Our Children’s Ministries program serves children from birth to 5th grade and their families.  Our goal is to provide quality programming that encourages children to develop their relationship with God, the church community, and the world around them.

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Footprints

Monthly News From Children's Ministries  ​August 2018

​VBS was July 23-27!

 I would like to offer my sincere thanks to everyone who helped make Shipwrecked VBS such a great success!  All week we shared Bible Stories, Games, Crafts Snacks, Music, Science experiments, and special skits that helped us learn that Jesus Rescues . . . when we’re lonely, we worry, we struggle, we do wrong, and we feel powerless.   It was a high energy, spirit-filled week.  Every year I am overwhelmed with the presence of the Holy Spirit among our group that ranges from age 3 to 90!  The collaboration and sense of community among children, teens and adults is truly a gift to experience.  For our mission projects we collected canned meats and fruits for Keystone’s food shelf, tied fleece blankets for their outreach programs, and decorated cookies which were served at St. Christopher’s Community Dinner on Thursday.  If you would like to see pictures from each day, they are on posters in the Upper and Lower Narthex and the Children’s Ministries bulletin board.  You can also find pictures on St. Christopher’s Facebook page – you do not need to be a Facebook user to access our page:  www.facebook.com/St.ChristophersRoseville

School Supply Collection – August 5-19
Watch for the yellow bus in the Lower Narthex from August 5-19, where we are collecting school supplies for Roseville Area Schools.  They need all of the typical school supplies:  backpacks, colored pencils, pens (red, black, blue ink), compasses & protractors, notebooks (wide & college ruled), pencil bags/cases, glue, scissors, markers (narrow & wide), crayons (24). .. . etc.  Anything you find in the back to school section of the store would be great!  Please place supplies in the bus no later than Sunday, August 19th.  If you would prefer a monetary donation, please put it in Marion’s mailbox and label it “school supplies.”  We will use it to purchase items for the drive.

Family Fun Movie Night, Thursday, August 16th 6:00-8:30pm
Families of all ages, shapes and sizes are invited.  We will decorate plant pots and then watch The Lorax (2012 version).  Snacks provided!

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Click Here To Email Marion Hunner, Children's Ministries Director

Children in Liturgy

 We encourage families to sit near the front of the church so that they can see what is happening throughout the service.  We welcome children of all ages, and we understand that this means a little more noise and commotion.  We welcome families to sit on the left side of the church up front where we have a special family space.  Here the children can see what is happening at the altar.  You will find some quiet activities of children of  all ages, and there are also worship bags that you may pick up in the Narthex.  We do ask that families clean up the space before they leave.

​At the end of each service the Deacon invites all children to join her at the baptismal font for the dismissal.  In addition, we encourage children to sign up to be Gift Bearers and Acolytes

• Gift Bearers—Children in Kdg—8th grade are invited to bring forward food that has been donated to the food shelf when the ushers present the offering. 
• Acolytes – Children in fourth grade and older are invited to serve as acolytes.   They process with torches and help with the Liturgy of the Table.

Sunday Mornings
Our program year runs from mid-September through mid-May.

10:30am First Sunday of the month (Oct-May)
On the first Sunday of each month we offer Children’s Chapel for children Age 3-5th grade.  On that Sunday we will not have regular Sunday School Classes – instead, families will come to the 10:30 liturgy, and the children will meet in the small chapel for a Children’s Chapel experience.  They will then join their families in the pews at the peace.    This will offer families one Sunday per month where they are only at church for the one hour liturgy as well as provide a different presentation of the Liturgy of the Word for the children.  

9:30-10:15 a.m. Sunday School (K-5th)
NOT FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH
We have a team of dedicated volunteers who bring the Stories of the Bible, Episcopal Traditions, and Love of God to life for our children.  We use the Godly Play Montessori model while also incorporating lessons from other resources.  The children work on projects to reinforce the stories and traditions as well as the importance of outreach.

10:20-11:40am  Nursery Care
Our nursery, for children age 0-4, is staffed by a team of volunteers during regular Sunday Services.  Volunteers are scheduled in pairs, and they arrive in the nursery 10 minutes prior to the service.  If there are no children in the nursery 10 minutes into the service, the volunteers will join the liturgy in the sanctuary.  

Special Events

We offer several special events throughout the year that encourage community building and outreach.  Some of our most popular are the Hayride, Epiphany Presentation, Putting Away Alleluias,   Outreach Bowling, and Pizza,  and Easter Activities.  Over the summer we offer Vacation Bible School and a Family Fun Movie Night.