Youth Programs
We are excited to have our children’s Christian Formation programs back up and running. Here is some basic information. We will meet every Sunday (with the exception of Easter Sunday) September through May. Sunday school will take place between 10-11:30am each Sunday. If you attend the 9am service, pick up time is 11:30am. If you attend the 10:45am service, your children will be brought to you in the sanctuary.
Nursery
Our nursery space is now available, though currently unstaffed. Parents who wish to bring their children to the nursery and sit with them during services, may do so. 9am and 10:45am Services are livestreamed and able to be viewed from the nursery. We have a special area for children and families on the west side of the sanctuary, in the church, as well.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Our Sunday morning Christian formation is rooted in Sophia Cavalletti’s Catechesis of the Good Shepherd curriculum; a way of approaching children’s religious formation which allows them to interact deeply with the Bible and the liturgy, utilizing the educational principles of Maria Montessori. Our children explore these things in “atria” (rooms), especially prepared for them based on their respective ages. The materials in the atria have been made by members of our congregation to be used in presentations for the children and then by the children in a hands-on, meditative way.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is rich and varied spiritual programming for our younger children. The individual atria are facilitated by our talented catechists, a number of whom have dozens of years of experience, not only as catechists, but as catechesis trainers at the national level. We are truly blessed to have this quality of spiritual formation for our young children.
The Atrium for 3-6 year-olds
Led by Rebecca Elfring-Roberts, Joan Roberts, and Betsy Cade.
The 3-6 year-old child is particularly capable of receiving and enjoying the most essential elements of our faith - the announcement of God's love, in the person of the Good Shepherd. Our time focuses on the person of Jesus and the parables of the Kingdom as well as on the articles and gestures of the mass.
The Atrium for 6-9 year-olds
Led by Todd Young and Linda Winnard.
For the 6-9 year-old children, the focus is on Jesus, the True Vine: "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, bears fruit. Cut off from me you can do nothing." The proclamation responds to the deep need of the older child to know better their relationships with God, family and the larger community. Our time focuses on the moral parables as well as more in-depth work on the liturgy and the sacraments.
The Atrium for 9-12 years
Led by Betsy Peterson and Peter Civetta.
The imagination and agility of this age group allows us to continue our work on the plan of God for Salvation by exploring the past, the present and the future. The emphasis is on our response to this unfolding generosity of God and the responsibilities that come with receiving God's great gifts. Our time focuses on seeing the unity between Scripture, sacraments, liturgy and our lived experience.
We believe that formation at Church of Our Saviour is a life-long journey. We take special care of our youngest members by nourishing them to begin, form, and strengthen their relationship with God. If you would like more information about our Sunday School programs, please email Peter Civetta, Vestry lead for Christian Formation.
There will be no Sunday school on November 24 (Thanksgiving), December 25, and January 1 (Christmas break).
Junior & Senior High
This year we are excited to bring together our junior and senior high youth (grades 7-12) for combined programming led by Clare Nolan, Mark Watson, Alice Kovacik, and Lavell Rogers.
High School Youth Group
We know that youth group may be new to many COS families, and we are excited to introduce you to the program, which has a rich history in our parish. You can hear directly from some of our young people about their experience on our annual service trip in this video.
Get Involved
We need every parent to sign up to support our Sunday school programs once between now and Christmas break. You will either be a greeter, a substitute teacher, or maybe just attend/experience the atrium with your child. You will be assigned and trained for your role depending on our needs that week. For us all to succeed, we really need every parent to volunteer just once - plus, we will hope to make it a fun and engaging experience for you too. Here is the link to SIGN-UP. If you have additional questions, please reach out to Peter Civetta by contacting the office.