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. If you are new to our programs, please sign up your children in advance, here: Registration Form. You can sign up multiple children on one form.
What’s offered in Christian Formation?
0-3 yr olds: Nursery, 8am-noon
With our 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
New? You’re in for a beautiful discovery. Check out the video links below. If your child has never visited an Atrium, it’s helpful to have an introduction first. Please contact Mother Kelly to set up a time for an orientation for you and your child to the space.
Where?
Good Shepherd Kids, Level I (3-6 yr olds) – Across the hall from Mother Kelly’s Office in the Admin Building (furthest back on campus).
Good Shepherd Kids, Level II (6-9 yr olds) – in the Parish Hall, Classroom 3.
Good Shepherd Kids, Level III (9-12 yr olds) – End of Preschool Hallway, Room 7.
Levels I and II follow Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, which acquaints the child with the Bible and our liturgy, allowing them to respond with art.
Level III is a Bible study and discussion format.
What is CGS?
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a Montessori-based, Christian spiritual formation program for children aged 3-12. Atrium time involves hearing God’s word, presented often with materials for even deeper reflection. The child is then invited to continue working with those materials, or respond to the presentation with artwork. It is a place our adult helpers also love to be, with the children, encountering our Lord together.
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.
Check out just a sample of the available videos at the bottom of this page. Please contact Mother Kelly for an orientation or questions.
How can I connect?
Remind app
Our St. Richard’s families with young children are connected via Remind and email. Click here to get a brief reminder each week about goings on.
St. Richard’s Little Flock – Facebook Group
Mother Kelly maintains a private Facebook group for our church and school families. You just need to answer three easy questions to join.
Is there anything for children during the service?
Children’s Chapel
During the sermon at the 10:30am Eucharist, we offer, when we are able, a meditation on God’s Word with songs and hand motions for children 10 and under. After the reading of the Gospel, follow the family minister to the narthex (entrance area to the sanctuary). Parents are welcome to join.
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.
This includes some history of Maria Montessori…
