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Children’s Ministries at St. Andrew's seek to teach our children how God’s Word revealed in Jesus Christ is relevant to their lives today. Bible classes are offered for toddlers through 6th graders, with memorable stories from both the Old and New Testaments and activities designed for varied learning styles and ages. The teaching methods used are designed to increase retention and help children apply timeless Bible truths to their lives. Classes take place on Sundays at 9:30 and 11 a.m., and children join the congregation for Holy Communion.

Catechesis of The Good Shepherd
For children ages 3 ½-years old through 6th Grade, we are pleased to offer Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is an approach to the religious formation of children, which is rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the church, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori. Children gather in an “atrium”, a room prepared especially for them, which contains simple yet beautiful materials for them to use as they respond to the spiritual themes presented.

You may be wondering how these materials help the religious life of children? If an adult hears a beautiful passage from the Bible, the adult might take a Bible, find the passage, and read it slowly again and again. He or she may think deeply about the words and perhaps speak to God in a thankful or hopeful prayer. But a little child, sometimes too young to read or comprehend the passage in its fullness, needs another way. In an atrium the child can ponder a biblical passage or a prayer from the liturgy by taking the material for that text and working with it — placing wood figures of sheep in a sheepfold of the Good Shepherd, setting sculpted apostles around a Last Supper table, or preparing a small altar with the furnishings used for the Eucharist. Older children who do read often copy parables from the Bible, lay in order written prayers from the rite of baptism, or label a long time line showing the history of the kingdom of God.

Catechesis is offered for three age levels:

Level I (3 ½-years old – Kindergarten) has as its unifying theme the Parable of the Good Shepherd, with the goal of helping young children fall in love with the Good Shepherd, and discover how much he loves them.
Level II (1st – 3rd Grade) focuses on the Parable of the True Vine, to help children understand their connectedness to each other in Christ, “the Vine.” This level also introduces the history of Salvation, enabling children to begin to clarify God’s vision for his people.
Level III (4th – 6th Grade) goes more deeply into Redemption history, from Creation to the Second coming of Christ. We hope that children at this stage of development will come to realize that this history is one story of one God in relationship with his people — a story in which they connect to God, to each other, and to the faith community.
CGS uses the biblical word covenant to describe God’s connection or relationship to his
people. Both Levels II and III present “moral parables” and other biblical texts that enable moral development of the children.

In addition to Catechesis, Young Lambs for children 18-months-old to 3½ is offered at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays. At 11 a.m., children in this age group are welcome in the Nursery.

Children join the congregation to participate in the Eucharist.

To learn more about The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, please visit the Catechesis web site at www.cgsusa.org.

Nursery
A nursery, staffed by volunteers, is provided on Sundays for children age 3 and under during our 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. worship services. Parents are welcome to take advantage of this service, or to keep their children with them during the liturgy. Children in the Nursery also join their parents for communion.

Dedicated Volunteers
Your children’s teachers are volunteers from our parish who have a heart for Jesus and a passion for passing on the love of the Good Shepherd to our children. Because we want to do all that we can to ensure the safety of our children, we do a background checks on all volunteers who work regularly with children. You may join the Children’s Ministries team by volunteering as an atrium assistant or a nursery aide. We are also actively seeking adult volunteers who would be interested in pursuing training as to become a lead catechist. It is only through the dedicated efforts of more than 30 Children’s Ministries volunteers that we are able to provide these vital ministries to our children.

Parents Role in Children's Ministries
We are partners with you in your child’s religious education, but you have the greatest influence on their lives and the greatest impact on their faith. We encourage you to bring your child to church each Sunday, and ask them what they are learning in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Parents are also welcome to visit their child's atrium at any time, and we encourage you to take an active role by volunteering in an atrium or with any of the special activities we have throughout the year.

For information about Children’s & Youth Ministry at St. Andrew’s, contact Judy Baird, Membership and Communications Director, at 614-423-4250, ext. 103, or jbaird@standrewspolaris.org.