Christian Education

Our Christian Education program is led by our Board of Christian Education. For dates of specific events, please refer to the church calendar.

Christian and Religious Education spells CARE!

A Focus on Care

Our Christian Education program at Pilgrim Church focuses on providing children and youth with the skills and vocabulary they need to be a part of God's care for the world. Our goal in CARE is to help develop competent, caring, loving, and lovable people of faith. CARE includes a fully-staffed nursery service for infants and toddlers, a WeeCARE program for children ages 3 through first grade, and CARE Camps for children and youth in grades 2 through 12.

Nursery Care (Infants and Toddlers)

CARE for the youngest of our members and friends is available in our nursery—just follow the signs—from 9:45 to 11:15 am each Sunday morning. We strive to provide the highest level of infant and toddler care during the Sunday morning worship hour so that parents who choose to can take full advantage of the spiritual care that time offers.

WeeCARE (Age 3 - 1st grade)

Our WeeCARE children start out the morning in worship at 10:00 am with their families. After the Children's Sermon, they go downstairs with their teacher and a “parent helper” for an hour of stories, crafts, and play. We ask that parents pick up their children from the WeeCARE room at 11:15 am.

CARE Camps (Grades 2-12)

Our CARE Camp kids begin at 10:00 am in spaces they help create throughout the building, called base camps. There, under the care of at least two adults (camp counselors), they learn skills for individual and group caring through example and instruction. Following base camp time, each group goes to a different workshop each week (every four weeks they go through one rotation) where they can interact with biblical stories in creative and practical ways. By 11:30 am, they rejoin their families in fellowship hall for a time of refreshment.

A Bible-Based Approach

In both WeeCARE and CARE Camps, children come to know and appreciate the Bible as they become familiar with its stories and its use. Every month we examine a different scripture passage in the light of God’s care, using multiple modes of learning in our three regular workshops: Bible Skills and Knowledge (Getting the Story), Drama (Getting Into the Story), and Practical Acts of Care (PraxCare or Living the Story). In addition, we offer a special workshop throughout each month that draws on some skill from within the congregation or emphasizes some church-wide event that pertains to caring for our world in Christ's name.

A Cooperative Approach

Believing as we do that acts of care express the fulfillment of God’s care for us and our world, we seek responsible partnership with people and institutions entrusted with our children's care. It is our mission as Christian educators to work alongside families and schools, scouting and sports organizations, and even the health and social services networks of this community to help develop competent, caring, loving, and lovable people of faith. To that end, we invite you and your family to join us at Pilgrim Church every Sunday morning for CARE.

Care to come? Come to CARE!

Adult Education

We have various events and series for adults. Our current discussion series is entitled “Christian Discovery”, led by Rev. Koonz.

Youth Groups

Our youth group is composed of young people of junior- and senior-high school ages. The adult advisors are church members Chuck Howe, Carolyn Drake, and Rev. Ed Koonz. We meet (irregularly) on Sunday afternoons, and at other times for special activities.