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 2022-2023:
In-Person church school and youth programs to begin in september

Godly Play and Bible 101 classes will begin on Regathering Sunday, September 11, and meet on most middle Sundays of the month.
Confirmation Class and Youth Group will begin with an Orientation Meeting on Regathering Sunday, September 11, at 12:30 p.m.
Our Whole Lives will begin with a Student Intro Session and Parent Orientation on Sunday, September 18, at 1:30 p.m. at Old South Church in Boston.

Register your children for this year’s programs here.

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.

boy reading in a book corner

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 11, 2022.

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 next Middler class will take place in 2023-2024.

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 begins a new cycle with Year A for 5/6th graders on Regathering Sunday, September 11, 2022.

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. OWL begins on Sunday, September 18, 2022, with a Parent Orientation and a Student Intro Session at Old South Church in Boston at 1:30 p.m.

Teenagers talking outside

Confirmation Class (8th-9th graders)

Our year-long confirmation class runs every other year and meets twice monthly on Sunday afternoons. 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 confirm their baptisms and to join the Church on or near Pentecost Sunday in late May/early June. Confirmation Class for current 9/10th graders begins with an Orientation meeting on Regathering Sunday, September 11, 2022, at 12:30 p.m.

young people sitting in a circle

Youth Group

Our Youth Group includes high schoolers, including Confirmands in alternating years. Meetings take place on selected Sunday afternoons, plus some service opportunities and social events on Friday afternoons and evenings. Youth Group begins with an Orientation meeting on Regathering Sunday, September 11, 2022, at 12:30 p.m.