CHILDREN
At Holy Trinity we value the smallest of children as vital and important members of the Kingdom of God. Our ministries to children and their families reflect our deep commitment to them and their spiritual formation.
Nursery
For children ages two and younger, we offer Nursery all morning: for the 8:30am and 10am worship services. Parents are encouraged to pick up their children from the nursery just after the sermon so the children may join their families for Eucharist.
CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
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In the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, children gather in a specially prepared space called the atrium. The atrium is not a classroom, but a place of Christian experience, community, and worship.
Everything in the atrium is intentionally prepared for the ages and sizes of the children who gather there. Child-sized furniture and carefully designed materials allow children to move freely, work comfortably, and engage deeply with Scripture, prayer, and the life of the church. These materials support children as they come to know God, worship him, and encounter the central tenets of the Christian faith. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is widely recognized for its depth, reverence, and respect for the spiritual life of the child.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd draws from the insights of Maria Montessori, particularly her understanding that children thrive with hands-on engagement, order, beauty, and repetition.
In the atrium:
Materials are concrete and tactile
The environment is orderly and uncluttered
Silence and stillness are valued
Time is unhurried
These elements support the child’s capacity for deep concentration and prayer.
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Our current Atria are designed for children ages 3 years (on or before August 31, 2025 and fully toilet trained) through 6th grade. We welcome parents to come to the atrium to observe anytime! Most are amazed to see the child working contemplatively.
Level I is for children who are potty-trained and three years old by August 31st through Kindergartners.
Summary of CGS Level I Content
Level II is for children who are in first through third grades.
Summary of CGS Level II Content
Level III is for children who are in fourth through sixth grade. (On Sunday evenings, sixth graders are eligible to join youth group for the first 30 minutes before heading to the atrium for faith formation.)
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From early September through May, we offer Levels I, II, and III Atrium on Sunday mornings for children ages 3 (by August 31, 2025) through 6th grade.
To help children and catechists with a smooth arrival, children are encouraged to arrive at either 8:50am (while parents attend adult faith formation or visit with one another) or 9:50am.
Children are welcome to join us anytime, and they rejoin their families in the sanctuary for the Eucharist after the sermon.
Children in Level III (4th–6th grade) are welcome to come on Sunday mornings for a work cycle, though catechists will not be offering presentations at that time. Instead, Level III presentations and meditations will take place on Sunday evenings from 5:00–7:00pm, at the same time as youth group for 7th–12th graders.
If your older child prefers to hear the sermon on Sunday mornings, you are welcome to come let them know when the sermon begins and accompany them back into the worship service. For safety reasons, we will not dismiss them to return to the nave alone or with fewer than two screened adults to accompany them.
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Catechists: We need folks who feel called to participate in the extensive and beautiful adult formation offered by Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
Assistants: We need folks who would be willing to serve as assistants, preferably on a minimum one-month rotation. Screening and minimal training provided. No weekly preparation is needed, just a willingness to serve the children by reading Scripture booklets aloud to our youngest children, light an occasional candle, and observe the children as they spend time with God. The catechists will prepare and offer meditations for the children.
Buddies or shadows: We need folks who would be willing to serve as buddies or shadows to our children with special needs who benefit from extra support.
Even if you are not with the children each week, there are plenty of other opportunities to help with the Atrium. For example, we could use help with some light woodworking, modeling Sculpey figures, painting, constructing materials, sewing, and refurbishing some found items for use in the atrium. Nancy has very specific written instructions for folks to follow and will be available for questions. We would love to have fresh flowers for flower arranging most weeks!
For more information about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, contact Nancy Robinson.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the Christian formation of the child that is rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the church, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori. The Atrium (or prepared environment) is one of the important elements that helps the relationship between God and the child to flourish. The beautiful handmade materials aid the child in their understanding of the Bible, liturgy, and the essential tenets of our faith. To learn more about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, watch this short video.
On Sundays when Atrium is not offered, we provide art clipboards to help engage the child during the sermon. We warmly encourage families to attend worship even when Atrium is not in session. The prayers, songs, and sacred rhythms of the liturgy shape our children. The habits we share with them faith deeply impacts their formation.
Please note:
There is no Atrium in June.
During July and August, the child begins the worship service with their family and then is dismissed with a prayer to go during the sermon to Songs, Signs, and Prayer, a child-friendly time of singing, sign language, and prayer.
Click the headings below to find out more.
Supporting Families
One of the most valuable ways we serve families is by helping them pray with their child at home. In this way, we support both the child and the adult in sharing a common Christian life, one that honors the gifts of childhood, especially contemplation and delight in God. We want to continue to:
Equip parents to pray, read Scripture, and worship God together with their child.
Support families as they encounter Christ together and live the liturgical year within their homes.
Strengthen family relationships with one another, with the Good Shepherd, and with the wider faith community.
To that end, we offer some additional opportunities:
Prayer: Your catechists are praying for your child and family. We pray for parents who give witness of their faith through day-to-day life.
Celebrations: Celebrations include:
Feast of the Epiphany (sometime around January 6)
Liturgy of the Light (sometime around Easter)
Feast of Pentecost (sometime around Pentecost)
Podcast: We highly recommend The Good Shepherd and the Child podcast.
Book Club: We may offer a book club for parents, to discuss The Good Shepherd and the Child : A Joyful Journey.
Coffee & Conversation for Parents: an occasional series led by our Pastor for Family Ministries, Lisa McCowen.
Coffee & Community: Parents are always welcome to grab a cup of coffee on Sunday mornings and enjoy time to connect with other families and parishioners.
For more information, please call (919) 504-3007 or email Children's Catechist Nancy Robinson.
HEALTH & SAFETY OF YOUR CHILDREN
In addition to our deep commitment to the spiritual formation of children, we are committed to their safety. We require all adults working with children and youth up to age 18 to undergo a background check, submit references, attend an IN-PERSON Child Safety Protection Policy lunch, as well as ONLINE MinistrySafe Sexual Abuse Prevention Training every two years. You can read our Policy for Supervised Individuals and Registered Sex Offenders. We require any such persons to self-report with this form.