Children's Christian Formation
Saint Mark's is blessed with the opportunity to teach children of all ages about God's love for them, and to walk with them in the first steps of a lifelong journey of faith. There is a Soft Space at the back of the church - across from the main doors - where kids (and their families) can stretch out and move around, with an easy exit nearby.
Children's Christian Formation is held on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. from September to June.
St. Mark's uses the Godly Play curriculum, a Montessori-based program which will, over the course of the year teach children some of the great stories of the Scriptures, as well as some of Jesus’ parables. Since it is Montessori-based, it engages children not only through language, but through play and through all the senses, which is good because it allows children with different learning styles and backgrounds to interact in meaningful ways with the Christian faith.
Contact Fr. Ashcroft if you have questions about Godly Play or would like your child to come to Godly Play. His e-mail address is anashcroft@saintmarksphiladelphia.org.
Nursery supervision is available for infants from 8:45 a.m. until 1 p.m.. The nursery is located in the basement of the Parish Hall.
There are two free playgroups for children and their caregivers that meet at St. Mark's during the week. One meets Wednesday mornings from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and one meets Thursday afternoons from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. You don't have to be a member of St. Mark's to bring your children for playtime and snacks! For more information, contact Fr. Ashcroft.
Vision and Goals
We are committed to living these truths with our children:
People are sacred. We learn about and strive to love all humans simply because they exist, which is to say they were created by God, our parent.
Stories are sacred. There are invaluable lessons to be learned from the story of Jesus' life, the stories running throughout Scripture and the rest of Christian tradition, the developing stories of our own lives, and the stories of those who are most different from us.
Time is sacred. By time, we mean both God's time - eternity - and our time. The daily regularity and liturgical seasons of our worship reveal God's sanctification of every moment of our lives, in and out of church.
Space is sacred. By space, we mean the particular holy spaces in a church building (the altar, the baptismal font, the aumbry, and other places), and we also mean the whole world and everything created by God.
These truths nourish a life of belief and a sense of belonging, as we receive God's gifts in our lives and share what we have with others.
Whether in Christian Formation or not, children are always welcome at Saint Mark's!