Children's Ministry | St. Mark's Episcopal Church

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 am, 10:30 am and 1:00 pm), and we also offer age-appropriate care and ministries for young children every Sunday of the year.

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

10:25 Sunday School

Our children learn the stories of the Christian faith in an atmosphere of love and safety, utilizing the Episcopal Church’s Weaving God’s Promises curriculum. This is an online curriculum will various activities to meet different aged children. Sunday school begins with a song and a Bible story at 10:15 am in room 123 and then the children move to individual classrooms. 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. Children whose parents worship at 10:30 a.m. will be escorted to the sanctuary at 11:15 a.m. to rejoin their parents.

9:10 Sunday School

Available for children ages 4-8 during the 9:15 a.m. worship service. Early Sunday School moves to 9:00 a.m. during June, July, and August. 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. It is located in the undercroft (downstairs from the sanctuary) in rooms 123 and 124.

Allies

St. Mark’s has a thoughtful program called Allies for families with children who have special needs. The Allies team addresses various learning needs within our congregation and children are either integrated within the classroom with consultation, have an aide, or learn in a separate classroom.

Service

Service rounds out St. Mark’s vision of faith formation. We believe that service transforms the helpers as well as those we serve. Recent service projects have included

Participating in the annual Trick or Treat for UNICEF and United Thank Offering drives
Collecting backpacks and school supplies for Holy Family School in Chicago
Collecting coloring books and crayons for Lurie’s Children’s Hospital during the St. Nicholas celebration

Additional Educational Offerings

Vacation Bible School

Worship, Education and Service come together annually in our week long Vacation Bible School program. This perennial favorite offers time for Bible stories, skits, crafts, games, mission collections, music and dancing. We welcome children ages four to incoming 5^th graders from St. Mark’s as well as the community. High school and middle school youth assist as leaders for the younger children. Click here for online registration.

The Annual Christmas Pageant

The Christmas story comes to life as the children bring its message to worship on the Fourth Sunday in Advent during the 10:30 am service. Rehearsals take place in early December.