CHILDREN, Youth & FAMILIES
Each Sunday at 10:30 am year round
Church School for Children & Youth
We at St. Andrew’s-Wesley are excited
about our young and thriving Church School. There are five classrooms for
different ages – our Nursery or “The Ark” for those 2 and under with Pilar
Benevides and volunteers, “The Upper Room” for those in preschool and
kindergarten (ages 3 to 5) with Jen Cunnings (Minister with Children and Families),
Shirley Collins and
volunteers, "Marnie's Room" for those grades 1 to 3 with Missy Taylor and volunteers.
"The Loft" for those grades 4 to 7 with Nicole Morgan, Camille Noullett and volunteers,
and our Youth gather with Christine Coles and Barb Cave. In the Nursery children gather for
free play and then are invited for a simple snack, story and song. “The Ark” or Nursery is a
cheery place with toys, books, an incredible mural and creative materials!
In the Upper Room the
children are engaging in Godly Play©.
For children in our grades 1 through 7 classes, we use the Seasons
of the Spirit curriculum © (a lectionary based curriculum), along with using at times, Godly Play©.
Our Youth Programme on Sunday mornings includes a combination of Godly Play, Seasons of the Spirit as
well as leadership opportunities. Children and youth gather for worship with their families and the rest
of the church family at 10:30am (10:20am for the hymn sing). We have Children’s Bulletins to help children
follow along and engage (with simple explanations of what is happening) as well as Worship bags
(that include a book and some creative materials). Each Sunday morning a child lights the candle marking
the beginning of our worship together. Children and families are invited to the front soon after the service begins.
This time in the service is spent with Rev. Kathryn Ransdell and Jen and is exciting for the children as
well as the adults. Following the time at the front, the children leave for church school.
During Church School, Parents are invited to stay with their children until they are comfortable but
they are also welcome to return to worship
If you have any questions, or interested in volunteering, please contact Jen Cunnings,
our Minister with Children and Families #604-683-4574 local 226) or jen.staw@telus.net
Godly Play
St. Andrew’s-Wesley’s church school uses “Godly Play” in the Upper Room. Godly Play is a Montessori based approach to spiritual formation and religious education. It was developed by Dr. Jerome Berryman, an Episcopal church educator. Inspired by Maria Montessori and Sofia Cavaletti, Jerome Berryman founded and developed Godly Play that is now used in churches all over the world.
In a Godly Play worship centre, containing beautifully crafted story materials, young children and their teachers play with the sacred stories, the parables, and the stories of the liturgy and traditions of the church. Their goal: learn to use the language of the Christian tradition to encounter God and find direction in their lives. Through Godly Play, the children gain an ability to use the parables, sacred stories, liturgical events to discover and speak of God. Playing with the Bible stories gives them the tools they need to create existential meaning.
Why do we call this important work, “play?”
“Play is pleasurable, it is spontaneous and voluntary, play involves deep and active engagement on the part of the players and play is related to things that are not play – like creativity, problem solving, language learning, development of social roles. . . . In Godly Play, we are invited to play with “the language of God and God’s people . . . Through this powerful language, through our wondering, through the community of players gathered together, we hear the deepest invitation of all: an invitation to come and play with God.” Dr. Jerome Berryman, Guide to Godly Play, Volume 1
We enjoy sharing the stories through Godly Play with the children and the rest of our church family. Below we have an outline of the stories we will be focusing on in Godly Play in our church school. Our hope is that knowing the stories we will be focusing on, will help to continue the discussion begun in church school.... in the home. If you have any questions,please contact Jen at jen.staw@telus.net.
