Each Sunday at our 9:30 am family-friendly, Contemporary Holy Communion Service, we have a nursery available for caregivers to take their infants and toddlers during the service where the litugry and the sermon can be heard. We also have a children's corner in the back of the church with puzzles, books and colouring pictures.
There is a class for tots aged 3 to SK - the "Jesus Loves Me Kids" - using the Witness Sunday School Curriculum. The fall term children learn about Hebrew Scripture and the winter term they focus on the stories of Jesus from the Gospels.
Older children are involved in the worship service as Junior Servers and our teens take turns as our multi-media operators. Rev. Debbie trains and supervises the Junior Servers. Mrs. Frances Oakley-Marshall is the head of our multi-media tearm.
OTHER CHILDREN'S EVENTS
A number of special events or outreach initiatives involving our children and parish families take place throughout the year. The weekly bulletin has relevant details.
Our Parish Family Christmas Party is a major event in the life of our parish. Some years we have had a Nativity Pageant followed by family craft making. Other years we have had a drama on Sunday morning at our 9:30 am Contemporary Worship Service. We also have had a inter-generational party with activity stations.
Good Friday has also taken on different forms. Last year we enjoyed interactive drama stations involving young and old alike. We have had a Holy Week Pageant followed by family craft making.
Each spring our parish youth have a special event to raise money. We held a thirty hour Starv-A-Thon to learn about world hunger. The Wake-A-Thon was also a time for building friendships and learning about global issues. Our youth tithe the income they make and donate it to an outreach project of their choice.
We want our children to model our need to embody compassion for others. Thanksgiving Weekend is our White Gift Sunday where families bring food to be donated to Barrie's Grocery Assistance Program. Families and the parish as a whole participate in Operation Christmas Child, part of Samaritan's Purse Ministries, to fill shoe boxes with Christmas gifts for children in need. Our senior women assist the congregation in collecting items for the Christian Salvage Mission. Families are encouraged to donate books and movies to be sent overseas to support Christian learning.
