Children WElcome
We encourage you to attend worship services with your children. Your child is welcome to join you in church, and may decide to participate in the songs or prayers. At the Church of the Angels, that participation is welcome.
For those with very young children, infant to age 3, nursery facilities are located downstairs, using the small stairway below the bell tower, and includes chairs, changing table, crib, and playpen, along with age-appropriate toys. A restroom and a telephone are also available downstairs. If you have concerns or questions about bringing your small child to church with you, please call the church office.
Church of the Angels offers Sunday School for children ages 3 to 12, using the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program. Classrooms, called Atriums, are located in the Parish Hall, across Church Street from the church. Children convene at 8:30 am, and then rejoin their parents in church just before communion.
What Is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?
Children have a special relationship with God. Our program for children, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, is built around this understanding. The word catechesis comes from an ancient Greek root meaning “to echo or resound,” meaning that the process of religious discovery flows freely between the child, the teacher, and the Holy Spirit.
Our parish has a long relationship with the dynamic Good Shepherd program, and our catechists bring extensive training grounded in a thorough understanding of child development. To enroll your child, contact anne.e.miles@gmail.com and learn more.
Age Groups
Because children change so much as they grow, our Sunday school cohort meets in three separate groups.
Level I (ages 3-6) - For our youngest children, God is the Good Shepherd — the steadfast source of love and guidance that all children need. Children hear stories from the catechist about who God is and how he loves us. Then, they respond to these presentations by working with materials such as maps, models, and art supplies.
Level II (ages 6-9) - Children in Level II study parables and Bible stories, learning more and more about the love that passes between people and God. The thematic image is Christ the True Vine; children begin to understand that they are part of the Kingdom of God. Children develop ethical and moral awareness by listening to Jesus' maxims, moral parables, and reconciliation. They also study the cycle of the church year and the structure of the Bible, while continuing to practice the contemplative activities they began in Level I.
Level III (ages 9-12) - In Level III, these older children examine the huge scope of the Kingdom of God - from Creation, through history, to the Parousia, the return of Christ. They learn more about God’s relationship with the world through history, and consider how this relationship works in their own lives.
Throughout all three levels, the child encounters the essentials of the Faith. Each level offers presentations on the Sacraments, the Bible, geography, the Infancy and Passion narratives, prophecies, parables, and maxims in ways that are developmentally appropriate. As the child matures, these presentations deepen in detail and sophistication. Yet the catechist’s role as a facilitator of the child’s own discovery remains constant. In this shared process of exploration, both the child and the catechist find their faith nourished.
The Role of the Catechist
Our catechists prepare a special space for children to encounter God; they make presentations that ‘call forth’ the child's response rather than just ‘pour in’ information. They listen with the child and together ask, God, who are you? How do you love us?" Together, the catechist and the children wonder at the Kingdom of God, meditate on questions generated by the Scriptures, and explore God’s presence in their own world.
In the words of Dr. Sofia Cavaletti, who developed the program, "If we want to help the child draw nearer to God, we should with patience and courage seek to go always closer to the vital nucleus of things. This requires study and prayer. The children themselves will be our teachers if we know how to observe them."
Learn More
If you have children of the appropriate age, speak to one of the catechists at any church service or email anne.e.miles@gmail.com and learn what our program can offer for the spiritual development of your child.