Sunday School for ALL AGES: September – May, 9:15-10:15am
On Sunday mornings during the program year, during the hour before worship, Grinnell UCC offers learning and social opportunities for all ages. Find the place that’s right for you and your family, and join us as we grow in love of God and neighbor. Please note, there are no Sunday School classes during Grinnell – Newburg School District and Grinnell College breaks.
NURSERY: 0-5 years Our assurance that “all are welcome here” means little if parents and guardians are unable to participate in Sunday School and Worship! Professional, friendly child care is provided for children under 5 years of age. During the program year, when Sunday School is in session, the nursery is staffed from 9:00-11:30am. When there is no Sunday School, the nursery is staffed during worship starting at 10:15am.
Godly Play: Pre-K* – 3rd grade I Wonder… Godly Play is a Montessori-inspired program that encourages students to engage in hands-on learning. Using beautiful, handcrafted story kits, children are guided through the most fundamental parts of Bible stories and liturgical traditions. Following story time, children explore using crafts and independent or collaborative play. A shared “feast” (morning snack) closes the session. *Pre- kindergarteners are welcome at parents’ discretion. Class expectations include sitting quietly while listening to a I5-minute story, craft-time, play-time.
Connect: 4th-5th grade Connect is a program designed for tweens and offered for grades 4-5, combining humor with teachings from the Bible, using age-appropriate quirky, humor-filled videos. Connect is designed to help pre-teens see the big picture of the Bible using videos, discussion, and hands-on, interactive activities.
Re:Form: 6th-8th grade Re:Form is a program designed for tweens/teens and is offered for grades 6-8. The curriculum is structured to affirm and strengthen a participant’s faith, by bringing Bible stories alive with humor, solid theology, and animated short videos that truly engage teens and get them thinking. This class encourages hands-on learning and faith-building using the Re:form Anti-Workbook to give youth a chance to interact through doodling, journaling, and illustrating. As a result of being part of this class, students who wish to can participate in Confirmation on Pentecost Sunday, May 28th, 2023.
Come to the Table: Parents (of kids 0-18) and Young Professionals New This Year! Come to the Table is intended to be a respite for parents and young professionals — a chance to drop the kids off at Sunday School, grab a cup of coffee, and “come to the table” for community and conversation. This gathering will not be a traditional Sunday School class, so there is no homework, agenda or guided discussion — simply a chance to breathe and have meaningful conversation with other adults during the Sunday School hour. If your soul needs a break, this gathering is for you.
Seekers: Adults 16+ The Seekers Class is a class for adults wishing to explore their faith commitment and understanding of the Bible in relation to historical and contemporary issues and social justice. The class often chooses compelling, contemporary books for study, or students dive deep into the Hebrew Bible with Rabbi Rob Cabelli. Come to the Seekers Class for friendly and thoughtful reflection together.
Seasonal Sunday Programming:
Advent and Lent Study: Our Activist Roots
(In place of Seekers Class from Nov 27 – Dec 20 and Feb 26-Apr 2)
Did you know: The strength of the Grinnell church as an ethical and political force in the Nineteenth Century brought many preachers and activists of historical significance to its pulpit. Henry Ward Beecher, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Harry Emerson Fosdick, William Howard Taft, and Washington Gladden have all proclaimed the word of God to our congregation. The Grinnell Church was early to the promotion of women in church leadership. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Anna Dickinson and Helen Keller have all testified before our congregation. The church’s wholehearted rejection of the cause of slavery in its early years made it an important organizing site for abolitionism. Following the Civil War, the social justice commitments of the Grinnell Church found new expression in the Social Gospel movement. Speaking to the spiritual needs of the Industrial Age, Grinnell UCC ministers rigorously applied the teachings of Jesus to an era of increasing social inequality, speaking to the importance of education for children and especially girls, to the sins of low factory wages and dismal working conditions, and against the dreary quality of life in crowded American cities.
During the Advent and Lent seasonal studies, Pastor Jessica will lead Seekers in exploring the Activist Grinnell UCC including the famous speakers who have stepped into our pulpit. We will imagine together what their message and legacy might mean for Grinnell UCC in the 21st Century.
Save the Date for the Christmas Pageant December 18! Our annual Christmas “pageant” will take place on December 18th and requires minimal prep from children or caregivers. There will be speaking roles for those who are interested and opportunities for special music led by the children. Brief rehearsals will be held at the start of the kids’ regular Sunday School time beginning promptly at 9:15 on December 4th and December 11th. On Sunday, December 18th we will have a children’s breakfast at 8:45, followed by rehearsal and performance.
