Other Children’s Resources
Special Needs
St. Columba’s is a welcoming community, and we want all children to be part of our program. If your child has special needs, whether physical, developmental, emotional or otherwise, they are still very much welcome at Sunday School. Contact Pattie Ames, our Director of Children’s Ministries, for help determining what supports are available and how best to ensure that your child will have a positive experience in Sunday School.
Columba Kids
Columba Kids is a part of the Wednesdays at St. C’s program and is meant to encourage children to view church as an extension of their community. Columba Kids Part 1 takes place from 5 to 5:30 pm and includes the showing of a Bible video. A family-style dinner is served from 5:30 to 6:45 pm in the Great Hall (all are welcome). Columba Kids Part 2 is from 6 to 6:30 pm; Pattie Ames, our Director of Children’s Ministries, picks up the children from the Great Hall and spirits them away for a half-hour of stories, crafts and other activities. We ask for parent volunteers to help with this part of the program.
Seasonal Booklets
Pattie Ames, our Director of Children’s Ministries, has produced two seasonal booklets for children ages 3 to 10: one to experience the seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, and the other for Lent, Holy Week and Easter. Each of these booklets has coloring pages, activities, information about worship, recommended books, puzzles and more. These booklets are available in the Common during these seasons.
Coming to Communion
Coming to Communion is a home-based program offered each year (usually in winter) for 1st and 2nd graders to learn about the Eucharist at home with their parents. Pattie Ames, our Director of Children’s Ministries, holds a parent meeting to hand out the materials and explain the program. Parents then become the teachers for the next eight weeks. The children and their parents come to church on a Wednesday night prior to the end of the program. Everyone has dinner and then moves to the church nave for a basic instructed Eucharist with Pattie and one of the priests. Children who finish the program are recognized during Sunday worship, presenting their completed books at the offertory and receiving a prayer in celebration of their learning.
Judy Seaver Resource Center
The Judy Seaver Resource Center was designed with parents and Sunday School teachers in mind. Judy was the director of children’s ministries at St. Columba’s during the 1980s and was an author and gifted teacher to many. Pattie Ames wanted to honor her ministry and memory by developing the center for those who work with children. The resource center is open to anyone, but has materials specifically designed for teachers and parents to help them nurture children in the faith. Its collection includes books, videos, DVDs, CDs, computer programs, games and more to assist in the ministry to and with our children. Please contact Pattie Ames if you would like access to the resource center. The Craig Eder Library is another great resource for those working with children; check out its collection of picture books, storybooks and young adult novels.
Click on the following links for more information:
Craig Eder Library
Wednesdays at St. C’s
Contact: Pattie Ames
Photo: Wayne C. Fowler
