Children’s Ministry at Apostles’ Anglican Church
Our desire at Apostles is to explore God’s love and the promises He has for each of us. The Children’s Ministry team strives to communicate God’s love to our kids and to show them the beauty of exploring His word. We believe that building relationships with our children is the best way to show them the love of the Father. We strive to teach children how to worship at an early age.
Our purpose is to provide a time for children to hear God’s word and to learn to apply it to their lives, as well as to prepare them to participate in worship by using prayer, praise, and instruction. For more information on Children’s Ministry, please contact Kaye Freels at 865-385-6686 or kaye@apostlesonline.org.
During the summer we have weekly playdates at our local parks. We enjoy going to the Zoo, Safety City and many other locations throughout the city. Kaye sends out a schedule at the beginning of the summer and reminders via GroupMe or text during the summer. We also enjoy going ice skating in December at Market Square.
Nursery
For our nursery age children, birth to age 3, we focus on showing God’s love by caring and nurturing. We sing songs, read stories and play with our youngest members of the parish. We also have a variety of developmentally appropriate activities that include toys, nativity set and Noah’s Ark playsets, as well as puzzles, blocks and games.
We offer nursery on Sunday mornings at both services as well as during special services such as Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and Messy Church.
Preschool
Our preschool children ages 3-5 (not yet in Kindergarten) enjoy a variety of developmentally appropriate activities that include art, games, dramatic play, nature, and block center play as well as listening to bible stories, singing, and focusing on God’s word and His love for us. By exploring God’s creation through fun activities, the children can grasp the concepts of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
Christian Formation
Our preschoolers ages 3-6 will take part in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. It is a Montessori based program that is contemplative in nature. The children will enjoy taking part in activities that explain and teach us how Jesus is our Good Shepherd. For more information on Catechesis of the Good Shepherd you may visit http://www.cgsusa.org.
We offer preschool care on Sunday mornings at both services as well as Christian Formation at 10:10am. Childcare for preschoolers may also be provided during special services such as Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday.
Christian Formation + Children’s Church
Christian Formation and Children’s Church are designed for children grades Kindergarten through grade 5 (ages 6-11). Part 1 will begin at 10:10 on Sunday morning and conclude at 11:00 so that the children can join their parents for the 11:15 am service. Before the sermon begins, the children will be dismissed from church (normally at 11:30am) for Part 2 of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. The children’s service concludes shortly after the end of the sermon, and children rejoin their parents for the remainder of the service so that each family may receive communion together.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a contemplative Montessori-based program. The children enjoy taking part in activities that explain and teach us how Jesus is our Good Shepherd. For more information on Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, visit http://www.cgsusa.org.
Children and Communion
All baptized persons of any age are welcome to the Lord’s Table, and young children are encouraged to come forward with their parents when Communion is distributed. Parents are encouraged to prayerfully discern when their child is ready to receive the sacrament, and our priests are available to answer any questions that parents may have concerning Communion.
Some parents lead their children to receive the Eucharist soon after the infant’s baptism. Other parents prefer that their child receive the bread only in preschool years, allowing them to dip the bread in the chalice when they are older. Some parents prefer that their children refrain from receiving Communion for some time, requesting a priestly blessing instead. Each of these decisions is an honorable choice by parents.
The clergy at Apostles desire to assist parents in this prayerful decision. Throughout the year the Apostles clergy and ministry staff will teach the children about the gift of sacraments.
Our Commitment to a Safe Environment for Children and Students
Apostles is committed to providing a safe environment where our children and students may grow in their faith and experience the love of Christ in a caring church.
To ensure that safe environment, we have over 20 volunteers and 4 part-time nursery attendants who shepherd the flock. All these leaders are required to attend training to work with the younger members of the body of Christ. This training is provided for all ACNA congregations, and we believe this thorough preparation equips our volunteers for ministry and preserves a safe environment for the children in our parish.
Any person who works with children not only has training on Child Protection, but also has a background check too.
Updated 9/27/2017