Children’s Ministry

 At St. Paul’s, we love kids!  We love their enthusiasm when praising God, their earnest prayer requests, their hunger to explore Bible stories, their desire to help the less fortunate, and their wide smiles when having fun!

 Sunday Morning Children’s Ministry

Children’s Ministry takes place Sunday mornings during the 9:30 am worship service. Every Sunday, children start in worship with their families. On the 1st Sunday of the month, when we hold Feast & Celebration Sundays, kids and youth stay in worship and help as acolytes, lectors, communion assistants and ushers. Two Sundays a month they are invited downstairs to Children’s ministry after the Children’s Message for small group time. One week during the month we gather in the Fellowship Hall for a seasonal activity: GR8 ADVENTure, Secret Pals, Journey Through Holy Week & Easter, Earth Day, God’s Work/Our Hands Day, filling Halloween bags for our community outreach and filling College Care boxes!

Our theme for the 2024-2025 school year is the “Armor of God” described in Ephesians 6:10-18.

Just as no baseball catcher would ever think of getting behind the plate without his protective equipment, no Christian should ever enter the game of life without all of the protection that God has given us!

The Bible tells us that we can turn to God for protection, guidance, and comfort when fears and dangers are overwhelming. Kids today face all kinds of evil from social media, bullying, peer pressure, family issues, etc. But when kids know who they are in Christ, that they have a life purpose, are called, blessed, gifted, loved and suited up, they can more easily face these challenges.

Dear Father, thank you for the protection that you have given us against the evils of this world. Help us to always remember to put on the whole armor of God. Amen.

God’s Word is for everyone, even kids!

 Children’s Groups

WEDNESDAY NIGHT KIDS CLUB

Kids Club is held on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Wednesdays of the month from October until the Lent season starts. 

6:00 pm - pizza dinner in the downstairs Youth Room. 

6:30pm - singers meet with Mrs. Fosbenner for a time of music enrichment.

Non-singers (aka, St.Paul’s helpers!) help with small tasks around the church with Mrs. Henry & Mrs. Cassel.

7pm - Bible time for Kind - 4th graders with Mrs. Henry and Mrs. Cassel where kids will discover more about the Armor of God

6th graders get to spend time with Pastor Bill.

7:40pm - dessert

Milestone Events

Let’s be honest…faith beings at home:  dinner and bedtime prayers, reading the Bible together, commitment to church activities, serving together and shaping young moral values.  It all starts at home!  But we are aware that parents need help with this important job!  The goal of our Children’s Ministry program is to not only provide faith developing activities for kids, but also for parents!  We think it’s just as important to empower parents in their job as primary faith educators as it is to provide programs for kids!

WELCOME TO CHILDREN’S MINISTRY & MY FIRST BIBLE

Held mid-September, this open house event welcomes our newest preschool friends and their parents.  Each child is given their own Spark Storybible to take home!

3RD GRADE BIBLE EXPLORERS

Each November, St. Paul’s presents a gift Spark NRSV Bible to 3rd graders. Prior to receiving their Bibles, our 3rd graders and their parents spend time with our Director of Christian Education exploring all the cool features of the Bible, learning about its history and how to look up Bible verses.  Children officially receive their Bibles the 1st Sunday in Advent.

FIRST COMMUNION

Offered on three Sundays during Lent each year, this milestone event is for 3rd graders or older children who have not previously attended the class.  Children learn about the first Passover and its relationship to the Last Supper that Jesus celebrates with his disciples befor his death.  Children received their 1st Communion on Maundy Thursday.

God’s Work, Our Hands

Throughout the year, children and youth of St. Paul’s participate in many different types of service projects, learning to do “God’s Work with Our Hands”.

Service Projects

Seasonal service projects have provided Christmas presents for boys and girls living at Silver Springs School, collecting soup for our annual Souper Bowl Day of Caring, bringing in nonperishable items for our Blessing Box, filling care packages for our college students and filling goodies bags for our Halloween Night outreach event.

Mini Summer Work Camps

Each summer we hold a 3-day work camp for 4th – 12th graders.  These campers spend their days volunteering with Emmanuel Lutheran’s E-Meal program, Grace’s Closet, Generations of Indian Valley, Zion Mennonite’s Table of Plenty, Keystone Opportunity Center and The Lutheran Community at Telford.     

Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School takes place every summer to the delight of children. We come together for a week-long camp experience that includes upbeat songs, games, crafts, science, Bible storytelling skits and snacks. This yearly event is a combined event with several local churches.