Children & Youth

Christian Education

Workshop Rotation Model (WoRM) introduced for Kindergarten through 5th Grade
On Sunday mornings, children in Kindergarten through 5th grades are experiencing God through workshops in Storytelling and Drama, Video, Art, Bible Skills and Games, Music and Movement, Computer and Science labs, and Cooking. WoRM is a different approach to Sunday school. Over a 4- to 5- week period, children repeat the same story from the Bible, learning through a different workshop each week. Because they repeat the same story several weeks in a row, and because the emphasis is on active learning, children have better recall of the story and a deeper understanding of its meaning.

A detailed overview of the program, including a typical schedule and descriptions of the volunteer roles, is available for downloading and printing. You can also download and print a schedule of Workshop Rotations for the 2008-09 year, and a sign-up sheet--we need adults to volunteer to lead the workshops!

To learn more about our Sunday School program, to volunteer as a teacher or aide, or to offer some of the materials on the Wish List, please contact Betsy Tyson, our Director of Children’s Ministries, at 288-2867, ext. 313.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
Twenty children ages 3 through 6 are engaged in a new type of religious formation at St. Stephen’s. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the religious formation of children rooted in scripture, liturgy, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori. It is based on the belief that God is already present to children in their deepest being.

The children, guided by a trained “catechist” are introduced to their sacred space, the Atrium, where they will come to know God better in an atmosphere of prayer, song, play, and guided activities. Work in the Atrium will focus on our relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The children will learn about the materials and rituals that are seen and experienced in church. Most importantly, they will develop their own spiritual lives in ways that are unique to the personality and developmental level of each child.

If you are interested in learning more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd or would like to become a trained catechist, please contact our volunteer coordinator for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Kathy Tappen at 358-1538.

Objects from the Level 1 Atrium on the second floor of the parish house: The Good Shepherd and the Sheep (photo above) and a tabernacle, altar and pulpit--all sized for very young children (photo at right).

Would you like to help? If you would like to be trained as a Catechist, please contact Kathy Tappen via email or call her at 358-1538. If you would like to help prepare or create materials for the Atrium, or donate the kits to make them, download and print the materials list, and let Kathy know how you can help.

Wee Worship and Preschool Sunday School
We hope that children begin their worship lives with an experience that is unifying and celebratory—like the Body of Christ in which we all worship. Children age 2 through 5 participate in Wee Worship. This twenty-five minute service includes songs, prayers, and lessons, and is accompanied by twenty-five minutes of classroom instruction and activities.

The Wee Worship and Preschool Sunday School class rooms are located on the lower level of the Parish Hall. To learn more about Christian Education for children up to age five, please contact our Director of Children's Ministries, Betsy Tyson, at 288-2867, extension 313.

Registration Forms (preschool and elementary)

We ask that you register your child for Sunday school for the coming year by downloading and printing the appropriate form, filling it out and mailing or bringing it to church.Even if your child has already participated in Sunday school here, your registration helps us plan for the upcoming program year, and provides us with up-to-date information about your child and you.

Preschool/nursery form

Elementary form

You may drop the completed form in any of the black boxes on Welcome Tables or at Information Central, or mail to Betsy Tyson, 6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226.

Volunteer to help! Download, print and fill in a volunteer sign-up form for the K-5 Workshop Rotation Model (WoRM). You can also download and print a schedule of 2008-09 Workshop Rotation themes. Return the form by dropping it in any of the black boxes on Welcome Tables or Information Central at church, or mail to Betsy Tyson at church.