Children’s Ministry

FAMILY & CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES

Do we offer Sunday school, and how do I sign up?

We call it Children’s Formation.  We offer it between the two Sunday services, 9:15am-10:15am.

What’s offered in Christian Formation?

0-3 yr olds: Nursery, 8am-noon

With two terrific and Safeguarding certified attendants, our Nursery is found down the school hallway, in the same building as the church sanctuary.  Please make sure diaper supplies and other items you leave are all marked with your name.  

3-12 yr olds: Good Shepherd Kids, 9:15-10:15am

Where?  

Good Shepherd Kids, Level I (3-6 yr olds) – Across the hall from the office in the Admin Building (furthest back on campus).

Good Shepherd Kids, Level II (6-9 yr olds) – Across the hall from the office in the Admin Building (next to GSK, Level I)

Good Shepherd Kids, Level III (9-12 yr olds) – End of Preschool Hallway, Room 7.

Level I is a Montessori based program that acquaints the child with the Bible, our liturgy and traditions, and gives children time to respond with art.

Level II is a program that explores Bible stories through Godly Play materials and arts and crafts.

Level III is a Bible study and discussion format.

What do they learn?

We instead like to ask, “Whom do they get to know?” Over the course of their time in the Atria, from age 3 to 12, your child will grow to know deeply the love of the ​Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and how the Bible and our worship of God reveal this great love for them and all His creation. With learning that extends directly from our liturgy and scripture (beginning with Parables, Prophecies, and narratives, and expanding further into the Old Testament and more as they grow), your child will come to realize that God has always had a plan to bring all of us into His Kingdom, and that they too have a role in this great Plan.

Who came up with it? 

Sofia Cavaletti, a Hebrew and Scripture scholar, and Gianna Gobbi, an educator and collaborator with Maria Montessori, initiated this method of Catechesis in the 1950s. Often called a living work, the Catechesis, as it is known, is the product of the careful observation of children for over 60 years. 

Please contact the office for an orientation or questions.

Is there anything for children during the service?

Artwork & books

Look for the bookcase and art supplies at the back of the sanctuary.  Children are encouraged to help themselves. 

Quiet Room

Adjacent to the sanctuary is a small room with a changing table and chairs, where you can be with your child and still hear the service going on.