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Programs for Children and Youth
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Events for Children, Youth and Families
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Volunteers prepare lunch for 75 campers and staff
at the Church of St. Augustine & St. Martin in Roxbury
Our B-SAFE partnership culminated in a day-long field trip that included a hike at Walden Pond
Click on the sign above or the following link: THE CHILDREN CHARTER to go to the Children Ministries page of the Episcopal Church website where you can download information about the children charter in different formats (PDF, Word document, Power Point, Postcard). |
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. One of the clergy 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
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 occur in this parish when the community gathers to worship on four liturgical feast days: All Saints Sunday (November); the first Sunday after the Epiphany (January); Holy Saturday/Easter Eve (March); and Pentecost (May) A member of the clergy always meets with parents for pre-baptismal instruction. Please call the parish office to arrange for a baptismal date.
Nursery CareOur Nursery is open every Sunday morning, starting at 9:30 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.
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
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
9:30am Schola rehearsal
Nursery opens for childcare
10:15am Church School classes (Grades 2-10)
10:30am Cherub Choir rehearsal, 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 Occassional youth meetings
Fellowship in Guild Room
We introduce our 4, 5, and 6-year-olds to the Church School program by using Godly Play. Designed by and 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
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.
In these classrooms we use the Episcopal Children's Curriculum. It offers children a way to explore scripture as well as to learn about the rich liturgical and historical tradition of the Episcopal Church.
Children in Grades 2 & 3 will begin the year learning what happened to God's people after the death of Moses. They will meet the judges and kings who helped the Hebrews remain faithful to God as they settled into the Promised Land. During Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany, these children will turn to the gospels, focusing first on the events surrounding Jesus' birth, and then exploring his parables
Children in Grades 4 & 5 will spend the fall getting to know the prophets of the Old Testament. They will discover how the faithful obedience of the prophets and their passion for justice serve as spiritual guides for us today. From Advent through the season of Epiphany, children in this classroom will explore the theme of "promise" as they reflect on the meaning of the Incarnation and explore Jesus’ teachings in various parables.
Both classes will participate in a special Mission & Outreach project during Lent and end the year in Eastertide learning about the sacrament of Holy Eucharist.
In June 2007, a team of 7 young people and 4 adults from the parish traveled to Quezalguaque, Nicaragua - Brookline's Sister City. While there, they helped refurbish the backyard of the town's public library. This trip was the first time people from All Saints Parish had traveled internationally to engage in mission ministry.
In July 2009, a group of young people and adults from the parish will travel to Honduras for a week-long mission activity.
At All Saints Parish we use Journey to Adulthood, a 6-year 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 two years of the program Rite-13. The goals of Rite-13 are:
Our middle school teens also oversee the parish's support of the Brookline Food Pantry's ministry to our neighbors who are hungry. This involves advertising the need for donations of nonperishable food items, collecting these items each month, and taking them to the food pantry. Opportunities to work at the food pantry also exist for teens who are interested.
They also participate in Project Bread's annual Walk for Hunger in early May.
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:
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.
The Collaborative enables middle school kids from Episcopal churches in our deanery to work, learn, pray, and socialize together. The program augments the youth ministries at each parish and broadens teens' awareness of the larger Church and its ministry.
2008-2009 Focus: "Hungry Neighbors"
Most towns in the Charles River Deanery have food pantries. This means that some of our neighbors cannot afford groceries. Why is this, and how pervasive is this problem? Over the course of the year, middle school kids and adult mentors will explore these questions, plan how to respond, and be advocates for change in their congregations.
2008-09 Events
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. In 2009, young people from All Saints Parish can be confirmed on Saturday, May 16th.
All high school young people in the parish can prepare to be confirmed by attending confirmation classes, starting in January. More information will be forth-coming later in the fall.
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. Training is required and offered during the year.
Contact: Meg Bridge, Acolyte Coordinator, margaret.bridge@post.harvard.edu
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 2009 will take place on April 9-10. Details will be available in early March.
Becky Taylor is Director of Children's, Youth & Family Ministries. She is a graduate of Andover Newton Theological School and has extensive Christian education/formation experience with children, young people and adults in parish settings. Becky can be reached Monday to Thursday at 617-738-1810, Ext. 104, or by email at reled@allsaintsbrookline.org.
Keith Glavash, Schola Director since 1981, is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music. Keith may be reached at 617-738-1810, Ext. 107, or by email at glavieri.home@verizon.net
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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