Preparing the Way
“The great end in religious instruction is not to stamp our minds upon the young, but to stir up their own; not to make them see with our eyes, but to look inquiringly and steadily with their own; not to give them a definite amount of knowledge, but to inspire a fervent love of truth; not to form an outward regularity, but to touch inward springs; not to bind them by ineradicable prejudices to our particular sect or peculiar notions, but to prepare them for impartial, conscientious judging of whatever subjects may be offered to their decision; not to burden the memory, but to quicken and strengthen the power of thought; not to impose religion upon them in the form of arbitrary rules, but to awaken the conscience, the moral discernment. In a word, the great end is to awaken the soul, to excite and cherish spiritual life.” –William Ellery Channing
School begins Sunday at 9:45 a.m., when a children’s service will be held before students go to classes. Nursery care will be available for very young children under three years old. The last Sunday School class of the season was on June 12, and we’ll reconvene in September. All are welcome, whether you’re just visiting for the week or would like to register for the year.
This year, Messiah has implemented a new curriculum based on the principals of Godly Play. Two classes (grades K-2 and grades 3-5) follow the Godly Play Curriculum, and we also continue to offer a traditional children’s Episcopal Curriculum for the Pre-K class. Our classes are taught by a core group of wonderful people, led by Tammy DelGiudice. Both children and teachers have been enjoying Godly Play. It allows for a very personal, age-appropriate understanding of God’s word, centered on the telling of sacred stories, parable, and liturgical action. You can read more about the Godly Play curriculum at godlyplay.org.
Tammy Del Giudice and Tom Heller run our youth programs, and Kimberly Kahan has had great success with the new Children’s Choir, which practices most Sundays at 9:15 a.m. We are always looking for more teachers for our programs, especially in the infant and pre-K rooms.
2008 schedule:
January 13: Regular Classes
January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend: No Classes
January 27: Regular Classes
February 3: Regular Classes
February 10: Regular Classes
February 17: President’s Day Weekend: No Classes
February 24: Regular Classes
March 2: Regular Classes
March 9: Regular Classes
March 16: Palm Sunday
March 23: Easter Sunday: No Classes
March 30: Regular Classes
April 6: Regular Classes
April 13: Regular Classes
April 20: Spring Break: No Classes
April 27: Regular Classes
May 4: Regular Classes
May 11: Mother’s Day Children’s Service
May 18: Regular Classes
May 25: Memorial Day Weekend: No Classes
June 1: Last Day of Regular Classes
June 8: End of Year Party!