Faith Formation for Children & Youth

Children are a vital part of our community. Just as Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me,” we at First Church strive to welcome the youngest into our midst in worship, fellowship, formation, and service. In addition to multigenerational worship, we offer specific programs and supervision for children of all ages during the morning worship hour when we are gathered in person.

Program year 2023-2024:

Godly Play, Middler, and Bible 101 classes will begin on Regathering Sunday, September 10, and meet on most middle Sundays of the month.
Confirmation Class will begin with an Orientation Meeting for students and parents on Sunday, September 17, at 12:30 p.m. The first class for students will take place on Sunday, September 24, at 9:30 a.m.
Youth Group will gather periodically with teen groups from neighboring churches. Youth Group leaders Ahmaad Edmund and Becky Moyer will be reaching out with details.

Register your children for this year’s programs here.

boy reading in a book corner

Details of children & youth programming are shared via our weekly “News for First Church Families” e-communication. If you want to receive this email every Thursday afternoon, contact Sarah Higginbotham to get on the list.

You can find our Safe Church Policies & Procedures and our Covenant for a Safe & Welcoming Community under “Governance and Leadership” on our Members and Friends page.

Opportunities for Children and Youth Formation

woman sitting on the floor with little girl

Godly Play

Godly Play is a Montessori-based sacred time and space for Biblical storytelling and wondering that can be found in churches around the world. The Godly Play Foundation provides teacher training and curriculum support for this engaging program. Godly Play for PreK-4th graders begins on September 10, 2023.

young girl and teacher at a table

Middlers (5th graders)

Every other year, 5th graders explore themes of difference, hospitality, justice, friendship, and forgiveness in the context of our Christian faith. Bible-based lessons are supplemented by middle reader novels, including R.J. Palacio’s Wonder, Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again, Sharon Draper’s Stella by Starlight, and Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me. The 2023-24 Middler class begins on September 10, 2023.

binder on a table

Bible 101 (5th-7th graders)

Bible 101 is First Church’s home-grown curriculum for recent Godly Play “graduates.” It’s a two-year introduction to navigating, reading, and interpreting the Bible. Students explore the Hebrew Bible in Year A, revisiting stories they may have heard told when younger, as well as exploring new sections of biblical poetry and prophecy. In Year B, the class digs into the New Testament, with a culminating project of producing a “Gospel Play” for Children’s Sunday. Bible 101 continues with Year B for 6/7th graders on September 10, 2023.

two teens singing in church

Our Whole Lives (OWL) (8/9th graders)

Every other year, our 7th & 8th graders collaborate with other congregations in Our Whole Lives (OWL), a comprehensive sexuality education program with a strong faith component. The next OWL class will take place in 2024-25.

Teenagers talking outside

Confirmation Class (8th-9th graders)

Our year-long confirmation class runs every other year and meets twice monthly on Sunday mornings before worship, from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.. They also gather with the Youth Group for various service and fellowship projects throughout the year. Our confirmation process is guided by our use of Affirming Faith, a multi-faceted resource for youth faith formation and confirmation produced by the United Church of Christ. Students are invited to affirm their baptisms and to join the Church on or near Pentecost Sunday in late May/early June. The 2023-24 Confirmation Class for 8/9th graders begins with an Orientation meeting for students and parents on Sunday, September 17, at 12:30 p.m. The first session for students takes place on Sunday, September 24, at 9:30 a.m.

Youth Group

Our Youth Group includes high schoolers, including Confirmands in alternating years. In 2023-24, the Youth Group will gather with teens from neighboring churches for service opportunities and social events on third Sundays from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., beginning on September 17, 2023.