Children’s Chapel Service Information

Children’s Chapel is located in Saint Francis Chapel, on the 2nd floor of the Roberts Building (up the stairs from the Welcome Center). Chapel is open to parents as well as children (ages 3 and up). If you decide to leave your child, please sign in and put the number from the sign-in sheet on your child’s name tag.

Children’s Chapel is designed to be a Liturgy of the Word especially for children:

o Children are involved right from the beginning, as they process into chapel singing, they decorate the altar with flowers, candles, stuffed animals and anything else we come up with that day! (There’s lots of singing throughout the service.)

o The lesson and homily invite them to engage one theme in a fun and meaningful way.

o Our creed is short & to the point, and sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star!

o The Prayers of the Children include children lighting six candles that are then placed in the special prayer table adorned with colorful birds (made just for our chapel by the SOWhAT class).

o Confession is a time for recalling the things we wish we hadn’t done (and those we wish we had), imagining putting them into the rocks that are given to each child, and then placing the rocks in a bowl and watching as they are drenched with a blessing and water. Confession is about unburdening and forgiveness!

o A Verger comes to lead us into the Cathedral in time for the Offertory and Communion.
   (Look for the children on the east aisle.)

o Offertory:  Our children really do take part in everything we do at SJC, and so they are also invited to pledge –all pledges and children's weekly offerings help to support Episcopal Relief & Development. (Children’s pledges and offerings are collected in the Cathedral, right along with everyone else’s—placed in wooden arks that children take to the altar to be blessed.)

o Communion:  Children are invited to follow the ushers (as the offerings are brought forward) to sit on the carpet for a bird’s eye view of the service! Parents are welcome, too.

o Children may pick up a children’s bulletins -Kidsword (for grades 4-6) or Little Kidsword(for preschool-grade 3) - and a packet of crayons or colored pencils on the way into the Cathedral. (Please return the crayons & pencils.)

o If you have questions or would like to get involved in our children’s programs, please contact Kim McPherson, Director of Religious Education at Kim@sjcathedral.org.