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The
Children’s Window
Suffer the children to come unto me,
and forbid them not, for such is the
kingdom of God.
Luke 18:16
Baptism
is the sacramental rite of entrance
into the life of the Christian community.
We celebrate baptism at St. Mark’s when
the full community is present in worship.
We practice infant baptism and seek
to impress upon the parents and sponsors
of each child the importance of the
sacred covenant they make with God when
they bring a child forward for baptism.
It is a rite which sets the child’s
faith formation in motion.
We take this faith formation of our
children and youth seriously. The most
important facet in developing a foundation
for Christian beliefs is consistent
attendance, regardless of the age it
is begun. Families who attend church
regularly find that their children look
forward to being with their friends
on Sundays and are less resistant to
church because they have learned what
to expect when they come to worship.
Worship is central
to our existence as a parish and anchors
our relationship with God and one another.
We welcome all ages to our worship services
(8:00 and 10:30 a.m.), and we also offer
age appropriate care and ministries
for young children every Sunday of the
year.
For some parents, the distraction of
a baby’s cry or the noise made by a
young child in worship can be unnerving.
We want all parents – visitors and members
– to know that we understand that such
distractions are a normal part of our
life as a community of faith. We are
creatures of habit, and children are
no different from adults in needing
to establish a routine and understanding
of what should and should not occur
during worship. The sounds of young
children in worship are a welcome sign
that St. Mark’s is doing its part for
future generations.
St.
Mark’s offers several ministries to
care for and nurture a child’s faith
while they are growing both physically
and emotionally.
 Sunday
Morning Care for Children
Nursery - Available
for infants through 3 years, during
the 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. worship services
and the 9:15 a.m. education hour. It
is staffed each week by Ms. Norma Cid,
our nursery coordinator, and parish
volunteers. The nursery is found on
the lower level of the education wing,
room 112.
Lamb's Chapel - Available
for toddlers and preschoolers, ages
2 – 4, during the 10:30 a.m. worship
service. This ministry includes a Bible
story lesson, along with related songs
and other activities, and guided play.
Children may stay in Lamb's Chapel through
the 10:30 service or be picked up by
a parent to join in the Eucharist in
the Sanctuary. Lamb's Chapel is led
by pairs of trained volunteer teachers
and is located next to the nursery in
room 113.
Children’s Worship
- Available for children ages 4 years
through first grade during the 10:30
a.m. worship service.
Stories from the Old and New Testaments
are told using the Godly Play© format.
This age-appropriate worship experience
is multi-sensory and provides children
with an opportunity to sing, pray, listen
and respond in their own way to God's
Word. They are guided to the sanctuary
to join their families for the Eucharist.
Children's Worship is led by a specially
trained group of volunteers who serve
as storytellers and greeters. Children’s
Worship is located in the undercroft
(downstairs from the sanctuary), in
rooms 123 and 124.
All
of the above are offered every Sunday
throughout the year.
Education
is the second prong in St. Mark’s vision.
Our children learn the stories of the
Christian faith in an atmosphere of
love and safety, utilizing the Episcopal
Church’s All Things New curriculum.
Classes meet from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m.
every Sunday, beginning on the last
Sunday of August and ending in May.
Children are grouped according to their
school grade level and are led by teams
of dedicated teachers. Newcomers are
welcome to join at any time. Classes
are located on both levels of the Education
Wing.
Service rounds out
St. Mark’s vision and approach to children’s
faith formation. We believe that service
transforms us as well as those we serve.
Sunday School classes engage in at least
three service projects over the course
of the year. Recent service projects
have included:
Food Pantry collections
Assembling lunches for clients of
the local PADS organization (Public
Action to Deliver Shelter)
Creating Valentine’s Day goodie
bags for clients of the People’s Resource
Center
Visiting senior citizens at a local
adult day care center and an assisted
living facility
Participating in the annual Trick
or Treat for Unicef and United Thank
Offering drives
The Annual Crop Walk for Church
World Service
Additional
Educational Offerings
Worship,
Education and Service come
together annually in our weeklong Vacation
Bible School program. This year’s VBS
program will be held Monday – Friday,
August 2 – 6, 2010 9:30 – Noon. This
perennial favorite offers time for Bible
stories, skits, crafts, games, mission
collections, music and dancing. We welcome
children, ages 3 – incoming 5th grade,
from St. Mark’s as well as the community.
High School and Middle School youth
assist as leaders for the younger children.
St.
Nicholas Luncheon Benefit for the People’s
Resource Center
Held in early December, this annual
luncheon brings families together to
share in the holiday spirit with the
story of St. Nicholas. Families bring
unwrapped gifts for the People’s Resource
Center “Share the Spirit” program, and
the luncheon is capped off by a visit
from St. Nicholas himself. This year’s
luncheon is scheduled for Sunday, December
5th, immediately following worship.
The
Annual Christmas Pageant
The Christmas story comes to life as
the children bring its message to worship
on the Fourth Sunday in Advent. Rehearsals
take place in early December and the
pageant will be presented this year
on Sunday, December 19th.
Child
Safety Policies
St. Mark’s is committed to providing
a safe environment for children and
youth. We conform to the Child Safety
Policies set forth by the Diocese of
Chicago by conducting annual training
in the Keeping God’s People Safe program.
All staff members and volunteers who
work with children or youth are required
to complete this training once every
five years. In addition, a background
check is required for all adult nursery
workers, youth leaders and drivers of
youth. All classrooms are equipped with
windows and doors which allows anyone
to see into them at all times. Additionally,
we staff all classes with a minimum
of 2 adults per session.
Children’s Choirs
Cherubs
– For preschoolers, ages 3 – 4. The
Cherubs rehearse on Sunday mornings
during the beginning of their Sunday
School class, 9:15 – 9:30.
Chorister
Choir – For elementary children,
kindergarten through third grade. This
choir sings in worship on a monthly
basis. In addition to learning anthems
for church, the choristers learn the
fundamentals of music. Rehearsals are
held on Wednesdays, September through
May, 4:00 – 4:45 p.m. in the music room.
Treble
Choir - For children and youth,
fourth grade through senior high. This
choir sings in worship once a month,
and focuses on reading music, understanding
music notation, and vocal expression.
The Treble Choir participates in the
annual TrebleFest music clinic, held
at the Cathedral of St. James in Chicago,
and also leads music in worship during
the early Christmas Eve service. Rehearsals
are held on Sundays, September through
May, 11:25 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
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