It is the goal of The House of Hope Presbyterian Church to reach, teach and nurture children and young people in the Christian faith and Presbyterian traditions. Sunday School at The House of Hope represents a major component of this very important mission.

Children and Youth Christian Education | Sunday School Registration Form |
Sunday Adult Education Programs

Children and Youth Christian Education

In order to accomplish our goal, the following statements inform and direct the decisions and actions of the church on behalf of the education program for children and youth.

We will provide programming for children birth through grade 8 that helps them to:

1. Seek God and find a meaningful personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
2. Develop a foundation for a continuing life style of Christian commitment and discipleship.
3. Achieve a balanced spiritual life through participation in worship, instruction, fellowship and play, and service.
4. Learn the stories and history of our faith as found in the Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament and Presbyterian theology.
5. Gain knowledge and understanding of the beliefs, rituals and uniqueness of the Presbyterian denomination and the Reformed tradition.

Using the above as a framework and guide, The House of Hope offers an engaging, fun, and challenging Sunday morning program that will enhance and support the Christian teachings and values first shared in the home.

Worship
Children are welcomed as worshippers at The House of Hope. Their presence in worship grows out of the belief and tradition that children are members of the Christian community even before they are able to read or understand the service. As the family of God, our worship is a "family reunion' that is celebrated each week. Worship bags are provided for children up through grade one, while special bulletins are provided for grade 2 and up. Far from being simply "busy work" these are designed to help the children learn something about the Scripture lesson of the day, something about worship and/or the Christian community, or something of special significance in the life of the church. It is hoped that families will use these tools to promote discussion during the car ride home or perhaps even into the week.

B.I.B.L.E. Adventure

B.I.B.L.E. Adventure is the name of the Sunday School program for children in grades 1-5 at The House of Hope. The acronym stands for Belong, Inquire, Believe, Love and Explore. Based on the multi-intelligence theory of learning, this model helps children explore a lesson or theme in units of 5 weeks each. There are 5 different "workshops" offered each unit. Each workshop helps the students explore the topic in five different ways. Each grade level rotates through a workshop during each Sunday of the unit. The workshops are Drama/Music/Puppets, video/movies (complete with popcorn), computers, Bible skills/games, storytelling, art, science, movement and cooking. Click here for the weekly schedule. The students learn while having fun and making friends with their peers and also with the adult leaders who share in the fun and adventure. The curriculum used for B.I.B.L.E. Adventure is Cornerstones, which is written especially for the Workshop Rotation model of Christian Education. For more information on the rotation model, go to www.rotation.org.

"Milestones" Program
"Milestones" are education units that the House of Hope believes students at specific stages should understand and accomplish. These are intended to help children along in their faith development, and to give parents and guardians tools that they need to teach the children and help them to grow in faith, acting on the promises made at baptism. "Milestones" for the fall are as follows:

First Graders will learn about the Lord's Supper and then will have the opportunity to participate in Communion with the congregation for the first time on World Communion Sunday, October 2.

Third Graders will receive their own Bibles on Sunday, November 6, and will participate in a "Bible and Me" class with parents.

Kindergartners will learn the Lord's Prayer and have the opportunity to lead the congregation in saying the Lord's Prayer on November 13.

Mailings will go out with more specific information. Dates and times can also be found in the "Milestones" brochure, located in the information kiosks.

The Children's Library

The Children's Library is located in the education wing and offers a wide range of children's literature as well as videos and parenting materials. All are available for check out. Leslie Erickson volunteers her time as the Children's Librarian. Please visit the Children's Library!

Children and youth are divided into six primary areas for Christian Education: nursery, toddler, 3 Year Olds, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, elementary, middle school and senior. Brief descriptions of each follow below.

Nursery
Children birth through eighteen months are welcomed to the Noah's Ark Nursery Room which is room number 8 on the main floor of the education wing. There, paid staff who have received training and certification in infant/child CPR care for the littlest people at the House of Hope. In addition a L.P.N. is also in the nursery on Sunday mornings. For the peace of mind of parents/guardians, a silent pager system allows adults to be called back to the nursery from anywhere within the building. The nursery is staffed from 8:30-12:30 each Sunday morning, as well as for other special events and services.

11:00 a.m.
Beginning September 10, families with children age 3 - Grade 1 have another Sunday morning option. A Church Time class will be offered during the 11 a.m. service. This class will be different from the 10 a.m. Sunday School classes, and will offer a Bible story each week, a craft or other simple activity related to the story of the day, and time for play and interaction. Children attending Church Time will go directly to room 6 at 11 a.m. Grades 1 and up are invited to attend worship with the congregation. Because 11 a.m. Church Time will be a different experience, children are still welcome to come at 10 a.m. for Sunday School at stay for Church Time at 11 while adults attend worship. It is hoped that this will be a welcome opportunity that will make Sunday mornings less stressful for families with little children.

Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten
Children who are 4 years by September 1 join their parents and the older children in worship at 9 a.m. Following the Time for Children all students are dismissed to their Sunday School classes. Pre-K children meet in room 4 while Kindergarten students go to room 5. There the teachers will be ready with Assembly Time activities, including music and singing, story time in the library once per month and other special things. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m. for all ages. Bible Quest is used for both age groups. Activities include crafts and snacks in addition to other learning and play activities designed just for this age group. At 11 a.m., children are invited to attend a Church Time class in room 6. Kindergartners are welcome to worship with their families.

Children age 4 through grade 3 who attend the 11 a.m. service may choose to attend the church-time class in Room 6. Students in grades 2 and up are invited to stay in worship at 11 a.m.

For more information on the above programs, please email Jan Snell, Director of Children's Christian Education, or call her at (651) 223-7547.

For more detail on current programs, please click here.

Middle School
Sunday School The middle school students will continue to have Sunday School classes during the 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. time slot. The 6th grade curriculum will be the Old Testament. The 7th grade curriculum will be the New Testament. The 8th grade will discuss topics that arise in their Wednesday night Confirmation Class.

Senior High
Senior Highs (grades 9-12) meet with Josh Heikkila after the 9 a.m. service, to join in fellowship and talk about the bible. A snack is provided, and Josh leads the group in discussion. Senior High kids go on a retreat, and enjoy fun, educational, and service activities.

For more information on the above programs, please email Josh Heikkila, Associate Pastor for Youth and Family Ministries, or call him at (651) 223-7549.

Sunday Adult Education Programs

Sunday Adult Education Programs at House of Hope Presbyterian Church, St. Paul. For more information, call the church office at (651) 227-6311.

Goal:
The goal of the Sunday Adult Education programs is to help adults grow in their knowledge, faith, and understanding of Christianity and Christians' role in the world today.

Sunday Adult Education Programs at House of Hope Presbyterian Church
The programs focus on several areas including current events, Bible study and pastoral concerns. The Weekly adult Enrichment hour covers an eclectic offering of a broad range of social topics and issues. Adults are welcome to attend the educational program of their choice from 10 to 11 a.m. between the two worship services. For more information on the various Sunday programs, contact the church office at (651) 227-6311.