Christian Education for Children
Nursery & Children's Worship
Nursery
Our nursery ministry provides the opportunity to introduce our littlest ones to their church and church family in a safe, fun, and nurturing environment. We provide care for infants through toddlers 3-years of age. The fall that your child is 4-years-old we encourage you to make a transition to participate in the 11:00 AM service and Children's Worship.
The nursery is available on Sundays during the 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM worship services and at 10:00 AM for Sunday school. The nursery is also available for many of the special services and programs throughout the year.
Nursery Caregivers: Lillian Onyett, Julia Tosoni, and Elayna Tosoni
Youth Volunteer: Emma Martin
Infant Nursery: Room 1 / Toddler Nursery: Room 2
Children’s Worship
Following Children's Time in the 11:00 AM Sunday worship services, children ages 4 through 1st grade will experience a worship service created for a young child. This service has the same four parts of worship that are experienced in the 11:00 AM service but it has been designed for a child's development level. Together we "Assemble in God's Name," "Proclaim God's Word," "Give Thanks to God," and "Go in God's Name." Adult and youth volunteers lead Children's Worship.
Sunday School
Sunday School for preschool through 5th grade runs from September to May each year.
God Loves Me: 2-year-olds
As children grow they become more inquisitive about the complex world around them. They desire to hear the stories of the Bible, but they also desire to learn these stories in relationship to all that they encounter through their senses and experiences. Our curriculum, God Loves Me, provides our toddler/preschool age children opportunities to encounter the stories of the Bible and to explore biblical concepts through play, dance, and music.
Teachers: Lillian Onyett and Alex Abbott / Room: 2
Growing in Grace and Gratitude: 3 & 4-year-olds
Growing in Grace and Gratitude embraces children in the grace of God through engagement with the Bible. This children’s curriculum for ages 3 and 4 explores Bible stories through the lens of grace. Each session contains age-appropriate opportunities for responses of gratitude through claiming, celebrating, praying, and offering.
Teachers: Rotation of Teachers / Room: 7
Holy Moly – Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Holy Moly provides open-ended opportunities of exploration where children learn the arc of the Biblical narrative by connecting the Bible to their life experiences. Our Holy Moly videos help kids imagine what the Bible characters are saying and thinking while watching the bible story unfold.
Teachers: Kathy Sebolt and Jessi Beckett / Room: 9
Our Faith – 2nd Grade
Second grade is a BIG year of faith milestones at RCPC! Our second graders receive their Bibles, they graduate out of Children's Worship, and they learn all about the sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism. We have incorporated these wonderful milestones and much more into a year-long curriculum exclusively for second graders. This class will prepare our second graders to attend worship, familiarize them with using the Bible, and most importantly give them a greater understanding of what we believe and why.
Teachers throughout the year: Susan Kessler, Frankie Doyle, Lisa Goad, Dillon Swanson, Anne Travers, Ellen Austin, Andrew Whaley, Wade Whitehead, Isabella Fagiani, and Leigh Sackett
Room: 13
Bible Depths – 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade
Upper Elementary age children are developing their abstract cognitive skills and are ready for a more intense and deep study of the Bible. We provide a 3-year study of the Bible for 3rd – 5th graders that allows children the opportunity to develop a thorough understanding of the Bible, which as they mature enables them to become better informed Disciples who are ready to interpret how they feel called to serve God in the church and world. The Bible stories we explore are presented in a script format, where we take on the role of the different characters, followed by a discussion of the characters and their circumstances. This year we be working through the New Testament.
Teachers: Abby Pierson and Jimmy Ward
Room: 12
God Alive & Living the Word
God Alive - Theme: "Encourage One Another"
Jesus is the greatest encourager, but there are many encouragers in the Bible – Aaron was there for Moses, Moses encouraged Joshua, Rahab provided encouragement and protection, Jesus encouraged the disciples, Barnabas’ name means “son of encouragement,” Paul encouraged numerous churches through his words, and there are many more people and moments of great encouragement throughout the Bible.
And we can be encouragers of one another too! We already know a song (that Mr. Dillon taught us) that tells us to do just that! So this year we will explore the great encouragers of the Bible and step into the call from God to encourage one another as we play, learn, sing, and serve at God Alive and out into the world!
God Alive is a ministry for elementary school age children. God Alive meets on Wednesdays from 4:00 PM—6:00 PM where children explore their faith through Bible stories, music, mission, and play. All are welcome!
Living the Word
Once a month on a Saturday from 1:00 PM—3:00 PM the 3 and 4-year-old children of the church will meet in Ms. Leigh’s backyard and rotate through three Bible story stations. At each station they will hear the Bible story come to life with puppets that our youth animate. The children will then participate in outdoor activities that reinforce the concepts of that story. A tradition of Living the Word is to plant and care for a cucumber garden and a winter garden. These vegetables are then used to create yummy dishes and gifts for those we love and for those in need.
Vacation Bible Schools
Winter Vacation Bible School - “The Grandparent Effect!"
Saturday, February 8 | 9:00 AM—12:30 PM
All 3-year-olds through 1st graders are invited to attend. This year we are asking our participants to bring their grandparents or grandparent like figure from our congregation along! More to come about this wonderful day of exploring God’s love with our grandparents! 4th and 5th graders, and our youth will serve as leaders.
Registration begins in late 2024.
Bible & Music Camp
Monday, July 28 - Thursday, July 31
All Rising Pre-K through rising 5th grade are invited to attend.
More Information Coming Soon!