Children & Youth
Sunday School
We’re excited to start the Sunday School year off with a new curriculum! GO!
Yes, that’s right. The name of the curriculum is GO!
THE CHRONOLOGICAL CURRICULUM THAT GETS KIDS OUT OF THEIR SEATS AND INTO THE STORYTELLING ACTION THROUGH THE BIBLE EVERY YEAR
GO! takes kids through the entire Bible once a year, but it uses different stories each time around. Kids continually get the big picture of scripture, but without unnecessary repetition. And unlike other chronological curriculum, the GO! scope and sequence lines up with the Christian calendar.
Simply put, each GO! lesson is designed to be an interactive experience that transforms kids' minds, hands and hearts.
GO! takes kids chronologically through the Bible so they can know how each story fits together to tell the Big Bible Story of God's love and redemption. More than that, GO! places God at the center of each story.
Our faith in God should be a living and active faith, one that affects how we interact with the world around us. For this reason, GO! lessons are designed to help kids apply their faith in everyday situations.
God wants more than just our minds and hands, He wants our hearts, too! Every GO! lesson gives kids an opportunity to respond to God through prayer, Bible reading, drawing, or writing.
GO! IS A CHILDREN'S MINISTRY CURRICULUM DESIGNED FOR PRESCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY KIDS. MORE THAN THAT, GO! IS...
- CHRONOLOGICAL GO! takes kids through the Bible chronologically every year and helps kids see how they too can be a part of God's story.
- GOSPEL CENTERED GO! regularly presents the Good News of Jesus and gives kids an opportunity to respond by becoming faith-filled followers of Christ.
- GOD FOCUSED GO! shows kids how God is at the center of every story in Scripture and helps them understand the character and nature of God. GO! teaches Biblical truth with real world application. But more than that, it gives direction and space to develop a personal relationship with Jesus.
- FILLED WITH FUN GO! is tons of fun! We don't want parents to drag their kids to church. We want kids to break our doors down. Metaphorically of course.
Welcome to Tippy’s Mouse House! Just as mice are prone to do, Tippy has tiptoed into the preschool room and scurried off with the Bible story pictures. Together, the preschoolers get to peek into Tippy’s Mouse House and search for the pictures amongst all the other doodads Tippy has collected. It’s a super sweet search that culminates in the discovery of God’s provision and perfect love.
We meet at 10am in the Kidzone located at the front of the sanctuary! In the Kidzone, the children will get to participate in the first portion of the Sunday morning church service before heading downstairs to the classroom for Sunday school. In Sunday school we are using the GO+ curriculum to make our way through the Bible with fun activities like Hip Hip Charade and Billy Bob’s Barnyard Theater! We would love to have your child join us- email faithformation@friedensucc-troy.org to get them registered.
What kid doesn’t love hamming it up in front of a camera from time to time? During the “Snapshot” series, kids will be encouraged to do just that. By striking different fun and creative poses throughout the lessons, kids will help tell the stories of the Israelite's journey through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. More than that, kids will get an unforgettable snapshot of God’s enduring love and faithfulness through the deserts of life.
We encourage our youth members to participate in regular church services on Sunday mornings and to get involved with our Youth Group program- see section below for more details!
Programs
Stay tuned for information regarding Friedens UCC VBS for 2023!
When a child is baptized at Friedens UCC, the parents and godparents promise to raise the child in the Christian faith so that one day the child may choose to affirm this baptism. The process of affirming one’s baptism occurs during the Rite of Confirmation; upon Confirmation, a young person officially becomes a voting member of the Friedens congregation.
Confirmation classes at Friedens UCC meet on Wednesday afternoons at 2:30pm. Confirmation is a two-year program. During the first-year students are consumed in reading and discussing major stories in both the Old and New Testaments. An emphasis is placed on making scriptures relevant to our daily lives.
During the second year they receive their actual catechetical training. We discuss topics such as the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostle’s Creed, the Ten Commandments, the Sacraments, the Means of Grace, Law and Gospel, Baptism, Confession and Forgiveness as well as a History of the Church.
During their training they also serve as acolytes, lay readers, meet with their adult mentor several times, and are encouraged to attend church council at least once. If time permits there may be field trips to explore other denominations and their beliefs. Confirmation itself is held on a Sunday in the Spring.
