FAITH AT HOME FOR CHILDREN


There are many ways to support the faith development of children in the home, and that is where faith should be shared and grown. You are doing it already when you share a meal prayer, read a Bible story and care for each other.
We hope to return to in-person Faith Formation at church for all ages in Fall, 2021. Please 

How do I enroll my children/youth in Faith Formation?
We do not have a "Sunday School registration form" to fill out; because our programs aren't just on Sundays (most are on Wednesday nights) and you aren't registering for anything; this isn't school!  We have a "family faith plan" that we ask each family to fill out instead. The Family Faith Plan lists all the ways in which St. Paul's is here to support you as the primary faith formers of your children/youth. Click the link below and indicate which programs/events your family would like to engage  (don't worry; you can change your mind!), and then complete the important details about each member of the household and hit submit.  
https://www.stpaulsfaithformation.org/2021-22-family-faith-plan.html

FAITH AT HOME IDEAS:

101 Ways to Pray at Home booklet:
101_ways_to_pray_2020.pdf
File Size: 1645 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Sue's video on:  101 Ways to Pray Video

Marian's video on praying at home

General Ideas for Families:
And here are some articles for parents to help their children and teens during this time:
Our Faith formation programs are all based on love: 
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Love Self: Before sharing love; children and teens must first learn to love themselves as they are

Love Neighbor: Children and youth can alleviate the suffering of others and make a difference in the world

Love God: Children already experience holiness in their lives; we will help them name it as the love of God

Story Time = share these stories with your children or grandchildren
We are committed to instilling values of generosity, love, kindness and gratitude into our children through the fostering of intergenerational relationships and outreach projects that develop a commitment to thinking about and serving others in our parish, our community and beyond and spreading love into a world desperately in need of it.

We use the Love First curriculum designed by Collette Potts and St. Barnabas Episcopal Church as our launching point which aims to give children and their families tools to use faith, religion and God to overcome today's challenges, and those yet to come. Particular attention is paid to helping children develop a language for God that is open-ended and responsive to the complexities of our lives and to help them learn about, respect, and help those around them, both near and far through a variety of service opportunities that even the youngest can engage in.  ​

For Parents: Coronavirus, Anxiety, Children and the Church Article


How do I enroll my children/youth in Love First when you resume in person gatherings? 
We do not have a "Sunday School registration form" to fill out; because our programs aren't just on Sundays (most are on Wednesday nights) and you aren't registering for anything; this isn't school!   We have a "family faith plan" that we ask each family to fill out instead. The Family Faith Plan lists all the ways in which St. Paul's is here to support you as the primary faith formers of your children/youth. Click the link below and indicate which programs/events your family would like to engage  (don't worry; you can change your mind!), and then complete the important details about each member of the household and hit submit.  
https://www.stpaulsfaithformation.org/2021-22-family-faith-plan.html
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Explore our vibrant Faith Formation programs:

Infants and Toddlers

We are here to support parents through the birth or adoption of their child and their entire faith life. If you are interested in having a child baptized; you can talk with the clergy. When a child is baptized, they receive a faith chest filled with a bible and other things to help grow their faith. We have a staffed nursery with changing table, nursing area and age appropriate toys and books for infants and toddlers. But they are also welcome to stay in church with their family! We love having the sights and sounds of so many little ones in our midst!

Preschool-Grade 1

 Kid's Word:  Children begin the Sunday 10 am service with their families, then are led down to our children's room where they will engage in Love First learning about loving self, neighbor and God through contemporary literature and age-appropriate biblical stories.

On Wednesday evenings preK-1st graders will engage in Music and Movement; the children will enjoy songs, instruments, games and crafts.  The hour will end with a quieting time of kids yoga and mediation.

Love Self is an introduction to thinking about ourselves as unique, lovable beings, to God and others, and also the importance of loving ourselves. Themes of mindfulness, self-care, and self-worth are presented through literature that deliberately portrays characters from underrepresented populations.

The heart of our curriculum is the commitment to Love Neighbor. Emphasis is placed on addressing the needs of vulnerable parishioners, and how children of this age can alleviate their suffering. Children and their teachers will discuss the complexities of poverty, homelessness and hunger, animal treatment, environmentalism, equality and justice, and our obligation to care for those in need. 
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Love God invites children to ponder what/who God is, what we mean when we say “God is Love,” and where God can be found in the work we do for others. Time will be spent reflecting on previous activities about loving others, making the connection that God is present whenever and wherever love is found.

Grades 2-5  

On Wednesday nights: Grades 2/3 and 4/5  will also explore how to love self, neighbor and God, but on a deeper level than the younger children and with an emphasis on addressing the challenges children face today.  They meet twice a month on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30 pm

Love Self is a deeper exploration of what makes each of us unique and lovable, to ourselves and to God, with open conversations about courage, friendship, family, and how to overcome adversity. 

Love Neighbor is the heart of the program. This unit emphasizes loving and caring for others in need, and provides children multiple opportunities to ponder and discuss the complexity of issues like poverty, homelessness, hunger, and equality.  Children will explore themes of empathy, gratitude, and justice, and how and when they intersect with loving others. 

Love God focuses on various forms of prayer and how to verbally express ways of talking about God that are flexible enough to address the complexities of our lives. Children are exposed to multiple ways of praying, including using color, beads, journals, etc. and are encouraged to use these ways to communicate with God as a way to alleviate the suffering of others, to calm oneself, or to cope with adversity.  ​

Grades 6-9

Grades 10-12 
Grades 6/7 will also focus on these core areas of love while starting the first year of year years of formation programming; the first year focusing on challenging questions they might be pondering and the second year focuses on our sexuality education program and Exploring other Faiths.  Grades 8-9 learn more about their Episcopal faith as they prepare for Confirmation in a two year program These grades meet twice a month on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-7:30 pm


​We will have a monthly senior high gathering after the 10 am service which will include lunch and time to gather together.  Many are active in our acolyte program. Our senior high have several opportunities to attend overnight retreats throughout the year in collaboration with other youth groups and the wider Episcopal Church in Minnesota youth ministry program.