ABOUT ST. STEPHEN'S CHILDREN'S PROGRAM...

SUNDAY MORNINGS
 From early September through June 1st we have Sunday School for Preschool through fifth grade children. Our "family" service is held each Sunday at 10 AM. The children are in Sunday School from 10AM until about 10:45. They will come up and join their families for the Eucharist. We also have nursery care year round on Sunday for babies and children under 3. All children are welcome to attend our Sunday School and activities.

Please know that your children's worship experience is important to us. Children learn to worship by participating and we value their presence in church. We understand that they may not be quiet or sit still... but children will still be learning from watching their family pray.

Throughout the year, Nursery care is provided for children 3 years and younger from 9:45 am until the worship service is over. Also, we now have a Cry Room for those parents who have requested it. The Brides Room at the right rear of the church has a restroom, comfortable seating, and a speaker connected to our sound system. Please know that we do not mind having babies in church, even crying ones, but this does provide one more option for parents who wish to use the cry room.

ABOUT SUNDAY SCHOOL
Sunday School has kicked off and it is always so nice to see so many children at church! This fall we have a wonderful program of lessons for children up through middle school.

Preschool This class is designed for our 3-year-olds and young 4-year-olds. We start in the fall with Old Testament stories about the people of God. We introduce a class prayer and enjoy music together.

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten and 1st/2nd Grade  We have two Godly Play classrooms set up to offer the Godly Play program. As we have been offering the program over the last few years we have been excited and encouraged about having this as our main curriculum for these classes. Godly Play is a method of Christian education and spiritual formation for children. In Godly Play we tell Bible stories to encourage them to enter into the stories and relate them to their personal experience. The storyteller uses handcrafted objects to focus the attention on central elements of the story. After the story the children are invited to “wonder” about the story and then are given a “response time” to work on creative projects.

3rd–5th Grade We started this year with All About the Bible. (If any parents are interested in buying a Bible for their child please see Roxanne for some suggestions). In this grade level we offer “rotation workshops” that
cover a specific topic for about six weeks. This allows the children to go deeper into a topic and we can offer different approaches to reach different types of learners. Usually for each topic we offer an art lesson one week, and then a drama lesson, a movie lesson, a game lesson, and sometimes a cooking lesson.

6th Grade through 8th Grade We’re back! We have a full teaching team and our wonderful youth director Shannon Eng leading Sunday Morning Sunday School for our middle school kids. We are excited and ready…come check it out!

Contact: Roxanne Rhoades 254-3770

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS AT CHURCH
At 6:00 PM on Wednesday nights children can share in Evening Prayer, followed by dinner with family and friends! From 7:00 - 8:00 PM, children participate in fun activities for social and spiritual enrichment, while their parents enjoy the Adult Formation program. Wednesday Nights at Church resumes Sept., 2007.
Contact: Roxanne Rhoades 254-3770

THE CHILDREN'S CHOIR rehearses Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30.  For more information contact Interim Music Minister Bob Adams, 254-3770, or bring children to the rehearsal.
 

SUMMER CAMP St. Dorothy's Rest was founded in 1901 by the Rev. & Mrs. James O. Lincoln as the first free summer camp in California. The Lincolns were active in the Episcopal Church and were adherents of the Arts & Crafts movement, with its emphasis on a simple and artistic life in harmony with nature.

The influence of the Lincolns remains strong at St. Dorothy's over a century later. This is the oldest continuously operating summer camp in California, with activities ranging from swimming, hiking to Bodega Bay, and canoeing in the Russian River, or just relaxing with art and music. Whether your this is your child's first time at "sleepaway camp," or a seasoned camper, St. Dorothy's is sure to become their favorite camp, a place to have fun while growing together in God's love.

Two weeks of camp are dedicated to Health Camp -- pediatric patients from Lucille Packard Children's Hospital and Sonoma Children's Cancer Foundation. Camperships are available, and donations to St. Dorothy's Rest are gratefully received! Visit www.stdorothysrest.org.

Rev. 02/08

It begins with Baptism

Church is a place to explore

To learn about our faith traditions

To rejoice in God and give thanks

To lead

To serve.

SUMMER CAMP AT ST. DOROTHY'S REST