Christian education at St. Stephen's is lively and growing! If you have any questions or would like to know more about our Christian Education program, please contact Kathryn Kendrick, Christian Education Coordinator by e-mail or at 334-207-4506.
Sunday School
Sunday School begins at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings, with children joining the adult worship service after class to receive communion. We have three classes with two leaders for each class:
- Children of God (2-6 years)
Topics for the older two classes this fall have been God loves you, We love God, We love God through loving our neighbor, and prayer.
Sunday Children's Chapel
We had our first Children's Chapel Sunday in early November and have plans for more! All three Sunday School classes concluded our unit on prayer with a service in the art room of St. Stephen’s Sunday morning. Youth participated by singing together, reading scripture, offering prayers with prayer beads and writing them on paper to bring to the altar, and sharing communion with one another.
Tuesday Family Eucharist
This weekday service, which begins on Tuesdays at 5:30, allows children to have some calm reflection time, sing and pray together, and be a part of communion. We learn about God's love, loving our neighbors, prayer, and Scripture. Dinner is provided on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month.
Other Things That We Do. . .
Fellowship
We host Sunday family outings monthly during the year, such as November's Family Bowling trip and an upcoming holiday concert in December.
We are also working toward starting a Teen Youth Group on Thursdays to support teens who want to go deeper in their spirituality and grow closer to one another.
B-READY After-School Program Support
We work with the B-READY after-school program staff and provide support for:
- “Five Minutes of Fame": Over the course of
the year, staff spend a half an hour of one-on- one time with each child in the program, learning about their families, hobbies, challenges, hopes, and joys.
- Special Activities: We help with special
activities, such as leading the team-building activities that supported the after-school program's Teamwork theme this past fall.
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St. Stephen's brought 8 people to the Sr. High Retreat that was held at the Barbara Harris Camp & Conference Center in Greenfield, New Hampshire from February 5-7. It was our first overnight Diocesan event, and IT WAS AMAZING!
We had 4 girls, 2 boys, and 2 chaperones participate in the fun and fellowship with youth from 22 parishes in the Diocese of Massachusetts. The theme was "Zoom-Out," which focused on taking a broader view of our lives and ministry in the world. The retreat was largely led by members of the Diocesan Youth Council, and St. Stephen's youth actively participated in worship, small groups, team building games, basketball, singing, dancing, yoga, hiking, journaling, and Eucharistic bread making.
It was a fantastic weekend that inspired youth to strengthen their relationship with God and one another. We look forward to upcoming events with the diocese and have begun planning our own youth-led service at St. Stephen's!
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