PALM SUNDAY WITH OUR CHILDREN

Much of what happens with our Sunday School program each week is not readily visible to the majority of our congregation. And yet, Sunday by Sunday, this vital ministry serves our children faithfully and well, thanks to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the dedication, time, and commitment of our teaching team. Our program is not “babysitting while parents attend church”, but rather offers our youngest members thoughtfully crafted experiences and lessons designed to provide them with a loving, safe environment to explore their life in Christ. We diligently seek to nurture their faith life and build a community of love among them. The programs offered this past Sunday are particularly good illustrations of this.

As the mystery of Holy Week starts to unfold, our children observed Palm Sunday in ways designed to help them experience this unique liturgical time with awe and wonder. After joining in the congregational procession with palms, children headed to their classrooms for special Palm Sunday presentations. The youngest children (3yrs - K) heard the “Faces of Easter” Godly Play story while the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd group (grades 1-3) listened to a presentation entitled “The City of Jerusalem” using a map of the city which followed Jesus through Holy Week. The 4th/5th-grade class, middle school and high school students participated in a reenactment of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the events of the Last Supper.

This is how St. Gregory’s is seeking to “make a difference” in our children’s lives.

Andrew+

The Rev. Andrew J. Sherman, Rector