A traditional, family-friendly
worship service (10:30 am) is prepared for all generations to worship together. A nursery is available for little ones too young for worship. Children and youth start the service sitting with their families; parents might wish to ask an usher for Sharing Basket crayons and clipboards with paper to assist children in worshipping creatively. Children and youth join adults in the call to worship, welcoming of visitors, prayer of invocation, singing, and hearing scripture. Sometimes they lead parts of the service, either as a group or by offering their individual talents.
These are followed by Children's Time, a message prepared for children; parents are welcome to join their children on the floor at the front. After the Children's Time, children and youth go to church school. [On first Sundays and special festivals, middle and high school youth remain in worship.] Children who prefer to remain in worship with their parents may do so.
In Church School the children and youth have an opportunity to explore their growing faith with their peers. This is a time set aside for them to "nurture their spiritual growth and work for justice," in the words of CUCC's mission statement. Through age-appropriate learning activities and loving interactions with adults and each other, the children and youth are given opportunities to experience the wonder and mystery of God and to live their faith.
Nursery
0 - 3 yearsA birth to three-year-old nursery during the entire worship service provides the children with a place to play, get to know one another, and hang out with "Miss Margaret" Osborne or "Miss Karen" Preston, our wonderful caregivers. A comfortable rocker is ready for nursing moms.
Children
Preschool - 5th Grade
Be ready to have fun with your friends as you learn about God's love for you and your life in God's family. The Church School is offered each Sunday after the Children's Time. I lead teams of adults who use lessons from the
Gather 'Round curriculum. The focus is on Bible stories using a variety of learning styles and emphasizing social justice and peace. The classes are composed of multi-age groups.
To supplement the curriculum children participate in a variety of service projects to support the church and larger community. Last year the children chose to support:
Leukemia and Lymphomia Society,
Plant a Row for the Hungry,
SPCA,
Hope Reins. We have voted and selected our new charity for 2014-15. We will be supporting
MIRA which is an organization out of Southern Pines that provides guide dogs to blind children. I learned of this organization from my mother who lives in Southern Pines. The children were so excited to select an organization that works with animals (always their favorite) and children. It was a unanimous decision! We also voted 100% to fill 50 Christmas stocking for underprivileged children via the
Salvation Army. Lastly, the children requested that Christmas cards be provided again this year at the Family Advent Workshop so they can write messages and send them to our soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital. What an amazing group of children we have at CUCC!!!
We are so excited about our children's choir led by Erin Moorman-Wenger. Our first class with Ms. Erin was wonderful. Erin will join us on 2nd and 4th Sundays. Her enthusiasm is infectious and the children were mesmerized by Ms. Erin. I am so very grateful to her and excited for our children. Music at Sunday School is a dream come true for me! Thank you, Erin!
The Church School also has special activities to engage the children throughout the year. Some of these include Back to School Sunday, the Family Advent Party, the Christmas Pageant, making Valentines, the Palm Sunday Egg Hunt, Earth Day and the end-of-the-school-year Celebration.
- posted by "Miss Anne Bailey" Zschau
Youth
Middle and High School
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Painting free expression rock
during study of liberation |
All 6th-12th graders are invited to leave worship with the children after the Children's Time for church school every Sunday, except for the first Sunday of each month. First Sundays, we do not hold church school classes, and we encourage all 5th-12th graders to attend worship, and either sit together or with their families. There are rare exceptions to this pattern, advance notice will be given.
Youth Church School Sundays break down as follows:
- Some Sundays, classes combine for Christian based curriculum led by Śānti Matthews, upstairs in the Pilgrim House, otherwise...
- 5th and 6th graders form the Journey Class, led by Śānti Matthews: Beloved Community curriculum: Pilgrim House
- 7th-9th graders form the Confirmation Class, led by Sue Cottle and Joy Alford: Confirmation curriculum: Bradow and/or Hoffman Rooms
- 10th-12th graders form the Leaders Class, led by Joy Alford: Faith Experiences in Time of Transition: Youth Room
- Youth will be escorted from the narthex to their appropriate classes by their teachers.
- After worship, to avoid confusion, parents are asked to meet their 5-12 graders in the Fellowship Hall.
Leading Worship
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| Palm Sunday youth designed worship |
Children and youth learn the skills of leading worship from the earliest ages. Children present the Christmas pageant on the third Sunday of Advent. Youth develop and lead a multi-disciplinary Lenten Sunday worship service around a theme of their choice. Throughout the year, the Deacons invite children and youth to join the rotation of worship leaders by playing instruments, singing, reading scripture, handing out bulletins, ringing the gong, lighting Advent candles, and collecting the offering. Let a Deacon know if a young CUCCer at your home would like to assist with worship.
Being Together
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| Graduation Celebration |
The playground is the gathering place for young children and their parents after worship. This is a time for play and friendships while parents compare notes and make plans.
For youth fifth grade and up, youth group is the place to make friends and tackle larger projects.
Being the Next Generation of Justice People
Through fifth grade, service projects are led by and done with adults, although the children select the projects for the quarter. When we donate our offering, we save it for a long time so we can make a sizable donation. Each of our offering donations this year has been for more than $45. We have:
- donated our offering to One Great Hour of Sharing
- collected books for Method Child Development Center
- donated 14 Christmas shoe boxes to needy children around the world through Enloe High School
- donated our offering and animal care supplies to the SPCA
- collected books and supplies for children at Interact; we also contributed our offering
- donated our offering to Walk for Hope
- donated our offering to the Crop Walk
- made and donated stepping stones for the small garden
- made Valentines for our friends at Morningside Convalescent Center and for CUCC's college-age members
We are in the third year of planting a small garden at CUCC for the
Plant-a-Row for the Hungry program.
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Raising funds for mental health
research at Walk for Hope |
Youth projects are selected by the youth group and occur throughout the year. In addition to the annual commitment to organize the congregation to participate in the Walk for Hope, recent projects have included bagging and delivering food with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, preparing and serving a meal at the Wright Center for Women, and attending a Moral Monday rally.
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