Acknowledging the fact that God is present among us and within us, we seek to give each and every member of our community the opportunity to gain a greater awareness of God’s presence, and this is especially true for our younger members.
At Emmanuel, a small but dedicated team of Sunday School teachers offer Christian education to the children of all ages, all of whom are known as Emmanuel Kids. Those who come are highly valued, and we strive to meet their spiritual needs and introduce them to the fundamentals of the Christian faith.
Emmanuel Kids are organised into various classes depending on their ages and throughout the year are involved in special activities. They also have a high profile during the Sunday Eucharist on special occasions like Mothering Sunday and Harvest Thanksgiving and during the first Sunday of the month Family Service.
Emmanuel Kids are currently learning about Christianity from the highly acclaimed Seasons of the Spirit series. One of the great advantages of this programme is that the material is closely linked to the passages of Scripture used in church every Sunday. Seasons of the Spirit has been very popular with both kids and teachers alike.
At Emmanuel we believe in a Sunday School programme which teaches our Emmanuel Kids the following:
- To love
- To be tolerant (understanding, accepting, ecumenical)
- To serve
- To have a sense of call
In order to be responsive to a child’s developmental and faith stages, we will encourage our teachers to tailor their teaching to the following emphases:
Primary: Teaching Love and Tolerance
1. Provide a beginning in theological understanding
a. God is love
b. God has created a wonderful world
b. Jesus is God’s son (the person of Jesus)
c. Jesus is our friend, guide and example
2. Help them to love themselves
3. Teach them to love each other
4. Begin to identify adults in the congregation, and give them a sense of belonging to the community of the church
Goal: Help them to feel that Sunday School is a fun place to be and that they are loveable people.
Middler: Teaching Love, Tolerance, Service
1. Providing a theological understanding of
a. What it means to be a Christian
b. moral foundation of Christianity
c. Jesus as teacher (the teachings of Jesus)
2. Help them to see how Christian teachings are carried into daily life.
Goal: Help them to internalise Jesus’ teaching and to begin to establish a sense of their place as Christians in the world.
Junior Youth: Teaching Love, Tolerance, Service, Call
1. Help them to feel good about themselves, discover their personal strengths and gifts
2. Learn how to use their gifts to serve others.
3. Help them to confront and cope with the conflict between Christian values and world values
4. Help them from a Christian perspective to understand and cope with differences between people, for example….
a. Racial issues
b. Disabled issues
c. Peer pressure
d. Emerging issues of male – female relationships
5. Teach them to take responsibilities for their choices and begin to make life choices about who they want to be as people (moral, spiritual)
Goal: Help them to affirm their gifts and begin to see their value for and call to God’s service
Senior Youth: Toward a Maturity in Faith
1. Expose youth to basic Christian doctrines and examine various belief systems
2. Acquaint youth with a variety of worship experiences
3. Grapple with questions of faith and world issues as related to faith
4. Provide them with tools to seek guidance through scripture, experience, prayer, church
5. Move them toward a deeper personal relationship with God
Goal: Challenge them to ask hard questions about themselves, the world, and God, and to continue to seek guidance in faith. Keep them involved in church!
If you would like to receive further details about Christian education for your child then please contact our parish priest, The Revd. Robert Martin. Tel: 2523 4157. He will gladly answer any questions you have and gladly pass on your contact details to our Emmanuel Kids coordinator, Kate Moore.