Children & Youth
“Give them an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to persevere, the spirit to know and love you, and the gift of joy and wonder in all your works.” — Baptismal Prayer
Young People Matter at Saint Mary’s
Every young person is created by a God who loves them unconditionally, delights in their unique gifts and differences, and has invested in them gifts needed for the healing of the world.
Our young people are invaluable members of our worship services and community life, and they are such a part of our community that their triumphs and disappointments are shared with people who know them by name.
Every Sunday, our children lead the Offertory Prayer
God be in my head and in my thinking.
God be in my mouth and in my speaking.
God be in my heart and in my loving.
God be in my hands and in my giving.
We offer to our children and youth the stories of Jesus, because we believe they contain the key to living a purposeful and grateful life. Together we hold up the values of generosity, humility, independent thinking, and respecting the dignity of every human being. We encourage gratitude and prayer. And we laugh, a lot.
Because young people are full members of our intergenerational community, they are welcome to build forts out of the sofa cushions at coffee hour. They are invited to share their insights into God’s activity in the world, knowing their opinions are as highly valued as anyone else’s. Their help is expected, just like anyone else’s, serving hot dogs at picnics, emptying the dishwasher or bringing food to our Little Free Pantry.
There are lots of young people at Saint Mary’s, but you won’t find pictures of them on our website. We respect their privacy and autonomy.
Saint Mary’s maintains a Safe Church for children and vulnerable adults. All paid staff and volunteers who work with children at Saint Mary’s are required to complete the Episcopal Church’s Safe Church training program and are background checked. We have a zero-tolerance policy towards violations.
Sunday School
Sundays 11:15–12:00pm
Snacks, fun, service, prayer, and learning for K-6.
Kid’s Group (K-2)
Wednesdays 6:30-7:00pm
Zoom
We started our Kid’s Group due to popular demand from parents and kids alike. Kids meet weekly for 30 minutes to connect, learn, pray, and play. To help busy parents, Kids meets on Zoom except once monthly they meet in person during our All-Community Meal.
Tweeners
Wednesdays 7:00-7:45pm
Zoom
Tweeners meet weekly to connect with one another, learn, pray, and play. To help busy parents, Pre-Tweeners meets on Zoom except once monthly they meet in person during our All-Community Meal.
Youth Group
Some Wednesdays 6:30-8:00pm
Saint Mary’s
We always begin with check-ins and prayer, we continue with a discussion topic, and end with a game. At Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church we offer our teens the rich resources of our tradition so they have the tools they need to emotionally and spiritually thrive.
You’ll find our group engaged in fun things throughout the year: cheering on our favorite Roller Derby teams, cooking for Community Meal, fundraising for First Nations Kitchen, planning the Ash Wednesday Service, hiding all the eggs for our Fabulous Easter Egg Hunt, and attending each other’s performances and games.
Youth Recognition Dinner
When a student is finishing 6th grade, we invite them, their parents, godparents, and significant adults in their life to a fancy dinner to mark that important phase as they leave their childhoods and walk toward adulthood. Toasts of gratitude are made by the young people and their adults. It’s a very special night. On the following Sunday the young people and their adults reconvene to say prayers and make promises with the wider community.
Confirmation
Confirmation is offered annually and in partnership with neighboring Episcopal Churches. Sign-ups are in September and all high school students are eligible to join. The group meets monthly and culminates with the Confirmation service in April at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral. Contact Rev. Lindsey Briggs for more information.
Senior Quilt Project
Each year, the Cozy Quilt Collective gathers in the winter months to create quilts for our graduating seniors. These quilts are made with a lot of love and are then signed by members of the congregation. In June the quilts are presented to the graduates during our Sunday Service. The teen’s parents or caregivers are invited to wrap the graduate in the quilt as the community offers prayers for them.