Children and Families

All are Welcome!

First -- everyone is welcome at St. Francis, and every type and configuration of family is welcome. We are all children of God in the family of God, and so just show up, fully who you are and as you are, and share your family with ours. We welcome you, whether you have two moms, two dads, one of each, or one of either, we could care less. Children are a gift from God and you and yours are a gift to us.

Second, kids are welcome during the worship service. We understand that little ones can be busy and noisy, and our promise is that we welcome and enjoy your kids -- noise, wiggling, whining, and all. Our rule is "if they're present, they don't have to be perfect." (Same goes for our adults, too!) So bring your kids. Feel free to get up anytime and walk around with them, or if you prefer we offer nursery (for children ages 1-4) and Sunday School/Godly Play (ages 5-9), both upstairs above the Parish Hall during the 10:00AM service.

For older kids, we have Youth Group, Acolytes at Worship, and Summer Camp.

Children

Nursery -- 1-4 yrs, weekly at 10:00AM
Godly Play -- 5-9 yrs, weekly (during school year) at 10:00AM

Kid's Creativity Center

After both Sunday services we have a coffee hour in the Parish Hall, which is a chance for folks to grab a cup of coffee and a snack and catch up with each other. While the adults talk at the tables, the kids play in our new Kid's Creativity Center at the north end of the room, well in sight of their parents but doing their own thing, which gives the parents a chance to talk. This has been a great addition to our fellowship. Kids love it, and parents do, too.

Youth

Youth Group -- 10-18 yrs, 1st and 3rd Sundays (during school year) and monthly during summer
Camp Canterbury -- 10-18 yrs, last week in July
Acolytes -- 10 yrs and up, weekly (with training and scheduling)

2018 Youth Formation Program

Youth Formation at St. Francis

Our Youth Formation Program (ages 11-15) has four components:

Acolyte Service – Every participant will be trained and serve for a season (a period of at least 6 months – serving a minimum of 5 Sundays) as an Acolyte in Sunday worship. Training will consist of 1-2 meetings with our Acolyte Master Clark Wisniewski, after which they will be scheduled to serve on a rotating basis for a period of 6 months. Serving as an Acolyte in worship will give our students real hands-on experience in vesting, processions, assisting in reading the gospel, assisting in setting and clearing the altar for communion, and other aspects of Episcopal worship. After their 6-month service, they are not required to continue to be scheduled and serve, although that is the hope.

Catechesis – During the school year, participants will meet weekly for one hour with adult mentor(s) and clergyperson(s) and study/discuss the basics of the Holy Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. This work will give out youth a solid grounding in the core faith, doctrines, and practices of the Episcopal Church.

Youth Group – During the school year, participants meet the first and third Sundays of the month at 9:00-9:45AM in the Youth Room, covering a wide variety of topics, and also meet at other times during the year as scheduled for special events. The Youth Group allows participants to connect with all the middle and high-school students in the parish, and spend informal time in conversation on a wide range of relevant topics. There are also special events and connections with other area youth groups.

Camp Canterbury – Every summer during the last full week of July, the Diocese hosts Camp Canterbury Mon-Fri. All youth entering grades 4-12 are eligible. Of all the things we do in the church, I think summer camp just might be the most impactful. Camp gives young people a chance to meet lifelong friends from across the diocese, explore and ask faith questions in fun, age-appropriate settings, and experience Christian community outside of their local church. I am a huge believe in our summer camp, and commit to find ways to transport and fund every one of our kids who want to go.