The lay ministry in Adult Education is dedicated to creating and facilitating a variety of educational programs for adults in the church and the general community. These programs have to do with various dimensions of the life of faith: the relation between personal writing and prayer, the power of contemporary Christian literature concerning questions of faith, the contributions of thinkers such as C. S. Lewis and Dietrich Boenhoffer, and the various ways of reading the Bible.
The themes and points of focus for these programs often develop from parishioners’ suggestions and offers to participate. We offer different adult formation opportunities throughout the year and always try to keep our eyes and ears open to where the Holy Spirit may be guiding our efforts to provide learning experiences for all ages!
Adult Forum Bible Study
Join your fellow parishioners on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. in the Parish Library for a weekly topic or series led by both lay leaders and Father Conrad Nordquist
Children and Youth Education
We welcome children and youth from grades pre-K to High School, both regulars and newcomers, to our Sunday School classes. For pre-K to 5th graders, we strive to teach children about God’s love for them while also sharing Bible stories and important messages about how our faith tells us to treat ourselves, each other, and the world.
We make learning fun, active, and interactive. For instance, after hearing or reading a Bible story, children might act the story out, make an artistic rendering to help them remember it, or play a game related to the story. Students from grades 6 to high school meet separately to discuss the readings for the week.
Classes meet during the 10:00 a.m. service. Children are excused with teachers from the service right before the Scripture readings begin for adults, and they rejoin the service during the peace to celebrate the Eucharist with the congregation. Our year runs parallel to the school year, from the beginning of September until the end of May.
On the first Sunday of each month, including the summer months, we have a children-focused service called Children’s Sunday. Children and youth stay for the entire service and participate actively in various ways. Some volunteer to read, and others serve as ushers. All children and youth (including adults who are children-at-heart) are invited to the front of the church to hear the sermon and participate in the Eucharist at the altar.
On these first Sundays and a few other times of the year, we often sponsor family-oriented events in Smith Hall, immediately following the service. A highlight is the Christmas season when families make Advent wreaths and children decorate gingerbread houses.
We welcome faithful adults who wish to teach our children and youth about the Word of God. There is a special joy in watching the children learn about the stories in the Bible and teaching them about God and His Love for them.