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Programs for Children and Youth at All Saints Parish

That which we have heard and known, and what our forebears have told us,
we will not hide from our children. We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of God, and the wonderful works God has done.
(Psalm 78:3-4)

Click here for the 2010-11 Church School registration form (MS Word document)

To download the Children's, Youth & Family Ministries newsletter, click on the button below:

At All Saints Parish we celebrate the vital role of children and young people in our community of faith. Our ministries to and with children and young people tap into the unique gifts of our younger members: a sense of wonder about the sacred, a curiosity about issues of faith, a desire for ritual, and a passion for justice. From an early age, children are encouraged to become active members of the parish family.

A Prayer for the Care of Children

Almighty God, heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the
joy and care of children: Give us calm strength and patient
wisdom as we bring them up, that we may teach them to love
whatever is just and true and good, following the example of
our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer, p.829)

Children and Worship

Each week at All Saints Parish we look forward to the chance to worship God and to share the table fellowship that is part of the Holy Eucharist liturgy. We celebrate the wonderful diversity of our community gathered as one body, in Christ's Name.

Everyone is welcome to receive Holy Communion, regardless of age or baptismal status, at All Saints. Parents may question whether their young children should receive the sacrament. The Rector or the Director of Children's, Youth & Family Ministries is available for conversation about this and other matters related to raising children in the faith. Please feel free to give them a call or reach them by email.

Baptism

Holy Baptism is full initiation by water and the Holy Spirit into Christ's Body the Church. The bond established by God in Baptism is indissoluble. Anyone who is baptized at any age is marked as Christ's own forever.

Baptisms normally occur in this parish when the community gathers to worship on four liturgical feast days: All Saints Sunday (November 7); the first Sunday after the Epiphany (January 9); Holy Saturday/ Easter Eve (April 23); and Pentecost (June 12). Alternative dates for baptisms can be arranged by contacting the parish office. The Rector always meets with parents for pre-baptismal instruction.

Nursery Care

Our Nursery is open every Sunday morning, starting at 9:15 a.m. It is a clean, safe environment where children 3 years of age or younger can play and be cared for during choir rehearsals, Church School classes, and the worship service. Childcare is offered free of charge.

Our Nursery is staffed by four paid childcare providers. One large space is stocked with toys and equipment for children who are walking and potty trained (or on their way). Another adjacent space is set up for babies who are not yet walking and/or who need to nap during the morning.

The parish's annual blessing of the animals service is always a fun event!

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Church School

At All Saints Parish we know that children and young people experience God in their lives. However, we also know that they may lack the scriptural knowledge and religious vocabulary that can help them describe and understand God's mysterious presence. Adult teachers and mentors guide them in this aspect of their faith formation. Our Christian education program helps children and young people to

• Become familiar with scripture and discern its relevance to their daily lives;
• Appreciate the sacramental life of the church as they engage fully in it;
• Learn spiritual practices that deepen their personal connections to God; and
• Use their unique skills and talents to respond compassionately to human need in the world.

Contact: Ms. Becky Taylor, Director of Children's, Youth & Family Ministries
Monday-Thursday, 10:00am-5:00pm, 617-738-1810 Ext. 104, reled@allsaintsbrookline.org.

Sunday Morning Schedule

  9:15am   Nursery opens for childcare - Parenting discussion group meets twice/month
  9:30am   Schola rehearsal
10:15am   Church School classes (Grades 2-12)
               Cherub Choir rehearsal
10:30am   Worship begins
10:40am   Cherubs go to Godly Play
11:00am   Grades 2-10 go to worship
11:15am   Cherubs go to worship
11:45am   Fellowship in Guild Room

Cherubs (Pre-School to First Grade)

We introduce our 3 to 6-year-olds to the Church School program by using Godly Play. Developed by an Episcopal priest over 30 years ago, Godly Play is a method of Christian education and spiritual direction that is especially well-suited for young children. In Godly Play sessions, children listen to and reflect on

• Sacred stories about encounters between God and God's people;
• Parables that Jesus told about the Kingdom of God;
• Liturgical actions that show how Christians worship God; and
• Silence.

All the activity in our Godly Play classroom takes place in a circle on the floor as adults and children wonder together about the sacred in their lives.

