Children and Youth: A Place for Everyone
We welcome our children and youth to be members of the church and of our vibrant community at St. James the Less! We believe that from birth, children have a unique relationship with God--it is our job to provide the opportunities to nurture and express that relationship! We believe that the questions that children and youth ask are questions we all have and perhaps even struggle with for much of our lives. Sharing worship with children and youth strengthens all of our relationships with God! Here, everyone has a place at the table. We encourage families to find their place of comfort at St. James the Less, whether that is sharing the experience of worship together as a family, or participating in one of the programs offered for children and youth during the 10:00 a.m. service or our specialized programs and events throughout the year.
Children and the Sacraments
As Episcopalians, we honor and respect the Sacraments, God’s grace made visible on Earth. Among those, for children and youth, we especially hold Baptism and Confirmation as sacred gifts for our young parishioners. Children learn about and experience these Sacraments in Godly Play, Confirmation preparation, special workshop offerings, and in participating in them during worship. Children are welcome and encouraged to receive Communion, at the discretion of their parents.
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Nursery Care
For children under age 3, our nursery is open from 9:30 - 11:30 a m. Parents are welcome to use the nursery while they attend Thirty Worthy Minutes and the 10 a.m. service. Feel free to bring your children in for communion, or relax and enjoy the service while your children experience God in the nursery. Our Nursery worker is a professional child care provider that has been nationally background checked and trained in Keeping God’s People Safe, a child protection program devised for and mandated by the Diocese of Chicago
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Godly Play
For children 3-12, Godly Play provides our foundation for spiritual formation at St. James the Less. Godly Play uses the stories of our religious tradition to allow children to listen and explore their own relationship with God. Godly Play has roots in the Montessori approach to educating children and is created by Jerome Berryman, an Episcopalian theologian with a lifetime of work and research in children’s education. We encourage parents to attend Godly Play with timid children or just to see what it's all about! Children rejoin their families for Communion.
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Youth Group
Our events and offerings for youth 12 and up are catered to them! We often head out for service opportunities during the week at one of our parish's favorite ministries like A Just Harvest, Feed My Starving Children, and Bernie's Book Bank. We go out for coffee and our own style of worship on "Sunday Skip Days."
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If you’d like to learn more about any of our programming for children and youth, please contact Cindy Lund, Director of Children and Youth Ministry, at cindy@stjamestheless.org.
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