Children

Christmas Pageant and Registration

Sunday school and Christian formation for children

Sunday school takes place at 10:10 a.m.; K-5 and Catechesis take place on the top floor of the parish house; Wee Worship, Church Hour Activity Time and the Nursery are located on the basement level.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
More than 40 children ages 3 through 6 are engaged in a unique kind 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 trained “catechists,” are introduced to their sacred space, the Atrium, where they come to know God better in an atmosphere of prayer, song, play, and guided activities. Work in the Atrium focuses on our relationship with Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The children learn about the materials and rituals that are seen and experienced in church. Most importantly, they develop their own spiritual lives in ways that are unique to the personality and developmental level of each child.

In addition to offering Level I and Level II during the Sunday morning Christian education hour, we offer Wednesday evening Catechesis.

Read more about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd here.

Grace Place: The Workshop Rotation Model 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. The rotation model 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.

To learn more about our Sunday School program, or to volunteer as a teacher or aide, please email Abigail Whorley, or call her at 288-2867.

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 25-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 call or email Abigail Whorley, 288-2867.

Club 45
Children in fourth and fifth grades are invited to participate in Club 45, our 4th and 5th grade youth group. Club 45 convenes approximately six Friday evenings during the school year for chaperoned, fun-filled fellowship activities such as rock climbing, skating and movie-going. Club 45 is also involved in community service projects that make a difference in the lives of others. You are always welcome to bring a friend. To learn more about the fun-filled and meaningful Club 45 experience, or to volunteer to chaperone an afternoon or evening with Club 45, please call or email Abigail Whorley, 288-2867.

Children's Christmas Pageant | Sunday, December 11, 2011, 3 p.m. | Register your child | Deadline extended to December 4!
All children are encouraged to participate in the annual Children’s Pageant, a beloved tradition at St. Stephen’s. We ask that you register your child so that he or she can be given a role. This opportunity is available beginning October 10, and closes December 4. Pageant parts are assigned after registration closes. All participants should be present for rehearsal on Saturday, December 10, from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. (please note--the rehearsal time is a change). For additional information, contact Abigail Whorley in the parish office.

Other ministries for children and youth:

St. Stephen's Preschool

Boy Scout Troop 418

Forms

Registration and permission forms help church staff and volunteers plan wisely for Sunday school and other activities for children, and provide information about your children that helps us care for them and keep them safe.

Please download and print the forms that apply to you and your child(ren) and fill them out. You may drop the completed form in a black box (it looks like a ballot box) on any of Welcome Tables in the parish house, or at Information Central (the table across from Palmer Hall Chapel). Or mail them to Abigail Whorley, 6000 Grove Avenue, Richmond, VA 23226. Thank you!

Sunday school registration
Club 45 (youth group for 4th and 5th graders) registration