Grades 2-5

With children ages 7 to 11 we use Workshop Cycles, developed by LeaderResources, an Episcopal Christian education organization. Workshop Cycles is designed as a "rotation model" program. Instead of meeting in grade-level classrooms all year, children divide into small, multi-age groups of 6 to 8, each guided by an adult "shepherd." These small groups visit different learning stations, or "workshops," over the course of a few weeks. The rotation model enables children and adults to work together on the same story or concept for a sustained time period, using different learning approaches. Each unit of study includes workshops that use art, drama, music, storytelling, computers, movies, and cooking.

Journey to Adulthood for Youth

At All Saints Parish we use Journey to Adulthood, a program designed to foster the formation of Christian spiritual identity in teens and prepare them for lay ministry in the church and in the world.

Middle School (Grades 6-8)

Young people in Grades 6-8 participate in the first part of the program — Rite-13. The goals of Rite-13 are:

• To celebrate God's gift of manhood and womanhood.
• To affirm the power of creative energy and to explore the thoughts and disciplines that allow people to be change agents in the world.
• To teach, by word and example, the principles of freedom, responsibility, and friendship

Our middle school teens also participate in the Charles River Deanery Youth Collaborative, a youth group for kids who worship in Episcopal churches in Brookline, Dover, Needham, Newton, and Wellesley. Youth Collaborative events in 2010 – 2011 include:

October 2: Canoe trip on the Charles River at Charles River Canoe & Kayak Center in Newton
November 21: Pie-making for local food pantries at Grace Church, Newton Corner
March 4-5: Overnight retreat and service project at St. Paul's, Newton Highlands
May15: Participate in Walk 4 Water at St. Andrew's, Wellesley

High School Grades 9-12

High School young people continue their journey to adulthood by learning the skills that will make them responsible adult members of society:

• Active listening
• Negotiation
• Assertion
• Research & information management
• Partnership
• Leadership

In small discussion and bible study groups they explore the mystery of our Christian faith and discover how to put that faith into action, both in the church and beyond. As they move towards the end of their high school career, the question "What's next?" permeates much of their day-to-day thinking and activity. The Church plays an active role in their discernment, offering opportunities for leadership as well as adult mentors to serve as companions and guides.

Middle School and High School teens assume leadership roles in the worship and ministry life of the parish. The clergy, vestry, Schola Director, and Director of Children's, Youth and Family Ministries help them discern how their gifts of time and talent can best be used at All Saints.

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Confirmation

Confirmation is a sacramental rite in which baptized members of the Church make a mature public affirmation of their faith and commit themselves to the responsibilities of their baptism. The rite includes the laying on of hands by a bishop.

It is the policy of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts to confirm young people and adults in multi-parish liturgical events. Young people from All Saints Parish can be confirmed on Saturday, May 14th at Christ Church, Needham, the Rt. Rev. Roy "Bud" Cederholm, presiding.

All high school young people in the parish prepare for confirmation with adult mentors who hold them in prayer and study with them.

Several young people from the parish were confirmed in May 2010 at a deanery confirmation service at the Church of Our Saviour, Brookline. They are pictured here with Becky Taylor, Director of Children's, Youth & Family Ministries; the Rev. David Killian, Rector; and one of their adult mentors, Sue LeClaire.

Acolytes

Anyone in 4th Grade or older is welcome to become an acolyte. Acolytes lead the altar party procession into the worship space each week and assist, as needed, during worship. An acolyte training & refresher class will take place on Sunday, September 26th. Any new acolytes who join the team during the year will receive 1:1 instruction and support.

Contact: Meg Bridge, Acolyte Coordinator, margaret.bridge@post.harvard.edu

Nightwatch

It is a special tradition at All Saints Parish for children and young people (Grades 3 and older) to keep an overnight vigil in the church each year from Maundy Thursday evening to Good Friday morning. Participants in Nightwatch gather for supper and fellowship before participating in the Maundy Thursday liturgy, which includes the foot washing ritual. For three hours they walk the Stations of the Cross and meditate on the events of Jesus' trial, suffering, death, and burial. Then the sleeping bags are unrolled in the worship space, and yes, sleep eventually comes. Nightwatch ends on the morning of Good Friday with a simple Way of the Cross liturgy. Nightwatch 2011 will take place on April 21 – 22. Details will be available in early March.

A group of young people at Nightwatch 2010, an overnight vigil during Holy Week that focused on the parish's outreach ministry to a small Anglican congregation in the Diocese of Tanga, Tanzania.

Contact Information

Please do not hesitate to get in touch with one or both of them to learn more about the parish's ministries with children and young people, or how to get involved.

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Clip art © 1994, Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, art by Steve Erspamer, SM.