Over the summer, a number of folks have met to make plans for the startup of our formation programs for children in September. We are excited about the year ahead. There will be the familiar rhythms of our Sunday mornings, with some changes that will strengthen our program.

Here are some details:

Sunday September 7th:  Our formal program will begin on Sept. 14th, but parents are welcome to bring children to the Godly Play classroom and the Living the Good News class upstairs. This Sunday will be an informal time to meet teachers, register children, and prepare for the following Sunday.

Blessing of the Backpaks on September 7th: School will have begun for most families, and if your child brings a backpack to school, have him or her bring it to church on Sunday the 7th. We will bless them at the end of the 10 am service, as we offer a prayer for the entire school year.

Sunday September 14th will be the first formal day for both the Godly Play class and the Living the Good News class for our older students upstairs. Parents are invited to come a little early to register children and to meet teachers. Tom will be planning acolyte training as well for some of our older students.

A New Start Time

Classes will begin at 9:45 this fall (with Children’s Choir beginning at 9:15). By starting 15 minutes earlier, the Godly Play class will be able to include more of a creative response time to the biblical stories heard each week.  We will have coffee on for parents, who will have a chance to greet one another before church starts at 10. Children will still join us for the celebration of communion at the end of the 10 am service.

Children’s Choir will also resume on September 14th at 9:15. Nan Armstrong invites all children ages 7 and up to join her upstairs in the Parish Hall for Children’s Choir rehearsals. Children will sing on an occasional basis at the 10 am worship service.

A New Godly Play Teacher

We have been blessed with extraordinary Godly Play teachers: Emily Garcia, Art Schintzel, and Simon Ringrose. This year, the vestry committed to hiring a teacher to sustain the excellence of our program.  Rachel Johnston will be joining us as our new teacher this year. Rachel is a 2014 graduate of Harvard, where she was active in the Episcopal Chaplaincy. She currently works for the Boston City Singers, which provides choir programs for children throughout the city.  We will introduce Rachel to you with more information in a future post.

It is going to be a year of faith, formation, and fun. Please join us!