Children’s Programs
Our primary method of Christian formation for children age 3 through 5th Grade is called the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This is a Montessori-based approach to the religious formation of children, rooted in Sacred Scripture, Liturgy, and respect for the child’s rich relationship with God. Central to Catechesis is the atrium, a space containing hand-made materials that focus the child’s attention on key scripture passages or liturgical moments. Our Atrium meets after the liturgy, as it is so important for the whole community to be worshiping and learning together in the Eucharist.
Children in this age group are divided into three learning groups: Atrium I is age 3 through Kindergarten, Atrium II is 1st-3rd grade, and Atrium III is 4th-5th grade.
Our dedicated and trained catechists and assistants are committed to helping children “fall in love with God.” This approach towards formation is one that Redeemer has cultivated over many years, and we continue to see the rewards through the deep faith that our youngest members share with us. To acknowledge that children have an innate sense of the holy, and seek to nurture their natural inquisitiveness about God and church means taking the faith of children seriously, from the pre-literate to those on the verge of adulthood.
There is also singing in the Atrium; this includes both simple songs sung as prayer, as well as more difficult pieces that Atrium II and Atrium III learn with our Music Director, Dr. Bernadette Colley, in Atrium Singers.
For more information on the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, visit here. Catechesis meets twice a month at the end of the main Sunday service. Please contact Mtr. Emily or sign up for the Saturday email to receive the full schedule: assistantrector@ourredeemerlexington.org.
However, children’s formation happens also in two intergenerational spaces: in the liturgy of the Eucharist on Sundays, and in the special parties and feast days for the whole church. Here, children absorb and learn with and from the whole community, as they are full and important members of the church.
