CHILDREN

LEARN & GROW

Good Shepherd offers year round Sunday School classes with age appropriate curriculum for learners from preschool through high school. In the summer, classes begin at 9:20 am; during the program year (fall, winter and spring) classes begin at 10:20 am. They meet in the basement classrooms with children returning at the Peace to take Communion with their families.

Outside the classroom, we invite all of our children to try out a variety of leadership and service opportunities under the direction of staff, parents, and mentoring adults.

GODLY PLAY
3-Year-Old through Second Grade

Guided by Sue LaFant, the church’s Children’s Ministry Director, and teachers trained in Godly Play, our youngest learners are introduced to the Good Shepherd through Godly Play storytelling. Using hands-on materials and “I wonder” questions, each child engages with their own spirituality and sense of God as they learn the Bible, the church year and the lives of saints. Their faith grows as they listen to their own hearts, the reflections of the other children in the group, and their teachers.

THE BIBLE IN 365 STORIES
Third through Fifth Grade

The Rev. Merrie Need challenges her students to deepen their understanding and faith through materials she developed while serving as the Chaplain at St. Anne’s Episcopal School in Engelwood. The projected presentations explore the Bible, starting with accounts of Jesus’ life and the stories he told his followers before moving on to Old Testament accounts. There is always lively discussion—from critiques of the artwork that illustrate the stories to what the stories may mean for us two thousand years later. Our older elementary students are also introduced to the meaning, practice and history of Communion.

Children Serving & Leading

Good Shepherd invites our children to gain experiences in leadership and service appropriate to their ages and abilities. Each Sunday, one child carrying a cross and another a banner lead their classmates into the worship service at the Peace. Elementary age children are also welcome to serve as acolytes, departing the service for Sunday School and returning at the Peace to complete their duties. Elementary children serve alongside their parents as ushers, greeters, choir members, hand bell ringers and coffee hour hosts. On Family Sundays (fifth Sundays when all children join worship for the entire service), young readers preside as lectors and lead the congregation in prayer. On Easter and other special Sundays, the Children’s Choir performs. Periodically after church, volunteers of all ages take on outreach projects such as making peanut butter sandwiches to distribute to food bank clients.

Nursery Care
Infants - three-year-olds

While young children are welcome in worship, a loving nursery staff under the direction of Liv Steed provides safe and secure childcare for our littlest attenders during the main service on Sundays. The nursery opens at 9:15 am in the summer (with the service beginning at 9:30 am) and at 10:15 am during the program year in the fall, winter and spring when the service begins at 10:30 am. As children reach eligibility to join Sunday School, parents consult with Sue LaFant and Liv Steed to determine the best experience for each child.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO VOLUNTEER WITH CHILDREN?

Sue LaFant welcomes adults who enjoy helping children grow in faith. Whether serving as a second adult under the direction of a teacher or receiving training in Godly Play, contact Sue to find out about opportunities and the training required.

SUE LAFANT

SUMMER CAMPS AT CATHEDRAL RIDGE

Cathedral Ridge, our diocesan retreat and camp center in the Colorado mountains near Woodland Park, offers summer camps for rising third graders and above.

Weekend Family Camps throughout the summer include all ages for classic camp fun and outdoor worship.

Camp details are available on their website.

CATHEDRAL RIDGE