Christian Formation at All Saints’
Children and teens come to church for the same reasons that adults do. They and we need a break from the stresses and challenges of day to day life. We all need to nourish our bodies and souls by remembering not only who we are but most importantly “whose’ we are. Our goal as a Sunday school is to provide the kind of community, structure and guidance that allows the Holy Spirit to grow and flourish within each child.
The Haven
At All Saints’ Church children and teens gather together in “The Haven.” It is a welcoming space where all ages are greeted by the Director of Christian Education. The space is decorated in rich warm colors and has couches for relaxation and socialization. The Sunday school is small enough so that there is a natural sense of community and large enough to offer diversity. Families come from Montgomery, Princeton, West Windsor, East Windsor as well as other communities within a 15 mile radius.
Experiential and Informational LearningChristian formation is both informational and experiential at All Saints’. Our task is to develop a sense of the ongoing nature of Christian formation and to provide parents with tools to encourage such formation at home. In addition to Sunday School classes, all children are actively involved during parts of the 10 a.m. service during Advent, Lent and on most major feast days. Special family oriented activities such as making Advent Wreaths and cookie baking occur throughout the year. Parents are encouraged to participate in their children’s formation both at All Saints’ and at home through specific purposeful activities and forums.
Specific Times and Programs
Sunday School begins at 9:45 a.m. in The Haven with singing. At 10 a.m. children and teens go to their respective classes. Children ages three through the third grade gather together in the Sacred Stories Classroom. The class includes passing of the heart, oral storytelling by experienced teachers using Godly Play and Beulaland (Gretchen Pritchard) curriculum, art response and lighting of the Christ candle. Children in fourth through sixth grades meet in the Essential Elements Classroom. They follow the Episcopal Church curriculum as they learn about the prophets, Jesus and his parables, the Eucharist and the basic tenants of our faith. All Teens not involved in the Confirmation Class are welcome in the Popcorn, Movies and Off-Line Chatting Class. Contemporary movies are watched in increments, with discussion in between. All three classes end in time so that the children and teens can join their parents for the Eucharist. Nursery care is always available for infants and toddlersYouth Christian Formation and Youth Group
The Youth Group of middle school and high school youth meets regularly on Sunday evenings (about twice a month) and at other times for study, youth group activities, and outreach activities. A class for youth-group-aged students preparing for confirmation in Spring 2008 began meeting this spring (2007). Adult leaders for the Youth Group (in 2006-07) are Roland Patterson, Maddy Patterson, Stephanie Cox, Kim Irving, and Andrew Budwig.
Summers typically see the youth group involved in outreach or mission trips. In 2006, the youth took part in All Saints' Church's family mission trip to build a house for a family living in Mexico near the Mexico—U.S. border and close to El Paso, Texas, in an effort sponsored by Border to Border Missions.
Youth of the parish also serve as acolytes and in the Youth Choir, which participates regularly in Sunday morning and feast-day worship services.
Adult Christian Formation
Christian formation for adults tends to be less formal and encompass a variety of activities and opportunities. A Sunday morning Adult Forum presents speakers and opportunities for discussion of special topics. Week-day activities include a thriving and long-standing Men's Bible Study group, and a Women's Bible Study group, Women's Fellowship (a Wednesday night book study and discussion group). We also have a Book Study Group which meets on Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. at Panera on Nassau St. and a Bible Study Group which meets in our church library at 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday mornings.
All Saints’ Church 16 All Saints’ Road Princeton, N J 08540-3634 Tel: 609-921-2420 Fax: 609-921-6276 |