Heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children: Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring them up, that we may teach them to love whatever is just and true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Prayer Book, page 829
Most church goers are used to thinking about church on Sundays. Join us for worship! Most families tend to come to one of the 9 a.m. services or the 11:15 service. These services feature music, sermon, and Holy Communuion. There are activity bags for the youngest children. Starting between 10-10:15 a.m., children, youth, and adults gather for Christian Education and Formation.
We kick off the program year at church (back to school time) with Rally Day. It’s a casual parish wide picnic that allows families to enjoy and grow in friendships. There are activities for the children and youth, usually involving a water slide and kiddie pool kick ball or kayaking.
As the busyness of the Christmas season rushes in on young families, we pause to gather the whole congregation to enjoy and grow in friendship by decorating Christmas cookies. It’ a great way to pause and enjoy family time even as all of the generations gather around you.
We all have different customs and family obligations during Christmas. On Christmas Eve we have a pageant and families gather. The service is usually crowded, but it’s always filled with joy as the children and youth tell the story of Jesus’ birth. All children are welcome to participate, but you need to contact the church office ahead of time to be at the rehearsal. If your family prefers, there are later services with beautiful music to help you mark and celebrate Christmas.
Families often make a New Year’s resolution to find balance in life. A great way is to seek and find a church so that you can grow in the knowledge and love of God. It’s a great spiritual practice to use the New Year to get back in the habit of attending church.
Many forget that Mardi Gras is not just a party in New Orleans—it’s a big part of the church year and the end to the season of Epiphany. We mark the great feast with time to get together to enjoy New Orleans cooking and prepare for Mardi Gras Sunday when the children help us prepare for Lent with the Saints go Marching In and their Mardi Gras Sunday retiring procession. It’s a great time to visit church with children so that they see the joy present in the Christian life.
Much like Christmas, Easter is filled with family traditions. Make church a part of yours! Families typically arrive for one of the 9a.m services and stay for the Easter Egg Hunt, Egg Race and Egg Toss. It’s a great way to experience the beauty of worship and celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection and engage in the joy of Christian community.
Any time we are new to a church, there is a little bit of nervousness—will we know anyone, will we be comfortable? A great way to get to know people is to share a common experience. The Fishing Tournament offers families a way to get to know one another outside of Sunday Church so that worship and fellowship grow naturally.
