Our Church School is a vibrant community of adults and children from both St. Matthew's and Wilton Presbyterian Church who come together every Sunday morning to worship, learn, pray, sing, play games, develop a sense of belonging, and explore what it means to be a child of God. Children in kindergarten through 7th Grade begin worship with their families, move to Church School after the reading of the lessons, and return for communion. Younger children go directly to their classes at 10 am.

Child Education (Birth through Seventh Grade)

Our curriculum for children up through 5th grade, Bible Quest, provides an activities-based approach that emphasizes learning by doing and recognizes that children have different learning styles. Children are given the opportunity to experience, interpret and explore how New and Old Testament stories relate to their own lives as they study the bible. Sixth and seventh graders follow a teacher-designed curriculum that is planned to be meaningful for the challenges and daily experiences of middle schoolers. This year the class is learning about different experiences of intolerance and exploring how they may respond as individuals. The class will present a sermon/play on intolerance at our annual worship service led by the children, the Festival of Children on February 6, 2005.

Church School Schedule

Age Group

Time

Nursery (up to 3 years) and 3 Year Olds

10 a.m. to end of worship service

Children

in classrooms throughout worship unless families come to pick them up for communion

Pre- K's

in classroom 10 to 10:50 a.m. then children join families for communion

Kindergarten - 7th grade

10 - 10:15 a.m.- Children worship with their families
10:15- 10:50 a.m.- Children in Church School
10:50 - end of service- Children rejoin their families for communion

Summer Church School

Every Sunday throughout the summer, there is a combined grade Church School class for all children up through 3rd grade. Nursery care is also provided for children up to 3 years old.

Youth Education (Sixth through Twelfth Grade)

Religious education for youth happens at St. Matthew's in a variety of interactive settings:
SUNDAY MORNINGS - Youth in 6th and 7th grades worship with their families, move to Church School after the reading of the lessons, and return for communion. Youth in 8th through 12th grades worship with their families, and are encouraged to learn about liturgy through direct engagement with the worship experience - as acolytes, choir members, lay Eucharistic ministers, greeters, ushers, readers and intercessors.
CONFIRMATION - Confirmation is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop. From many years, St. Matthew's has prepared 8th graders who were baptized at a young age to confirm the promises made at their Baptism. We continue this tradition, understanding that each individual young person or adult must choose to participate in this sacrament when the time is right for him or for her.
Classes are held on Sundays immediately following the 10:00 a.m. worship service. Contact Assistant Rector Janet Waggoner at 762-7400 for more information.
YOUTH GROUPS - Dynamic opportunities for spiritual growth, learning and fun await 6th - 12th graders involved in the Joint Youth Ministries program, which brings together youth from St. Matthew's and our partner parish, Wilton Presbyterian Church. Educational programs on topics ranging from diversity to basic Christian values to outreach are interwoven with discussions and fun activities. See the YOUTH section of this website for more information.

Adult Education

Mission Statement: To read and discuss books and other writings, to engage speakers, and otherwise to conduct such other activities as the committee members, with the advice of clergy and congregation, determine will lead to or enhance the spiritual growth of the participants in these activities.

The Adult Education Committee is a joint committee with our Presbyterian brothers and sisters who not only comprise half of its membership (with our own committee members supplying the other half) but also attend and actively participate in the program offerings of the committee. Those program offerings include regular weekly courses and special events during the academic year covering a variety of topics relating to our own faith and the beliefs of other religions around the world.

Certain offerings are keyed to a particular book or books which the attendees are invited to read and discuss with the guidance of clergy or discussion leaders. These weekly sessions are usually at 9 a.m. on Sundays (between Episcopal services) and are open to all whether one can attend regularly or only sporadically (and also whether one has read the material for the session or not!).

Classes are usually on Sunday mornings or on weekday evenings. Our clergy often serve as teachers and discussion leaders, but some courses are also led by lay discussion leaders with topics chosen by the class itself. A number of courses are offered jointly with our Presbyterian brothers and sisters of WPC.

Certain programs on a variety of subjects are usually on one night each week over between 6 and 10 weeks and are offered by members of our clergy. Occasional larger sessions, after the 10 a.m. services of both churches, are provided in which a guest speaker or panel is featured on a topic of general interest to the congregations of both churches.

Information on current course and program offerings is available by contacting the church office at 762-7400.