Christian Education for Children and Youth

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We extend a warm welcome to children and youth of all ages to attend Sunday school at WUMC! Classes meet each Sunday morning 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. from the third Sunday in September through May - then we take a summer break. On this page, you will find information about the various Sunday school classes available at WUMC.

Remember to check this page occasionally to learn about the topics being covered in different Sunday school classes and to read about special projects completed by some of the classes. Also, be sure to visit the Special Programs Through the Year page of this site to learn more about the events and activities provided for children, youth, and their families at WUMC. You can also see photos of these special programs and events by visiting the Children's CE Photo Album page.
 

Sunday School Registration Form

To register your child or youth to participate in a Sunday school class at WUMC, please complete the Registration Form that is available as a downloadable PDF file. Return the completed form to your child's Sunday school teacher, the church office, or Judy Toone, Director of Christian Education. Also, feel free to contact Judy anytime with questions or comments about the Christian education and youth programs at WUMC (Office 634-4800; e-mail jtoone@williamsvilleumc.org).

 

The Ripple Effect

"Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words. Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions. Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits. Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character. Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny."

My kids love the water. They spent every summer jumping off the diving board at Danny Montgomery’s house. They used to have contests to see who could make the biggest splash and send the most water pouring over the sides of the pool. They also visited the Weavers at Silver Lake every year. We would throw on our life preservers, go out on the Weaver’s boat, and jump right in the middle of the lake. When the children weren’t throwing themselves in, they would throw other stuff in . . . sticks, the dog, leaves. They would see which items floated and which didn’t. And many times, the kids would throw in a rock. It was always interesting to see who picked up which rock. Sometimes the kids would look for the biggest rock to make the loudest splash. Or sometimes they would pick up a whole bunch of little pebbles to hear the soft plunks. As they got older and learned how to skip rocks, they looked for the flattest rocks that skipped the farthest.

No matter what size the rock, the kids would stand there for a few minutes watching the ripples. Small rocks made small ripples, large rocks made large ripples, and, if you wanted to be really cool, you threw in a bunch of rocks and watched the ripples run into each other. Sometimes the children watched until the ripples seemed to disappear and had philosophical discussions over whether they ever actually disappeared. Did the ripples disappear from sight, or were they always there until they ran into the shoreline on the opposite side of the lake?

Matthew 28:16-20 says, “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. When they saw him they worshipped him, but some doubted. Jesus came near and spoke to them, ‘I’ve received all the authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.’”

Now, Jesus didn’t call the disciples to just sit on the shore line and hope something would make an impact. Jesus himself created tons of ripples throughout his lifetime and he called upon his disciples to do the same.

As we start the new year, let’s think about the ripples in our lives. As husbands, wives, sons, daughters, parents, co-workers, and youth workers, we have opportunities to start a God ripple every day. Take a minute and think about who or what has created a ripple in your life.

Now take a moment to think about the kinds of ripples you’re creating in your life. Do you consider yourself to be a small ripple . . . one that makes an impact for God through unassuming ways that not many people notice? Or are you the large ripple? One who likes to do a cannonball and make the loudest splash that everyone notices. Or are you the integrated ripple? The one who likes to work together with a team to make the maximum impact on all of those around you.

No matter the size of the ripple, the bottom line is they all move water. All ripples are important, all have an impact. The only time you don’t make an impact is when you stay on the shore and don’t get in the water. Are you ready to jump in the water today and see what ripples God has in store for your life this year? God’s your lifejacket, so take a leap into your faith and watch the ripples for years and generations to come!

Advent Fair Update

Families of children ages 3 through 4th grade joined us on Sunday, December 4, for our annual Advent Fair. What a busy and wonderful morning we all had! The children did a beautiful job decorating our tree, read Christmas stories with their families, made bracelets that told the Christmas story, decorated and ate star cookies, made a star ornament, and created a card to send to our missionaries around the world! Special thanks go out to our Junior High students and teachers who are always such a big help, and our Christian Education Team who works tirelessly to plan and put together such a wonderful morning of Christmas celebration! Susan, the cookies were delicious! Keep it up and Rena and Ira might put you to work on the cookie/roof raising project!

