Church School

The Church School begins with our Baby Nurseries and runs through the eighth grade.  In addition to our Curriculum, we also include instruction appropriate to each age group, providing our children with as broad a background as possible prior to their entering First Church's Confirmation program in the ninth grade.

Church School schedule

Classes begin each Sunday at 10:00 am. Children are welcome beginning at 9:45 am.   Children's Bibles are used  in our younger classes.  At the completion of a child's third grade they are presented with a personal Bible as a gift from First Church. Click here to get the 2007-2008 Children's Ministries Booklet

Children's Worship Services

Worship takes place weekly in the classroom.  Combined worship services for children and their families are held approximately once a month.  These special occasions, called Big Events, provide an opportunity for children to worship in the Meetinghouse with their families for the first part of the service.  Following the children's sermon, children are then dismissed for a multi-graded special event. On these Sundays, children should be met by their parents after the service in the Daniels' Center.

Inreach and Outreach

Inreach and outreach are important aspects of our Church School.   Our children begin to experience this concept as they participate in local and international helping programs. In this way we strive to help our children see their world as a place to do acts of kindness and share God's love.

Grade level emphases

Beyond our curriculum, there are special emphases for each class each year.  In this way, First Church seeks to give our children a firm grounding to take with them into their Confirmation year and beyond.

• Three-Year-Olds - To create a level of comfort and belonging in our young ones so that church is a warm and loving experience.  Learn simple table graces and prayers which can be used at home as well as in Church School.

• Four-Year-Olds - Continue simple graces and prayers and songs.  Begin to be acquainted with Bible Stories and other children’s literature relating to our faith.
• Kindergarten - To enhance their faith development by using beginning reading and learning skills using the books, video materials and games in our resource center.
• First Grade - Learn about worship by developing a sense of familiarity with use of prayers, songs, stories and contributing to an offering.
• Second Grade - Communion education will be provided by the pastors for children and their parents in a classroom format and in worship.  The intent of this course is to help families determine how and when their children will begin to participate in the sacrament of Holy Communion.
• Third Grade - Special emphasis is placed on learning Bible stories and understanding how the Bible came to be written.  The class will share their efforts with their parents at a Bible Breakfast during the winter.  This is done in preparation for the children receiving their own Bibles as a gift from First Church at the close of the year.
• Fourth Grade - This year our children learn about what it means to be a member of the United Church of Christ.  They will also learn about First Church, its history and how it operates.   During this year we hope to visit a country church and a city church of our denomination.
• Fifth Grade - This year we hope the children will learn about the role of outreach at First Church as they develop and participate in their own local mission project.
• Sixth Grade - Just as we learn about our faith, we also live in community with people of other faiths.   An important part of this year will be to learn about other faiths and then visit other houses of worship.  Through this unit we hope to further our interfaith understanding.
• Pastors’ Class - This class includes both our seventh and eighth grades.  Beginning in the Meetinghouse each Sunday morning our young people become more familiar with our worship services, and begin to find their place in the church.  Leaving during the service for class time, they have the opportunity to become better acquainted with their pastors who teach their class.  At one point during the year they have the opportunity to speak to the congregation through a play, sermon, or other format selected by the class.

Music in the Church School

We believe that music holds an important place in our children's experiences at First Church.  Music reinforces what is taught, promotes a sense of fellowship, and speaks to us in ways words cannot.  It is a language of holiness. Members of our congregation seeking to bring music to our children have organized as a new group to create and share a new repertoire of songs that our children can use in their classrooms, in worship services, on retreats and with their families at home or at church-wide events.  This new musical dimension will augment the fine work of our choirs, bringing opportunities for music-making to all our children. All are welcome to join us in this venture.

Church School Volunteers

Each year we need teachers for the Church School.  We suggest that parents teach for two years for each child they have in Church School.  Our confirmands (ninth graders) are also asked to help teach and assist as needed.  Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities as a Church School teacher.

God's gift of love is perhaps the most perfect gift we will ever know.  While this gift is freely given, we hope to encourage our children to reach out and receive it.  In the midst of all these activities, it is our fervent prayer that the seeds of faith, inherent in our children, will grow and multiply as the mustard seed in Jesus' parable.  Thank you for sharing your children with us this year.  Please know that throughout our year, your suggestions and your participation are always welcome.

Home Page