Faith & Friendship and Young Children and Worship on Sunday monrings
Faith & Friendship, FPC’s faith formation, is offered for all ages at 9:15AM from age 2 through senior high school each Sunday during the school year.
Classes use a Bible-based curriculum and are grouped according to age so that children and youth can build friendships as well as deepen their understanding of their faith.
Young Children & Worship is a unique worship opportunity for youth ages 4 through 2nd grade. Following the Time for Children in the sanctuary the children are invited to participate in worship in a specially prepared space under the leadership of trained volunteer storytellers. The intention is to assist the youth in developing positive worship habits as they gather, sing praise, listen to Bible stories, reflect and respond during a “work time”. As they wonder about and talk with God our hope is that they will, indeed, grow deeper in faith and be enabled to reach farther in love.
Cherub & Celtic Choirs
Children aged 3 through 5th grade have an opportunity to sing with “Mrs. B” each Sunday during the last 15 minutes of Sunday School.
These children are invited to sing in worship as part of the Cherub Choir which generally sings the anthem during worship once a month.
Childcare
Childcare is provided for infants through 2nd grade 2 & 3 year olds in Room 114 during worship.
At the parent’s discretion, children may be dropped off in this room before worship starts or may join their parents in the sanctuary until the Time For Children when the ushers will escort the children to the appropriate rooms.
Children age 4 through 2nd grade are invited to join their parents for the beginning of worship in the sanctuary. Following the Time For Children, the ushers will escort these children to Room 114.
Youth, also known as Seekers at FPC
Our youth gather weekly on Wednesday evenings from 6-7:30PM during the school year.
All youth in grades 6 – 12 are encouraged to attend.
Seekers is a fellowship and service youth group.
Gatherings include snacks, games, volunteering, praying, discussing our faith and every day issues.
Our time together also includes an event once a month on Sundays, where we plan events outside of the church building like trips to Urban Air, hayrides, corn mazes, ice skating, rock climbing, snow tubing. We also enjoy lock-ins at church, Friendsgiving and planning fellowship opportunities for our church family.
Summers for Children and Youth
Each summer offers something for our children and youth.
Vacation Bible School is a week-long opportunity for Bible stories, games, crafts, and building fellowship for rising kindergarten students through rising fifth graders. We always have a bevy of volunteers, including some of our older youth, to lead the fun and learning.
Mission Mornings is a week-long summer service project for youth entering 6th-8th grades. We spend each morning of the week visiting, learning about, and serving an organization that is working to better our community, and then end the week with pizza and a pool party. This event usually takes place in August.
Work Camp is our annual high school summer mission trip. This week-long trip in July is full of service, study, games, friendship building, and tons of fun as we travel to various places on the East Coast. Youth entering 8th grade through graduated 12th graders are invited. Work in the past has consisted of building new railings for porches, ripping down staircases, scraping paint, and digging holes with jack hammers. After work and showers, there is plenty of time for games and hanging out, and there is always worship and small group discussions in the evening. Each year, we offer lunch and an amazing video to those who have invested in our trip to share what we did and learn.
Seekers Hangouts are informal gatherings of junior and senior high Seekers one day in the week throughout much of the summer. There is no agenda – just a chance to play and hangout together and keep in touch.
Confirmation
When children are baptized, parents make professions of faith on their behalf. There comes a time when those children are old enough to make their own decisions to confirm those promises and profess their faith. Confirmation classes are offered every other year at First Presbyterian, ordinarily for seventh and eighth graders. The confirmation program is led by the pastors, lasts from September to May (meeting usually twice a month), and includes retreats, one-hour classes on Sunday afternoon, time with an adult “shepherd” or mentor, a mission trip to see the church at work in the community, and opportunities for questions and reflections, leading up to the confirmands professing their faith in worship in May or June.
