CHILD CENTERED
Sunday mornings
10:15 - 11:30AM for infants through five year olds.
Staffed by paid caregivers, with help from volunteers.
Church School - 10:30AM - 11:40AM
- Our classes use "Bible Quest - A Bible Story Curriculum for all ages," an age -appropriate curriculum produced by the United Church of Christ and nine other denominations.
- We have four classes:
- 3's through first grade
- Second through fourth grade
- Fifth through seventh grade
- Eighth through twelfth grades
- Students first go to the worship service and usually leave for class after about twenty minutes.
- We occasionally learn songs during church school time and will sing once during the worship service this year.
Response Center
- A one-room class that meets in place of church school during the summer months and on occasional school vacation Sundays during the school year.
- For 5-year-olds through eighth graders, 10:00-11:00 AM in the summer.
- A variety of activities, including crafts and service projects.
Morning Worship - 10:30AM - 11:30AM, September through June
- Children are always welcome.
- Most children stay for the first twenty minutes of the service and then usually leave for Crib Room Care or Church School, except on Communion Sundays. On the first Sunday of most months, church school meets from after the first hymn until the end of the sermon, when the classes go to the worship service for "A word with the children" and Communion.
- All-Church Sundays - This year we will have about six to eight all-church Sundays. Some are special services designed to include children. Others are regular services that children are encouraged to attend with their families. We produce at least three scripture dramas, including our annual Christmas Pageant and Children's Day, every year. Our mostly original plays bring the scriptures to life for children, youth, and adults using our extensive costume collection and unique props.
Carpenter Shop - 9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. and occasionally during Response Center time during the school year.
- For third graders and older.
- Woodworking projects to take home, such as wooden puppets and games.
- Woodworking projects for others, such as communion cup holders for the chapel.
- Also available for adults with permission when church is open.
Church library
- Open all week and staffed by volunteers on Sunday
- Over 1000 children's books plus videos, records, tape cassettes, CDs, DVDs, and a magazine subscription
- Two reading programs began Sunday, September 30, 2007:
- Rainbow Reading Club, for three year olds through second graders
- Adventures in Reading, for third through sixth graders
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Confirmation Class
- Usually meets every other year
- For seventh and eighth graders and up
- Taught by the pastor
Children and Communion class
- Usually meets every other year
- For ages 7 and older, with their families
Junior Youth Group
- Meets four times this year
Youth Group
- Meets about once a month
- For ninth through twelfth graders
- In July 2006, we went on a mission trip organized by the UCC church in Hampstead, NH, and based in their church. During the week we worked at the NH Food Bank, which was huge, and a smaller food pantry in Manchester, NH, picked up trash on the beach, toured and worked at Seafarer's Friend in Portsmouth, NH, toured and worked at the Heifer International Farm in MA, weeded at a vegetable farm for the Boston men's shelter on an island in Boston harbor, cleaned apartments for seniors on Derry, NH, and served a snack and then dinner to 118 women and children at a women's shelter in Boston! Our trip wasn't all work, though. We found time to swim in two lakes and the ocean, as well as having fun at an amusement park and playing whiffle ball.
- Other activities have included fellowship, trips to New York including The Lion King and Stomp, the Norwalk Maritime Center and Mystic Aquarium, a lock-in, and service projects, including cooking for the Stamford New Covenant House of Hospitality and collecting soup cans for Souper Bowl Sunday in February.
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Easter Egg Hunt in church parlor on Easter morning, Sunday, March 23rd
SPECIAL EVENTS FOR ALL AGES
Halloween Party, Sunday, October 28th, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.
- Costume parade, games, prizes
- Ghoulish smorgasbord
Advent Festival, Sunday, December 2nd, 11:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
- Pizza lunch
- Crafts, including decorating gingerbread houses, for all ages
Toy Drive and White Dove boxes for Person to Person clients for Christmas
Caroling party and lunch, Sunday, December 9th, 11:50-2:30 p.m.
- Lunch at the church followed by caroling to shut-ins
Family Christmas Eve worship service, December 24th, 5 p.m.
Epiphany Crafts, Supper, and Worship, Saturday, January 5th, 2008, 5-7 p.m.
- All ages welcome!
All-Church Talent Show, Sunday, February 10th, 2008, 5:40 p.m.
- Pot-luck supper at 5 p.m.
Wednesday evening Lenten programs
- Pot-luck supper
- Family program led by the Revs. Susan Pfeil
Lenten Festival, Sunday, March 16th, 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- Pizza lunch
- Crafts, including Ukrainian egg decorating, for all ages
Ukrainian egg decorating, Good Friday, March 21st, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Art Festival, Sunday, May 18, after worship, "Travel Keepsakes"
All-Church picnic at Cove Island, Sunday, June 8, 12:30 p.m. ADULT CENTERED
Adult Bible Study, Mondays from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
- Led by the Rev. Susan Pfeil
Improv Night, Sunday, January 6, 2008
- Singles only (18-39)
Church Library
- Over 1000 adult books - reference books, fiction and biographies, magazines, videos, CDs, DVDs, and tapes