- May 05 - "Knowing Jesus in a New Way: Known in Waiting"
- May 12 - "Knowing Jesus in a New Way: Known by the Holy Spirit"
- May 19 - "The Mystery of Pentecost"
Seasons of the Spirit is a lectionary based curriculum. Seasons of the Spirit supports faith communities and families in their life together by:
exploring meaning and mystery in the Bible
being grounded in thoughtful theology
empowering children, youth, and adults to be transformed in Christ
inspiring and equipping leaders
nurturing the imaginative spirit
offering resources for all ages
integrating worship, learning, and serving ministries
"Seasons' vision is for an authentic Christianity lived in our culturally diverse and religiously pluralistic world; to be signs of God’s liberating, compassionate, and inclusive love, and to grow in our relationship with God. Seasons continues to nurture faith through liturgy, ritual, imagination, and to encourage Christian growth through worshipping, learning, and serving together. Our true curriculum is how we live our lives together." ~ Susan Burt, Coordinating Editor, Seasons of the Spirit
Did You Know???
- we have special bulletins for children, available from our ushers with an activity page on the front and special descriptions inside - our hope is that the children will follow along in worship and feel included. ·
- we have worship bags for children (simple books, crayons and colouring pages) on Sunday mornings. They can be found in the “narthex” (back of the church) or by the door nearest the baptismal font at the front of the church. ·
- each Sunday, a child opens our worship time together with the lighting of the Christ candle, if your child is interested, please speak with Jen. ·
- There is a NURSERY available for those 2 and under. “The Ark” at St. Andrew’s Wesley’s is a cheery place with our wonderful Caregiver, Pilar Benavides who offers support to our youngest members and their parents. In the space there are toys, books, washroom access, a change table, and a speaker so you can hear the service. There is a parent sign-up for helping in the nursery – please speak with Pilar! We need at least one other adult in the nursery every Sunday helping Pilar care for the children.
- we have Offering Envelopes for children too!
Offerings collected in church school go to the Core Funding of St. Andrew’s Wesley &
support the overall mission & ministry of our church family. ·
Picnic Club for Children & their Families
Following worship join Jen and friends for a picnic in the salons for a time of sharing and fun with the purpose to build some community amongst our young families.
Sundays, 2013— June 9 (our picnic in Nelson Park with the whole church family!)
Come and join us!!!
PARENTING PROGRAMS
MAY 23rd
RAISING CHILDREN
IN A DIGITAL WORLD7 to 9pm
The digital world is here to stay, changing our society in a way that has far reaching consequences for our children. How do we harness the spectacular connecting potential and yet avoid the pitfalls of attachment technology gone awry? Come as we explore these questions and more!
click for more info
Presenter: Deborah MacNamara is a counsellor with a private practice in Vancouver and is on the faculty at the Neufeld Institute. She has over 20 years of experience as a counsellor and teacher working in educational and community mental health settings.
Admission by Donation
Childcare provided if requested
Register: jen.staw@telus.net
Tel:(604)-683-4574 Local 226For more information contact Jen at jen.staw@telus.net
Parent and Tot Gatherings
Every Wednesdays from 10 to 11:30am we offer a time for Young Children with their Parents, Grandparents and Caregivers to gather for some fun. Newborns, toddlers and preschoolers gather for a time of free play, story (including puppet shows), snack, parachute games and singing with their caring adult. It is an opportunity to build some community, offer support and encouragement for parents and caregivers. At least once a month one of the public health nurses from Three Bridges joins us to offer valuable resources and support. We gather in the salons that are located at 1018 Nelson Street. And on the 3rd Wednesday of the month we gather in the Sanctuary. Look for our sign on Nelson Street. For a parking pass or more information please contact Jen Cunnings at jen.staw@telus.net
All AGES EVENTS- Pentecost Birthday Party - Sunday, May 26 following worship
- Annual Church Family Picnic - Sunday, June 9th in Nelson Park
Junior Youth, For children in grades 4-7
We are excited to have a group that meets once a month with caring and energetic leaders!!! Check out the upcoming events: click here
For more information on either event, contact Jen at jen.staw@telus.net
Youth Group, Grades 8 and Up
For more information contact Christine at coleschristine@yahoo.ca
Free Parking
Parking under Wesley Place (entrance off the lane behind the church)is FREE from 9am to 2pm for those who are attending worship at St.Andrew's-Wesley on Sunday morning.