Children

Children’s Education is an important part of St. Bart’s!
Welcome, families!

There is always something special planned for children at St. Bart’s! We value children’s curiosity, enthusiasm, and the ability to wonder about God. Please join us in our journey of discovering our faith!

Defining personal spirituality is a lifelong process that starts at Baptism.

During each Baptism, the entire assembled community promises to: “do all in [our] power to support these

At St. Barts, we strive to provide a welcoming, nurturing environment for families with young children through regular religious education. We offer comprehensive weekly classes for preschool through 5th grade. Our programs cover basic Christian concepts and Bible literacy in a nurturing setting to help children grow their faith formation.

Our focus is on both the liturgical traditional Episcopal church calendar and the young individual’s journey to a better understanding of the true mystery of our faith. We emphasize that many aspects of Christianity are difficult to understand at any age and that God loves us all despite the frailty of our humanity. We try to instill a sense of wonder and exploration that can lead to a fulfilling personal relationship with God. We stress community and communion as members of the Body of Christ.

We meet for about 35 weeks from September through May, with breaks at Thanksgiving, Christmas and in the spring.

The School Year
Children's Sunday School  9:30 - 10:20 a.m. Ages 3-11

Registration- For everyone’s health and safety, registration is required.
You may register your child or yourself at any point during the school year.
Registration forms are available in the parish information center in the lobby or contact the office or sundayschool@stbartsbeaverton.org  

The Current Weekly Format 
Gathering Time/ Children’s Chapel- 9:30-9:45, downstairs.
Each child will choose a job as he or she arrives. 
Children will have the choice of participating in the gathering at the level with which they are comfortable.
Parents may attend with their children or they may drop off their registered children.
We always enjoy parent participation!
If you drop your children off, please plan to pick them up from their classrooms at 10:20

Classes/ Age Groups- 9:45- 10:20, downstairs.
This year we will have two classrooms:The Godly Play class is for preschoolers and kinders and the elementary class is for first through fifth graders.
Sixth through twelfth graders are invited to apply to become part-time Teacher Assistants. Please email for more information.

Lessons- In class, a daily lesson is followed by discussion and related activities or crafts. Within these classes, children are encouraged to explore, ask questions, and to build a meaningful age-appropriate understanding of Jesus, the Bible, and the church, and to foster their relationships with these.

Sunday school classes end at 10:20, in order to allow families to attend the 10:30 Eucharist service (Rite 2) together.
Please pickup children promptly.

Questions / Resources
Program questions or comments are always welcome.
Please contact the program director Cara Miller at Sundayschool@stbartsbeaverton.org or call the office for more information.

We look forward to welcoming your child to St. Bart’s programs!

The Nursery- During class time, younger siblings are welcome to play in the nursery, as long as they are attended by a parent or caregiver.
The nursery will remain open until noon.
Parents are invited to bring food or drink down from coffee hour to allow their children additional church play time.
At this time, we do not have paid nursery attendants.

Contact: Cara Miller, Sunday School Director sundayschool@stbartsbeaverton.org

July 10-13, 2023 
 
In this year's VBS "The Journey Home" we will explore what it means to follow Christ as we journey down the yellow brick road with a fun cast of characters. We will learn the values of wisdom, courage and love along the way. All ages may join us, either as munchkins or volunteers. REGISTER TODAY!
 
Material fee of $15 per child for the week; Save $5 if you register by June 18! 
Email Cara Miller for more at sundayschool@stbartsbeaverton.org 

Previous year's themes have included:

2022- Join us mornings July 18th- 21st for "Luau with the Ohana (Family) of God".
Registration forms are available at the parish information center or email sundayschool@stbartsbeaverton.org for more information.
Children from potty-trained preschool through 5th grade are welcome as students.
6th graders through adults are welcome as volunteers.
Sign up today!

2020 (online) Our theme was “Instruments of Peace."
Children were able to engage in a variety of online activities including singing and dancing with homemade instruments. They also got to hear and interact with various Bible stories.

2019 - God's Creation was our theme and we celebrated with a week of activities revolving around everything under the sun - and beyond!

2018 - Finding Jesus: An Undersea Adventure
This Finding Nemo inspired VBS focused on creation and caring for one another. The children collected many cans of tuna to help our Food Pantry.

2017 - May the Lord be with You: A Space Odyssey
Our Star Wars themed VBS focused on the balance between light and dark within each one of us, and the support of Jesus Christ, our light and redeemer

2016 - The Journey Home: Following God’s Yellow Brick Road
Join Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy… and Toto too as they search for answers and find their inner strengths along the Yellow Brick Road.

2015 - Queen Emma’s Hawaii: the Ohana (Family) of God
Join us for a Hawaiian journey to build a church with the Hawaiian king and queen.

2014 - Wizards and Wonders: A Hero’s Journey with God
Spend the week with Harry Potter and his friends at Hogwarts as we embark on a journey with God.

In addition to our regular classes, we hold two pageants per year- one at Christmas and one the week after Easter.
Children reenact Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection for all the parish to enjoy.
These serve as learning tools for all the participants; middle and high schoolers are also welcome to be a part of our pageants.

Other Opportunities to Participate

Other special events such as our Halloween party, Advent and Lenten observances offer a chance for families to gather and interact.

 

Volunteer teachers, teacher assistants and prep workers are always needed and welcomed! The diocesan Safe Church training is simple and free and offers a certificate that enables the holder to volunteer in other church roles as well. We will work around your schedule so that no one person is overwhelmed with more responsibilities than fit his or her personal schedule!

The Diocesan Safe Church Training is simple and free and offers a certificate that enables the holder to volunteer in other church roles as well.
We will work around your schedule so that no one person is overwhelmed with more responsibilities than fit his or her personal schedule!

Program questions or comments are always welcome. Please contact the program director Cara Miller at Sundayschool@stbartsbeaverton.org or call the office for more information.

We look forward to welcoming your child to St. Bart’s programs!