early Word" children's message in worship,
children who wish to participate will leave the sanctuary to go to Sunday School. (Note: children in this age range are also
welcome to stay with their families for the whole worship service, which is another important and valuable faith formation
opportunity.)
For the 2007-08 program year, we are using a "workshop rotation" model for our Sunday School classes, through which the participants explore one Bible
story or faith concept for about 4 weeks, going to a different "workshop" each week: art, storytelling, video, drama,
games, and more. This method helps kids absorb the story or concept more completely by presenting the material through multiple
different 'intelligences' (ways of learning) and by keeping them engaged through the wide variety of types of activities.
We have a multi-year plan for the "units" of our workshop rotation Sunday School (that is, the different stories or
faith concepts we will explore). For the 2007-08 program year, our units will include:
- The Creation (August)
- Feeding the 5,000 (September)
- Plagues and Passover (October)
- The Lord's Prayer (November)
- Learning to Use My Bible (December)
- Wandering in the Wilderness (January)
- The Last Supper (February)
- Experience Holy Week (March)
- Walk to Emmaus (April)
- Paul on the Road (May and June)
Wednesday Youth Night
For over 12 years, we have been offering an ever-expanding menu of activities and programming for a
variety of ages as part of our "Wendesday Youth Night". We bring together children and youth from our congregation,
children and youth from the Boys & Girls Club chapter housed at our church, and adults for an evening each week of
educational activities, music ensemble rehearsal, recreation, and dinner.
Check out the Wednesday Youth Night section for more information.
Vacation Bible School
Each summer, we cooperate with our neighboring west-downtown Rockford churches—Court Street
United Methodist Church, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, and First Presbyterian Church—to provide a Vacation Bible School
week for kids from our congregations and for other kids from the surrounding neighborhood. We'll keep you posted about plans for 2008.
Seasonal and Special Topic classes
From time to time, we offer additional programs and activites about a specific season of the year or a
specific topic. Often, these are targed at a narrower age group to provide more in-depth explorations. In the past, these have
included:
- Introduction to Your Bible for 5th Graders
Each fall, during a special moment in Sunday morning worship, we present every 5th grader with a Bible. We follow this
up with a few classes to help them get to know their Bibles better.
- Holy Communion classes for 3rd Graders
In our church, the table of Holy Communion is open to people of all ages, even young children, and so we don't have a
"first communion" as such. We still find it helpful, though, to explore Communion more deeply with elementary
aged children, and so we often offer a set of communion classes each spring, during the season of Lent.
- Christmas Craft Sunday
Social / Recreational Events for Children
Connecting and playing with fellow children, as well as with older youth and adults in the church
community, is an important part of a child's faith development as well. Our social and recreational activities for children
include:
- Family Fun Day (quarterly)
Four times each year, we schedule an intergenerational 'fun day' activity on Sunday afternoon following worship. These
have included a wide variety of activities, from basketball in our own activity center to a trip to Coco Key Water Resort.
- Fall-o-ween Dance
An annual fall / Halloween dance for children and youth from the congregation and the Rockford Boys & Girls
Club.
- Church Basketball League for Elementary & Junior High
Children's Music Ensembles
We have a number of opportunities for children to participate in the music ministries of our
congregation. Link over to the Music section of our website to find out more.
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