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Children and Family Ministry at St. Michael's

At St. Michael & All Angels Church, everyone, including children of all ages is encouraged to fully participate in all aspects of the life of the community, including Worship, Education, Service (Outreach & Justice) and Parish Life. The St. Michael’s community is enriched, challenged and renewed by its children, and the opportunity to minister to and with young people and their families.

St. Michael’s strives to honor the best of the Episcopal tradition in worship, to give children an experience of sacred place and belonging, to nurture a respect for the individual and an ever growing awareness and concern for the community at large.

Childcare

Childcare is provided for infants, toddlers and pre-school age children during the 9 and 11 o'clock Sunday morning worship services, during the 10 o'clock education hour and for special liturgies and community gatherings throughout the year. Childcare providers are parish members, active at St. Michael's for at least six months before beginning their once monthly rotation in the Childcare Room.

All childcare providers are expected to attend the SAFE Church Training offered through the diocese to help prevent sexual abuse and to create the safest environment possible for children and their care providers.

Children's Liturgy of the Word

School age children are invited to participate in their own Liturgy of the Word during the Sunday morning services while the congregation engages in the lectionary readings and the sermon for the day. An adult leader from the community invites the children to the mural space on the lower level where child appropriate versions of the scripture are read and discussed. Children are encouraged to share their insights, questions and prayers. The group returns to the church to join their families and the gathered community for Holy Eucharist.

Sunday School & Godly Play

Sunday School classes for children in Pre-K through the fifth grade are located on the lower level and occur during the 10 o'clock hour, between the 9 and 11 o'clock liturgies. Sunday School is a time for children to practice building a beloved community that respects the dignity and value of every person, while helping them the recognize their own distinctive gifts, given by God, to be shared with one another.

Godly Play, for children in Pre-kindergarten through the 1st grade, is a religious education program that teaches children stories from sacred scripture as well as helping them to better understand the traditions of Episcopal liturgical practices and the seasons of the church year. Central to the Godly Play experience is the telling of a sacred story, followed by an opportunity for the children to ponder “wondering questions” that lead them deeper into the beauty and mystery of the story and their relationship with God. The Godly Play classroom is treated as sacred space and the Godly Play program mirrors the structure of the Episcopal liturgy.

Brother Sun, Sister Moon. Students in 2nd through 5th grade begin the year with a focus on St. Francis of Assisi and the Stewardship of Creation. Students will explore St. Francis’ call to live a life of simplicity and his great reverence for all creatures and all parts of God’s creation. The Prayer of St. Francis, an exploration of the Baptismal Covenant and the Episcopal Church’s commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals will be central themes throughout the 2007 -2008 school year.