We have a vibrant Youth and Family Ministries program that creates a creative space and supportive community in which children and their parents can grow spiritually. With specific emphasis on outreach, education, worship, and the arts, St. Mark’s youth are integrated into every aspect of our communal life.
Check out the Youth E-News for more information about these and other upcoming events!
Sunday, December 8st
9AM Children’s Chapel
10 AM Sunday School
Christmas Pageant Sign-Ups!
Email the Interim Director of Youth and Family Ministries, Caleb Nelson Amaker, for more information.
About Youth and Family Ministries
Worship
All children are welcome at any of our Sunday services: 9 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 5 p.m.
We offer special worship opportunities for children during the 9 a.m. and 5pm services:
Children’s Chapel
On the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Sunday of every month, children ages 3-9 are invited to join us during the 9 a.m. service for a special time of worship just for them. We gather in the Nave at 9 a.m. and are dismissed up to the dance studio together shortly after the service begins. We also offer Children’s Chapel at the 5 pm service on the first Sunday of each month.
Family Eucharist
Every 2nd Sunday of the month is Family Eucharist Sunday during the 9 a.m. service. Youth serve as acolytes, greeters, readers, and lay servers. Clergy offer a special Children’s Reflection.
Sunday School
10 am every Sunday from September to May, located in the undercroft
2019-2020 Sunday School Registration Form
Nursery: Infants and Toddlers
Infants and Toddlers are welcome at all Church events and activities, but they can also find toys, books, and nurturing from our team of professional childcare providers in the Nursery. Open from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. every Sunday.
Nursery Manager: Deborah Cunningham
Catechesis: PreK and Elementary School
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 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 attractively displayed handmade materials that are designed to invite children to deepen their relationship with God at their own pace. The program is biblically based and 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 the child. The work of the child is their prayer and is the most important part of the class.
3-6 year olds: Catechesis I- I Am Known and Loved
Grades 1-3: Catechesis II- What Can I Contribute?
Grades 4-5: Catechesis III- What is My Place in God’s Plan?
Catechesis Coordinator:Stephanie Deutsch
Middle and High School
Our Middle and High School Sunday School program builds on the formative question emphasized in Catechesis– I am known and loved, so how will I act in the world? These active and creative classes encourage our youth to take a more hands-on approach to individual reflection, community building, and outreach.
Grades 6-8: Middle School youth build friendships and strengthen community in our lively, creative Sunday School class.
Teachers: Mary Thuell and Katherine Rogers
Grades 9-12: High School youth grow into their own in this formative, intentional Sunday School Class.
Teachers: Caleb Nelson Amaker
Summer Sunday School: All Ages
From June to August, we take a break from our tradition Sunday School curricula to offer fun, creative, and upbeat activities during the 10am hour.
Events and Activities
All Ages
Parish Picnic (September 8)
Christmas Pageant (December 24)
Family Ski Trip (February 15-17)
Walking After Jesus (March 31)
Easter Egg Hunt (Easter Sunday, April 1)
Claggett Parish Retreat (June 9-10)
Family Fellowship Coffee Hour: Once a month during the 10:45am-11:15am Coffee Hour, families with children of all ages gather after Sunday School for a time of fellowship in Baxter Hall with snacks and coffee for parents and a fun craft for the kids.
Middle School
Fall Lock In: September 21-22, 2019
Spring Retreat: April 25, 2019. Sign up
Summer Service Trip: D.C., July 14-17 (Previous years- Washington, D.C., 2019; West Virginia, 2018)
Outreach: Monthly Salvation Army sandwich making, Capitol Hill Group Ministry Family Nights, etc.
High School
Fall Retreat: September 28-29
Spring Lock In: May 4-5, 2019. Sign up
Summer Service Trip: Philadelphia, June 16-22 (Previous years- Tennessee, 2018 Nicaragua, 2017; New York City, 2016)
Outreach: Monthly Salvation Army sandwich making, Capitol Hill Group Ministry Family Nights, etc.
Parents
Parents Support Groups: We offer monthly gatherings for parents to enjoy a potluck supper and conversations about the triumphs, challenges, and lessons learned in family life.
For more information, contact Caleb Nelson Amaker: youthdirector@stmarks.net