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Christian Education Opportunities - Fall/Winter 2010-2011 This fall, our children's Sunday school prfogram will be using curriculum from our Presbyterian denomination. This curriculum is Bible based and provides a variety of age appropriate activities to help our children grow in their faith and learn more about God's Word for each of them. Each Sunday, children will explore passages from both the Old and New Testaments that are presented from the perspective of our Reformed tradition. Also incorporated into the curricuum are questions from our catechism helping children grow in their understanding of what it means to be Presbyterian. Children's Church will resume Sunday, September 12th during both the 8:45 and 11:00 services. Children, first grade and under are invited to Children`s Church. Children who are worshipping with their parents may leave the service during the Passing of the Peace and will return following the sermon. While in Children's Church, they will hear the scripture passage for that Sunday and learn more about the passage through a variety of activities. Children's Church provides an opportunity for our younger members to hear and experience the day's scriptures in age appropriate ways. Two and Three Year Olds will be using Wee Believe: God's Word for God's People. This curriculum provides an opportunity for our youngest Sunday School participants to begin to learn about God and God's love for each of them. Most of the stories shared with our two and three year olds are repeated twice helping them to learn these stories. During the fall quarter, children will be learning about Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Joseph, Hannah, and David. They will also have Beatrice and Wee Bee to help them each week as well, providing activities which allow them to focus on the story about the people of God. Each lesson also includes a take home sheet letting families know more about what was shared during Sunday School. Pre-schoolers through Fourth grade will be using We Believe. This curriculum focuses on children's ability to learn in a variety of ways, by providing activities which will encourage them to grow in their faith. The children will also have the opportunity to learn more about what Presbyterians believe as each lesson will incorporate a question from our denomination's catechism. The theme for We Believe this year is “God's Messengers”, focusing on some of the biblical people God chose to be messengers. Children will have the opportunity to explore the lives of Joseph, Elijah, Moses, Deborah, and Esther to name a few, and the content of their messages. Some of the messengers will be already familiar to the children, and some may be new, but all have a message from which the children can continue to learn and share with their friends and family. Our Fifth and Sixth graders will be using, FAQ, Faithfully Asking Questions. This curriculum focuses on the questions that younger youth have about God, their faith, and the issues of life. With the use of real questions asked by real youth across our denomination, our fifth and sixth graders will hopefully find answers through scripture and our church's tradition so they can develop a deeper understanding of what it means to be a follower of God. This class will provide a great steeping stone in preparing them for confirmation class in the next few years. All curriculum have a website, which families can log onto at home to continue learning about the biblical people and their stories. 
The Youth Group, 7th through 12th grades, will be looking at Faith Questions. Every 4 to 6 weeks they will explore a different question and look for insight and answers by connecting the questions with the Bible as well as the creeds and confessions of the Presbyterian Church. Throughout the year, questions will cover such topics as The Bible, Gospels, Forgiveness, Prayer, Evangelism, and much more!
Nomads Bible Study (Adults) - Taking a closer look at the passages used in the weekly lectionary, this more traditional Bible Study class is a chance to jump in deeper to the Scripture passages for that day, ask the questions, and figure out what God is saying to you and the faith community. General Assembly Issues and Overtures (Adults) - The 219th General Assembly has sent a wealth of items to be voted on by the Presbyteries and studied by the churches. This class will spend the year exploring a few of the "Big Ones" including: The new Form of Government (FOG) which if passed by the Presbyteries would replace our current Book of Order, the Balfour Confession which (if passed) would be added to our Book of Confessions, The majority and minority study papers on Marriage, and the study on Middle East Peace "Breaking Down the Walls".
"Everything you always wanted to know about the Bible but were afraid to ask" (Adults) - Has there ever been a passage in the Bible that just left you stumped? Or have you wondered just exactly what the Bible has to say on a certain issue or topic? The questions will be up to the class participants, and will change from week to week. |
Ministries 
Teri Launius received her Masters of Arts in Christian Education from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education, soon to be known as Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. With over 25 years of ministry in the area of Christian Education, she has served churches in West Virginia, Virginia, Arkansas, and most recently in Wisconsin. She also has been involved in the larger church serving on presbytery and synod committees, and is currently a POINT (Presbyterian Organized in Nurture and Teaching) Advocate and serving on its Coordinating Team.
