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 children to all our worship services, 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

10:30 Sunday School

Our children learn the stories of the Christian faith in an atmosphere of love and safety. These stories are told from the Old and New Testament using interactive play, the Godly Play format, art, music, and Lego Creations. This age-appropriate worship experience is multi-sensory and provides children with an opportunity to sing, pray, learn and respond in their own way to God’s Word. PreK with Miss Diane meets in the lower level preschool room. K through Grade 5 gather in Mahon Hall with Miss Gina before breaking into grade level groups K–2 & 3–5 for Godly Play and Lego Creations. They are guided to the sanctuary to join their families for the Holy Eucharist during the church service at 11:15 am.

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.