The NEW CHRISTIAN EDUCATION TEAM has HIT THE GROUND RUNNING...!!!

Members of the Team include: Bonnie Bannasch, Vickie Campbell, Kelly Clark, Richard Blumberg, Kim Faasse, Stephanie Sharp, Tonia Teers, and Victoria Valmain, Fr. Steve and Pam Walters, Senior Warden

While Christian Education includes both adults and children, the Christian Ed Team will be primarily responsible for the children�s programs and ministries, such as Sunday School, K.I.D.S. Church, the Joyful Noise Children�s Choir, First Communion and Vacation Bible School, as well as other special activities and ministries during the year.

Sandy Ferguson retired as Director of Christian Formation on December 31, 2009�after nearly eleven years of service on the staff of Holy Comforter. Her position will not be immediately filled, but the work of Christian Education will be carried on and overseen by the LAY Christian Ed Team until such time as a full-time staff person is hired..

We want everyone at Holy Comforter to "Be a Kingdom Walker!"�Every Sunday morning, Sunday evenings and mid-week, we offer discipleship and small group gatherings so that everyone (small to tall) has the opportunity to�"LIVE the FAITH and Be a Kingdom Walker!" There is something for everyone at Holy Comforter!

Early Childhood

Birth � 35 months
Our professional staff provides the love, care and attention to nurture our little disciples. During the Sunday School hour, the older toddlers are engaged in a Bible lesson, craft and music. For our babies, Christian worship music reinforces the love of God. Each baby is held and reaffirmed as a precious gift of God.

K.I.D.S.

Children's Worship ... Each Sunday morning, at the beginning the 10:30 a.m. Worship Service, our children (ages 3 years through children in the 5th grade) receive a blessing before leaving the sanctuary to attend their own Children's Worship service. Following a prayer and the blessing, the children leave the sanctuary as the entire congregation sings "Jesus Loves Me" over the children. The curriculum used is from Gospel Light called, "Noah's Park." This is a great curriculum is Biblically based lessons, providing life application for each of the lessons. Each lesson includes music, games, art, puppet skits, puzzles, object talks, worship time and, of course, Bible stories! The children return to the sanctuary in time to exchange the peace and participate in Holy Communion with their families. Tonia Teers is our lead team teacher. For more information, please contact Tonia Teers.

As in any child/youth-related ministry here at Holy Comforter, teachers,assistants and volunteers must be certified through the Diocese of Texas' Safeguarding God's Children training. If you have any questions regarding this certification process, please feel free to contact�Kim Faasse, our Youth Director.

Joyful Noise is our children�s choir (comprised of our children from Children�s Worship and meets during the first part of Children's Worship. The Joyful Noise performs on different occasions throughout the year during. The Joyful Noise sang during our Christmas Eve Family Sevice. They learn songs, sign language and handbells.�

Sunday School for all Ages:

Early Childhood Development Center

from birth through 35 months old, children participate in worship (with music), study and fellowship. Curriculum for this age is used to develop the spirituality of young children. Toddlers also do art projects to reinforce the Bible story spoken to the children.

Godly Play

Ages 3 yrs � 5 yrs
This age group is taught by Stephanie Sharp. Godly Play is based on the Montessori method. Based on the Montessori method, Godly Play uses a careful telling of scripture stories, engaging story figures and a variety of creative activities to encourage children from 3 years old to Kindergarten to seek and find their own answers to their faith questions. In Godly Play, a special space is created for children to learn and work together. Two catechists guide each session, following this approach: * Welcome children into the space and help them get ready for the day�s presentation. * Enter into a presentation based on a parable, sacred story or liturgical action. * Encourage children to respond to the presentation through shared wondering and their own creative work * Prepare and share a feast. * Say good-bye and leave the space.

Rotation

Grades 1st � 5th
Route 66 is the theme for this year's Rotation classes. The theme is a study of the 66 books of the Bible. Each Sunday the children participate in hands on stories from each books of the Bible. The Rotation Model provides fun, action-packed lessons that meet the different learning styles of our children. The Rotation model includes storytelling, drama, puppets, computers, cooking, science, etc.�

Youth Sunday School

Grades 6th -12th
Our Youth are led by Allison Ayers. Making scripture applicable to today�s life issues and equipping our youth is the core of this study by Group Publishing. Help give your youth an advantage against peer pressure and outside influences. Have your youth join our youth for a life-changing and yes, fun, time! Just ask our youth!

Young Adult

High school graduate through college age

We can get anything we want, from anywhere in the world, whenever we want it. That's how it is and that's how we want it to be. Still, our lives aren't any different than other generations before us. Our time is. We want spiritual direction, but it has to be real for us and available when we need it. We want a new format for getting Christian perspectives.

NOOMA is short films with communicators that really speak to us. Compact, portable, and concise. Each NOOMA touches on issues that we care about, that we want to talk about, and it comes in a way that fits our world. It's a format that's there for us when we need it, as we need it, how we need it.

Step-by-Step Through The Old Testament

Adult Sunday School
This class is facilitated by Kim Faasse. This class provides a survey of the message and important events, people, places, and themes of the old Testament. By studying this self-paced learning workbook and participating in a weekly small-group session you will build a framework for understanding the interpreting the OldTestatment; Gain an understanding of the biblical background neded for a lifetime of meaningful study of God's Word; and Respond to God as He speaks to you through His word. We invite you to join this class each Sunday!

