Children and Youth
Mission Statement - Open Circle values children and youth. Our mission is to help children and youth notice, name, and nurture genuine and meaningful spiritual encounters through study, fun/fellowship, relationship (with one another and with adults), and service.

Our children's program presents us with a unique challenge and opportunity. Many parents who attend Open Circle are here because traditional Christian Biblical interpretations and doctrines don't work for them. What they find at Open Circle is a learning environment where the Bible is read in light of modern biblical scholarship, doctrine isn't emphasized, other faith traditions are respected, and spiritual practices are taught and encouraged to aid in spiritual growth. Not surprisingly, parents want this same environment for their children.
The truth is it is a bit of a misnomer to talk about a children's program at Open Circle. We once had a dedicated education hour for children and adults. But we have joined the ranks of faith communities that are "killing Sunday School." We can briefly sum up some of the rationale for this by sharing a quote from an article written by a denominational staff member (from another denomination) talking about what she describes as a more holistic approach to spiritual formation versus “Christian education”:
“Authentic faith formation is always rooted in relationships, not in the flashiest curriculum or best-decorated children’s wing. As children feel a connection to your congregation, as they develop a deep sense of belonging – that their presence is not only valued but needed – they understand what it means to be true church. That is more than enough. The best opportunity to create durable faith in our children and youth comes when they know that they matter and are invited to participate alongside a community that actively lives out their love for Jesus in the world. In this they experience a faith that actually makes a difference. And they in turn, want to join in the action.”
We agree that the best and most authentic faith formation is rooted in relationships. What this means for our Sunday time together is that we have been experimenting with a longer service time that sometimes includes some kind of discussion and/or breakout into groups for activities. Sometimes the groups are inter-generational; sometimes they are broken down by ages. We have also been more intentional about using video and other arts as a way to engage all ages in the service. We want our children and adults to be engaged together in worship, spiritual formation, and relationship building. Our goal is to continue to work at making our Sunday worship time together more engaging for all.
Having said that, we think there is value in having our children together for fun and to learn about the Bible from a progressive perspective, about mindfulness or another spiritual practice, environment and spirituality, and more. Our current practice on the 2nd Sunday of every month is to have everyone together for opening music in the sanctuary. Then the children go downstairs for a time of play and learning together. At the end of the hour they rejoin the adults upstairs for a closing song and for a prayer.
Service - We involve the children and youth in service projects throughout the year. We are working closely with the Outreach Team to consider congregation-wide projects in which children and families could take part. But we also anticipate involving the children in a project or two that are developed specifically for them. Most recently, our children participated with the adults in putting together Church World Service Hygiene Kits for relief efforts in Haiti.
The truth is it is a bit of a misnomer to talk about a children's program at Open Circle. We once had a dedicated education hour for children and adults. But we have joined the ranks of faith communities that are "killing Sunday School." We can briefly sum up some of the rationale for this by sharing a quote from an article written by a denominational staff member (from another denomination) talking about what she describes as a more holistic approach to spiritual formation versus “Christian education”:
“Authentic faith formation is always rooted in relationships, not in the flashiest curriculum or best-decorated children’s wing. As children feel a connection to your congregation, as they develop a deep sense of belonging – that their presence is not only valued but needed – they understand what it means to be true church. That is more than enough. The best opportunity to create durable faith in our children and youth comes when they know that they matter and are invited to participate alongside a community that actively lives out their love for Jesus in the world. In this they experience a faith that actually makes a difference. And they in turn, want to join in the action.”
We agree that the best and most authentic faith formation is rooted in relationships. What this means for our Sunday time together is that we have been experimenting with a longer service time that sometimes includes some kind of discussion and/or breakout into groups for activities. Sometimes the groups are inter-generational; sometimes they are broken down by ages. We have also been more intentional about using video and other arts as a way to engage all ages in the service. We want our children and adults to be engaged together in worship, spiritual formation, and relationship building. Our goal is to continue to work at making our Sunday worship time together more engaging for all.
Having said that, we think there is value in having our children together for fun and to learn about the Bible from a progressive perspective, about mindfulness or another spiritual practice, environment and spirituality, and more. Our current practice on the 2nd Sunday of every month is to have everyone together for opening music in the sanctuary. Then the children go downstairs for a time of play and learning together. At the end of the hour they rejoin the adults upstairs for a closing song and for a prayer.
Service - We involve the children and youth in service projects throughout the year. We are working closely with the Outreach Team to consider congregation-wide projects in which children and families could take part. But we also anticipate involving the children in a project or two that are developed specifically for them. Most recently, our children participated with the adults in putting together Church World Service Hygiene Kits for relief efforts in Haiti.