Christian Education
Children
INFANTS AND TODDLERS
Childcare is provided for children (infants through 3 years of age) in the Nursery and Room 2 on the lower level of Walker Hall, during Church School and Worship, 9:20 - 11:40 a.m.
PRE-SCHOOL CLASSES (Ages 4 & 5)
Room 3 on the lower level of Walker Hall, 9:30 AM.
Pre-school children will become acquainted with Bible stories through a variety of learning activities - storytelling, art, games and music and more! The curriculum used is Exploring Faith, published by Cokesbury.
Pre-school children may go to room 2 at 10:30 for childcare during the worship hour.
ELEMENTARY CLASSES (1st - 6th grades)
Upper Level Walker Hall
Our elementary age children meet in age appropriate classes for exciting and engaging lessons using Cokesbury’s Exploring Faith series.
The LOGOS Program for Elementary Age Children
The LOGOS Program is the theology and practice of Christian relationships in a disciplined, midweek, four part context. It is a dynamic ministry of Christian nurture. LOGOS is the Greek word for "Word." It is God’s Word through the scriptures that guide us.
The LOGOS Program consists of Recreation time, Choir/Worship Skills, Family Time and Bible Study. These four components combine to provide an area in which young people and adults live together in Christian Community, learning what "Kingdom of God" living is all about.
The LOGOS System Associates believe that nurturing youth and children into right relationships of faith with God through Jesus Christ is the most important thing the church ever does.
Youth
THE DISCIPLES PROGRAM (7th & 8th Grades)
A two-year program centered around preparation for church membership. It meets in the upper level of Walker Hall. The program has three basic components:
| Confirmation Class | A two year program that meets 8-10 times a year on Sunday evenings. Topics include the Bible, what it means to be Presbyterian, and personal faith exploration. Adult sponsors are a vital aspect of this program. Each student is paired with a member of the church who helps guide, nurture, and support the Disciple during the two-year program and beyond. |
| Fellowship | Disciples meet twice monthly for activities including topical discussions, lock-ins, and retreats. A schedule is available through the church office. |
| Church school | This past year we used the study Fast Forward Through the Bible, which provides a great overview of the books and key stories of the Bible. The class meets in the Upper Room. During the summer months the Disciples are invited to attend the Summer Film class. |
SENIOR HIGH YOUTH (9th-12th Grades)
| Church School | This past year the Senior Highs used the Generation Why? curriculum, with topics that included Close Encounters, Holy Hogwash, Do Miracles Happen?, Who’s in, Who’s out?, and Testing the Waters. They meet in room 24 at 9:30am each Sunday during the school year. During the summer, the senior highs meet with the adults in the Faith and Films class. |
| Fellowship | Senior Highs meet twice monthly for a wide range of activities such as lock-ins, faith based discussions, ultimate frisbee, etc. |
| Mission | Senior highs volunteer locally at the Area 10 Agency on Aging to help provide food for homebound individuals. Every other year, the group goes on a mission trip to Bloomington’s sister city in Posoltega, Nicaragua, building relationships through work and play with our brothers and sisters in Christ. The next trip will take place in 2007. Every year the senior highs participate in a mission trip to either West Virginia or Kentucky to help repair homes. The dates for this year’s trip are June 10th - 16th. |
Adults
Sunday Morning Adult Education
| Gen'X | Room 5 | Participants take part in the exploration and discussion of issues of faith relative to Generation X. |
| Faith and Spirituality | Chapel(near south entrance) | Whenever the church is open members and friends are welcome to spend time in this quiet space set aside for reflection and prayer. |
Adult Sunday School - Summer Film Class: Films and Faith
With the coming of June, summer is here and it's time once again for our summer film class! Come join us on Sunday mornings this summer for a different kind of conversation - one centered on our faith and how it is informed, expanded, and challenged on the "silver screen." Discussion leaders are listed with the films they will present. Participants are encouraged to view the entire film for themselves before the class meets. This class is open to youth and adults from 7th grade on.
| Summer 2007 | Film | Discussion Leader |
| June 3 | Paper Clips (2004), G - As a part of their study of the Holocaust, the children of the Whitwell, TN Middle School try to collect 6 million paper clips representing the 6 million Jews killed by the Nazis | Mary Jensen |
| June 10 | V For Vendetta (2005), R (language, violence) - A shadowy freedom fighter known only as "V" uses terrorist tactics to fight against his totalitarian society. Upon rescuing a girl from the secret police, he also finds his best chance at having an ally. | Greg Buse |
| June 17 | Field of Dreams (1989), PG-13 - An Iowa corn farmer, hearing voices, interprets them as a command to build a baseball diamond in his fields; he does, and the Chicago Black Sox come. | Ben Dorr |
| June 24 | Babel (2006), R (violence, sex, language) - Tragedy strikes a married couple on vacation in the Moroccan desert, touching off an interlocking story involving four different families. | Chris Hanks |
| July 1 | Paths of Glory (1957), NR - When soldiers in WW1 refuse to continue with an impossible attack, their superiors decide to make an example of them. | Christopher Goss |
| July 8 | The Chosen (1981), PG - Two Jewish teenagers in 1940s New York meet as playground rivals. After injuring Reuven, Danny calls on him at home to apologize. Their wariness turns to fascination and close friendship as each discovers and admires the other's differences. | Mary McClellan |
| July 15 | Jesus Camp (2006), PG-13 (some mature subject matter) - A documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham. | Nancy Goss |
| July 22 | Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), R (violence, language) - In the fascist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world. | Jamie Prenkert |
| July 29 | The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005), PG (some violence) - Four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion. | John VanderZee |
| August 5 | Fearless (1993), R - A man's personality is dramatically changed after surviving a major airline crash. | John VanderZee |
| August 12 | Saved! (2004), PG-13 (strong thematic issues, sex, language) - When a girl attending a Christian high school becomes pregnant, she finds herself ostracized and demonized, as all of her former friends turn on her. | Sharyn Emory |
| August 19 | Stranger Than Fiction, (2006), PG-13 - An IRS auditor suddenly finds himself the subject of narration only he can hear: narration that begins to affect his entire life, from his work, to his love-interest, to his death. | Kevin Grieves |
As part of our Films & Faith series, we will offer full screenings of the films that will be discussed on Sunday mornings. We will show each movie the Wednesday prior to the Sunday morning discussion. These screenings will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Lyman Hall
From June 13 on, we will show kids movies in the movie room in Walker Hall at the same time as the other films, so bring the kids! We'll also have child care available for children who are too young for movies. Please join us!