Sunday School

Children’s Ministries

“One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: "Let the children alone, don't prevent them from coming to me. God's kingdom is made up of people like these." After laying hands on them, he left. Matthew 19:13-15 The Message

We believe that children are an important part of our church community and are always welcome to stay in the worship services. However, most of our children chose to participate in our Nursery and Sunday School Programs.

Children ages birth – 3 are invited to join Diana Wilson and her helpers in the Nursery, in Room 3 in our Education Wing. Diana and her helpers minister to our youngest children with song, dance, snacks, outside play and fun inside activities. Please see Diana upon entering Room 3 to register your child. Diana will be available for your child in Room 3 from 10:15 am until just after the close of worship.

Children ages 3 through second grade are invited to join their specific Sunday School class in Godly Play, meeting in Room 5 (Preschool & Kindergarten) and in Room 6 (Grades 1-2). Godly Play is offered immediately following the Children’s Message during worship - children attend worship with their family first, then are invited to go to Sunday School to enjoy their own special classroom activities.

Godly Play is "an imaginative approach to working with children, an approach that supports, challenges, nourishes and guides their spiritual quest. In Godly Play we enter into parables, sacred stories and sacred liturgy in order to discover God, ourselves, one another and the world around us." (from The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Volume 2).

All children are invited to leave the Sanctuary following the Children's Message or they are welcome to stay in worship with their families. Parents should make their way to their child’s classroom immediately following the worship service and then join in our Coffee Hour social time.

Children in grades 3-5 are invited to Room 4 for fun and interesting Bible activities. Together we journey through the year learning about everything from Creation to Baptism to Communion and our denomination, The United Church of Christ. Our Sunday School teachers enter the world of our children and explore relationships, social justice issues and ways to grow closer to Jesus - all with age appropriate activities. Kids are involved in activities such as baking pretzels to be reminded to pray or raising butterflies to understand the resurrection of Jesus. Something creative is always happening here!

Communion Sundays

It is our tradition that children be invited to partake in the Lord’s Supper on Communion Sundays, often the first Sunday of the month. We welcome children to stay in worship on Communion Sundays, activity bags, books and stuffed animals are available for children to use during the service. Children up to age 5 are also welcome to participate in the Nursery on these specific Sundays.

Junior High Pilgrim Fellowship

Jr. High - Middle School - Grades 6-8

All youth in grades 6-8 are invited to join us for weekly youth group activities from 4:30-6pm on Sunday afternoons in the Youth Lounge at The Community Church. Check out the May schedule (PDF).

The focus of our Middle School youth group is to deepen one’s understanding of the Christian faith, build group community, discover one’s unique gifts and explore service opportunities to others. Our youth leaders incorporate fellowship, Bible study, physical activities, community building and service to others in an age appropriate settings to guide our youth along their spiritual path.

We spend the fall sessions working on getting to know each other and self-discovery. We incorporate community service projects throughout the year, culminating in our end of the year Mini-Mission trip which is often on Memorial Day weekend. The youth and their leaders travel to the "big city" (San Francisco or Sacramento) to work together on a variety of service projects.

All of our youth are invited to actively participate in wider denominational (United Church of Christ) events including National Youth Event, local Camp Cazadero and Camp Tamarack, Fall Fest, Mid-Winter Retreat, and the NCNC-UCC youth leadership program at the Annual Gathering in April.

Senior High Pilgrim Fellowship

Sr. High - Grades 9-12

All youth in grades 9-12 are invited to meet on Sundays from 6:30-8pm in the Youth Lounge. Check out the May shedule (PDF).

Sr. High youth group emphasizes community building, faith exploration, recreation, teen issues and community service. Youth leaders strive to create a safe place to explore teen issues using a solid biblical foundation. Youth often explore spiritual practices that they can take home and use in their daily prayer life and share with others.

The youth group at The Community Church focuses on deep community building and a strong foundation of service to the wider community throughout the entire year. During our spring break, the youth group travels to locations throughout the United States to work on social justice projects and volunteer with local agencies. Our mission trip celebrates God’s call to help others and also weave the group into a tight community.

All of our youth are encouraged to actively participate in wider denominational (United Church of Christ) events including National Youth Event, local Camp Cazadero and Camp Tamarack, Fall Youth Event, Feb Camp, as well as Counselor-In-Training camps and the NCNC-UCC youth leadership program at the Annual Gathering in April.

The Sr High PF is back from their "Tour of California" mission trip. Visit Sr High Mission Trips for a few pictures.

Summer Camps at Camp Cazadero and Camp Tamarack

Camp Cazadero

• You & Me Camp (ENTERING GRADES K-3) August 16-18

  A great experience for first-time campers! Go to camp with a parent, grandparent, favorite aunt/uncle or other adult! Each adult may bring up to 3 children, entering grades K through 3. Each child may bring up to 2 adults. Check out registration and special pricing at www.ncncucc.org

• Junior Camp (ENTERING GRADES 3-6) July 21-27
• Jr. High Camp (ENTERING GRADES 6-9) July 28-August 3
• Sr. High Camp (GRADES 9-12) July 14-20

And at Camp Tamarack

• Junior & Jr. High Camp (ENTERING GRADES 4-8) July 21-27
• Sr. High Camp (ENTERING GRADES 9-12) July 28-August 3

Registration forms, medical forms, payments and more information can be found at the NCNC Conference site.

The Community Church of Sebastopol offers our Apple Pie Scholarships to youth to help cover registration costs – sign up to work our Apple Pies event on August 9-10-11, 2013 and earn up to $150 towards camp fees. Sign up for camps before the Early Bird Deadline to save even more. Contact the church office to get your Apple Pie Scholarship voucher.

MADD Camp

Music Art Dance Discovery Vacation Bible School

We have big plans for MADD Camp for the summer of 2013 - you won't want to miss it!

June 17-21

9 am to 12:30 pm

for ages 3-10

Seek the Adventure! Sponsored by the Jr. High and Sr. High Youth Groups at the Community Church of Sebastopol, UCC.

• Early bird registration before June 5 - $115 per child
• After June 5, $125 per child or $25 per day
• No before or after care available
• End of camp show for parents, families and friends on Friday, June 21 at noon at the Community Church
• Ask about our sibling discount and scholarship information

Contact the church office for registration forms or download MADD Camp registration and medical forms below.

MADD Camp registration form (PDF)

Medical release form (PDF).