Children, Youth & Families
MINISTRY goals:
- Create a welcoming space for young people to ask questions and express themselves.
- Build relationships with God, peers and caring adults.
- Explore and learn about faith, God, Scripture, and prayer.
- Participate in God’s invitations for fun, connection and play.
- Engage in worship in a variety of ways.
Children + Teens
Worship
Events
Milestones
PARENTS
Following Sunday worship, ages 3-18 meet about 3 times a month from September through May for:
- 10:30a Kids’ Choir / Theater (Fall) or Art Studio (Spring)
- 11:00a Group Energizers
- 11:15a Children & teens separate for Age-Based Faith / Bible Exploration
- 12:00p Free Family Lunch
"Kids" at First Presbyterian means everyone 18 and under.
Kids Connection (KC)
Energizers
Circle Prayer
Kids Choir / Theater
September - Decemember Kids Choir / Theater during Kids Connection prepares for Christmas Pageant
Kids Connection
Children's Bible Exploration
Energizers
Singing and dancing to music.
Kids Connection
Teen Faith Exploration
Art Studio
January - March Art Studio during Kids Connection makes collaborative art to display at church
Art Studio
January - March Art Studio during Kids Connection makes collaborative art to display at church
Kids Connection
teens plan and do service projects during faith exploration
Children and teens are warmly welcomed at 9:30a Sunday services. Every Sunday there is a Children’s sermon and special sensory table in the Childcare Room that connects with the Sermon Series or Lectionary Scripture text.
Worship Bags and Curiosity Library are available in the young family area for readers to bring to their pew to engage in worship through hands-on activities. Caregivers have the option to bring non-readers, children age six and under, into the staffed Child Care Room at any time during the worship service for movement and play.
We encourage children and youth to participate as liturgists, ushers, acolytes, communion presenters and musicians. Youth are welcome to serve as Elders, Deacons and Committee Members.
Sunday Worship
We do an all ages activity about once a month. These events include:
- August: Bike Rally
- September: Welcome Sunday
- October: Trunk or Treat
- November: Care Package Service Project
- December: Advent Craft Fair, Family Christmas Eve Service, Breakfast Church
- February: Mardi Gras Brunch & Bingo, Souper Bowl of Caring
- March: Easter Breakfast & Hunt
- April: Pie & Talent Night
- Summer: Thursday Community Picnics
All-AGES Activities
YOUTH TRIPS
Middle School and High School Youth play and learn together every January during Snow Camp at Clearwater Forest Camp. Summer trips for high school students have included YouthWorks mission projects out of state, annual Montreat Youth Conference in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, and youth, with a parent, continue the relationship with Hope Light in Kenya by serving for a week in July.
Bike & Skate Rally
for the last Community Picnic bring whatever set of wheels you have to ride around to music in the parking lot
Trunk or Treat
the last Sunday of October from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the church parking lot has decorated vehicles, playful activities and of course candy and treats
Mardi Gras Brunch + Bingo
after worship, put on your beads & masks for Bingo with lots of fun prizes, and the free-will offering for brunch goes to youth summer trip
Game Night
bring your favorite board or card game and snack to share with others
As a congregation, we celebrate significant events in the life of our children and youth including baptism, annual blessing of backpacks, third grade Bibles, confirmation and high school graduation.
Milestones
Confirmation
Confirmation is an opportunity for 8th-9th graders to learn about our faith tradition, to understand the particularities of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and to wrestle with and take ownership of their faith. Emphasis is placed on engaging youth in the life of the church.
Confirmation happens about every other year using "Confirm not Conform" curriculum as its basis. Confirmation is the beginning of a journey, surrounded by peers, mentors, leaders, parents and the entire congregation.
Outside the Sanctuary and Dining Room is a Parent & Caregiver Resource Station that rotates out quarterly tools and ideas, recommended books in the Curiosity Library, ways of connecting with God at home through Faith Practices, links for support on Navigating Tech & Screens, local Parent Coaching, and support and encouragement.
Resource Station
Community Care Guidelines
First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater believes that we are called by God to create a safe haven for all the children and youth in our care, protecting those who are powerless and empowering them through faith and trust. We require all adults who work with children and youth to attend a policy training, obtain a background check, and sign a yearly commitment form. Read the current policy here.