Welcome To Fourth Presbyterian Church

Our Children and Family Ministry is active, exciting, and growing every year. Please join us for these and other events to share fellowship, expand your circle of friends at church, and grow in Christ as a family.

For more information about these opportunities or Children and Family Ministry at Fourth Church, contact Donna Gray, Minister for Children and Families (312.640.2577) or Melissa Scanlan, Administrative Assistant for Children and Families (312.640.2578).

Summer Sunday School
There will be no Sunday School on August 15, 22, 29, or September 5.
Regular Sunday School will resume Sunday, September 12.

Sunday School during the School Year
Resuming Sunday, September 12
9:30 and 11:00 a.m. in Westminster House
Sunday morning nursery runs from 7:45 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

There are two sessions of Sunday School during the school year: one at 9:30 a.m. and the other at 11:00 a.m. Your child may come to either session according to your family schedule. While it is best to stick to one session so your child gets to know the children in his or her class, you may bring your child to either session any given Sunday if your schedule has changed that week.

(For additional information about Sunday School for three-year-olds, fourth graders, and sixth graders, see below.)

Children and Youth Autumn Kickoff
Sunday, September 12

Save the date! We’ll be starting our new Sunday School year on Sunday, September 12 with a special Children and Youth Kickoff Sunday.

In addition to joining us for Sunday School that day, plan to enjoy a tasty meal for families following 11:00 worship. There will be information about programs for children, youth, and families as well as fun activities for the kids. See you on September 12!

Fall Family Camp
Friday–Sunday, October 8–10 in Saugatuck, Michigan

Smorgasbord of Schools
Sunday morning, November 7 in the Dining Room

An informational school fair to help parents choose the right school for their child.

All Saints’ Day Luncheon
Sunday noon, November 7 in the Dining Room

Advent Wreath Workshop
Sunday morning, November 28 in the Activity Center

Festival of Advent Lessons and Music
Sunday, December 12
4:00 p.m. in the sanctuary

Ukranian Egg-Making Workshop
Saturday, April 16, 2011

For upper elementary youth and older

Spring Family Camp
Friday–Sunday, June 3–5, 2011, in Saugatuck, Michigan

Children’s Worship Kits
Our church ushers have taken on the job of supplying the worship kits, which keep little hands busy during services in the sanctuary. The kits include stickers, crayons, and Bible games and stories. You can ask for one from any usher. The nice thing is that they can be taken home--you don't need to return them! A special thanks goes out to Llanni O’Connor and Linda Crane for taking on this responsibility.

Does Your Child Have Special Challenges or Physical Limitations?
Our loving Creator has made us all with different strengths. The Fourth Church Sunday School welcomes all our children, regardless of abilities and challenges, and is eager to teach them the good news of Christ. Sunday School Superintendent Katy Sinclair and Donna Gray will work with you to find the best way for your child to participate. Please let us know how we can help you and your child have a meaningful experience in Sunday School.

Items Needed for a Chronically Ill Child
To help in the life of a chronically ill child, you are invited to make a donation of new or gently used girls play clothes (long- and short-sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, jeans, or casual pants in sizes 6x-8 yrs.), or pull-ups in sizes 4t/5t for 40 lbs. plus. Please drop off your donation in tightly sealed boxes or bags and mark each container clearly

Clothes/Pull-Ups for ill child
c/o Sarah Johnson, 2nd fl. office

These donations are much appreciated by the family. Please ask the church receptionist for a charitable donation form for your taxes.

If you have additional questions, contact Larry Nicholson, Director of Volunteer Ministry, at 312.981.3382 (lnicholson@fourthchurch.org).

W10: Your Home Base
Bringing your child to Sunday School for the first time? Or for the first time in a while? Can't find that Sunday School form or permission slip you're looking for? Remember that W10 is your "home base." There is almost always a volunteer or an assistant in W10 to help you find your child's classroom, locate forms and flyers, and answer your questions. What a valuable resource!

Moms’ Groups
Mondays from 10-11:30 a.m. in Lincoln Park
Tuesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon in Lakeview
Second Wednesdays of the month from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. on the North Side

For fun and companionship, join a group for moms of children up through age four. These groups meet weekly, on Monday and Tuesday mornings in Lakeview and Lincoln Park. An evening group meets on the second Wednesday of the month from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at different members’ homes. For details, contact Liz Nickerson.

