School
year Worship Education Programs for children
God Loves Me—A program designed to introduce two- and three-year
olds to God’s Word through the use of fifty-two beautifully
written and illustrated Bible storybooks. Each book includes
suggestions for follow-up activities to help children respond
to the Bible story with their eyes, ears, hands and feet.
• Takes place in the nursery during the 10:00 a.m. worship
hour
• Begins September 16
• Facilitated by Jennifer Torstenson
• Includes take-home cards for parents
Young Children and Worship—A
worship education program designed to allow pre-school through first grade
children to worship in an age appropriate way. Young elementary
children learn about God and experience God in a special place
apart from the worshiping congregation so they become able to
worship meaningfully with the congregation. This way of worshiping
uses a sensory-motor style of storytelling as a primary means
for encountering God so God is experienced, not just learned
about. Children have the appropriate freedom to respond to stories
of God through working with story figures and art materials.
Young Children and Worship uses the stories that tell the overall
Biblical story: God creates; God calls a people; God walks with
a people; God redeems a people; God sends a people.
• Takes place in a lower level worship center during the
10:00 a.m. worship hour
• Begins September 16 and runs through the school year
• Led by volunteer worship leaders and greeters
Following Jesus—A worship
education program designed as the sequel to the Young Children and Worship
program. This children’s worship
is for second and third grade children and is meant to extend
and deepen the children’s understanding of Jesus and his
teaching of the way of the reign of God as it prepares them for
Christian discipleship. Following Jesus uses the same multi-sensory
approach as Young Children and Worship, and primarily, the stories
told are from the gospel of Mark. These stories show who Jesus
is; what he is teaching about the kingdom of God; why Jesus is
calling people to follow him; and, what he is sending them into
the world to say and do. This worship center’s stories
are arranged in four categories: God’s Gift of Jesus the
Christ; Jesus Shows the Way of the Kingdom of God in Galilee;
Jesus Shows the Way of the Kingdom of God in Jerusalem; and,
Jesus’ Disciples Show the Way of the Kingdom of God in
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the World.
• Takes place in a lower level worship center during the
10:00 a.m. worship hour
• Begins September 16 and runs through the school year
• Led by volunteer worship leaders and greeters
Seasons of the Spirit—A
lectionary-based program designed to link worship, faith formation and stewardship/service
for our fourth and fifth grade children. Children are exposed
to scripture readings from every part of the Bible. These readings
focus on the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
and thematically follow the church calendar. In this worship
center the children’s understanding of Christian discipleship
is broadened even more as they are challenged to continue
on the path of Christ, and encouraged to ask the hard questions
of Faith. How do we live responsibly in creation? How do we nurture
faith and become Christ’s disciples?
How do we share our faith with others?
• Takes place in a lower level worship center during the
10:00 a.m. worship hour
• Begins September 16 and runs through the school year
• Led by volunteer worship leaders and greeters
