Children's Ministries
The First Congregtional Church of Palo Alto has extensive and vital programs for children and families. To learn more about any of our ongoing ministries, special events, or classes, please contact our Associate Pastor, Eileen Altman.
We believe that every child is a beloved child of God, and we especially want children to feel welcome at our church. We want church to be a place where they want to be and where they know that they are always accepted for who they are.
Sunday School
Our Sunday School classes meet during worship each Sunday. Children are invited to worship with their families, and they go to their classes following a story for children in worship. Classes meet in a variety of locations, mostly around our playground:
- Toddlers & 2’s - Nursery
- Preschool - Rooms 3 & 4
- Kindergarten - Room 1
- 1 st Grade - Room 5
- 2 nd Grade - Room 6
- 3 rd Grade - Room 7
- 4 th/5 th Grade - The Embarcadero Lounge
- Middle School - The Youth Room
Our teachers are all volunteers, and we use two different curricula for our classes: Seasons of the Spirit and Exploring Faith. Our focus is on learning the stories of our faith while making children feel welcome.
Christmas Pageant
Each year our children and youth present the Christmas story during worship on the third Sunday of Advent. The pageant features preschoolers as angels, dancing sheep doing the “Baa Baa Bop”, shepherds, magi, and the Holy Family. In 2004 our pageant was featured on the cover of the Palo Alto Weekly. Pageant preparations begin in November. For more information, contact David Howell.
Spring Musicals
Every year we put on a musical in the spring, and our youth are always an important part of the show. To read more about upcoming productions, click here.
Children’s Choir
Our children’s choir meets in the fall under the direction of Christy Crews and Joe Guthrie. They sing in worship several times each year, and they also participate in our Christmas Pageant and Spring Musicals. For more information about the choir, please contact David Howell.
Children’s Art Show
In the spring, our classes prepare art projects for our Sunday School Art Show, where work is displayed for several weeks for the whole church to enjoy.
Vacation Bible School
One of the highlights of our year is our week of Vacation Bible School. We meet thel week of July 21 - 25 from 9:15 to 11:45 at the church. We have puppets, singing, art, Bible Stories, games, snacks, and all kinds of surprises. VBS is open to children from 4 years through 5 th grade, and youth are always welcome as helpers. Sign-ups begin in May.
This year’s theme is Rainforest Adventure, and we are looking forward to a great time!
Serving Others
Our children have many opportunities throughout the year to participate in serving others, including UNICEF collection at Halloween, food and clothing drives, making cards for church members, Family Outreach Days, and more.
Last Updated: May 5, 2008