Children
Wilton Presbyterian Church welcomes, nurtures and
incorporates children in our worship and community life. Children develop a
sense of WPC as
their church family and home. They are encouraged to be ushers, greeters, and
scripture readers. We have a dynamic
Our Church School is a vibrant community of adults and children from both
Wilton Presbyterian and St. Matthew’s Episcopal churches who come
together every Sunday morning to worship, learn, pray, sing, play games,
develop a sense of belonging, and explore what it means to be a child of God.
Children in kindergarten through 7th Grade begin worship with their families
and move to
Our curriculum for children
up through 5th grade, Bible Quest, provides an activities-based approach that
emphasizes learning by doing and recognizes that children have different learning
styles. Children are given the opportunity to experience, interpret and explore
how New and Old Testament stories relate to their own
lives as they study the bible. The curriculum for sixth and seventh
graders is “Tweens in Transition”, which
provides a biblical framework for the issues and choices that middle schoolers face every day. The class will present a sermon/play at our annual
worship service led by the children, the Festival of Children on February 11,
2007
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|
|
|
Nursery (up to 3
years), 3 Year Olds, |
10 a.m. to end of
worship service |
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Kindergarten to 7th
grade |
10 - 10:15 a.m.-
Children worship with their families |
Every Sunday throughout the summer, there is a combined grade
“Joyful
Noise” is
a monthly program which gives our children from kindergarten through 4th
grade the opportunity to learn and sing songs of faith. On “Joyful Noise” Sundays,
children will move from their Church School classes at 10:45 and will gather in
the Upper Core where they will sing both hymns and old favorites as
“He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”, “Jesus Loves
Me” and “Father Abraham.”
As part of this program, children will also receive communion,
alternating between Episcopalian and Presbyterian traditions.
Seasonal
Activities
Throughout the year, families and children are invited to take part in
activities that celebrate the seasons of the church year. In Advent, families
can take part in a workshop where they assemble unique Advent calendars which
have an envelope for each day in Advent. Each envelope holds a daily message
and a treat. Many families have found this has enhanced their experience of
Advent.
During Lent, simple Lenten
activity calendars and One Great Hour of Sharing mite boxes are given out. The
One Great Hour of Sharing is a special offering for denominational disaster
assistance, programs to alleviate hunger, and for employment training. This
offering is received and dedicated at morning worship on Palm Sunday. On Good
Friday at 4 p.m. there is a special worship service planned for children which
allows them to walk through the events of Holy Week and experience them in a
unique manner. For instance, they wash their hands to remember the way that
Pilate washed his hands and visit a garden to remember the garden at
There are a variety of mission activities throughout the year by which we hope
to encourage our children to see themselves as givers to others.
At Thanksgiving and in the spring, children in
their classes make small gifts and cards, which individual families personally
deliver to members of our two churches to let them know that we care. These
deliveries have sparked a time of additional intergenerational community and
caring.
In addition we do two
mission projects in which we collect items that have been requested by
not-for-profit agencies supported by our church.
In Lent, children have
Lenten boxes in which they collect change to be given to the “One Great
Hour of Sharing” offering to help others in need throughout the world.