Because St. Paul’s values life-long education and spiritual growth, we offer numerous opportunities for study and spiritual enhancement. Further information about the following opportunities is available at the ConneXions Center in St. Paul’s entryway.
Children
Sunday School
Sunday School is offered to all children 3 years old through grade 6 and is held on Sunday mornings at 9:30 and 10:45 am. We use the Rotation Workshop Model to teach children stories from the Bible and about God's unconditional love. Rotation Workshops Models include Art, Music, Storytelling, Cooking, Games, Geography, Computers, Science and Videos to present the lessons.
Children’s Church
Children’s Church is offered for children 3 years old through grade 2 during the 8:15 am and 10:45 am worship services in the lower level classrooms. Activities during Children’s Church focus on helping children to better understand the worship service. The classes are grouped into two age groups: 3-4 year olds and Kindergarten-grade 2.
Worship Readiness
Worship Readiness Class is a special class which focuses on teaching children about our worship, the different elements and the traditions behind them. Class topics also cover other religions, the history of the UnitedMethodistChurch and the sacraments of baptism and communion. Worship Readiness Class is geared towards 2nd graders; however, older children who have not participated before are welcome. The class is held each year in the spring semester and facilitated by parents.
St. Paul’s Preschool and Children’s Day Out
Morning and afternoon Preschool and Children’s Day Out sessions are offered at St. Paul’s. The program focuses on nurturing the child’s social, emotional, cognitive and spiritual development. We also offer a resource center to provide support to all families with young children.
Vacation Bible School
Vacation BibleSchool is a week of summer fun for children 3 years old to grade 6. Children feel God’s love by learning a different story from the bible each day. Activities include singing, story-telling, games, snacks, crafts and mission projects where children can grow by helping others.
Youth
Sunday School
Sunday School meets at 10:45 am in the Youth Room, on the lower level, following the 9:30 am Praise and Worship Service. Typically the youth are divided into junior high and senior high age groups for Sunday School; however, they come together every four weeks for a short lesson together. The lessons focus on how faith can play a central role in a teenager’s life and how they can use lessons from their faith teachings to survive the teenage years.
Confirmation
Our confirmation program is designed for Youth who are in grade 9 and above. It consists of 29 90-minute weekly sessions and runs from January through November with a 3 month summer break. Our goal is to nurture these confirmands as they step into their own journeys of faith. We give them a strong education in the fundamental tools of the faith and instill in them a sense of their value to God and to the St. Paul's family. Outside of the weekly sessions, we visit several other worship experiences, participate in community service and meet monthly with a mentor. In the fall, each confirmand writes a Statement of Faith and participates in a group confirmation ceremony during worship.
United Methodist Youth Fellowship—UMYF
St. Paul’s have a very active and energetic youth program. UMYF Lighthouse studies include social engagement, spiritual worship and service. Our youth also participate in retreats, and mission trips which are further explained in our Youth Brochure.
Adult
St. Paul’s provides a wide variety of classes for adults on Sunday mornings and throughout the week. A very gifted group of members as well as pastoral staff guide us through a variety of studies. Classes are conducted in a relaxed format with facilitated discussion by the leader.
Sunday morning classes meet at 9:30 AM and 10:45 AM. Topics covered may be for one session or continued for several weeks; however, always feel free to participate anytime in a current course. Bible studies are offered, such as The Book of Genesis, The Odyssey of Paul or the Women of the Old Testament. There is also a selection of current events courses offered including such topics as terrorism, political platforms of candidates, racism and immigration.
If you would like to stay with one group of people and not change topics, we also offer “Seasons of the Spirit” which is a lectionary study with additional articles to engage participants in a deep investigation of biblical material each Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. Watch the announcements, newsletter or website to obtain a list of current offerings.
St. Paul’s has very active adult study groups. A variety of small groups meet throughout the week. On Wednesday at 6:30 a.m., the men’s Bible Study group discusses the liturgy for that week. There are women’s groups that meet on Monday morning and Tuesday morning beginning around 9:15 am.
We also offer some long-term and short-term courses. The Disciple Bible series is a long-term commitment as each course is about 34 weeks in length beginning in August. This series has helped many of our members learn more about the Bible. Short-term courses from 8 to 12 weeks in length are offered. A very popular evening course has been “Living the Questions.” This dynamic study includes
conversations with leading theologians, church leaders, sociologists and biblical scholars. Our pastors are very involved in teaching day and evening courses such as Introduction to Theology , Exploring the Way, and The Way of Forgiveness
The Adult Education Team is here to serve you. We are always looking for thought-provoking topics St. Paul’s folks are interested in pursuing, so feel free to share your interests with the facilitators.
Adult Education Team:
James Barfield, barfieldjames@gmail.com
Royce Ann Collins, rcollins20@kc.rr.com
Child Care During Classes
Child care is provided for many of St. Paul’s on-site adult education classes. Contact Lynda Gillette at childcare@stpaulslenexa.org if you have questions about child care.
