Children and Family Ministry at

St. Michael’s

At St. Michael & All Angels Church everyone, including children of all ages, is encouraged to participate fully in all aspects of the life of the community: 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, and to nurture a respect for the individual balanced with an ever-growing awareness of our call to be good stewards of the earth concerned with the well-being of our neighbors near and far.

Got Kids? Consider joining the St. Michael’s Parents of Young Children Google Group, helping families of young children connect with each other. More information is available in the Childcare Room in the lower level or from Leslie Sackett, Associate for Children and Family Ministries.

Upcoming Events

Piano Discovery Workshop, Saturday, December 15, 10:00 am
On December 15, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm, Joyful Noise Choir Director Audrey Sackett will hold a Piano Discovery Workshop for all grade-school children (K-5). This fun-filled four-hour day of exploration will introduce concepts about music, piano-playing, composition and song. Students of piano as well as children who simply have an interest in music are encouraged to attend! All activities, art and music are designed to challenge and encourage children.

Contact Audrey Sackett at audrey.sackett@gmail.com to register. The workshop will take place in the new Children’s Music Room in the lower level of St. Michael & All Angels Church. Tuition is $65; lunch and supplies are included.

Childcare

Childcare is provided for infants, toddlers and preschool-age children during the 9:00 and 11:00 am Sunday morning worship services, during the 10:00 am education hour, and for special liturgies and community gatherings throughout the year. Childcare providers are parish members and have been 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 9:00 and 11:00 am 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.

Families Gather for Worship, Food, Fellowship and Fun!

A new worship service for families with young children is being offered at St. Michael’s. The third Saturday of the month at 5:00 pm families with children of all ages (especially babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers!) will gather in the Nativity Hall for Holy Eucharist. The liturgy (less than 45 minutes) is designed specifically for families to worship together in ways that are not always possible on Sunday mornings. A potluck dinner in the Parish Hall follows the service, giving families and children the chance to meet, connect and get to know one another. Please mark your calendars for worship, food, fellowship and fun, every third Saturday of the month at 5:00 pm!

The Family Worship service is on hiatus for July and August, but join us when we return in September!