Christian Education

Our Church School

St. Andrew’s has a lively Church school that meets every Sunday from 9:00 - 10:00 AM.  We use the curriculum Weaving God’s Promises.  

This curriculum was developed for the Episcopal Church, and designed to demonstrate how God’s promises of salvation are inextricably woven into our lives.  Children are given a solid grounding for Christian life and future youth programs by studying:

1. Holy Scripture - the great stories of the Old and New Testaments are the core of the lessons, with special emphasis on the life and teachings of Jesus.

2. The Church - the curriculum includes information about church history, seasons of the Church year, church practices, use of The Book of Common Prayer, our Anglican and Episcopal tradition, the principal sacraments of our Church: Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist.

3. Christian Living - applying Christian principles to our lives as essential to faith. Includes the principles and practices of prayer, outreach and service, Christian ethics, and contemporary issues.

Generally we follow the Framingham/Ashland public school calendar, taking only the first Sunday off of each vacation week.  Call the church office for snow info!

Our Church School Curriculum

Church School Lesson Plan

Our Special Events for Children:  Many families find it very difficult to attend church school every week.  As a way of reaching out to them, and to highlight special days of the church year, our church celebrates a variety of special events which are self-contained “mini-lessons.”   We have a full calendar of these special events, clearly marked in our “Fridge Calendar”:  St.  Francis Day Animal Blessing, All Saints Day Celebration, St. Nicholas Day, Mardi Gras Family Party, Children’s Ash Wednesday Service, Palm Sunday Pony Rides and Activities, Children’s Good Friday Stations of the Cross, and others.  Please join us for these events as your schedule allows.  No church school registration necessary!

Our Middle School Youth Group:  This group for 6th to 8th graders meets Sunday at 9:00 AM in their new personally-decorated lounge.   Middle schoolers follow the highly-praised Journey to Adulthood program's Rite-13 curriculum.  (More information can be found at www.leaderresources.org).  Monthly “Fun Stuff” activities this year will include a movie night, a laser tag outing, and a snow day, for starters.  This group is also very active in outreach work, and is invaluable in serving younger students by helping with special events like St. Nicholas Day and Vacation Bible School.

Parent Letter for Rite-13

Our Senior High Youth Group:  This busy group meets twice monthly on Sunday 4:00 - 6:00 PM, followed by dinner and a youth band rehearsal: Our Jesus Rocks Association worship band, known around the diocese as a fantastically talented group.  The group is particularly focused on mission and on the creative arts.  Almost all members go on mission trips annually, last year to Washington, D.C., and this year to Honduras!  The group also sponsors Open Mic Nights for area high schoolers, to raise money for charity.  Last year they raised $700 for the Trevor Project to prevent gay teen suicide and over $1200 for Cystic Fibrosis Research.  This year’s plans include a bilingual Christmas play for the students of our parish’s Saturday Portuguese language school (our Núcleo), and a student-written Lenten reflection journal. 

Sacramental Preparation: Baptism, Communion and Confirmation

Baptism: St. Andrew’s offers baptism to anyone desiring to raise their child in the ancient Christian tradition.  Baptism is available on several dates throughout the year.  Parents should contact the Rector and receive a copy of Taking the Plunge, Baptism and Parenting, by Anne E. Kitch.

From the Publisher:  “You’ve chosen the godparents, dressed the baby in yards of white, and headed to church for the christening. Now what? What does the sacrament of baptism mean in your child’s life – and yours? In Taking the Plunge, parents explore how the Baptismal Covenant helps to shape the experience of raising children. What are you promising when you baptize your child? Why are “please” and “thank you” theological words, not simply polite things to say? Anne Kitch writes with a light touch and includes plenty of real-life stories.”

Parents are also asked to attend a Baptismal Family Dinner, generally scheduled for about a week before their child’s baptismal date.  At these simple dinners for the whole family, parents meet other baptismal families and begin (or enhance) their relationship with the other parents with whom they will share the next few years of Christian parenting. 

Communion:  Episcopal children generally take communion as soon as they reach out their hands at the rail.  However, we take seriously our responsibility to teach the meaning of communion, and also want to serve the pastoral needs of families from the wide variety of backgrounds for whom “First Communion” is part of a cherished tradition.  In the spring, every other year, the church school children experience several weeks of preparation for our special event called Communion Recognition Day.  Some families utilize this event as their child’s first communion experience; others just enjoy the review of doctrine and the children’s evident joy in learning the meaning of this special sacrament.

Confirmation:  Confirmation instruction is provided every other year for students in 9^th grade and up.  We use a fantastic new curriculum, very well-received in the 2010-11 school year, called Confirm, Not Conform.  Rather than imparting information from the outside, Confirm not Conform explores the beliefs and questions that come from the students themselves. The debate and discussion sparked by the students ignite their faith into something lively and real.  CnC takes the idealism and skepticism that co-exist in young people and uses that energy to help youth become engaged with their faith and their community.  In addition to sixteen class sessions, CnC students go on field trips, attend a retreat, work with mentors, participate in liturgies, and design and implement a service project as a team.  This is a demanding year-long program, with a proven track record of success, and the experience forms the basis for our dynamic youth group.

Autism Spectrum Confirmation Class in Spring  2012:  "Rhythms of Grace" is a church experience for those who don't feel comfortable in a traditional setting.  Using this new format, confirmation for Autism Spectrum students will be offered, and will include a weekly Rhythms of Grace service, with a bible story, an opportunity to interact in therapeutic arts and crafts projects, and communion.  Rhythms of Grace is designed to operate under the principle of "reverse inclusion," with the service conceived and designed to be hospitable to all.  For more information, see www.rhythms-of-grace.org.