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Please fill out the “Family
Participation Survey” (Microsoft
Word or Adobe
Reader), email it to Torun Reduto and Karin Ryan, or print it out and mail it to ST JAMES LUTHERAN CHURCH SUNDAY SCHOOL / PO BOX 3 / ST JAMES, NY
11780
Welcome
to the Sunday
school Family of St. James Lutheran Church
Let
me tell you about our program.
Sunday School classes meet from 9:45 to 10:45 EVERY Sunday morning beginning the
Sunday AFTER Labor Day and ending in June.
The Nursery (3-year-old) children meet in a separate room in the sub story (church basement). Pre-kindergarten,
Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 meet in the sub story. Grades
3, 4, & 5 meet in the Parish
Hall. Grade 6 will meet in the Parish
Hall for the worship service and then move to
the Small Group Meeting Room across the street next to
the church office.
A separate three-year Confirmation program begins in
Seventh Grade.
The Sunday school hour is divided into
an opening celebration and class time.
Parents are invited and encouraged to
attend the opening celebration with their child. Parents are also invited to
attend Bible Study at 10:00 a.m. in
the library with Pastor Unger or coffee hour
in the back corner of the Parish Hall during the Sunday school hour.
Our curriculum is, FAITH WEAVER, by Group
Publishing. It is a graded,
Bible-oriented curriculum. All classes
usually study the same lesson every week, so discussion at home can include
everyone.
Offering envelopes are distributed in September for use
each week. We encourage parents to
help the children use them and understand their purpose as a gift to
the Lord for use in His service. A
coin folder is sent during the Lent, and a bank is distributed for the
children to use as part of their Advent
preparations. The Advent offering is
given to an organization specifically for
use in helping other children.
SPECIAL CELEBRATIONS include the CHRISTMAS Sunday school
program, which takes place during Sunday school time the Sunday before
Christmas. Every child is encouraged to
take part in it, and it’s followed by a reception where teachers, parents,
and children can socialize. A unique
children’s CHURCH SERVICE is held on PALM
SUNDAY to emphasize the Easter lesson in a
very special way. We have a birthday
party on PENTECOST, the third great festival in the Church year, when we
celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the Church. We finish the year in June with a special
family day and Open House, when the children can share the message of God’s
love with family and friends.
There are over 200 children enrolled in Sunday school, and
we have a large staff of dedicated and caring people as teachers, assistants,
and worship leaders. We are very
serious about our ministry, and we work toward
making each child’s experience in Sunday school a positive one. We want the children to
have fun while they are learning and to
experience the joy of being a child of God.
We need your help.
Regular attendance is important in helping the children feel at home
and comfortable in Sunday school, and it allows for continuity in the
lessons. It also helps the teacher to
know the child better. Please
encourage the children. Help them to
realize that Sunday school is IMPORTANT and has a PRIORITY.
Parents will be asked to
sign out their child/children upon dismissal.
Reinforce the
weekly lessons at home. Please keep in
touch with the teachers and administrative
staff and tell us about your child. We
can work more effectively with the children if we know of special circumstances.
On the practical side, we also need your help with parties
and special events and as extra hands now and then. We like to
know about your special skills and interests and how you think you can
help. Teachers and substitute teachers
are always welcomed. The enclosed Family Participation Survey is meant to
help you decide how you can be a part of our ministry to
the children.
I hope you will contact either your child’s teacher or me
if you have questions or if there is a problem.
In Christ,
Justin Vetrano,
Director
of Youth and Family Ministry
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