St Elizabeth’s is pleased to be the church home for children of all ages. All children are welcome at all times in all our church services, and it’s a special joy to see families worship together. Orthodox Christian worship appeals to all five senses of a human being – sight, smell, etc – so children learn about the faith through direct experience. First, we offer:
- Sunday School Program – for ages 4 and up, from September through May and beginning at 9:15am on Sunday mornings.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd – an approach to the spiritual formation of children rooted in the bible, in the ancient liturgy; children meet in an “atrium,” a room prepared just for them which contains simple yet beautiful materials they use to help them absorb the most essential proclamations of the Christian faith.
We also provide a steady stream of events and activities to keep our children involved year-round. These include:
- October 31st – All Saints Day party. The children (and some of the adults, too!) come dressed as a favorite saint for an evening of food and fun.
- November 21 – Handmaiden’s Tea. The girls dress in blue or white dresses, process with candles and flowers for a special tea party in honor of the handmaidens who escorted the young Virgin Mary into the temple.
- December 6 – St Nicholas party. The children bring gifts for the poor, and learn about the real St Nicholas. We deliver goodies to our neighbors in secret, too!
- Late December – Our children’s Christmas play and a gingerbread-making party.
- Early January – The Theophany Blessing of the Stones River. On the Sunday closest to Theophany (the celebration of the baptism of Christ), we gather to bless the Stones River as our children take turns wading into the river for the cross.
- The Sunday before Great Lent – our children host a bake sale and ice cream party to raise money for the local poor.
- Springtime – Creative Arts Festival Workshop.
- Pascha (Easter) – Egg hunt for the children.
- Summer – Vacation Church School. Our VCS program trains children to learn prayers, and provides them with lessons, snacks, and crafts.
Also, we have:
- an Acolyte (altar server) program for boys
- a Handmaiden program for girls
- an Emerging Teen Group
St Elizabeth Orthodox Christian Church 