Children & Youth

“Give us an inquiring and discerning heart,
the courage to will and to persevere,
a spirit to know and to love you
and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works.”

The Book of Common Prayer; page 308

The above prayer is from the Rite of Baptism. It follows the action of pouring water upon the head. In essence, it is a call to God. We are all here at Christ Church because we have chosen for ourselves and for our children to respond faithfully to God’s call through the Baptismal Covenant

Your church community is here to offer opportunities that will help you and your family “inquire and discern” as you strive to live into your Baptismal Covenants.

Lorena Ringle,
Director of Christian Formation

Schedule:
Sunday School meets during the 10:00 service. Children in Preschool and Kindergarten will remain in their class during the entire service. Those in Grades 1-5, Rite-13 and J2A programs will join their families in church at the peace, just in time for the Eucharist.

Children in grades 1-5 participate in periodic Children’s Eucharists when a member of the clergy leads them in their own special service. On these Sundays, children will not generally join their families until after the 10:00 AM service.


Nursery

Nursery care is provided for children birth through age 3 during the Sunday 10:00 AM service. Nursery care is also available for special events that occur before and after the church service. Our goal is to see that every child and parent who comes to the nursery sees and experiences the love of God.

The nursery is located on the second floor of the Christian Formation Building, in a divided room near the Preschool and Kindergarten area. Parents are welcome to come and go during the service as necessary to meet their children’s needs.

The purpose of the nursery is to provide a safe, loving and fun environment for young children while their parents attend church. However, parents are also welcome to take their children to church (or some portion of the service). Children are part of our community, and we welcome them as full participants in our common life.


Preschool & Kindergarten

The shepherd teachers in the Preschool/Kindergarten serve to foster a loving relationship between the young child and God through Christ Jesus. Our program is rooted in Scripture and based on the liturgy of the Church. The children experience chapel in a place and a way designed specifically for them utilizing the Godly Play and Young Children and Worship curriculums.


Grade 1

This year we introduce the Catechesus of the Good Shepherd to the First Grade. This program fosters the unique relationship between the child and God. The growth of that relationship is assisted by the adult, but is directed by the Spirit of God within the child. The children gather in an “atrium”, a room prepared for them, which contains simple and beautiful materials for them to work with.


Grades 2&3

The children continue to hear God’s enduring love for them now, in this time and place using religious language, sacred story, parable, and liturgical action. The second and third graders actively participate each week in the presentation of scripture and in leading of a response such as prayer, song, or art. The goal is to more deeply engage them in hearing and responding to the Word of God within a liturgical framework while allowing them to be in a relaxed and open classroom environment.


Grades 4 - 6

In 4th, 5th & 6th grades:

  • We work with our students to learn more about what it means to be a Christian as we live out our faith each day.
  • We gain an understanding of how the Bible is set up and where to find things in it.
  • We like to look at maps to get a better understanding of Bible places and events in an historical context. This helps to bring a deeper meaning to the story of the Bible and it brings it to life for us in a unique way.
  • We study our Episcopalian “roots” and work towards comprehending what happens during our worship service.
  • We consider issues that pre-teens deal with the most by digging into the scriptures.
  • We like to help others in our community by doing outreach projects with our teachers and parents.
  • We explore the Catechism, An Outline of Faith, using the Book of Common Prayer (pages 845-862), in the church’s calendar of seasons and feasts and in a Catechism curriculum written for this age group

The three main themes of focus are relationships, faith and choices.

All children in grades 1-5 participate in periodic Children’s Eucharists as lay readers, acolytes, ushers and oblationers when a member of the clergy leads them in their own special service. On these Sundays, children will not generally join their families until after the 10:00 AM service.


Rite 13, Journey to Adulthood & High School

During the Middle School and High School years, we encourage our youth to begin to claim their faith. Therefore it is important that we provide the support and guidance that they need. We provide strong adult leadership to help them explore Christian self-identity and personal relationships with God; be able to express the doubts and concerns about matters of faith; and begin the process of growing into their baptism.

Rite-13 begins by helping the youth focus on themselves and others in the group. It moves on from there to cover the Bible, the Prayer Book, Prayer Forms and types, Images of God, Compassion and Acts of Mercy, Faith and Trust. It is called “Rite-13” because the young people turn 13 years of age sometime during their walk through this program. They participate in the Rite-13 Liturgy which honors and memorializes, within the context of corporate worship, the teen’s faith journey toward Confirmation.

J2A helps the teens really walk the walk of faith. They meet as a group but also serve as lay readers, acolytes, ushers, teaching assistants and choir members. They also do service and mission work in the community. They choose a spiritual mentor to walk with them as they prepare for their Confirmation. They go on a retreat with their Leaders and the Clergy just before being confirmed.


Youth Group

The Youth Group is designed for all youth at Christ Church who are in 6th grade and up.

Our meetings are an opportunity to share the Gospel, share a meal, share joys or concerns, or sometimes just play games and have fun. We also do a number of community service events within and outside of the church throughout the year.

One question often asked is whether or not youth group members can bring their friends from outside of Christ Church. The answer is YES! However, please understand that there are some events which are meant for youth group members only. Friends are more than welcome to become members too, in fact, we’ve had a number of families join the church for this very reason!

Parish youth are also encouraged to join in the activities of the Pittsburgh Youth Initiative - a program in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh bringing youth from all parishes together for fellowship, service and worship.

Nursery Registration
Sunday School Registration
Children’s Choir Registration