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Last week, both Level I and Level II explored “What We Do in Church” with the aim of helping them feel at home in worship and participate with growing joy and confidence. Level I focused on concrete, hands-on familiarity with the altar by learning the names and purpose of key items used during the service. They also went to the church where Mother Cameron showed them the real altar and sacred objects, helping them connect what they practiced in the classroom to what they see on Sundays. Level II built on that foundation by zooming out to understand the overall shape of the liturgy, why we worship, and how the parts of the service help us participate more confidently with our voices, attention, and actions. They practiced key spoken responses, explored worship through all five senses, learned that the Eucharist has two main parts (listening to God’s Word and coming to God’s table), and ordered “Parts of the Service” cards to recognize key moments and what comes next. Both classes wrapped up with a stained-glass-inspired sun catcher craft, reflecting on how beauty and light can help draw our hearts toward God in worship. The older Level III class took the next step by exploring the deeper “why” behind worship in the Episcopal tradition, learning vocabulary for key altar vessels and linens, and discussing how worship engages all five senses and forms us over time. They practiced putting the parts of the service in order, reviewed the purpose of items like the chalice, paten, corporal, and purificator, and connected worship to everyday discipleship by brainstorming Lent outreach plans for Alleluia Care Kits, emphasizing that we are sent from worship to love our neighbors in practical ways.  Teaching children the details of worship matters because liturgy isn’t just something we watch, it’s something we do together. When kids understand what they’re seeing and hearing, the church stops feeling mysterious or “for grown-ups,” and starts feeling like home. Knowing the names and purposes of things like the altar, candles, chalice, and the parts of the service helps them follow along, recognize what’s happening, and participate with real confidence and joy. Even more importantly, worship forms a child’s spiritual life over time, it trains the heart to listen, give thanks, receive God’s love, and respond. When children can connect the rituals and symbols to God’s presence and to their own baptismal belonging, the liturgy becomes meaningful, not just familiar, and it naturally spills outward into how they live and love others. Check out the video overview of our lesson below:
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Last Sunday, our Faith Formation classes focused on Baptism. The youngest students heard the story of Jesus’ Baptism then explored the sacrament of Baptism in a concrete way by pouring water from a shell, hearing the special baptism words, and smelling the holy oils. They also enjoyed creating watercolor-and-salt dove artwork as a reminder of the Holy Spirit. The Level II students listened closely to Scripture and shared what they noticed about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit revealed in Jesus’ Baptism. They brought the story to life through simple role play, then learned that a sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. They explored the signs of Baptism in a hands-on way by taking turns pouring water three times, listening for the special baptism words spoken over a person, and learning about the meaning of the holy oils as signs of strength, joy, and belonging to Christ. They finished with their own watercolor-and-salt dove art response to remember the Holy Spirit. The Level III students connected last week’s Epiphany themes of light and revelation to the aeroponics project by checking their seedlings and completing the next “hidden growth” step, covering them to support strong root development in darkness. They then turned to the story of Jesus’ Baptism and used role play to explore how God revealed Jesus as the Beloved Son, with the Holy Spirit present like a dove and the Father’s voice speaking love, a glimpse of the Trinity at work. Building on that, they learned the historic meaning of anointing in Scripture, how kings and priests were anointed as a sign of being chosen and set apart, and how Jesus is “the Anointed One,” the Christ. Finally, they explored the distinct meaning of each baptismal oil, including the Oil of Catechumens for strength and readiness to follow Jesus and Sacred Chrism for joy, belonging, and being marked as Christ’s own.
Together, the students experienced Baptism as something we can see and touch through water, words, and oil, and as a living reminder that God calls each of us beloved. Last Sunday in Faith Formation, our younger students explored the story of the Magi and the meaning of Epiphany—how Jesus is revealed as God’s Son for all people, and how the star’s light guided the Magi on their journey. Level II practiced reverence and silence with a special “Magi’s Journey” walk through the church, moving quietly from the Nativity stained glass to the window showing Jesus and the Magi while noticing light, color, and holy images. Meanwhile, Miss Elsa’s Level I class had a hands-on experience with the real gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—wondering about their beauty and what they might tell us about Jesus. Both groups created a star-themed craft that included an individual photo of each child, connecting the Epiphany star to their own lives and reminding them that they, too, can follow Jesus and reflect his light. The Level III students explored Epiphany through the lens of both Scripture and science, reflecting on how God’s light brings life and abundance. After reading Matthew’s account of the Magi and Isaiah’s call to “Arise, shine,” they discussed Epiphany as Jesus being revealed to all nations—and how the Magi’s careful observation and curiosity can model a faith that seeks, asks questions, and responds with worship. As a group, they brainstormed darker places in the church that could be transformed by light and living growth, connecting that idea to our Tower Garden—a vertical indoor growing system that uses water and nutrients (instead of soil) to grow plants year-round under a grow light as a sign of hope in the middle of Pittsburgh winter. Students lingered on the metaphor of hidden growth, how roots grow in darkness, and considered how faith can deepen quietly in unseen ways. They then began the seedling process and created a practical winter maintenance plan with student roles and a shared Tower Log to track light, water/nutrients, and plant health in the weeks ahead. |
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