Children/Youth/Families
Nursery
The Plymouth nursery is currently closed. However, we have resumed our search for a new head nursery worker. If you or someone you know would be interested in this paid opportunity to work with our infants and toddlers, please contact Tara Sandlin at tsandlin@plymouthsyr.org.
Learning Community
Learning Community is Plymouth’s term for its Sunday school program. It is open to children from Preschool through 5th grade and goes from after worship until 12:00 pm. If children are in the Sanctuary at the end of worship, their adults are asked to bring them to their Learning Community classrooms immediately following the service. If children have already left the Sanctuary for Chapel Time during worship, then their Learning Community teachers will bring them to their classrooms.
Each Learning Community classroom is staffed with two background-checked teachers and they are divided into two sections: Preschool through Kindergarten and 1st through 5th Grade. Both sections begin their time together around the table, sharing a simple snack.
The Preschool/Kindergarten class follows a structure of Sacred Circle Time where the children explore a Bible story for the day through a routine that moves from a time of wonder to storytelling to prayer. After the Sacred Circle Time, children are invited to dive more deeply into the story through free play at the Wonder, Story, and Prayer Stations.
The elementary class follows a workshop rotational model that encourages interactive participation with Bible stories on a three-week rotation. This model allows kids to interact with the stories from a unique perspective each of those three weeks. One week, they might learn the story through acting it out, the next week through cooking, and the next through art. This model works especially well for kids in 1st-5th grade because they know that there will always be an exciting lesson plan coming up!
Chapel Time
Chapel Time is a child-centered worship service for children in preschool through 3rd Grade. It is held at the same time as worship in the Sanctuary. Kids usually begin by worshiping in the Sanctuary and then head up to Chapel Time after our Story for All Ages, a mini-sermon given by the Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries, the Pastor, or a church member. Every Sunday there will be a sign when you enter our big red doors telling you if there will be Chapel Time or PrayGround. We have Chapel Time two or three times per month.
Once upstairs, kids learn basic liturgy that they will encounter every Sunday throughout their lives. Additionally, every Sunday the kids read a story from the Bible and they do a project to interact physically with the scripture. We incorporate opportunities for kids to sing, move, play, pray, listen, talk, create, practice quiet, and ask questions, as God can be found in all of these places. We give them age-appropriate ways to explore and connect with God in ways that are meaningful for them.
PrayGround
The PrayGround is a designated space at the front, right-hand side of the Sanctuary where children and adults of all ages are invited to come after the Story for All Ages. During the Story for All Ages, the storyteller will introduce a concept for the PrayGround participants to explore. We move over the to PrayGround after the story and begin our exploration. We will always have a quiet individual or collaborative activity that connects with the scripture or theme from the day.
The PrayGround lasts through the entire sermon, which is often the most difficult time for children to sit through. Typically during the hymn following the sermon, children return to their seats in the pews. Congregation members are invited to come up to the PrayGround after worship to see the worship work that has taken place at the PrayGround. Every Sunday there will be a sign when you enter our big red doors telling you if we will be having PrayGround or Chapel Time. We have the PrayGround two or three times per month.
Youth Group
Youth Group is for students in 6th – 12th Grade. The purpose of Youth Group is twofold: encouraging faith formation in teens and giving them an opportunity to get to know each other and create strong bonds. The Youth Group meets bimonthly for a youth supper hosted by a Plymouth family and for an activity that promotes the work of justice in our community. At our suppers we build community by playing games and enjoying a home-cooked meal. We deepen our faith by praying for one another and exploring the questions of God’s work in the world. Through our justice work, we put our faith into action by learning about the needs of others and serving where help is needed.
Summer Mission Trips
Our annual mission trips provide a rich opportunity for our youth to feel a connection to their faith while serving the world in Christ’s name. The summer mission trip is the first time many middle and high school students get to experience these aspects of our faith. It is a week filled with hard work and hot temperatures, but by the end of it, the kids have explored a new part of the country and gotten to know each other and themselves.
Rescue Mission
In 2015, the Plymouth youth formed a relationship with the Rescue Mission , located only six blocks away from the church. On the fourth Sunday of every month, youth age 12 and up and adults in the congregation are invited to walk over to the Rescue Mission to serve lunch from 10:30 am to 12:15 pm. It is a valuable experience every time, reminding participants of the importance of giving and connecting with people in the downtown community.
