Welcome to Christian Formation-Youth

 Co-Chairs:  Anna Whipple, Karen Massetti-Miller

 Email:  anna.whipple@gmail.com,  kmassetti@mchsi.com

Church Mice

Parent-led fellowship and faith formation for young children at St. Andrew’s.

The parents of St. Andrew’s invented Church Mice as  an opportunity for parents (or grandparents) to be actively involved in teaching and nurturing their children's faith while enjoying fellowship with other families. Similar to scouting or Little League, the parents are the organizers and coaches.

Presently, the Church Mice are preschool and grade school aged. Like teachers in a one-room schoolhouse, the parents have the freedom to adapt activities as children's ages and interests change. The clergy and congregation of St. Andrew’s in turn prayerfully and faithfully support the parents and children. Church Mice is not a Godly Play or other Sunday school curriculum though we do borrow lessons and activities from the Godly Play program.

Church Mice is rather a shared faith journey for child and parent within the multi-generational community of St. Andrew's. Our fellowship and faith formation activities include:

• Creating a child-friendly "soft space" in the sanctuary and inviting children to attend and become involved in worship.
• Incorporating children and families in the worship, formation, and mission activities of St. Andrew's and around the diocese throughout the year.
For example:
• Palm Sunday and Procession for Peace
• Holy Week
• Diocesan Ministry Retreat
• Capital City Pride and Beaverdale Parades
• Hunger Hike
• Advent and Christmas missions (alternative gifts, cookies, and care packages)
• Meeting once a month for a potluck meal with the congregation followed by a Bible story and family activity
• Planting and tending the Children’s Faith Garden in the east church lot
• Inviting inter-generational contact within the congregation and multicultural and interfaith contact with Dinka and Darfuri friends of St. Andrew's