Children's Ministry
Abington Presbyterian Church offers educational opportunities
for children from 3 years of age through the 6th grade. The
opportunities are Bible-based, God-centered, and grounded in the
basic tenets of the Reformed Tradition.
Kindergarten through 4th grade Rotation Model Church
School
The structure of our church school is based
on the Workshop Rotation Model.
This model reinforces the bible stories in a variety of settings
and allows for a broad range of children's learning styles. The
Workshop Rotation Model takes into consideration all learning
styles, including advances in technology, and addresses many of the
concerns of modern church schools, such as irregular attendance and
declining numbers. For more info, go to www.rotation.org.
The curriculum units this year are: Joshua: Character
Counts, Elijah: Great Balls of Fire, Mary's Song, the Great Dinner
Parable, Road Trip: Resurrection to Pentecost, and Faith
Challenges for God's Children: Two Great Commandments.
One class of students will remain in worship each week.
Some examples of the workshops are:
- PRAISE HIM! PLAYHOUSE - Drama
- GODLY GAMES - Games &
Puzzles
- RAINBOW ROOM - Art
- MIRACLE MATINEE - Video
- SINGING WITH THE SPIRIT - Music
- WISDOM WELL - Storytelling
- BIBLE BYTES - Computer Center
Sunday Morning Schedule
(Sept. - June)
The children begin their Sunday morning attending APC Presby
Kids at 8:45am in the Parish Hall. They come to worship with
their parents at the 10:00am service. After the children's message,
the children are dismissed to their church school workshops. The
children are then led, by adults who serve as "Shepherds", to one
of a range of workshops where they learn more about the Bible.
The workshops include: Rainbow Room (art); Music of the
Spirit (music); Praise Him! Playhouse (drama); Miracle Matinee
(video); Godly Games (games), and Bible Bytes (computers). In
each of these workshops the bible story is presented by a workshop
teacher. The children learn more about the specific story through
the activity appropriate to that workshop. The material presented
to the children is presented in multi-week units throughout the
school year.
5th and 6th Grade Church School
Our 5th and 6th graders take part in a Bible Survey Class during
our regular Church School hour at 10am. One year they will study an
overview of the Old Testament and the following year an overview of
the New Testament. The purpose of this class is to help our
students pull together the many bible stories they have learned
into one comprehensive unit.
Please contact the Chairperson of the Children's Ministry
Committee, Joanne Maransky, or Ruth Sall, Interim Director of
Christian Education (215-887-4530 ext. 108 or rsall@apcusa.org), for
additional information.
Toddlers and Four Year Olds
It is important that our children begin their educational
experiences early in life. Once children are baptized, they
begin the journey of the Christian life. An essential ingredient in
that journey is learning about the faith and the faith community
into which they are baptized.
We begin our Christian Education Ministry at APC at age 30
months or 2 ½ years. On Sunday morning a class for children
30 months through 3 years of age is held on the second floor of the
Education Building.
In this class the young children begin to learn about their
faith. Their learning at this time is primarily experiential
and through storytelling.
The 4-year old class also meets on the second floor of the
Education Building. In this class the children continue to
learn about their faith in storytelling, music, and a variety of
activities.
The curriculum for our preschool classes has developed over
several years by qualified early childhood education
specialists.
Nursery Care
There is nursery care for infants and toddlers from
8:45am-9:45am and during the 10am Celebration Worship
Service. Our nursery and toddler rooms are located on the 1st
floor of the Education Building.
APC Presby Kids
APC Presby Kids is for all children ages 5-12 from 8:45-9:45am
in the Parish Hall. A "youth fellowship" time for
children, Presby Kids is filled with fun activities, skits, music
and more. From studying the stained-glass windows in the Sanctuary,
to exploring the depths of the pipe organ to even making a
recreation of the Rose Window, Presby Kids is designed to bring a
sense of experiential learning throughout the church campus.
Parents are free to attend our adult education classes knowing
their children are in safe hands, learning, and having fun. Contact
Ruth Sall for more information.