We value an educated faith and strive to have regular offerings where folks can learn new things and ponder how to connect faith to their respective lives. We have formal and informal educational offerings throughout the year. Here are some examples:

Children  – For all children we have them start in worship with us each Sunday. After a time especially for them they head off with our volunteer church school teachers. Our teachers use progressive curricula for class sessions that invite children to engage with scripture stories and themes and supplement those materials with other creative projects. Our children learn to engage Biblical stories and consider in what ways those stories have meaning for their lives. During the month of December, we practice and present some form of a Children’s Christmas Pageant that includes dramatic readings and music. All of our teachers and staff have had background checks and completed an online course entitled Safe Gatherings that covers comprehensive abuse prevention training.

Intergenerational Events – We hold several events during the year to connect our generations together through meals and shared activities. We typically host a Halloween Party, an annual Thanksgiving Feast, an Advent Festival to kick off the Christmas season, as well as a Lenten festival to mark the arrival of the 40 days of Lent. Through crafts and educational projects, we learn about the Christian calendar year and celebrate it together. Some years we host an All Church Camp where kids can join activities outside with each other and the adults of the church.

Youth – On Sundays our middle and high school youth can either attend the multi-age church school class or stay with their families during worship. We also have regular outreach projects and ways to have hands-on experiences through service to others such as: Rise Against Hunger food packaging, serving a meal at Union Station, volunteering at Friends in Deed each month and distributing backpacks or holiday gifts each year. They also have occasional youth outings for fun and fellowship. We hold a Confirmation Class every couple of years for our middle and early high School youth which spans several months and is led by our pastors and adult sponsors.

Adults – We provide occasional educational offerings for adults throughout the year. We convene discussion forums after church on various topics; we also offer monthly Saturday morning Soul Collage gatherings as well as weekly Yoga class on Mondays to nurture our faith. We have an annual Women’s Retreat which is held off-site for spiritual deepening, education and renewal. We have occasional book groups and small groups on various subjects. We invite folks who are considering joining our church to meet with our pastors to learn about the history of our church and to share what their needs are as they affiliate with us. We occasionally partner with other groups to go on outings to learn new things. We also join with the First United Methodist Church (where we currently lease space) on projects throughout the year. In our weekly electronic newsletter entitled the Touchstone, we invite reflection on the Bible text that will be used as the theme for worship on the upcoming Sunday.