Cathedral Children
Your family is important here.
We believe that all people are made in God's image, including our children and youth.
We at Saint Paul’s are committed to helping children grow in faith. While it may seem that they don’t always understand what is going on, they often understand more than we realize. By our attitude, they understand church is a special and sacred place where they are loved and accepted. Our church service provides an excellent opportunity for parents to be involved in the spiritual nurturing of their children. Church School, led by people who are engaged in communicating the love of God to children, offers children age-appropriate learning opportunities led by loving people using sound resources.
Join Children and Family Minister Ashley Ozan each Sunday at 10:30 am for a short time of fellowship, fun and Bible stories in the East Garden (weather permitting). Click here to RSVP
Thank you for signing up to be on the Children's Ministry email list. You will receive updates, invitations, and resources to help raise your child in the Christian faith and life.Children's Ministry Email List
***Church School and Children's events and formation are functioning slightly differently due to COVID-19 concerns. Below you can see what Children's Ministry would normally look like.***
At Saint Paul's Cathedral we provide weekly Sunday morning Church School for all children ages 2 until 5th grade when children enter into our youth program. Below are some reminders and helpful information
Reminders
1. Church school begins at 10:10 a.m. every Sunday (September through late December & January through late May) unless noted in the Calendar. Please try to be prompt as we begin each class in prayer and with a liturgy developed specifically for each classroom.
2. Church school ends at 10:55 a.m.. If your child is in our 2 year-old to PreK or K to 2nd grade classes, we ask that you pick them up in the classroom at that time.
3. If your child is an acolyte (grades 3 and up) at the 11:00 a.m. service, they will be released by their teachers at 10:45 a.m.
4. If your child still needs assistance going to the bathroom or wears a diaper/pull ups, we ask that you hang around in the parent area of the Undercroft during class time to assist with any bathroom needs.
5. We have created an infant and toddler space for our littlest members while church school is in session. Please, if your child spills something or your child has an accident, please let Sandra Opalka (church school leader) know.
6. The church provides a snack every week for the room. Special snacks for birthdays or other special events are allowed - however, keep in mind there are children with severe tree nut/peanut allergies. Please do not bring snacks with tree nuts/peanuts and let the Church School leader know in advance if there are plans for a special snack in the future.
Classes and Curriculum:
St. Paul's Church School is the Sunday morning program for children and youth. As previously mentioned, church school has two sessions throughout the year:
- Fall Session: September through late December
- Spring Session: Early January through late May
At St. Paul's, we use a variety of curricula - each selected to best engage children at different stages of physical, mental and spiritual development.
- 2 Year Olds to Pre-K: This year, the SPARK picture Bible is being combined with the WAY of LOVE picture book curriculum. The WAY of LOVE focuses on 7 guiding practices - Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, Rest, Turn. Both picture books correspond to one or more of these practices. We believe these young students will develop an understanding of the Bible and the practices throughout the church school year. For more information on the WAY of LOVE, visit: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/getting-started-way-love
- Kindergarten - 2nd Grade Godly Play: St. Paul's Church School uses a Montessori-esque curriculum called Godly Play. Developed by the Rev. Jerome Berryman, Godly Play is primarily Episcopal curriculum focused on telling the sacred stories of God in an interactive, tactile manner. It desires that children "play" and "work" with the stories by recreating them at home or through craft materials. In addition, Godly Play places emphasis on our liturgical life together and the changing of our church calendar. The 2019/2020 curriculum focuses on the stories of the people of the Bible and the Saints.
- Episcopal Children's Curriculum 3rd - 5th Grades: Students will be studying the sacrament of Eucharist, an "Outline of the Faith," commonly called the Catechism, and the history of the Church. Each time we renew the Baptismal Covenant, we promise to "continue in the Apostles' teaching and fellowship in the breaking of bread and in our prayers." With these words, we renew our intention to be faithful participants in worship around the Lord's Table.
- Junior High 6th - 8th Grades: The 2019/2020 year starts Year 2 of the Episcopal Curriculum, Weaving God's Promises. It is intended to deepen the connection of the young person to the Episcopal theology, practice, worship and scripture aspects of our faith. It is a three-year curriculum so youth attending from 6th-8th grades will be exposed to all three years of the program. The second year also focuses on the people of the Bible in the fall then transitions to the stories of Jesus' ministry in the spring.
- Senior High 9th - 12th Grades: This group will continuing using The Bible Project as the basis of the curriculum. This curriculum was written to show that the entire story of the Bible is a series of stories that are all parts of a story arc that eventually fits together into one epic story. The Bible Project uses videos which are informative, theologically sound, age appropriate and engaging. They can also be viewed at home so the church school class discussion can continue. www.thebibleproject.com
- Youth Group (6th - 12th Grades): The Youth Group meets every Sunday at 5:00 p.m. in the youth room unless otherwise noted on the Calendar. The St. Paul's Youth Group is a safe place where youth gather to discuss, pray, worship and enjoy fellowship. The also engage in service projects both within the St. Paul's community and also the community at large.
Special Events for Cathedral Kids:
In addition to our Sunday morning programs we also offer a number of special events that help our Cathedral kids and their families grow in faith. We arrange our activities thematically throughout the year. Several of our big events include:
Journey to the Cross: A Good Friday Stations of the Cross for families that includes interactive stations at 5:00 p.m. on Good Friday followed by a meal.
Easter Festival: Holy Saturday events at the Cathedral including an Egg Hunt, flowering of the cross, activities, breakfast burritos and more!
Check back often for more information about these and other activities for Cathedral families.
