For decades, Sunday School programs have been reduced to workbooks and memorization, to lecture and exposure to Godly discipline. They have assumed children to be spiritual empty vessels—but we know this isn’t true.
At St. John’s, we approach children’s programming with an awareness that children have innate experiences of the Divine, even if they don’t have the language to express it. Through storytelling, play, and open-ended wonder, we help children put those experiences into context within the larger Christian story.
As children grow and become more fluent in Christian language and ideas, this foundation helps them explore ideas about love, mercy, and justice, applying them through service as they live out God’s love in the world.
Sunday School meets every Sunday morning during the 10 a.m. Service. We start at 9:45 a.m. and the children join their families in church in time for Communion. Free nursery and toddler care is available each Sunday in a dedicated space staffed by paid, trained adults. Children of all ages are also always welcome to attend church services with their parents at any time.
Pre-K Through Grade 2: Godly Play
Sunday School begins with our Pre-K class (ages 3 and 4) and continues through grade 5. For those in Pre-K through Grade 2, we follow Godly Play, a Montessori-based religious education curriculum supported by over 40 years of study and development.
Among the hallmarks of Godly Play is its spiral curriculum, an approach that involves introducing children to the same stories repeatedly over the course of several years, much as adults do through the lectionary. Each time they encounter a story, they access new elements of it and understand it more deeply as their own language, imaginative, and critical thinking skills develop.
Grades 3, 4 & 5: Episcopal Children’s Curriculum
With our older Sunday School students in Grades 3, 4 & 5, St. John’s currently uses the Episcopal Children’s Curriculum, developed at Virginia Theological Seminary. This program offers both important insights into Bible stories and an introduction to the history and practices of the Episcopal Church. Our upper elementary students and their teachers love this program’s maps, timelines, and historical information, as well as the opportunities it offers to apply Biblical lessons to their daily lives and current events.
At St. John’s, Grade 4 is typically when our young people are presented with their own Bibles signifying that they are ready to explore this complex text on their own. Unlike the Storybook Bibles commonly used until this point, our upper elementary schoolers are equipped with their first study Bibles, including context and questions to help them understand these stories more deeply.
Rhythms of the Church Year
The Sunday School year begins on the Sunday after Labor Day in September and ends in June, and children are welcome to join Sunday School at any time throughout the year. Nursery and Toddler care is offered year-round.
Alexis MacElhiney serves as the St. John’s Sunday School Director. Working with the volunteer Sunday School Leadership Team, our teachers, and parish clergy, her role is to insure the smooth running of Sunday morning classes and supplemental programming, such as children’s liturgy for services like Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. She is available to answer any questions and serves as a resource for Sunday School parents.
After 5th grade children have various options including Youth Group, serving as acolytes or ushers during the church service, or simply attending church.
We look forward to having you join the St. John’s community!