Children, teens, and adults all need nourishment of body and soul, remembering not only who they are but "whose" they are. Christian Formation for at All Saints' is designed to provide the kind of community, structure and guidance that allows the Holy Spirit to grow and flourish within each person.
Christian formation for children at All Saints' 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 in aspects of the 10 a.m. service during Advent, Lent and on most major feast days. Throughout the year, special family oriented activities take place after church. Parents are encouraged to participate in their children's formation both at All Saints' and at home through specific purposeful activities and forums. The Sunday School program as a whole is coordinated by the Director of Christian Education
At All Saints' Church Sunday School takes place in the "The Haven." This welcoming space is decorated in rich warm colors and the large central area has couches for relaxation and socialization. The various classrooms surround this central space, so that each age group has a space of its own. 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.
Sunday School is finished for the 2009-2010 year. Please join us again in the fall, after Labor Day!
Children ages three through the third grade gather together in the Sacred Stories classroom. Taught by Mary Hack and Mary Bostock, 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 with teacher Tony Beesley. 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.
Seventh and eighth graders take part in a focused curriculum that offers a firm foundation in faith, creates a sense of belonging and ownership, and encourages church participation even after they make the transition into high school. This class is led by Paige MacPherson.
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 toddlers.
Led by the Rev'd Deacon Andrew Van Kirk in conjunction with All Saint's other clergy, the confirmation program for 2009-2010 has finished for the year. Confirmation Sunday was June 6th, at which Bishop Belshaw confirmed 11 confirmands!
We will be headed to Passport at Gordon College, July 26-31, 2010. With other youth from around the country, they engage in a week of mission work, bible study, small groups-and a lot of fun.
During the school year, the Youth Group meets regularly every other Sunday evening and at other specially scheduled times for fellowship, outreach, lock-ins and service projects. Summers typically see the youth group involved in outreach or mission trips. In 2009-10, the youth went to Wenham, Massachusetts for Passport Camps, where they took part in various mission projects around the area. Previous trips have taken the youth to Mexico to build a house for a family and down to Florida for a Faith in 3D conference.
Outside of youth group, the youth at All Saints' also serve as acolytes and in the Youth Choir, which participates regularly in Sunday morning and feast-day worship services.
All youth participating in youth group activities need to have this registration, waiver, and release form on file with the church.
Friends and newcomers are always welcome at our youth events. We'd love to see you soon!
Adult Christian Formation at All Saints' encompasses a wide variety of activities and opportunities:
For more information on these opportunities, feel free to show up! Or contact the parish office for more information.