Programs For Young Children

At Emmanuel, your children are our most important members. We strive to create the very best programs and activities that will aid in the spiritual growth and development of every child!

Nursery
The nursery program on Sunday morning is for infants to children four years old. The goal of the Nursery program is to provide a safe, healthy and pleasant environment for our youngest members. Our professional staff is committed to providing you the peace of mind to make your worship experience a positive one, and your children a comfortable and pleasant experience when they are away from you. All of our Nursery staff is certified by the Diocese of Southern Virginia in Safe Church practices and are dedicated to the spiritual nurture and well being of our children. Child care for infants and children through grade 3 is provided for mid-week events and other special programs. Sign -up sheets are posted on the Formation bulletin board in the hallway outside the Nursery.

Sunday Mornings at Emmanuel
Children’s activities are offered during the academic year – September through May - for everyone from age 3 through adult. Formation hour is  from 9:45 to 10:45. Prior to joining in an activity, each student should register with the Coordinator of Christian Formation. All activity groupings  are based on the age or current grade placement in school.

Godly Play (3-5yrs old)was developed and classroom tested for more than 20 years by Episcopal priest, author, and teacher Jerome Berryman. It is based on the Montessori approach to Early Childhood Education. In Godly Play, we tell Bible stories to children to encourage them to enter into the stories and relate them to their personal experience.

Children’s Liturgy of the Word
(Offered During the 8:30 a.m. service)
Children will join the procession following the Children’s cross bearer as we pass their pew in main aisle at the start of worship. They then exit to the right and go to their own special worship space in the Children’s Chapel. In Chapel, children hear an age appropriate Gospel Lesson, have reflective discussion time about the Gospel, have 5 minutes or so of quiet play time, recite the Children’s Creed and pray together. Then we return to the main church during the passing of the peace. Children’s Liturgy is lead by trained lay coordinators.

Children’s Workshops (1st thru 6th grade) concentrate on the major stories of the Bible. This philosophy recognizes that children not only love stories, but they need to develop a lasting memory and understanding of content. Children will hear the same Bible story told in different voices over the course of a 4 week session. The multi-intelligences approach takes advantage of a child’s God-given thirst for multi-modal learning. Children rotate age group into a different workshop each week for a five-week period. Workshops include Storytelling, Art, Cooking, Games/Science, Music/Drama.
Stories for 2011 include:
The Friendship of Jonathan and David
The Journey to Bethlehem
The Blessed are the Peacemakers
The Prodigal Son
The Story of Peter

Sunday Afternoons at Emmanuel
CLUB 56
Club 56 is a youth fellowship activity for 5th and 6th grade children. Kids will enjoy movies, meals, service projects, lock-ins and small group discussions. This group is a preparatory group for entrance into one of our youth groups.

Special Children’s Activities at Emmanuel
Halloween Party This year, our youth groups will be hosting a fabulous Halloween Party and Costume parade for our children. A safe and fun place for your child to enjoy trick or treating!
Our Annual Christmas Pageant is a very special event for children. Participation is voluntary, but those spaces fill up really fast! We provide the costumes and props. Older children have speaking roles. Our Sunday Morning Workshop Choir sings for this event!
Happy Birthday Jesus! Our annual birthday bash for the Messiah follows the Christmas pageant in the parish hall.
The Flowering of the Cross is an activity for the young and the young at heart. Children are encouraged to bring in flowers from home to attach to the cross in our front yard to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior.
Our Easter Egg Hunt follows the 8:30 and the 11am service on Easter Sunday. Children have a great time hunting for eggs on our property, supervised by Sunday morning staff and teen helpers.
At the end of our academic activity season we have a concert by the Sunday Workshop children and a teacher appreciation breakfast.
Vacation Bible School
VBS is usually held in late July and offers fabulous fun for kids aged 3 to 12. Teens are a really important part of the program as well. Singing, crafts, storytelling, and skits are all a big part of what we do. We close the event with a giant potluck on Friday evening for all the families and children.