Children and Youth Ministries at Holy Cross

At the Church of the Holy Cross, we believe that our young people are, by nature of their baptisms, already full members of the Body of Christ and have been given gifts they can use for ministry even as they grow in their faith. Jesus told us that the greatest commandment was to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and to love your neighbor as yourself.” We strive to be a community where everyone, especially our young people, can bring the fullness of themselves - heart, soul, strength, and mind - into church and into service in God’s big world.

 

Up to 3-years-old

Wiggles are always welcome in worship at the Church of the Holy Cross, and we also have a nursery space near the sanctuary that has toys, comfortable chairs, and space for children to play on Sunday mornings. It is not currently staffed on Sundays, but parents are welcome to bring their children to that space if they’d like. If your family is interested in baptism for your little ones, the clergy are delighted to have conversations with parents about what baptism means in the Episcopal tradition.

 

3-year-olds through 5th Grade

Children at Holy Cross are invited each Sunday to participate in Children's Chapel at our 10am service. Led by an adult, they process out of church just prior to the gospel reading to go to their own space that they help create each Sunday. Children’s Chapel mirrors what happens in our regular service in an age-appropriate way. The children hear a story from the Bible, explore what that story means through conversation and craft projects, they offer prayers to God for others and for themselves, and then return to church in time for the exchange of the Peace and the celebration of Holy Communion. Over the course of a year, the lessons children learn in Children’s Chapel include the parables of Jesus, miracle stories, the story of Christmas, the sacraments of the church, and the lives of a diverse group of saints to show the children that there are many different ways of living a life of faith.

Acolyting

Young people in 3rd grade and up can participate in leading our worship each Sunday by serving as an acolyte. Acolytes assist the clergy in a host of ways during liturgy, and training is offered for any young person who wants to join.

Safeguarding God’s Children at Holy Cross

 

At Holy Cross we are committed to ensuring the church is a place that all God’s children can grow up feeling safe and comfortable. Any adult working with minors must be known to the clergy of Holy Cross for at least six months prior to beginning that ministry, and is required to participate in training to prevent misconduct. Parish leadership also takes the Safeguarding God’s Children training to ensure that we maintain a culture that is committed to the safety and protection of God’s children.

Resources for Families

Faith @ Home is a website that provides free resources to help families engage in faith conversations outside of church.  Faith @ Home Daily assembles five short, intergenerational resources for each day, inviting you to WATCH, LISTEN, READ, DO, and PRAY. The offerings are designed by formation professionals to be engaging and user-friendly. Visit the Faith @ Home website https://www.dofaithathome.org to browse the offerings, or sign up for free delivery to your inbox.

 

Tucked In: Bedtime Stories and Prayers with Episcopalians and others is a Facebook Group that offers read-alouds of picture books with faith themes. Click on the Videos button to easily find all the read-aloud videos.  The videos can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/episcopaltuckedin/videos/?ref=page_internal

Worship at Home

Hopefully you have been able to join your Holy Cross family in our Sunday morning worship.  It is a lovely offering, but geared for an adult congregation.  If you would also like to have a family worship experience that is geared to include children, we recommend Worship at Home, a downloadable document by Mary Hawes. Worship at Home will guide you in setting up a simple family worship space and includes a do-it-yourself prayer service with links to songs and music.  This is super user-friendly—no seminary experience required! Find Worship at Home at http://www.going4growth.com/downloads/Worship_at_home_March_2020.pdf