Children’s Ministry

The following is the vision for Children’s Ministry in the Episcopal Church in Colorado formed by children’s leaders from around the diocese.

We believe children and young families are not the future of the church; they are the present. To raise up young believers who hold this to be true, we need to meet children and families where they are, helping them to fit faith into their lives naturally as they grow, reassuring them that they do not need to change who they are in order to “fit” into faith. This can be done by offering bite-sized faith that is easily digestible and considers the reality of church attendance by children and young families. We can offer children opportunities to learn the stories through Christian Education, to participate in church services, through reading, ushering, acolyting, greeting etc, and to explore different kinds of church services, community service, and fellowship activities. We can allow children to be fully who they are, recognizing that they receive church differently than adults, but have important things to offer. By doing this, children and young families feel seen and valued and can grow deep roots in faith and community.

Vacation Bible School (VBS)

Many churches are excited to get back to summer VBS and others have found new ways of doing VBS that work better for their members. Use the following resources to help you think creatively and gain inspiration from other formation leaders.

Each Year Virginia Theological Seminary evaluates the latest VBS curricula. Check out what they have to say and which curricula received the highest rankings. 2022 top picks are:

Read more >

Online Faith Formation Resources

It can be difficult to navigate the plethora of online resources. To get started, we recommend acquainting yourself with these well-established websites.

Building Faith is a ministry of the Center for the Ministry of Teaching at Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS). It provides regular, fresh perspectives on faith formation for children and youth. Search for resources on the site by season, topic, or age range; and sign up to receive the latest articles via email.

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Search Faith Formation Episcopal Colorado and click Follow. We have boards for:

  • Prayer life
  • Inspirational quotes
  • Fun resources
  • Icebreakers
  • Crafts and games

…for both children and youth.

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Children’s Curricula

Godly Play, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, Living the Good News, and Weaving God’s Promises are the most widely used curricula in the Episcopal Church in Colorado. The Building Faith website provides good descriptions, including a Top Picks Curricula Overview, that can be used to find the right curriculum for your church. To discuss ideas for your children’s ministry, please contact Missioner Elizabeth Cervasio at 303.837.1173 ext. 2031 or elizabeth@episcopalcolorado.org.

Godly Play is a Montessori-based curriculum that engages children in a well-developed flow of storytelling, wondering, response time, and feast. This is a spiral curriculum originally created for preschool through elementary-aged children; however, it is appropriate with some adaptation for people of all ages. Storytellers are encouraged to become certified in Godly Play Core Training.

Content coming soon.

Content coming soon.

Additional Resources

The article Ages and Stages: Teaching Children at Each Level can help leaders understand the development of children and what to expect at each age.

Not sure where to start? Read Gretchen Wolff Pritchard’s article Choosing a Children’s Bible and Building Faith’s Choosing a Children’s Bible.

Looking for a quick recommendation? check out the Jesus Storybook Bible.

Quick Children’s Sermons are 15-minute (or so) lessons can be used by themselves (maybe as an introduction to a family activity or event) or built into a longer faith formation session. Questions are presented creatively and responses are biblically based and interactive.

Gretchen Wolff Pritchard’s family-run business, The Sunday Paper, offers weekly lessons, booklets for Baptism and the Holy Eucharist, Christmas pageant scripts, playsets, and puzzles. In her original promotion of the family-run business, Gretchen Wolff Pritchard said, “The Sunday Paper is informal, whimsical, faithful to Scripture, and in dead earnest.  It is not condescending or cute.  It helps children to acquire a vocabulary of crucial Scriptural images, and to relate the Gospel to the Old Testament, the life of the Church, and their own lives.”

The well-known Sunday Paper publication presents one lesson (usually the Gospel) as a two-line cartoon, with the other lectionary readings and psalm presented as single vignettes. A short commentary ties the lessons together. It appeals to children grade 5 and above and may be used as a handout or basis for weekly lessons. Check out a sample page >

The newer Sunday Paper Junior offers big, bold artwork, a simple story line, and an activity page designed to stir children’s imaginations and spirituality. Only pencil or crayons are required and it does not involve word games or other literacy-based activities. It can be used in church, nursery, or classroom. Check out a sample page >

Candle Walk: A Bedtime Prayer to God, by Karin Holsinger Sherman, is a beautiful way to introduce your children to Compline.

A Little Blue Bottle, by Jennifer Grant, is a book to help little ones deal with the grief of losing someone.

Invisible Leash, by Patrice Karst, is a book about the grief of losing a beloved pet.

Common Prayer for Children and Families, by Jenifer Gamber and Timothy J.S. Seamans, is a wonderful little resource full of short prayers for kids.