The Study of Acts of the Apostles

Adult Sunday School
The book of Acts documents the "acts" or actions of the Apostles. But it's also a book documenting the continued acts of Jesus through the apostles, the acts of the Holy Spirit, the acts of the early church, and the acts of God�s saints! It is, as Paul Harvey would say, the Rest of the Story. What happened to change the disciples from men who denied and deserted their master while he walked the earth to men who were willing to die for him after he was gone? We'll look at Jesus' teachings to His disciples about evangelism, their reaction to the crucifixion, and what he taught them during the 40 days after his resurrection. We'll look at some of His last words to his disciples (the Great Commission), and how those words directed them. We'll look at Pentecost and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit and what that means to us today. We'll study the conversion of Paul, the role of Peter, the evolution of the early church, and the spread of the Gospel to the non-Jewish world. The book of Acts isn't finished. I hope that our study will renew and inspire us to continue to write it today! This class is facilitated by Brenda Seidenberg.

Other Education Opportunities

EYC

Kim Faasse, Director of our Youth Minisitries, is awesome! Kim continues to lead our youth through Bible Studies, team building activities every Sunday evening from 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.. For more information, please contact Kim through the church office. Please check out our wiki Youth web page to see what is in store for the youth this year!

Wednesday a.m. Ladies' Bible Study

Perhaps no Old Testament event so dramatically illustrates God's persistent desire to relate to His children as the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness. Through the tabernacle God initiated a deepr relationship with His chosen people by bringing reconciliation and revealing His glory. And certainly, no Old Testament event so richly prefigures the coming of the true Tabernacle, Jesus Christ. In this study the member (you) are invited to enter the sanctuary of your God and let Him reveal marvelous mysteries to you. This in-depth, biblical study explores the fascinating account of the building of the tabernacle, the significiance of its intricate design, its pivotal role in God's eternal plan, the grand fulfillment of its purpose by Jesus Christ, and its variety of meanings for your walk with God today. You will be challenged to prepare your heart, like the holy of holies, to become a home for His love and glory-a dwelling place for the Most High God.
A Woman's Heart God's Dwelling Place begins on January 9,2008 at 9:30 a.m. This study is for eleven weeks. The member workbook is $15.00. This study will enrich your Lenten season and prepare your heart for the celebration of Easter.�

The Rector's Study

Big Bad John and the Three Little Gospels: A look at the �Synoptic Problem�
Join us as we explore and compare the Synoptic (from the Greek meaning �seeing with the same eyes�) Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke and their relationship to John�s Gospel and the rest of Holy Scripture. This study, led by Fr. Steve Ferguson, meets every Wednesday night from 6-7 p.m. in the Adult Classroom of the A.R.K. Bring your Bibles and notetaking supplies!

First Communion

First Communion classes have begun and First Communicants will receive their first communion�at The Great Easter Vigil, Saturday, April 3rd�at 7:33pm� Paul and Tanya McKelvey have developed a wonderful curriculum and one that we have shared with other churches. If you are interested in your child participating in a future First Communion Class, please contact Paul & Tanya McKelvey or the church office at 281-353-9169.

Discovery Class

Fr Steve teaches Discovery Class begins on March 30th through May 4th from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. This study provides an indepth understanding of the Episcopal Church to include the historical account through modern day. This course is also open to anyone who wishes to become a member of Holy Comforter or review the basic tenants of our Episcopalian heritage. If you are interested in further details , please contact Sandra Bekech in the church office at 281-353-9169.

Holy Comforter 101

Meet with Fr. Steve every Sunday morning in the parish hall to learn everything you ever wanted to know about Holy Comforter and the orthodox anglican teachings we uphold. This class begins at 9:15am - 10:15am. Questions are encouraged and open to all!

General Education Information:

A.R.K. Tickets

We started this new incentive last year. The children loved it! So much that NOW our Youth want to get in on the fun! Each Sunday every student receives a ticket for being present, another ticket for bringing his/her Bible, another ticket for bringing a friend, another ticket for showing mutual respect to his/her classmates and teachers. As you can see, these tickets add up quickly! Then, at the end of each month, the A.R.K. Store is open for our students to redeem their tickets for an age appropriate prize(s). The prizes run from one ticket, five tickets, etc. We actually had students banking their tickets so that they could redeem their tickets for higher ticket items. This has been a great way to encourage attendance in Sunday School and to honor our children for their hard work!

Vacation Bible School -�the last week in June! Mark you calendars Now!!!!

A.R.K. Photo Album

Photos of Abba's Rocking Kingdom (our education building) which was redecorated and dedicated at the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year.

Why Go To Church?

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

"When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me?"

God, our Father, you see your children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world. Show them that your ways give more life than the ways of the world, and that following you is better than chasing after selfish goals. Help them to take failure, not as a measure of their worth, but as a chance for a new start. Give them strength to hold their faith in you, and to keep alive their joy in your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCP

Sunday School Archive

For further information about our Sunday School program, visitors may wish to view the following pages which contain archives of previous years' programs.

2005-2006 School Year

[[EdArchiveI#06SSS|2006 Summer Sunday School]]