Weekly offerings during the program year (September – June)
Children of all ages are welcome at St. John’s! Children are always welcome to stay in church with their caregivers. We suggest that families with young children sit up front, as children will be more engaged if they can see what’s happening. We offer the following programs for children every Sunday (with a few exceptions) during the program year (September through June):
- A nursery for children 0 to 6 is open and staffed on Sundays from 9:00am to noon. A professional child care worker supervises the nursery, with the help of teens/young adults from the parish.
- Sunday School is offered weekly starting at 9 a.m. for primary (age 3 to 6 — later arrival is fine!), and at 9:30 a.m. for elementary (2nd-5th grade), middle school (6th-8th grade), and high school (9th-12th grade). Classes for all ages are engaging and dynamic, including opportunities for hands-on activities and discussion. Occasionally, we offer an intergenerational program for adults and children of all ages to explore and learn together.
- EYC (Youth Group) for middle and high school is held on Sundays at 5:00pm with dinner included.
Sunday School
In primary (ages 3-6), we offer the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd curriculum. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) is a Montessori-based approach to the religious formation of children, rooted in sacred scripture, liturgy, and respect for the child’s rich relationship with God. The atrium (the room where the children gather to pray and work) is a sacred space in which children come to know Jesus through hands-on work with developmentally appropriate, specialized materials. The atrium is a place of prayer. Simply put: the children’s work is their prayer. You can learn more about CGS at cgsusa.org.
The elementary class (grades 2-5) delves into the stories of the Bible as well as the stories of the saints, symbols, and sacraments of the Church. Our elementary students have room to ask big questions and to practice love of God and love of neighbor. Favorite activities include skits, using Lego blocks to retell stories, and writing their own versions of parables.
The middle school and high school classes spend time with the stories of the Bible and how they might speak to their own experience. Together we explore such topics as the Baptismal Covenant and how we live out those promises, discipleship and what it looks like to follow Jesus in our everyday lives, and how the Biblical stories of God and God’s people illuminate who God is and how we can participate in God’s plan for the world.
What is EYC?
EYC is a weekly activity for middle and high school youth. Dinner is always included. Some weeks focus on fellowship, while others focus on service or worship. Here are some examples:
- video scavenger hunts
- game night
- Global Philanthropy Leaders: Once a month, EYC focuses on global engagement through Bible Study, financial education, and microlending.
- making upcycled chew toys for shelter dogs out of old tee-shirts
- cooking a meal for Loaves and Fishes, a local feeding ministry
- making and hiding blessing rocks
- Dismantling Racism, a six-week curriculum for youth
- collecting hygiene items for local charity Dignity Grows
Special Events Winter/Spring/Summer 2026: Mark your calendar!
Sunday, January 4: Annual Twelfth Night celebration outdoors
Tuesday, February 17: Shrove Tuesday pancake supper followed by a short, family-friendly “Ash Wednesday Eve” worship service with imposition of ashes.
Sunday, March 22: Annual EYC (youth group) packing party for Dignity Grows, a Hartford-based nonprofit that provides period and hygiene products to those in need. Our EYC has a tradition of doing an annual winter/spring fundraiser for this organization.
Friday, May 1, 7:30 p.m.: Choral Music for the Soul Concert featuring the St. John’s Adult Choir and Choir School
Sunday, June 7: Youth Sunday celebration at the 10:30 service
Sunday, June 21 – Thursday, June 25: Youth pilgrimage to a cabin in the Adirondacks
Sunday, July 26 – Friday, July 31: Annual sleep-away camp for youth choristers at Incarnation Center in Ivoryton, CT
Ways for Children, Youth & Families to Serve
Make sandwiches for Loaves and Fishes on the final Sunday of the month at 11:45am.
Be a lay reader: Youth and adults serve as scripture readers at Sunday services on a rotating schedule.
Be an usher: Ushers welcome people and perform other duties during the 10:30 service. Parent-child collaboration is encouraged!
Be an acolyte: Children and youth grades 4 and above can train to carry the cross and torch at the 10:30 Sunday service and for special services (such as Christmas Eve).
Sing in the choir: The Choir School (ages 7.5 and above) and the Adult Choir practice weekly. The Primary Choir is for ages 3-7 and sings several times during the year.
Fill the Blessing Box: We maintain a Little Free Pantry (blessing box) on Farmington Avenue for our neighbors experiencing hunger. Put a few items of nonperishable food in the box whenever you can.