Celebrating Baptism Anniversaries: We need your help!
Once a month during Children’s Chapel we are celebrating the anniversaries of children who were baptized during that month, whether at Fourth Church or at another church. The children’s names are read, and each child marking an anniversary receives a special little packet.

We don’t want to leave any child out of this celebration, so if your child was baptized at a different church (and thus we don’t have their baptismal information in our church records), please be sure to let us know the month your child was baptized. If your child was baptized during the summer months, they will be recognized in either May or September. Send Melissa Scanlan the child’s name, age, and month baptized.

So You Have a Three-Year-Old!
If your child is three by September, he or she is ready for a new adventure. There are two Sunday School classes for three-year-olds. The one at 9:30 a.m. is just for three-year-olds, and the one at 11:00 a.m. combines three- and four-year-olds. Your child may attend either class. Classes are held upstairs in Room W24.

If you have a two-year-old turning three during the year, it is best to wait until the following fall to start him or her in the three-year-olds’ class. Developmentally, your child will be better able to leave you and enjoy the class. Your child has a lifetime to learn the stories of the Bible. As parents, you can do so much more than any Sunday School class by reading the Bible stories from a children’s bible. The stories in such bibles are appropriate in length and content for a preschooler.

On occasion, exceptions are made and a child may be ready for the three-year-old class on a different schedule. Please speak with Katy Sinclair or Donna Gray before taking your child to the class so that we can prepare the teachers for a new student. This will make it more pleasant for you, the teacher, and your child.

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Fourth-Grader This Year!
Fourth grade is an important year in a child’s spiritual life. Over the past several years, we’ve paid special attention to our curriculum to make the classes meaningful and fun, as our children grow in faith and reason. Our entire teaching team is returning to make this year terrific!

Highlights include Kids in Sunday School Exchange (KISSE) trips, including one to our friends at Third Baptist Church on October 25; an overnight sleepover retreat at Fourth Church; a chance to teach the parents a Sunday School lesson (always a big hit!); plus, extra goodies every Sunday!

Fourth-graders meet in the Manse for Sunday School and no longer attend Children’s Chapel. Fourth-graders will join fifth-graders in a combined class. There are two sessions, held each Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., and both classes will coordinate with each other for subject matter.

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So You’re a Sixth-Grader!
Sixth-graders are under the care of John Vest and meet together with the seventh-graders on Sunday mornings as part of Elevation. Along with Joann Lee and Kurt Esslinger, as well as a group of wonderful young adult volunteers, John leads a dynamic program that allows our preteens to explore their faith, ask questions, engage the challenges of the world--and have a lot of fun doing it! Retreats, outings, Whirlyball, movie nights, bowling, and mission trips are just some of the activities your kids will enjoy, so help them get on board!

Sixth and seventh grades meet together in the lower level of the Manse. There is only one session, and it begins at 10:30 a.m. with a social hour, followed by class at 11:00 a.m.

Children’s Choirs
Children’s Choirs rehearse and sing during worship throughout the school hear. Enrollment is not required for children and youth to attend choir rehearsals, and visiting singers are always welcome. However, to help us plan for supplies and to enable us to contact singers and families with schedule information, it is helpful for students to register.

Cherub Choir (kindergarten–grade 1)
The Cherub Choir learns a variety of age-appropriate songs, which may also incorporate movement and instruments. Cherubs participate in the Christmas Eve Pageant, Palm Sunday services, and occasionally sing the introit at the 11:00 a.m. worship service.
Rehearses Sundays, 10:30–10:50a.m.

Children’s Choir (grade 2–5)
Children’s Choir members periodically participate in the 11:00 a.m. worship service (often on the third Sunday of the month). The Children’s Choir learns traditional choral anthems and also plays the church’s choir chimes. The choir also participates in the Advent Lessons and Music service, Palm Sunday services, and a spring concert.
Rehearses Sundays from 11:00–12:00 noon

Junior High Choir (grades 6–8)
Junior High Choir members periodically sing in the 9:30 a.m. worship service (often on the third Sunday of the month). They learn more advanced two- and three-part anthems and also occasionally play other instruments. The Junior High Choir also participates in special services.
Rehearses Sundays, 9:30–10:30 a.m.

Senior High Choir (grades 9–12)
Members of the Senior High Choir sing occasionally in 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. worship services. This is a mixed-voice ensemble (SATB), which prepares a wide variety of repertoire, including traditional sacred music, world music, and popular styles. The choir will perform a major choral work with instruments in a spring 4:00 p.m. service.
Rehearses Sundays, 11:45 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

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