Children WElcome HERE
Children are always welcome in worship at the Church of the Angels. We encourage families to attend together, and children are welcome to join in the songs, prayers, and responses as they are able.
For children from infancy to age 3, nursery facilities are available downstairs, reached by the small stairway beneath the bell tower. The nursery includes seating, a changing table, crib, playpen, age-appropriate toys, and a restroom. If you have questions about bringing a young child to church, please contact the church office.
Our Sunday School program for children ages 3 to 12 is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The classrooms, called Atriums, are located in the Parish Hall across Church Street from the church. Children gather at 8:30 a.m. and rejoin their families in church shortly before Communion.
What Is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd?
Children have a special relationship with God, and the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is built around that understanding. The word catechesis comes from an ancient Greek root meaning “to echo or resound,” reflecting a process of discovery shared by the child, the catechist, and the Holy Spirit. Our parish has a long relationship with the Good Shepherd program, and our catechists receive extensive training grounded in child development. To enroll your child or learn more, contact anne.e.miles@gmail.com.
Age Groups
Because children grow and learn in different ways, Sunday School is organized in three age groups.
Level I (ages 3-6) For our youngest children, God is the Good Shepherd, the steadfast source of love and guidance. Children hear stories about who God is and how God loves us, then respond through hands-on work with maps, models, art materials, and other objects.
Level II (ages 6-9) Children explore parables and Bible stories, with Christ the True Vine as a central image. They begin to understand themselves as part of the Kingdom of God while developing moral awareness through Jesus’ teachings, reconciliation, the church year, and the structure of the Bible. Contemplative practices begun in Level I continue.
Level III (ages 9-12) Older children explore the broad sweep of the Kingdom of God, from Creation through history to the Parousia, the return of Christ. They consider God’s relationship with the world and how that relationship shapes their own lives.
Across all three levels, children encounter the essentials of the Faith, including the Sacraments, Scripture, geography, the Infancy and Passion narratives, prophecies, parables, and maxims. As children mature, the presentations deepen, while the catechist continues to guide rather than direct the child’s discovery.
The Role of the Catechist
Our catechists prepare a special space for children to encounter God. Rather than simply giving information, they offer presentations that invite response, reflection, and wonder. Catechists and children listen together, meditate on Scripture, and explore God’s presence in the world around them. As Dr. Sofia Cavaletti, one of the program’s founders, wrote: “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.”
Learn More
If your child is of Sunday School age, speak with one of the catechists after a service or email anne.e.miles@gmail.com and learn more about the program.