Children's Education Monthly News
Sunday mornings September through May
Children's Choirs - 9:00 am - 9:45 am
Primary Choir (4 year-olds through 1st graders) in the Lavender Room, main floor
Junior Choir (2nd through 5th graders) in the Hearth Room, lower level
Please visit our Music section for information on the children's choirs.
Grab 'n Go Children's Snack - 9:45 am -10:00 am
4 year-olds through 5th graders
All participants in the Children's Choirs are invited to say a prayer and share a snack in the Hearth Room kitchen at 9:45. Parents should plan to pick children up at 10:00.
Infants and Toddlers (Genesis) 10:00 to 11:30 am (in the nursery, main floor)
Childcare for infants through age 3 is provided every Sunday in the nursery by our Childcare Coordinator, Liz Serpentine, and a group of volunteers that love children. Regular childcare begins at 9:00, but can be provided during 8:00 worship by request – simply let us know ahead of time. Questions? Interested in volunteering? Contact Ashley at 610.543.4712 x118 or SPCchildren@swarthmorepres.org.
Church School
following A Time with Children, concluding at 11:30 am
Children ages four through 5th grade attend the beginning portion of our 10:15 worship service with their families. Church school classes then meet following a Time with Children, about 20 minutes into the service. Toddlers are welcome in our Genesis class (in the nursery this year) throughout the worship service. All classes are taught by church members who volunteer their hands and hearts to this ministry. To register your children for church school or volunteer to be a part of any teaching team and select specific dates, please use the links below.
Register for Church School | Volunteer Teacher Sign-ups (login required)
Each of our children's church school classes use the Rock Solid curriculum. Rock Solid is an official resource for the United Methodist Church, published by Cokesbury. If at any time you would like a sample of the material to review, just let Ashley know.
Class and Room Assignments: Exodus - 4 year olds through Kindergarten 1st floor, Lavender Room, across from the Nursery
Leviticus - 1st & 2nd graders 2nd floor, McCahan Hall Pink Room
Numbers - 3rd graders 2nd floor, McCahan Hall Purple Room
Deuteronomy - 4th &5th graders 2nd floor, McCahan Hall Green Room
Rock Solid Fall 2011
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)
This parable is the basis for our curriculum, Rock Solid. We want our children to build a strong faith foundation so that when the storms of life overwhelm them (and they will at some time or another), their house of faith will not fall away. It will stand strong and give them the comfort, strength, and shelter found only in a loving God.
For children in Pre-K through 5th grade, our fall quarter is divided into three sections:
God Calls a People: The first unit in this quarter of Bible stories is about Abraham and his family. As children hear the stories of Abraham, Sarah, Lot, Isaac, and Rebekah, they learn that we are blessed by God and God calls us to be a blessing to others.
God’s Family Grows: During this unit the children will be learning the Bible stories of Jacob and Esau. The children will be learning that we are God’s children and God is always with us. God wants us to be fair and honest with one another and forgive one another.
Hope for God’s People: During the month of November, children will hear the stories of Joseph and his family. They will learn that God is with us in difficult times, God helps us help others, and God helps us show love to others. They will also celebrate the first Sunday of Advent as they learn about the Messiah God promised to us.
Summer Schedule - June through Labor Day
Our summer schedule starts in Memorial Day weekend and lasts through the first weekend in September (Labor Day Weekend). Sunday morning offerings for children include Childcare for infants and toddlers and up to age three in the nursery during the 10:15 am worship service. For children ages four through 2nd grade there is a Christian enrichment program after a Time with Children, (about 15 minutes into the 10:15 am worship service) that generally includes a movie and related activity.
Older children are encouraged to remain in worship. There are several useful tools available to keep active hands busy and minds engaged. Children ages 4 through 13 will find a variety of books, children's Bibles, coloring worksheets, word games, and the like in the children's activity center located in the large transept.