Grow
Children and Families
Sunday School
Sundays, 9:30am, ages 0-14
Church of the Good Shepherd currently has an active Sunday School program with about 20-25 kiddos from ages zero through eighth grade, and we’d love to have your children join us anytime! We accept registrations throughout the year, and the kids can start any week. The registration form can be found here.
Sunday School meets downstairs in our cozy classrooms on Sunday mornings at 9:30am during the school year. The children hear Bible stories, learn prayers and songs, share a snack, and do crafts or other activities. Older children also learn about church history, Episcopal traditions, and how to use the Bible and Book of Common Prayer. The children then join their families in the church service upstairs after the Peace. We send them off with take-home sheets that tell what they learned about that week, and how families can continue and expand on it at home.
In addition to our regular weekly program, there are Family Eucharist services about once a month, in which the children and teens take an active role in the Sunday morning service (as ushers, readers, acolytes, etc.) and the sermon is geared just for them. There are also special activities for families throughout the year, including a homecoming brunch, harvest activities, gingerbread house making, Gathering of the Greens to prepare for Christmas, hiding the Alleluia, and of course special activities for both Christmas and Easter. Baptisms occur throughout the year. In the spring, we have lessons on the Eucharist and a special Early Communion service for the children who would like to receive their first communion.
Please contact sundayschool@cgsnashua.org with any questions you may have. We look forward to welcoming new friends!
Teen/Youth
Harless Scholarship Information
In 1987, longtime parishioner Esther Harless died, leaving her estate to the church. A portion of this generous gift was invested and the income from that investment was designated as a scholarship fund for active youth members. Thus the Harless Scholarship was born.
To qualify, applicants must be a member of the Church of the Good Shepherd and must be active, currently or recently, in at least one of the programs of the parish, diocese or province.
We invite high school seniors and recent graduates, as well as students currently enrolled in undergraduate or seminary programs to apply. Applications are due by May 15th each year.
Journey to Adulthood
Sundays from 6pm-7:15pm
Good Shepherd’s youth program provides an inclusive and supportive community where youth from 8th to 12th grade can learn and grow in their faith together. This formation program focuses on the individuality and creative potential of each member and how those gifts apply to our lives as Christians. Participants learn skills that will help them to participate more fully in the life of the church and will aid them in the next leg of their spiritual journey. Through weekly gathering, special events, and an annual mission trip, our youth grow in their faith all while making lasting friendships and forming a supportive community of peers to help them to face the challenges that come with being a teen today
Confirmation for Youth
Confirmation is a big milestone for many young Christians.
In baptism we have been adopted into the family of God and accepted Jesus as our lord and savior. Often people are baptized when they are only infants, so the promises made as a part of their baptism are made for them by their parents and Godparents.
In the Episcopal church, confirmation is a sacramental rite where baptized Christians, usually teenagers, stand up and affirm their faith for themselves in the presence of the community and receive the strength of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands by the bishop.
To prepare to make this mature affirmation of faith, our teens join in a confirmation course made up of group activities, service hours, participation in the 30 hour fast, and regular meetings with an adult mentor. The course runs as a two year program following the 5 Marks of Love:
Tell: Proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ
Teach: Teach and nurture new believers
Tend: Respond to human need through loving service
Transform: Transform unjust structures, challenge violence of any kind, and pursue peace and reconciliation
Treasure: Strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, sustain and renew the life of the earth.
If you would like to learn more about youth formation and confirmation, please reach out to Nancy at youth@cgsnashua.org.
Adult Formation
Faith formation programming helps us to deepen and explore our faith journeys as Christians, both as individuals and as a community. We explore various topics related to bible study, ethics, current events, and how we apply our beliefs as Christians and Episcopalians to our everyday lives. It is a lifelong process that prepares us to be God’s servants to the world, walking the Way of Love, and sharing the Good News of Christ’s redemptive love.
Events
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