Junior Church
At St Stephen’s we love to give our children the best biblical teaching. We believe it is an incredibly important life foundation which will help our kids to gain a bigger picture of life and their purpose.
On a Sunday we meet with the adults at 10am, then after some songs and prayers, go to our groups according to age. We have two groups:
Discoverers' Session: At St Stephen’s, we believe that every child is created in God’s image and is able to encounter God with awe and wonder. We provide a gentle and encouraging environment for our 2-6 year olds as we help them to discover who God is. We encourage any age of child to participate with their parents in our sessions, and children can stay without an accompanying parent when they are able to sit independently in our story circle. Our Discoverers Class is a microcosm of our church congregation- we have parents, grandparents, and youth guiding the children with the stories and activities each week, and strengthening relationships with the children that we hope will last through their formative years. We will always have a Bible story that helps children to increase their knowledge and understanding of God, as well as a chance to respond to the story through craft, play, or other activity. We will often share a small morning tea as we learn about each other. Our session lasts from the end of worship until the start of communion, when we encourage children to rejoin their families in the larger congregation. When they are ready they move to the Explorers group - usually around 5-6 years of age.
Explorers' Session: Our Explorers classes unite many of the Biblical stories our children have experienced in their first few years into a bigger picture of God’s story and how it applies to us. Sessions are run by leaders who are invested in discipling each child in their spiritual walk. The session involves children being exposed to age sensitive content from the Bible, but also highlights discovering new ways of encountering and knowing God through multisensory prayer and reflection. In a session, a biblical story or passage is experienced through reading, storytelling, multimedia, or drama, and then young people are given the chance to discuss the truths of the content and how it applies to us. There is time for a response activity, to help the young person incorporate their learning into their spiritual growth. Leaders walk alongside children in the class with the common goal of lives transforming into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Navigators aged 9+ deepen their understanding as they start to ponder life's questions and learn how to make decisions for their life's journey.
You are welcome to come, see and stay.
For any more information, you can call Wendy Fowler on 021 0278 0077 or just turn up Sundays at 10am.
We also hold Messy Church once a month on a Sunday afternoon for a few hours of family time & food. See more here.
Please feel free to join us as and when you wish.
On a Sunday we meet with the adults at 10am, then after some songs and prayers, go to our groups according to age. We have two groups:
Discoverers' Session: At St Stephen’s, we believe that every child is created in God’s image and is able to encounter God with awe and wonder. We provide a gentle and encouraging environment for our 2-6 year olds as we help them to discover who God is. We encourage any age of child to participate with their parents in our sessions, and children can stay without an accompanying parent when they are able to sit independently in our story circle. Our Discoverers Class is a microcosm of our church congregation- we have parents, grandparents, and youth guiding the children with the stories and activities each week, and strengthening relationships with the children that we hope will last through their formative years. We will always have a Bible story that helps children to increase their knowledge and understanding of God, as well as a chance to respond to the story through craft, play, or other activity. We will often share a small morning tea as we learn about each other. Our session lasts from the end of worship until the start of communion, when we encourage children to rejoin their families in the larger congregation. When they are ready they move to the Explorers group - usually around 5-6 years of age.
Explorers' Session: Our Explorers classes unite many of the Biblical stories our children have experienced in their first few years into a bigger picture of God’s story and how it applies to us. Sessions are run by leaders who are invested in discipling each child in their spiritual walk. The session involves children being exposed to age sensitive content from the Bible, but also highlights discovering new ways of encountering and knowing God through multisensory prayer and reflection. In a session, a biblical story or passage is experienced through reading, storytelling, multimedia, or drama, and then young people are given the chance to discuss the truths of the content and how it applies to us. There is time for a response activity, to help the young person incorporate their learning into their spiritual growth. Leaders walk alongside children in the class with the common goal of lives transforming into the likeness of Jesus Christ.
Navigators aged 9+ deepen their understanding as they start to ponder life's questions and learn how to make decisions for their life's journey.
You are welcome to come, see and stay.
For any more information, you can call Wendy Fowler on 021 0278 0077 or just turn up Sundays at 10am.
We also hold Messy Church once a month on a Sunday afternoon for a few hours of family time & food. See more here.
Please feel free to join us as and when you wish.
Nativity Play
A video of our 2016 Nativity play and Carol service is available on our Gallery page, under the "About us" menu item. Jump to Gallery