Children
During the Catechesis hour from 9:00am-10:00am, we have age-appropriate programming for all children, nursery through grade 5. We use God’s Big Story curriculum for all ages 0-11, which is rooted in the incredible truth that God has come to rescue his children from their own sin through his Son Jesus Christ. It explores the biblical narrative from creation and the fall to Jesus' sacrificial victory on the cross to the promise of a new heaven and earth. GBS is taught in the context of worship through liturgy, song, scripture memory, story presentation, wondering questions, catechesis (teaching of doctrine and the faith), prayer, and many reflective and creative responses geared to a variety of age groups.
During the main (10:15am) worship service, a nursery with well-trained nursery attendants is available for children birth through five years old. However, all children are welcomed and encouraged to remain with their family throughout the service. Several resources are provided to help engage children in the service. Don't worry if your kiddos are a little noisy and move around. We believe their presence with us is worth it, and we know that God put the wriggle in children!
We understand that this may represent a challenge for some families. Here are some things that may help:
We provide resources to help kids engage with the service, including age-appropriate guides to the liturgy, children’s bibles, and worship challenges encouraging children to learn the basics of worship and memorize important scriptures.
Help kids navigate the bulletin, find hymns, look up scripture, etc. (children learn by doing!)
If you're a parent, try to find a place to sit where your child will be able to see and participate in what is going on.
Recognize that some children (and adults) may make noises or act in ways that seem strange or upsetting, but are perfectly normal for their situation.
Children and the Sacraments
BAPTISM
Baptism is the sacrament of being included, by God’s grace, in the covenant community of God’s people. We welcome infants for baptism, and regard it as a biblical practice. However, we also have families at St. Michael’s who do not hold this belief and choose not to baptize their children, which we respect.
When we baptize infants and children, we do so based on God’s promise and on the faith of their parents, which they then commit to passing on to their children. At baptism, children become part of the covenant community, where they grow in their knowledge and love of the Lord until they – one day – “complete” their baptism by expressing personal repentance and faith. At this point, Confirmation is an appropriate demonstration of how God has fulfilled what began in baptism.
Communion
Communion is the “family meal” of the covenant community by which God makes Himself available to us, so all baptized children are welcome at the table. As the primary spiritual disciplers of their children, parents decide at what age their baptized children are prepared to receive communion. If children are not baptized or are not prepared to receive communion, they are welcome to cross their arms over their chest so that the priest will know to pray a blessing over them.
We fully realize that we come from a variety of faith backgrounds where these are debated practices. Please don’t hesitate to contact one of our staff if you have questions or would like to know more.
Youth
On Sundays, youth have their own class during the 9:00am-10:00am hour led by our youth directors.
Many of the youth are also involved in music in different ways, although that's not a requirement!
