of Almaden Valley
United Church of Christ
Sunday School Sundays 10 am to 11 am |
The Congregational Church of Almaden Valley and the Episcopal Church share their Sunday School and Youth Programs. These programs run from September to June with special activities often offered during the summer months. The churches have a new Christian Education Director and Youth Coordinator who is bringing new energy and excitement into their program. Learn About What We Are Offering for:
Special Dates Sunday, April 1- We will be holding our Sunday School class as usual and will debut a Puppet Show entitled, “One Little Boy’s Donkey. This is a wonderful story to tell the story of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Following the presentation the children will be making their own puppets to take home so they can share the story with their families. April 1st, Palm Sunday will be celebrated in our church services marking Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the beginning of Holy Week leading us to Easter. Sunday, April 8 – On Easter Sunday we will also hold our Sunday School class at the usual time. On Easter Sunday we will be doing special activities with eggs, Resurrection Eggs, as we share the Easter story. Along with chocolate Easter eggs the children will be putting together their own set of Resurrection Eggs to take home and retell the Easter story to their families. Sunday School - Ages 4 Through 5th Grade Sunday School is offered to children 4 years of age through 5th grade. The Sunday School hour is from 10 AM to 11 AM which falls between the Congregational Service beginning at 9 AM and the Episcopal Service beginning at 11 AM. Currently a “learning center” approach is being used which means lessons are presented and reinforced through a variety of media, including art, science, cooking, storytelling, drama, games, & music. The teachers and the children find this approach very exciting and engaging. Units of study begin with an Open House in our classroom. This is an opportunity for the children, as well as their parents, and interested adults, to see what kind of exciting things will be coming up in the weeks ahead. Units vary from 6 to 10 weeks and conclude with a Sharing Sunday which is an opportunity for the children to present some of what they have learned during their own church services. Our next unit of study, “Easter People,” begins on Sunday, April 1st, and will run through Sunday, May 20th. On April 1st we will feature the story, One Little Boy’s Donkey in our puppet theater, which will highlight the story of Palm Sunday. On Easter Sunday, April 8th, we will be holding class and have lots of fun with Easter Eggs and learn to tell the Easter story with our very own Resurrections Eggs. Earth Day, April 22, falls within this unit and we will be planting our very own garden on the church grounds. Every Sunday is special with our teachers and their learning centers that include storytelling, music, cooking and games. Children have a difficult time selecting their favorite center as we tell our Bible stories. For more information on the Sunday School program or to volunteer as a teacher or helper or in any other way you feel called to help, please contact Susie Ferguson, the Christian Education Director at christianed@jointventurechurches.org. Youth Programs - Middle School & High School Youth Youth Programs are offered to Middle School and High School students. These groups have come to be affectionately known as our JHYGs (Middle School formerly Junior High Youth Group) and our SHYGs (Senior High Youth Group.) These groups have regular meetings and programs on Sunday afternoons twice a month. The Youth Group Calendar has been set up to include meetings with specific topics pertinent to the teen years such as inclusiveness & acceptance, peer pressure, drugs and alcohol, to mention a few. Some meetings revolve around service while some meetings are just plain fun. At the end of this school year in June a “mission trip” is in the planning for the San Francisco and Oakland areas. On the calendar for February is a Ski Weekend, Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, and a meeting on Homelessness in preparation for a service project in March. For more information on these events or any other aspect of the Youth Program, please contact Bonnie McPherson (mamasaur@comcast.net) and Inge Bond (inge@dblosvn.com) the youth leaders. What Does a Typical Sunday School Hour Look Like? 10 to 10:10 AM – Children & Youth gather in our “Big Sunday School Room” 10:10 AM – The Week’s Lesson Focus 10:20 to 10:50 AM – Learning Center Time 10:50 – 11 AM – Recap, What’s coming next week, & Closing. During the Learning Center Time our Middle School and High School students will work with our Christian Education Director on the current project for that group in a location that does not conflict with the guest teacher. We are introducing chimes as part of our music program in Sunday School. Chimes are great for all ages, easy to learn and fun to play, great for everyone pre-school to adults. Try them with us!
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The Congregational Church of Almaden Valley, |
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Sunday school is held at 10 am to 11 am right after the adult service.
Almaden Valley Congregational Church (United Church of Christ) is located in San Jose, CA just 3 miles south of Blossom Hill shopping area. Click for our Location
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