Welcoming Your Child to the Atrium on Sunday

If you are receiving this e-mail, you are hopefully one of the families who has a child or grandchild in the 3-to-9 age range who participates in the life of Saint Andrew’s (though it is possible that this list has a few people on it whose children or grandchildren are outside of that range). 

I am sending this e-mail this afternoon in hopes that, if you are not already planning to have your child attend our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd formation offering on Sunday at 9:30 AM, that you will consider doing so.

I have written previously about my fundamental belief in the power of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd as a means of deepening our youngest members relationship with God. That fundamental belief is why I am so committed to this work—and why I am serving as one of our lead catechist as we continue to develop this new ministry. (Here is a link to an a prior reflection on Catechesis of the Good Shepherd that I wrote in The Call.)

What to Expect on Sunday Morning

Catechesis will start in the Atrium (upstairs in the Parish Hall, across from the Nursery) at 9:30 AM. In the minutes prior, you will bring your children to the door of the Atrium. Whomever is serving as assisting catechist (Phil Buck this Sunday) will be there in the hallway to help the children remember to take their shoes off and to line up along the hallway outside the doorway. The act of taking off their shoes each week serves as a reminder to prepare to “walk gently, speak softly, and listen for God” in the Atrium. Once we are prepared, the children will then be invited into the Atrium by name, one by one. There they will be greeted by our lead catechist (Cheryl Banks this Sunday).

During the first several weeks, we will learn many things about how we act and work in the Atrium in order to make it a place of prayer and listening for God. We will learn about how to walk and sit and prepare a space to do work – and then how to make sure that the space is ready for whomever comes next. We will gather at the prayer table, listen to scripture, learn songs, and pray together.

Over the course of the weeks ahead, we will also learn various practical skills relating to the work that is done in the Atrium—and we will learn how to work with various materials that teach about who Jesus is, what he taught us, and why we worship the way that we do. As the two lead catechists, Cheryl and I look forward to sharing those experiences with the children of Saint Andrew’s and seeing how God is revealed to them and to us as we listen and learn together. (Phil Buck, Laura Rhodes, and Beth Blessing -- along with Cheryl and I -- will serve as assisting catechists.)

Additional Resources

Below are some links to some other publications about Catechesis as well as the registration form that you will need to complete before entering your child into our Catechesis program. (It is the same form that we use for our Nursery and other Children and Youth Ministry offerings. It is possible that you have completed one previously, but we try to get new forms filled out at the beginning of each programming year. Copies will be available in the hallway outside the Atrium.)

Please let me know if you have any questions. I hope to see you and your children on Sunday morning!

Grace & Peace,

Gary+