Child Care

There is a Sunday morning nursery program designed to provide our youngest members with a safe, loving environment and a positive introduction to St. Francis Church. Our nursery is run by Lu Adams, a long time member of the parish and retired pediatrics nurse who has extensive experience in working with young children. Nursery care is available from 8 a.m. to noon every Sunday for children three years and younger.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

We have been so blessed in these months that we have spent time in the Atrium with our 3-4 year old children. Our favorite time together with them is around the Prayer Table just before we go into church. We hove a special time of quiet "meditation", song and prayer where you can really see the Holy Spirit at work. We are amazed at how much we all continue to grow in His love as we listen to God through our "work", scripture and prayer. Heidi Reber, Lead Catechist.

Workshop Cycles Sunday School

Many people would name Christmas as the most important holiday, but when we look at our Church Year celebrations in a theological context, I believe Easter is the most significant feast day. We rejoice in the birth of the baby Jesus, but the piece of the story that changed everything forever is the empty tomb the women found on Easter morning.

There is much we will never understand about Easter . . . much of it is a mystery. None of us were there on that first Easter Sunday and we will probably never fully understand exactly what it means that Christ rose from the dead, but we do know that we are changed forever by this miraculous, mysterious event. The Resurrection was not just about Jesus' new life, it was about a new life for all believers everywhere.

Lent is a period of six weeks in preparation for Easter. One may choose to give up something during Lent as a way of reminding oneself of the sacrifice that was made for us.

During this Sunday School rotation, the students will be spending some time walking with Jesus in a different interpretation of the Stations of the Cross. Each workshop room (each week) will give the children an opportunity to experience a piece of the mystery, with all its love, despair, hope, forgiveness, tragedy and other life-changing qualities. Tracey E. Herzer, creator of this Workshop Cycle and Kate Buchen, Sunday School Director.

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During the school year (September through June), St. Francis Church offers Sunday School every Sunday for children ages preschool through fifth grade. Preschool children (3-4 years old) meet in our “Good Shepherd” Atrium next to our Parish Hall stage. Children (5 years old thru 5th grade) participating in the Workshop Cycles meet in the Parish Hall as a whole group before going to their age-appropriate classrooms.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (3-4 year olds) is a Montessori-based Christian formation where children can grow in their relationship with God through a deep engagement in scripture and liturgy. This formation will lay the foundation for a life grounded in an awareness of God’s love.

Workshop Cycles - (Pre-K--5 years--through 5th grade) is a religious education program that provides for the spiritual development of children while also providing creative and exciting hands-on activities that engage them in a new level of learning and retention. It uses a rotation style model which means the children work on the same story or concept for several weeks using different learning approaches. During any particular rotation, the children may participate in Story, Kitchen, Art, Drama, Music or Movie Workshops.

All children rejoin their parents in the main church at the liturgy of the Eucharist so the entire family may celebrate Holy Communion together.

During the summer months (mid-June through August), St. Francis Church offers "Summer Sunday School" where all grade levels meet together to learn about the Bible through stories, videos and crafts. The children also enjoy playing at the playground, which is always supervised by adult volunteers.