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Board
of
Christian Education
Church School Programs
* Regular Church
School runs from September to June. *
* Youth Group
activities are held year-round. *
On Sundays:
-
Babies and toddlers are
invited to play and read Bible stories in the staffed nursery during
church.
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Children in preK and K
are greeted in Godly Play for church school at 10am.
-
Children in grades 1-6
worship with their families until the children's time, after which they
are dismissed for church school: 1-2 and 5-6 are exploring Gather
Round: Becoming a People of God, and 3-4 are learning how to
be God’s followers as they serve nature, Westmoreland, and the greater
community.
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Currently youth in
grades 7-8 gather each Sunday in order to explore other religious
traditions and their relationship to our faith community through Neighboring
Faiths. During the 2008-2009 church school year, they will
explore sexuality through Our Whole Lives.
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Youth in grades 9-12
meet monthly as they explore how they might serve God and creation as
they prepare for their mission trip in June.
Please see youth programs for more
information.
Worshipping
with Children:
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Arrive in time to find a
good place to sit. Make sure children can see.
-
Ask an usher for special
children's bulletins for ages 3-6, and ages 7-12, which have activities
about the Bible stories.
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Let the children know
what's next in the service. When they ask questions, answer them
briefly.
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After church school,
talk with your child about his/her experience. This is a wonderful way
to share your faith stories and to help them build their own faith
frameworks.
Curricula
at Westmoreland
Summer
Sundays
Our summer Church School term is known as Summer
Passport. This year our theme is Trading Places! The K-6th Grade will
be learning about different Bible stories in which characters "walked
in someone else's shoes" and benefitted from the experience. We will
also be learning about our friends and neighbors of other countries and
cultures. It should be lots of FUN!
Godly
Play
Through discovery and nurturing, Godly Play
provides
four- and five-year-olds with unique opportunities to learn the Bible
stories and explore spirituality. The curriculum for Godly Play is
based upon Montessori techniques, including an open classroom,
developmentally appropriate education, and the use of manipulatives.
Our Godly Play room has colorful art, baskets of wooden story pieces, a
desert sandbox, a central mat for circle time, and more.
Gather
Round
Gather Round is an engaging
curriculum written
by the Mennonite Church and the Church of the Brethren and highly
recommended by the UCC. It’s goals fit Westmoreland’s
theology
and outlook, focusing on Bible learning and social justice.
The
curriculum is also comprehensive including lots of options, supporting
materials, and take-home materials for families. For more
information on this new and exciting curriculum, please visit www.gatherround.org.
For additional information, contact
Jessica Petersen, Director of Children and Youth Ministries at (301)
229-7766.
Last updated Wednesday,
February 20, 2008.
1
Westmoreland Circle
Bethesda, MD 20816
301-229-7766
Email the church office: churchinfo@westmorelanducc.org
www.westmorelanducc.org
An
Open and Affirming Congregation
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