Mission statement for Sunday school at The First Congregational Church of Western Springs:
The First Congregational Church of Western Springs is committed to providing a welcoming and safe Sunday School experience for children in preschool through seventh grade, followed by the Confirmation experience for children in the eighth grade.
Our children will learn of God’s love as they deepen their relationship with God. Through the sharing of joys and concerns, our children will experience a community of faith, build empathy with their classmates, experience prayer, and know that God is always with them as a friend and comforter. They will foster a personal relationship with the loving God revealed in Jesus Christ by exploring Bible stories. They will engage with scripture messages through activities that provide examples of how they might become messengers of God’s love.
Our children and their families will be empowered to live out their faith, becoming Christ’s hands and feet in the world and joining in the shared mission of The First Congregational Church of Western Springs.
Sunday School
Sunday School is offered year-round during our Sunday morning worship services for children ages 3 years through 8th grade. Regardless of age, our hope is to convey to all children that they are beloved children of God. As a church family, we respond to that love in the way we care for ourselves, each other, our neighbors locally and globally, and God’s world. In our classes, we practice together all those things that loving Christians do: pray, give thanks, comfort, defend, forgive and repent, in a safe and supportive atmosphere. And of course, we learn from (not just about) the Biblical stories of people who have experienced God’s power and love in their messy lives.
Sunday School for children is offered during our 8:45am and 10am worship services. Children, preschoolers through 5th graders, normally attend the opening part of the service with their parents and are dismissed for Sunday school following “First Steps,” the message delivered just for them on the front steps of the chancel.
For both services, Sunday school begins with all ages gathering in a “one-room schoolhouse” format before transitioning to individual classrooms for further learning. Eighth graders meet for Confirmation classes in the morning during the fall and in the afternoon during the winter and spring.
Sunday school for 6th and 7th graders is only offered at the 10am service and this group goes directly to their classrooms prior to the start of the service.
On the first Sunday of each month, all children return to the Sanctuary to participate in Communion.
During the summer, Sunday school is available for children up to 5th grade only.
Infant and childcare is available for children ages 3 years old and under during the 10AM worship service and during Holy Grounds at 9AM. Parents are asked to comply with the First Congo childcare policies. Please take a moment complete the Sunday school registration form so that the church understands the needs of your child.
4th Grade Bible Study
All 4th graders at First Congo are invited to participate in a special unit to learn about the Bible. During this 5-week unit, the children will learn about the books of the Bible, major stories in the Bible, how to use and find various scriptures in the Bible. At the conclusion of this unit, each 4th grader will be presented with their own personalized Bible.
Here are a few reflections from some of our 4th graders:
“In 4th grade Bible class, I learned that you can turn to the Bible when you are having an emotion, and you can pray and read a story about how God or Jesus may have felt the same way. This is a way you can reach out to God and let him know you are feeling a certain way, and he can give you peace.”
“I think a really important story in the Bible is the story of Adam and Eve. This story teaches us that God will love us no matter what.”
Youth Ministries
Learn more about our Youth ministries, including:
- JRneys Youth Group
- Plymouth Fellowship (PF) Youth Group
- Congo Hoops
- And more
Preschool
We Believe in the Power of Play!
Research on young children’s learning and development proves how play strongly benefits a child’s intellectual, social, emotional, physical and language development.
Children at play are actively involved in creating themes, exploring and establishing environments, solving problems, and developing shared understandings. Through play, young children learn to see other’s points of view, to use language in new ways, to interact with others, and to develop their muscles and coordination.
Confirmation
Confirmation is an important and ancient rite of passage in the Christian life of faith. It is a time when our young teens begin to “own” their faith and make their commitment to Christ and the Church. Throughout the year, confirmands will study basic Christian themes, history, and practices. The word confirm means to “make firmer and stronger,” and that is what we hope will happen in our confirmands’ faith through this process, undertaken with their peers and supported by parents.