Lisa Van Alst is our Director of Religious Education (DRE).
 

SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS

Sunday School has concluded for 2022-2023.

We hope to see you all in September!

9/12/2021

The church Nursery is open and staffed for the 9 a.m. service.

As always, the Nursery is available to use during the 10:30 service, however it will not be staffed.

********************************************************

********************************************************

The Board of Religious Education, the DRE, and the teachers welcome you. We are pleased to have your child(ren) in our program and we pray the Sunday School will be a positive experience for all children. This is designed to answer some questions you may have about the Sunday School and how it operates. Please feel free to contact the DRE, a board member, or teacher if you have any further questions.
 
Sunday School is held at 9:15 a.m. We strongly urge you to bring your child(ren) on time. 

There is a Nursery for very young children, newborns to age 3. The Nursery is located downstairs adjacent to the Choir Director’s office. At least 2 people are scheduled in the Nursery each Sunday.

Those youngsters who are 3 by September 30th may enter the Nursery 3 teaching class. Those who turn 3 by January 1 may enter the first Sunday in January. Nursery (3) three and (4) four year olds, kindergarteners, first and second graders must be picked up after church school by the parent in the classroom unless authorized in writing to allow someone else to pick up the child (siblings must also be listed for authorization). Picture identification may be required.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW…

Bible Memory Verses Students K-8 are encouraged to memorize these verses and to recite them to the Bible Memory Verse Coordinators assigned by the DRE. The Coordinators will be available 10 minutes before the start of Sunday School, following the Sunday School worship when students are en route to their classes and 10 minutes following the church worship service. The BVC will record their progress and a master list will be posted on the Sunday School bulletin board in the Information Center. Nursery 3 & 4 students may recite the verses to the Teacher or Assistant Teacher. At the end of the school year, awards will be given to children who memorize the verses. Please note: each verse must be memorized by the end of each month to qualify for an award with the exception of the May Bible Verse which must be recited by two weeks before Children’s Day. This is to allow preparation time for Children’s Day.

BIBLES should be brought to church each week. They will be used during class. The curriculum this year is The Best of the Whole People of God Online. It is based upon the Revised Common Lectionary (3 year cycle – Year A, B, C) which is widely used in Christian churches in the United States and Canada. The minister often preaches on the lectionary enabling a family to discuss the lesson at dinner table.

First Graders receive a Bible on Children’s Day. If your child enters the Sunday School after that time and does not have a Bible, we’d like to provide one. If this is the case, please speak with the DRE. Often times parents would like to provide their children’s Bible themselves and/or in memory of a loved one; please let the DRE know if this is the case with your child.

Perfect Attendance awards will be given to those students who are physically present in Sunday School every Sunday it is in session from September to May. Helping with child care does not count as Sunday School attendance except in rare instances when approved by the DRE.

Offering…The Sunday School operates on its own funds. To do so, we rely on the offerings of the children each Sunday morning. During their morning worship children are encouraged to give an offering. Envelopes are available to each child for privacy and similarity to the adult worship service. Boxes of envelopes are available by speaking to the DRE.

Birthday Pennies…Any week of the month of their birth, they can be dropped into the birthday bank while we sing “Happy Birthday” acknowledging this special day. Each student will be invited to choose something from the birthday box. Children whose birthdays are during the summer may come forward in early May to be acknowledged if they so choose.

Confirmation Classes begin with an organizational meeting with students and their parents in September. Classes taught by the Minister and the Director of Religious Education are held on scheduled Monday evenings from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. The class does not meet on holiday Mondays. A variety of topics are taught providing the student a closer look at our faith as well as other faiths. In March or April, The Rite of Confirmation will be held during the 10:30 a.m. worship service. At this time, the students will confirm the vows made by their parents at baptism and become members of the church.

SUNDAY SCHOOL CANCELLATIONS will be announced over radio stations, WCTY/ WICH, WNLC/WKNL and television channel 3 by 8:00 a.m. Please be sure to tune in if the weather is questionable. You may also check our web site: prestoncitycongregational.com. When Sunday School is cancelled, all activities that day will be cancelled; however, church will be held unless announced otherwise. Student attendance will not be recorded on a cancellation day.

DID THEY KNOW?
Did the disciples know as they sat at Jesus’ feet and learned life’s most important lessons, that one day they would pick up the torch of his teachings and carry light into a dark world? What teachers instill in young minds is the spark from which generations of flaming torches of truth may be lit. 
from the book, “A Teacher’s Heart”

THE SACRAMENT OF COMMUNION is observed in the Sunday School hall on the first Sunday of the month by students in Grades 3-8.