Church School
On Sunday, April 21:
Our Godly Play classes will hear the Parable of the Good Shepherd and our Holy Moly class will talk about an unexpected encounter with the risen Jesus on the Road to Emmaus.
Our 10AM program includes:
Lion Cubs childcare for children ages 2 and under
Frolic playgroup for three- and four-year-olds
(These two groups remain in the classrooms for the entire service, and are staffed by the wonderful and experienced nannies of Wee Care Nanny Agency.)
Godly Play 1 for kindergarten
Godly Play 2 for first and second grades
Holy Moly for third and fourth grades
Meet in the Middle for fifth, sixth, and seventh grades
(These classes join families in church at the Peace.)
Read below for further class descriptions.
Upcoming Events: September Special Event Sunday, October Blessing of the Birds, Meet in the Middle’s haunted Halloween tunnels, The World’s Greatest Christmas Pageant!
Questions? Contact Jan Maynes, Director of Children’s Ministry, at children@stmarksnewcanaan.org.
SUNDAY MORNING CLASSES
GODLY PLAY (Pre-K 5/Kindergarten through Second Grade)
Sundays 9:50AM until the Peace
Locations:
Pre-K 5/Kindergarten – Education Center
First & Second Grades– Church Library
Godly Play is a Montessori-based teaching philosophy that helps children become aware of God’s presence in the world. Through visual storytelling, children learn about biblical events and parables. They then “practice” understanding Christian faith by expressing themselves through a group conversation about what they just heard (called “wondering”) and/or art.
There are two Godly Play classes – one for children in a pre-k 5 program or kindergarten, and another for children in first and second grades. While both classes hear Old and New Testament stories in chronological order, the older group listens to a more in-depth telling of the stories of our faith.
HOLY MOLY (Third & Fourth Grades)
Sundays 9:50AM until the Peace
Location: Outreach Room
Over a two-year cycle, Holy Moly follows the arc of the Bible from Genesis through the early church. Class time is made up of several components. First, we watch an animated video of the Bible story for that day. The videos are produced without narration, allowing the children to interpret the story using their own words. Then we talk about how the story can be applied to our lives. And, finally, we have a craft or other activity to help us remember the story.
MEET IN THE MIDDLE (Fifth – Seventh Grades)
Sundays 9:50AM until the Peace
Location: Youth Room on the lower level
Our curriculum called, Connect for pre-teens, helps middle schoolers make sense of the Bible by revisiting the Bible’s greatest stories and uncovering major biblical themes. Our team of teachers lead a thoughtful conversation about how the Bible relates to us both as individuals and as a community, and the challenges of living out our faith at home and school. There are regular opportunities to participate in the worship service as ushers, acolytes, and readers. We also take our turn hosting coffee hour and schedule special events like a spooky tour from the basement to the belltower at Halloween!
SUNDAY MORNING CHILDCARE
LION CUBS (ages 0-2) and FROLIC (ages 3-4)
Sundays 9:15AM until conclusion of 10AM service
Location: Pre-School classrooms
Every Sunday morning year-round, childcare is provided for children ages four and under or any other child who is not quite ready for Church School. The childcare rooms are staffed with professional nannies supplied by Wee Care Nanny Agency (www.weecarenanny.com) who are ready to take good care of your children. We provide a small snack, so please let us know if you prefer that your child does not have anything in particular. Rest assured we will come get you if your child needs your attention for any reason during the service.
For little ones who might enjoy some gentle time during the service, there are rocking chairs and quiet toys at the back of the chapel for your use.