They were making a mural. Slowly it began to take shape. Odds and ends of yarn and crayons, shiny ribbons, and cotton clouds, a large ladder climbing through a universe of stars and angels and spirit people. The artwork was exploring the children's minds and revealing their vision of an intangible mystery--- something we as adults can barely imagine.

Our Program

We use weekly lessons on how to love each other in God's way, relating that to the child's everyday life in school, family, friends, and the need to act out of love to those in need. We learn about church life at St. John's and other places around the world. We use our prayer book, music, liturgy, the meaning of the pictures in our stained glass windows, our altar settings. We hear about the life and teachings of Jesus and his impact on the children today.

"What would Jesus do?" we frequently ask. The children usually have the answers!

Our lessons follow a September to May schedule. Each week we begin and end in a prayer circle, surrounding our Jesus or God candle, each child and adult offering a thought, word, request, or thank you to God.

Many crafts and hands on projects are completed each week or over a few weeks as children recall lessons and the stories. During Lent / Easter we created small Paschal candles with the Alpha and Omega Greek letters on the front. We continue to use them every week.

We created a "Television" out of a box, using dowels with a roll of paper, with drawings of the children's families and a special angel. The joy is still on their faces as they watch their pictures go by on the "class television". "Look... that's us !"

Sometimes there is a project that will last over several years-for instance, the program led by our former Vicar which she based on C.S. Lewis's Narnia stories. In the final segment she and the children decorated a cardboard wardrobe and then "passed through" it from current time to the mysterious land of Narnia Along the way they learned how the children in the Narnia stories took risks and made their personal decisions, and we related these to our actions as Christians.

Special Occasions with the Whole Congregation

---Our Christmas Pageant is always beautiful with all ages participating, new youngsters and more seasoned ones, experienced teens along with some not so new experienced oldsters! Our thanks to Pam Naylor whose love and devotion has guided her in directing the last 18 pageants. And "thanks be to God" for all of you whose love of the story of the birth of Jesus, our Saviour, keeps this tradition alive.

----In Spring, we held Intergenerational Classes where we made glorious hand-decorated crosses mounted on dowels. They were carried in a procession of love on Easter Sunday and adorned the Sanctuary throughout the Easter season.

---- In the weeks leading up to our Annual Church School Celebration in May, classes focused on symbols and words of our faith, and from these the children made banners for the event. With the joy that comes from sharing with all ages, they learned and then taught the entire congregation a Christian camp song : "I am a C, I am a CH". It was very exciting for the children to teach grown-ups for a change. The older people learned very quickly! We still sing this song during class. Here are the words:
I am a C, I am a C-H, I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N, and I have C-H-R-I-S-T, in my H-E-A-R-T, and I will L-I-V-E...
E-T-E-R-N-A-L-L-Y.

The faster the better for the fun of it!

Confirmation Classes

Our teens are continuing with monthly lessons and community ministries which are leading up to their Confirmation in May 2010. They have completed the Rite 13 series and now work with the Journey to Adulthood (J2A) series.

 

Our Teachers

We could not provide enjoyable, relaxed, and thought-engaging lessons without dedicated teachers who serve the Lord behind the scenes. With their guidance, our young people are enthusiastic and freely share their thoughts and feelings in a safe environment. The time and the great love these teachers put into each lesson are gifts to the children and to this parish. We especially thank Susan Doria and Eileen Hajnal for their years of devotion--we could not do it without you. We also are grateful to music teacher Barbara Coulombe for joining us this year for a lesson of song.

Whether you have taught in the past, have children or not at St. John's, please consider sharing your faith and love for Jesus with our young people. You will learn more than you teach.

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