In Romans we are reminded to “welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God!” St. John’s has always loudly proclaimed that “All are Welcome in this place”. This is such an important message for our children as they learn to grow as loving children of God. We encourage our Sunday School students to invite their friends and family to be part of our adventures and, especially, to reach out to those who may be alone or outcast. Sunday School is that community where diversity is celebrated and people of all backgrounds, abilities and appearances are welcome. As we look toward our semesters ahead, we will be renewing and reviewing St. John’s mission statement that “All are Welcome” and helping our children to be bold in their acceptance of one another and the humanity around them. Spread the word … God is in this place … won’t you be too?

We believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Our lessons and connections with one another come from the belief that he rose from the grave for all persons. We strive to share this amazing love of Christ with all persons to allow them to pursue a healthy, vital connection to faith. Our Family Ministry is empowered by the Holy Spirit to express this love through our actions. We believe strongly that the Holy Spirit is in this world and that guiding Spirit allows us to strive for compassion, equality and justice in our world. Our culture and values allow us to reflect the diversity of God’s family and appreciate all God’s people with joy – not because these are stated in words, but because they are how God has called us to live.

Children’s Ministry is a place where children can get excited about Jesus Christ – a place where children have so much fun learning how awesome God is, that they don’t want to miss a single week! Our mission is to bring children closer to Jesus.

Our curriculum is designed to allow children to understand what personal faith is. To understand how the Bible is active in their lives and how it allows us to love as God loves us. We use a lectionary based study program that is interactive for children of all ages and capabilities. We work to provide both conceptual knowledge, historical context and an emotional connection to faith. We understand that children in today’s culture want to be able to not only believe but to understand. We are prayerful that God provides the direction to reach children and to provide that guidance to all ages.

In addition to Sunday morning Sunday School, Pastor Rachel hosts the children during the Worship Service at “Children’s Time”.  Children get to engage with Pastor in dialogue and to become comfortable with the altar and interacting with the Congregation.  During Contemporary Worship Services, children are taught traditional Bible songs and encouraged to sing, dance and play the tambourines.  Sunday School and Worship should be an experience of joy and children are free to express themselves in that recognition.