First Congregational Church of Milton

Christian Education Program

OUR MISSION

• To develop a loving and personal relationship with God.   

•  To help our students understand that they are accepted, loved, and important members of our community.

• To learn from, teach, and embody the lessons of the Holy Bible.

• To encourage children to follow Jesus in their daily lives.

• To help children reach into the wider community in service to others.

CURRICULUM

Our curriculum is based on "Gather 'Round: Hearing and Sharing God's Good News," a Bible-based program that explores the meaning and mystery of the Bible. Bible stories are concretely linked to an activity, music, or craft, and follow the Bible readings for that particular Sunday.

The Staff

All classes up to grade 6 are staffed by high school students, who receive ongoing teacher training throughout the year.  The nursery is staffed by two adults with teaching experience in a nursery school. The upper grades are taught by adults. The teaching staff consists of 10 high school students and several adult volunteers.

Program

The Sunday School program, which has over 120 students registered, offers classes from nursery age to confirmation during Sunday worship hours. With the exception of the nursery class, all classes begin in the Sanctuary where the children worship together with their parents and the entire church community. Following a children's message from the pastor, the children leave the Sanctuary for their classrooms.

Nursery (up to age 3):  The nursery program accepts children up to age three. In the nursery, the children engage in free play time under the supervision of at least two adult. The nursery provides a safe setting where children learn to share and play together while their parents participate in worship.

Preschool (ages 3 & 4): Children in preschool learn that God loves them and that they are very special. Many Bible stories are emphasized through arts, crafts, and music.  The preschool group is taught by at least two high school students.

Kindergarten: Arts, crafts, and music accompany the Bible story of the day. The emphasis is on the basics of Christian belief. This grade level is also taught by a high school student.

Grades 1 & 2: At this grade level, the children learn more about their faith, with particular emphasis on learning their way through the scriptures. These classes are taught by high school students.

Grades 3 - 6: Students are encouraged to bring their Bibles each week. The teachers, with a high school student in each group,  lead students through the Bible readings and help link the stories to everyday life. We begin to emphasize what it means to follow Christ in how we live our lives.

Grades 7 & 8: The curriculum for this group focuses on our call to serve others. Adolescents spend a great deal of time trying to find their place in the world, and the curriculum helps them to understand how they can make God's love present in the lives of others.

Grades 9+ (Confirmation Class): We offer a Confirmation Class program to youth in 9th grade or above, led by Reverend Johnson. The classes include the study of Biblical material and how it speaks to them today; participating in the leadership of adult worship; planning and carrying out a service project; and creating their own Statement of Faith with the assistance of an adult mentor. They are also exposed to a variety of other worship services, such as Maundy Thursday and a Good Friday drama. The goal is to help make the Christian faith more "real" to the participants, and prepare them for the issues involved in choosing to proclaim their faith and join the membership of our church. Please speak to Reverend Johnson if you are interested!

SACRAMENTS

Baptism: Baptism is available to children and adults of all ages. The baptismal service is customized after consultation with our pastor. Baptisms are scheduled as part of Sunday morning worship services.

First Communion:  Students in second grade go through a preparation program to receive First Communion in the spring of each year. This program starts in February and runs during Sunday School hours, separate from regular Sunday School classes. The class is taught by the Christian Education Coordinator with the help of the pastor and a Diaconate member.

CHRISTIAN CHILDREN'S FUND

 All students may participate in service through their offering envelopes. The Sunday School sponsors a little boy from Guatemala through the Christian Fund for Children and Aging. We receive a letter from our Godchild each year, and the children may write him back.

SPECIAL EVENTS

St. Martin's Day (November 11th): Through some of our German families, we started celebrating St. Martin's Day, one of the most popular saints' days in Germany. Martin of Tours, who lived in the 4th century, led an exemplary life and shared his possessions with the poor. Following German traditions, children present the story of St. Martin during the service and parade in the church with lanterns.

Christmas Pageant & Jesus' Birthday Party (December): On the third or fourth Sunday in Advent, the children perform in a Christmas pageant. The theme changes every year (one year was 'Christmas Around The World'). After the pageant, the whole congregation is invited to a Birthday Party in honor of Jesus, where everybody enjoys birthday cake and the children participate in Christmas crafts. The birthday party helps to remind us of "the reason for the season."

Palm Sunday:  For our Palm Sunday celebration a parent and child are chosen to play Jesus and the donkey. The children process into church in front of Jesus with palms singing, "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord."

Easter (March/April): Easter Sunday is the day for our traditional Easter egg hunt. The Easter bunny hides hundreds of eggs filled with candy and everyone has fun looking for them.

Children's Sunday (June): Held the last day of Sunday School each year, each class prepares something to share or perform. The children receive Sunday School certificates of completion and First Communion students receive their Bibles at this time.  After church the congregation is invited to a potluck supper hosted by the Christian Education Board.