Sunday School

The 2023-24 Sunday School (including Catechesis) registration form is now available here.

How do parents prepare for Sunday School this year?

If you would like your child/children to participate, fill out a Sunday School registration form for each child/youth in your household. Go to the link below to fill out the Google Docs form.

When will we start and end classes for the year?

Classes begin on September 17, 2023 and the last day for the 2023-24 school year is May 19, 2024.  Banner Sunday will be held on June 2nd, children, youth, and teachers will share virtual banners they have created to celebrate the learning and growth that have taken place in Sunday School throughout the year.

What classes are being offered?

Catechesis: A Montessori Approach to Spiritual Development

Catechesis Coordinator: Stephanie Deutsch

Rooted in the Montessori approach to education, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Sunday School program believes that all young children have a spiritual life, that God is present to them in their deepest being, and that they are capable of developing both a conscious and intimate relationship with God. We provide vocabulary, Bible lessons, and connections to liturgy to enable them to become more aware of their relationship with God and to express it.

Children meet in specially prepared rooms that contain handmade materials designed to invite children to deepen their relationship with God at their own pace. The program follows the rhythms of the church year. Classes are structured to offer a time of prayer and song, a time for the presentation of a lesson, and a time for individual work by each child. The work of the children is their prayer and is the most important part of the class.

Catechesis I (Age 3 to Kindergarten)

Day:  Sundays, except holidays
Time: 9:45-10:45 a.m.
Location: St. Mark’s Undercroft, Rooms 4 & 5

If you are interested in Level I work with your child, please send an email to Caleb with the words “Subscribe to Catechesis I” in the subject line.

Catechesis II (Grades 1 – 3)

Catechesis II meets weekly from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. We offer children opportunities to experience God’s love through stories about Jesus and through the parables he told. We will also learn about the books of the Bible, the land of Israel, and the Eucharist. Each class will end with a service that includes prayers, readings, and songs.

Day:  Sundays, except holidays
Time: 9:45-10:45 a.m.
Location: St. Mark’s Undercroft, Room 3

If you are interested in this class, please send an email to Suzanne with the words “Subscribe to Catechesis II” in the subject line.

Catechesis III (grades 4 and 5)

Catechesis III meets weekly from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. We read passages from Genesis and Exodus recounting the stories of Creation, Leaving the Garden, the Flood, the Call of Abraham, and Joseph and his Brothers. Each class will include time for prayer and reflection as the children progress toward a greater understanding of their role in moving themselves and their community closer to God.

Day:  Sunday, except holidays
Time: 9:45-10:45 a.m.
Location:  St. Mark’s Undercroft, Gregory Room

If you are interested in this class, please send an email to Stephanie with the words “Subscribe to Catechesis II” in the subject line.

Middle School (Grades 6-8) and High School (Grades 9-12) Sunday School

Our middle and high school programs meet weekly from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.  We use the Teen Text curricula, one targeted to middle school students and one to high school students. We focus on creating a space and time where the participants in each age group know that their ideas and feelings matter and where they can explore issues that come up in their lives in a caring atmosphere. We aim to explore these issues in the context of the St. Mark’s Christian Education program, encouraging students to actively participate and engage in games, exercises, and projects that create opportunities for learning about the Bible, contextualizing their personal stories, and sharing these stories and whatever may be in their hearts and minds. In each case, the classes will provide an opportunity to build community and explore the students’ emerging maturity issues.

Middle School (Grades 6 – 8)

Day:  Sundays, except holidays
Time: 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
Location:  St. Mark’s Undercroft, Rector’s Room

High School (Grades 9 – 12)

Day: Sunday, except holidays
Time: 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
Location: St. Mark’s Undercroft, Lion’s Den

Questions?

St. Mark’s Sunday School Program is coordinated by Caleb Nelson Amaker, contact him at youthdirector@stmarks.net.