2005 - 2006 Annual Reports

Board of Christian Education

The Board of Christian Education plays an integral role in fulfilling the FPC mission statement. Our responsibility is to provide Christian education to all in the Church. We oversee the Church School program, Vacation Church School, and adult education and sponsor Christian fellowship activities such as plays, camps, a variety show, and Advent workshop. The Board expresses its gratitude to all its teachers through the Christmas potluck and annual teacher appreciation luncheon in the Spring.  The education program is built on a foundation of all who give so generously of their time and talent!

Our biggest area of responsibility is the Church School program. We currently have over 160 children registered from ages 2 through high school who are served by a dedicated volunteer teaching staff. We continue our monthly music program on communion Sundays in conjunction with the Music Board. To comply with new Safe Church policies, we have implemented new sign-in/sign-out procedures and had another fire drill. In the summer we offer a Children’s Story Hour in place of Church School.

Each summer we also run our very successful and popular Vacation Church School. Last summer this program was planned and developed from the ground up by Rachel Cobban and Anne Marie DesRoches.  Over 50 children “boarded the train” as Captain Crackers (also known as Alec Cobban) spearheaded our Travel through the Bible theme with the help of many adult and youth volunteers. We again gave a generous donation to the Heifer Project which was matched by the Mission Board.

Over the past several years, we have worked hard to develop and implement a unique curriculum combining traditional purchased curriculum with our own original lesson plans that emphasize the “nuts and bolts” of Christianity. The purchased curriculum we have been using is the lectionary-based curriculum, Seasons of the Spirit.  This year’s new units have included The 23rd Psalm and The Lord’s Prayer. Once a unit is finished the entire Church School shares what they have learned with the whole congregation during worship at The Children’s Message.

The Board has met another long-range goal this year by sponsoring adult education workshops and a 4-part lecture series taught by Debby Gline Allen entitled “Bible 101” in an attempt to fulfill our mission “to provide Christian education to all in the Church.”

The Board continues to look for ways to expand its offerings to more fully live the mission statement specifically through developing new units of study for the Church School and providing more adult education. We are hoping also to offer more intergenerational opportunities possibly through establishing a new “garden ministry” and working with the Shawl Ministry pairing children with adults through shared interests and hobbies.

Respectfully Submitted, Cathy Baumann, Beth Bellevue, Ruth Brooks, Rachel Cobban, Jane Dunn, Andy Keller, Kim Mann, Lori Montgomery, Julie Turner, Melanie VanSteensburg, with Anne-Marie DesRoches & John Palmer