Grace Episcopal Mission of Clayton, NC

Education

A list of liturgical readings is provided on our Worship page. Come grow spiritually with us through prayer and Scripture.

During fall, winter and spring, after our 8:20 a.m. service and prior to our 10:30 a.m.worship service, please join us for Christian education at our worship location. Nursery, for children up to 3 years old, is provided beginning at 9:30 AM.

Regular Christian Education

Our regular Christian education program takes place during fall, winter and spring at 9:30 AM and is set-up as follows:

Godly Play, for children, ages 3 to 5, is an exciting program that honors the child’s relationship to God. The program, from 9:30 to 10:30 AM, invites the children to enter into our sacred stories to discover God, themselves, one another and the world around them. Based on the Montessori method, Godly Play uses a careful telling of scripture stories, engaging story figures and a variety of creative activities to encourage children to seek and find their own answers to their faith questions. Godly Play respects the innate spirituality of children and encourages them to use their curiosity and imagination to experience the mystery and joy of God. The children will join the adults in time for communion.

Godly Time, for children, grades 1 and 2, from 9:30 to 10:15 AM, is a unique approach to religious education which invites young people to wonder about themselves, God, and the world in a way that is meaningful to them. A special space is created for the young people to learn and work together using all of their senses. It uses a careful telling of scripture, church history and liturgy to invite the young people to find their own answers to faith questions with God's help. Children will join their parents for worship at 10:30 AM.

God’s Time for young people in 3rd through 5th grade approaches God’s truth through Living the Good News which helps the young people experience God’s love in their daily life.

Grace Youth Meet Sundays

Grace Youth grades 7-12 meet on 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. with their leader Sandy Altman. Please contact the church office for more information at 553-2810.

More Information About Godly Play and Godly Time at Grace

Godly Play and Godly Time at Grace are methods of Christian education and spiritual direction for children ages 3-12. The goal of Godly Play and Godly Time is to teach children the art of using religious language … parable, sacred story, silence, and liturgical action (all an integral part of being an Episcopalian and Christian … to help them become more fully aware of the mystery of God’s presence in their lives. This method is being used in many Episcopal churches throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada.

What makes Godly Play and Godly Time distinctive?

In Godly Play and Godly Time, we tell Bible stories to children to encourage them to enter into the stories and relate them to their personal experience. Godly Play and Godly Time are concerned with the spiritual development of each child as an individual and with modeling the appropriate moral behaviors expected of people living within a Christian community. In Godly Play and Godly Time, each class session follows the pattern of the church’s Sunday service, so children will have a deeper understanding and enjoy fuller participation in our parish worship.

Will my child enjoy Godly Play and Godly Time?

One of the goals of Godly Play and Godly Time is to create a safe space for children … a place where their ideas, opinions, and gifts are deeply respected. Because everything in the worship-education center is designed for children to use and enjoy, most children look forward to their Godly Play and Godly Time classes.

How will I know if my child is learning anything?

The most important thing we teach in a worship-education center is how Christian people live and work together in community. Many parents who have children in the Godly Play program find what that their children will begin to retell Bible stories often in the car on the way home from church. Parents also report that their children “wonder” aloud at various times during the week about the meaning of the Bible stories they heard on Sunday. We also provide for each family who has children in Godly Play and Godly Time a parent’s page for each Sunday that gives a synopsis of the story experienced that Sunday and wonder questions to use with your children.

Why don’t the children work at tables and chairs?

The Godly Play and Godly Time rooms contain shelves full of objects for the children to use … objects that make the images of our religious language come alive. The children and storyteller sit in a circle on the floor, literally surrounded by our religious language system. The multi-sensory materials used to help in telling the Bible story of the day can then be placed in the center of the circle, symbolizing the fact that God can be present and accessible to everyone … both the students and the teacher. Working in a circle also helps us to emphasize many aspects of being together in a Christian community.

When we arrive at Church school, why can’t my child go into the classroom immediately?

We treat each Godly Play and Godly Time worship-education center as “sacred space”. A greeter or door person waits at the door to help each child become ready to enter the room quietly. A child who arrives late will be admitted as soon as this can be accomplished without disturbing the circle of children.

Please see our calendar for a complete list of topics for discussion and dates.

(Copyright Gospel Communications International, Inc - www.reverendfun.com)

Grace Episcopal Mission

Clayton, North Carolina