           

Please visit the Children's CE Photo Album page of this web site to see more photos of the wonderful time we had at our annual Advent Fair this year!

 

Children's CE Photo Album

Visit the Children's CE Photo Album page of this web site from time to time to see additional photos of events in our Christian Education Department including Vacation Bible School, Outreach Sunday, the Advent Fair, and Sundae Sunday.

Sunday Morning Education Opportunities for Children

Our Sunday school classes for the 2011-2012 church calendar year begins officially on September 18. Sunday school classes meet each week from 9:50-10:30 a.m. between WUMC’s two worship services. The Christian Education Registration form for Sunday school and youth groups can be downloaded using the link provided in the section on this page titled "Sunday School Registration Form." We are excited about all the new things we have in store this year! Be sure to visit the Children's Christian Education Photo Album page to see photos of fun-filled activities. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Judy Toone (634-4800).

Infant and Toddler Crib Room

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Loving, consistent infant and toddler care is provided by Kathy Ciccone and two Nursery Care Assistants in the Crib Room every Sunday morning. The Crib Room is available 15 minutes before the first worship service and closes 15 minutes after the last service. The Crib Room uses a paging system to quietly alert parents when they are needed. The Infant and Toddler Crib Room is located on the lower level of the church, across from the kitchen. Please ask an usher if you need directions.

 

Three- and Four-Year-Old Class *

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Our 3- and 4-year-old class meets in the first classroom on the left at the bottom of the stairs of the Oakgrove entrance. Please join your teachers as they teach you to LIVE B.I.G! It’s all about your Belief In God. Come meet your friend, Bongo, as you have fun playing games, singing songs, listening to stories, and doing activities together!

 

Kindergarten through Fourth Grade Class * 

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To find this class, head down the Oakgrove entrance stairs and go straight into Fillmore Hall, which is the large room through the fourth door on the right. In this class, the children are divided into groups depending on their grade level. Kindergartners, first, and second are in one group, and third and fourth grades are in another group. The curriculum we use is the Power Xpress Rotation model, which means that every week the children learn the lesson in a different way. Some weeks they might hear the story, other weeks they might cook, make a craft, do a science project, or even playing a computer game!

 

Digging Into the Bible

Beginning January 8, 2012, our children in kindergarten through 4^th grade will be Digging Into the Bible. They will spend a few weeks exploring just how many people wrote down the stories and teachings found in the Bible. These stories continue to offer us a guide for daily living today!

 

* To aid us in following the Safe Sanctuary guidelines, please encourage your children to use the bathrooms before entering the classrooms. Thanks for understanding!

Fifth through Eighth Grade - Junior High Class 

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Join us upstairs through the first door on the left each Sunday morning to GRAPPLE over tough questions in meaningful ways. No matter where our junior high kids are in their spiritual journey, they all have one thing in common—an inquisitive mind with an overwhelming desire for real relationships. This class uses Grapple, which is a Sunday school curriculum that plunges them into the Bible to get answers to their biggest questions about God, others, and themselves. Each Sunday presents a different attention-grabbing lesson that prompts students to dig into the Bible. PLUS, they enjoy an online community created just for them that includes games, forums, weekly challenges, a place to create their own identity, and more!

 

Ninth through Twelfth Grade - Senior High Group

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Our senior high class meets upstairs and straight ahead. The teachers lead this group on a variety of topics using different curriculum options as the kids address not only issues going on at school, home, community, but they also discuss broader issues. For example, they might discuss how to apply their faith to their everyday lives. Join the senior high class each week for some straight talking, but never boring guidance on personal faith issues.

Stewardship for Senior High Youth

Each year, the Senior High Youth receive their offering envelopes at the same time the rest of the adults receive them. Parents of Senior High Youth are encouraged to talk about reasonable stewardship commitments with your teen before they make their pledge, factoring in allowance, other sources of income, etc. Please follow up with them periodically through the year to see how they are doing in honoring their commitment. Please remember that the church includes the pledges made by the youth into our budgets, just as we do with all our adults, so it is important to make realistic pledges that can be honored. With college or jobs on the horizon, now is the perfect time to teach your youth about budgeting their money and time! Thanks for your help!