Children’s Worship
and Nursery
Our Vision
We believe that children are spiritual beings seeking the language, practices, and faith history to give voice to the spiritual longings they have within. Because of this, we call them our “friends.” We want to listen and learn from them, as much as we want to teach them about what it means to follow Jesus.
Our vision is to help teach children the language of being an Episcopalian and we want to help them connect what they are learning in Children’s Worship with their daily lives through ritual.
We are deepening together!
Please note that Children’s Worship will pause for the summer, with May 15 as the last date until fall. The nursery will be open for children 0-4 year of age year round.
Children’s Worship begins during the 10:30 worship with a prayer of blessing in church. Friends then lead the way, carrying the Friends’ Cross and Candle to our sacred space in the Auditorium/Upper Hall. There we act out the Biblical story in a sand tray, ponder together its meaning, and then participate in a ritual response to what we just discovered.
Our Friends then come back into church during the offertory, with one Friend bringing our Friend’s Candle back to the altar as a sign of our light coming back into the wider church.
Throughout the year, we offer childcare for 0-4 years of age during our 10:30 am liturgy, which allows parents to attend worship more attentively as their children enjoy the company of other children while playing together, listening to great music, and hearing books about God. Parents can pick up their children in time for Holy Communion, or have them remain in the nursery until the worship service ends. Nursery workers are permitted to release children only to the adult that signs them in.
Our nursery is located on the second floor, and any usher can show you the way.
Your child’s safety and care is paramount to us. We have two dedicated and trained nursery workers, plus a rotation of parent volunteers as back-up. Every adult at Advent who has contact with your children has completed the in-depth educational training program called Safeguarding God’s Children.
Each week we provide a simple snack for toddlers–Cheerios or Goldfish crackers. We ask that no outside snacks containing nuts come into the nursery due to some attending children having severe allergies.