Kids on Sunday
We have a lot of kids at Eucharist and we are pretty thrilled about it. As a congregation that has been entrusted with many children, we seek to foster our children’s spiritual journeys through including them in key parts of the service while also making sure they have their own age-appropriate spaces.
If you’re new to Eucharist, here’s what the morning will look like for your children:
Under 18 Months
If your child is under 18 months, they’ll stay with the congregation for the whole service. There’s an area in the back of the sanctuary with some comfy chairs and a rug as well as a quiet room if the pews aren’t working for your little one.
The Nursery: 18 Months - 3 Years Old
If your child is 18 months through 3 years old, you can take them to the nursery at the beginning of the service where volunteers will play and read with your child until just before communion when everyone returns to the sanctuary to partake of the table together.
Kids Table: JK - Grade 5
If your child is in Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5, they will begin in the sanctuary for the first part of the service (invocation and singing) until they’re dismissed for Kids Table. Kids Table is divided into two groups: A Kindergarten room that hosts the kids aged four and five, and the Back Hall which hosts the children in Grade 1-5.
Children are dismissed for Kids Table after the first song, and re-gathered before the Prayers of the People and Communion.
If your child does not want to leave you, they are always welcome to stay in the service with you for the whole time. We have a supply of clipboards, paper, and art supplies available at the front pew on the piano side of the sanctuary that kids can use.
What Happens During Kids Table?
We take attendance, sing some songs together, and then read a story from the Bible. Last year we focused on stories of things Jesus said and did. This year we’ll be spending some time exploring stories of what God did in the Old Testament.
Once we have read the story aloud, there are different ways for the children to explore the story further: one group colours or draws pictures from the stories, one group builds the story out of LEGO or wooden blocks, and one group acts the story out (only in the Grade 1-5 class). Each of these groups is anchored by a volunteer who guides the conversation with “wondering” questions that allow kids to engage the story for themselves.
For kids who find none of these choices appealing, we have a selection of books and a variety of prayer exercises that they can access any time. We view education and encounter as equally important aspects of our children’s growth so our goal is to prepare an environment that invites children to meet God in their own unique way, providing them with diverse examples of the wider church.
After the sermon, the children return to you in the service in time to participate in Prayers of the People and Communion. We practice an Open Table and believe that practice shapes belief so children are welcome to take communion at Eucharist.
Children’s Safety
We take our kids’ safety and spiritual development very seriously. All of our volunteers have been at Eucharist Church for at least six months, fill out applications and get background-checked before they can work with children. We also provide training on safe interactions as we seek to act as companions and guides on the spiritual journey. We are aware that the church has sometimes been a source of great harm to children so we are working hard to be not only a physically safe space but also a theologically safe space.
Mid Week Discipleship
Godly Play + Youth Bible Study
Launched in 2023, this midweek community has become a meaningful way to engage with youth (Grade 5+) and elementary students (JK to Grade 4) in our congregation. This mid-week programming provides opportunity for deeper discipleship and spiritual formation.
We meet for seven week sessions three times during the school year. Families arrive between 4:00 and 4:30pm to enjoy some snacks and conversation before splitting up into various groups from 4:30-5:30.
Godly Play is a method of Christian Education that places heavy emphasis on the child as already spiritually active. Rather than teaching Bible stories with particular moral prescriptions at the end, Godly Play presents Bible stories using 3D materials and then asks children to “wonder” about these stories together. The story and wondering time is followed by a creative response time that gives children space to respond in their own way, whether by replaying the stories with the materials or creating their own artwork. Books and prayer practices are also available during this time.
With roots in Montessori philosophy, facilitators view themselves more as guides to a journey the child is already on, seeking to provide language that helps children name their spiritual experiences, and teaching them the Christian story in a way that focuses on God as the main character, and ourselves as part of the family of God.
Youth Bible Study is a time for the youth (Grade 5-9) to engage in learning through scripture reading, conversation, and interactive games. Run by Pastor Kevin and some excellent volunteers, this group models a more mature style of conversational learning, encouraging curiosity and meditation on scripture. Everything, from the study to the games, is designed to help youth strengthen their connection to God, to one another, and to the Christian story as revealed in scripture.