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Children's & Deaf Ministry |
Children’s Ministry
We are blessed with talented staff and volunteers to nurture and teach our children. The children are a United Nations of backgrounds and come from non-traditional and traditional families. Everyone belongs!
Sunday School begins soon after the start of worship, following a time with the Pastor and a prayer. We have classes for pre-schoolers, taught by our UCC Commissioned Minister, Kathlin Strobelt-McCann. Volunteers rotate teaching the 1st-3rd grade class. Our Children’s Minister, Arnetta Wells, teaches grades 4-7.
We have an annual summer camp for middle-schoolers at Pilgrim Hills and have other activities throughout the year, including a Good Friday retreat with the pastor.
In 8th and 9th grades, the pastor teaches a weekly confirmation class. Students in confirmation also get to experience worship in a number of different religious settings, including Jewish, Buddhist, Catholic, Orthodox and Pentecostal. After one year they may choose to become full members of the church.
Senior High students gather for occasional activities and are planning a summer trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota for both work and opportunities for relationships with the UCC-supported mission, Re-Member (www.re-member.org).
Archwood has been offering American Sign Language (ASL) interpreted worship for about 10 years. In that time several deaf members have served on our Governing Body, including one man who was our Moderator. We have periodically sponsored free ASL classes.