St. John's Children and Youth Programs
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Children three years old through kindergarten meet downstairs in the parish hall where they have a short service with songs, prayers and Bible stories. Preschool children learn about the wonders and joy of God's love through stories, art, crafts, games and activities. Living the Good News, along with supplementary materials, is used to learn how to live in today's world through Christ and the Church at all grade levels. Children in the middle and high school grades serve as acolytes on a rotating basis. Family services are held once a month during the church school year. Each Christmas Eve, our Church School children present a pagaent.
We are very proud of our First Communion Program which has been in place since 1988. It prepares our second graders for their first communion. The lessons cover Baptism, Community, Jesus’ Life, Prayer, Forgiveness, Stewardship, The Last Supper, The Way of the Cross, And Mission. The parish family takes an active role in supporting the young people by greeting the young people weekly, supporting the various experiential events, and lending a hand to the teachers. Many members have sponsored a candidate through the weeks of preparation. These sponsors pray for the candidate, show interest in their lessons, and receive Communion with the candidate and their family on their First Communion Day. The program culminates with the lighting of a candle in memory of their Baptism and a procession over their paper feet to go forth to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus Christ. This program provides experiential lessons for the young people and supportive education for their parents, the primary and ongoing religious instructors of their children.
Classes are held, as well, to prepare the youth of the parish for confirmation. This group of children is very dedicated, and many have been with part of St. John's Church School program since they were in preschool.
Sunday school teachers have organized and sponsored several activities and outreach programs that involve the children at St. John's. Activities have included an annual Halloween Party, Epiphany Party, Lenten Covered Dish Supper, Easter Egg Hunt and Coffee Hour Socials. Our annual Advent and Lenten projects teach the children about reaching out to help others in need.
Our Church School teachers are dedicated and work hard to help the children of our Church learn about God, Jesus, His People and our Church Family.
St. John' Youth Ministry:
“Rejoice, O young man in thy youth.”
Ecclesiastes 11:9
Over the years, the young people of St. John's had been involved in a variety of social events, outreach programs and service to the Church. Among their activities have been:
Social — Social events have included skiing, skating, bowling, billiards, movies, miniature golf, swim parties, canoeing, tubing on the Delaware River, trips to the shore and participation in dances with other youth groups.
Outreach — Each September, the young people have sponsored a Church family yard sale. Proceeds went to charity work in the community and/or into a Church scholarship fund for Church School students. Additionally, they have helped with the IHOC homeless program in the fall. During Advent the youth group sponsors a project to help needy local citizens. This includes providing Christmas presents for families in Gloucester Township and providing necessities for adult residents of boarding homes who suffer with chronic mental illnesses in Camden County.
Service — Our young people have organized and hosted the Halloween party for the parish, volunteer their services for preparations for the annual Spaghetti Dinner and the Gift Basket Auction, assist in the Church School nursery and participate in special Church services. They also aid the Vestry in maintaining the Church properties by giving of their time and labor in the spring and fall cleanups which beautify the Church grounds. Youth Group members have become youth members of the Vestry in the last three years.
St. John's is very much in favor of supporting consistent efforts to achieve an organized continuity as our children move through their teens. One of our main goals is to have an organized youth group that provides:
1) an opportunity for our parish's young people to get to know each other;
2) a forum for adolescent discussion;
3) a place for Christian fellowship;
4) the foundation for a lifelong commitment within these young people to be an active part of the Church, serving in the future as Church School teachers, Vestry members, etc., and eventually bringing up their own children in the Church.
