Children and Youth
We believe that both children and youth are vital to the life of our church. "Time with the Children" is a special time set aside each Sunday during worship to honor them. In addition, special activities are planned to encourage their participation in Sunday services throughout the year. Sunday School is offered after "Time with the Children" (see below) and childcare is provided for those too young to attend Sunday School. Families with young children also meet outside the church for summer picnics, trips to the Sauvie Island pumpkin patch, pool parties, and more.
Confirmation classes for youth are offered in the fall (see below), and youth wishing to join the church as members are confirmed in a special service during Sunday worship. Every Sunday at 11:30 a.m., Youth Group meets immediately following the worship service. The Senior Minister and church members, who act as mentors, lead the Group in discussing faith topics including those from worship. Lunch is served on 1st and 3rd Sundays at 12:30pm.
The Youth Group actively plans and participates in various fundraisers throughout the year for programs in need of help on both local and international levels. In addition, they are given the opportunity to share their time and skills each year in volunteer activities throughout the community. The group also meets outside the church for social activities that have included ski trips, cosmic bowling, and a trip to the corn maze on Sauvie Island. They may also choose to join other United Church of Christ youth at Camp Adams each summer.
Sunday School
Sunday School is held on Sunday mornings following "Time With the Children" in worship service. Our teachers use curriculum from Seasons of the Spirit, a lectionary-based rather than topic-based resource, that allows our children to study and interact with the same scriptures as the adults each week, but in a way that is appropriate for their particular age group. Activities strongly emphasize the use of arts, including music, storytelling, and visual arts, and provide children of varying abilities (including those with special educational needs), and interests to engage and respond to the focus passage of each session.
Confirmation Class
Beginning in October, all youth in 8th grade or older are invited to join our Confirmation Class on 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month, and complete the class by Easter. The Senior Minister will teach the faith formation class using the UCC curriculum, Affirming Faith, based on the United Church of Christ Statement of Faith, to discover what it means to be a follower of Christ and a member of our church. Two foundational units, "Community Life" and "History and Heritage" will be explored. In each session, selected scripture will be examined, but the empahsis "is on the encounter with scripture rather than knowledge about scripture". The one-hour class will begin promptly at 1 p.m., following lunch with the Youth Group, and concludes at 2 p.m. It will include break-out times to share thoughts and concerns with mentors.