Welcome back to Sunday school!

This Summer has meant travel for many families, and we have missed you! We are really looking forward to seeing you and your children in church and Sunday school! We are kicking off an exciting year of Sunday school with a special brunch following worship on September 13. We hope everyone can make it! Our Sunday school teachers will be invited to come forward to receive a blessing during the service, and the kids preschool-fourth grade will be excused for Sunday school following Children's Time. Our nursery is open each week for our youngest children.

We have a couple of changes this year for the younger classes. The Curriculum we will be using for the preschool through fourth-graders is called Spark. Spark is designed with the understanding that kids have many different learning styles. It incorporates a variety of experiences, such as music, such as through stories, art projects, and interactive activities and games. Faith is explored using the Bible as the primary resource. Emphasis is put on faith formation, on children building a lifelong friendship with God and the Bible. Your children will be given a take-home sheet each week for you to explore as a family. Another change we are planning is for them to join the children in the nursery for a large group time of singing and storytelling before going into the classroom wing.

Our middle school class will be using Seasons of the Spirit curriculum as they have for the past few years. This Curriculum is a rich resource that connects youth to the Scripture text through the arts, discussion, and interactive activities. This class will meet in the Singer Room. Both Spark and Seasons are based on the Revised Common Lectionary, which means that the same theme is often used for both the worship service and Sunday school. Our Senior high class takes the form of a discussion group following the sermon. This class meets in Dee's office, and will be facilitated by an adult from the congregation.

We would love to have some additional volunteers for help with Sunday school, whether teaching or assisting in other supportive roles. Please contact me or Denise Melton-Todd if you are able to serve.

May God bless our teachers, children and their families. May we grow in faith and love together!