Children & Youth
Your Children's Safety
St. Mark’s is blessed with a thriving church school program committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment where children can learn, express their faith, ask questions, and grow closer to God and to each other.
All children in church school and childcare are closely supervised by Children’s Ministry staff, volunteer teachers and professional nannies in designated Sunday morning spaces. This role concludes once children are brought into the sanctuary to join families at the end of class time or are picked up from childcare by a parent or caregiver. (From 10AM until the conclusion of the service, children should be with their classes or in church unless other supervision has been arranged.)
We know that the children are ready to run off some pent-up energy after church! Therefore, parents and caregivers are asked to remind them that they are sharing spaces (particularly the hallways and Morrill Hall) with people of all ages and varying mobility.
Noah’s Park playground in Morrill Hall, the outdoor playground, the courtyard, and Great Lawn are all wonderful places for active play with your supervision (rather than our busy parking lots and driveways). Unoccupied undercroft spaces (including the Youth Room) and the Church Office are not open for access. And as enticing as the large church sanctuary space may be, it is not an appropriate setting for energetic play.
We want our children to be fully at home at St. Mark’s and trust that our attention to their safety will help make it a place of life-giving community for the whole parish.