Christian Formation of Children
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth,
unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
-Matthew 18:2-4
Welcome!
We offer children of all ages engaging learning, outreach, and community building opportunities including nursery, toddler care, church school classes, special communion classes, Lenten programs, and year-round outreach activities.
We the teachers of the Church of the Good Shepherd, seek to invite all and provide the children of our parish with a safe and loving church school experience where they will know that they are loved by God and are continually invited into relationship with Christ.
Our goal is to ensure that each child has the opportunity to learn personally that they are loved, respected, and accepted in the way that Christ taught us and to instill in them the benefit of following those teachings in their own lives.
With programs that offer opportunities for learning, active ministry, and meaningful outreach, our children are spiritually nurtured in their faith as it develops, are called to worship actively, and are invited to demonstrate their faith in the world around them.
Church school is offered at the 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services Sunday mornings during the school year except for on Multigenerational days. Multigenerational Days are typically the first Sunday of the month. Multigenerational Days offer our teachers an opportunity to attend church and our families an opportunity to enjoy the service in its entirety together.
We offer a complete range of services for children from birth through 6th grade.
Nursery: The nursery serves our infants (0-1yr), providing a safe and loving space for resting, exploring, and getting to know each other. Our nursery caregivers are responsible teenagers who have babysitting experience and training.
Toddler Room: Our new toddler room serves children 2 and 3 years of age, offering them an interesting space in which to explore some initial Christian concepts. The Toddler room leaders will encourage our toddlers to participate in story time, simple crafts, and play that helps to reinforce these concepts.
Pre-K & K: In this program our Pre-K and K level children enjoy a dynamic lesson involving games, story telling, crafts, and music. Their lessons will help them understand the nature of God's love for them, who Jesus is, and how they can be more like Jesus in their own lives. They also begin to learn about sacred spaces and prayer.
Grades 1 and 2: Our first and second graders will enjoy a WONDERful year of Godly PlayTM! This teaching technique offers our children time set apart to settle, explore sacred spaces, be captivated by bible stories, wonder about the stories, places, and characters, and create beautiful symbols of their growing understanding.
Grades 3 and 4: Using the WitnessTM curriculum, this class brings a contemporary feel to learning about the Bible stories, characters, and lessons. In this program, children not only learn the stories but begin to connect the stories to their own experiences and character development. Using the concept of Faith Traits the children begin to see the stories as illustrations of Christian character.
Grades 5-6: A new and updated approach to teaching this age group is being introduced this year. Our fifth and sixth graders will enjoy new and comfortable space, the WitnessTM curriculum, and a hip new concept on the classroom setup and structure, all while learning about how the stories of the Bible and the people of the Bible help us understand how best to develop our Christian values.
Church of the Good Shepherd Acton employs