Suggestions for Parents

Children from the True Vine Atrium
waiting to join their parents in Church.

A new year of Christian Formation is underway at Christ Episcopal Church! There was great energy and excitement in the air on Sunday as our atria and our youth and adult classes met for the first time.


On Saturday, I met with parents who are new to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, to give them an orientation to the ministry. Included in the information I shared with them were some suggestions for parents, which I thought would be helpful for all of us involved with the Catechesis to remember as the new year begins. Enjoy!

Suggestions for Parents

As a parent, you can support child's growth by bringing them to the Atrium regularly and arriving on time as much as possible. New presentations are made to the children almost every week, and we widen our discovery of the faith as we go along. As you are able, dedicate Sunday mornings to the spiritual growth of your children.

Please know that children may not wish to talk about what they have been doing in the Atrium, or may not be able to. Going to the Atrium is more like going to Church than going to school. Just as it might feel strange to have someone question you about what you did or felt in worship, children may not wish to answer questions about their time in the Atrium, or may not be able to put into words what has happened there. You can support your child’s work in the Atrium by offering affirming comments about your child’s time spend growing with God. Also noticing elements of the Liturgy that correspond with things we are learning in Atrium can be helpful. When you have questions about what your child is doing in the Atrium, talk to a Catechist to learn more. 

There are very few papers and crafts sent home from the Atrium. Children take something home on the inside from their time in the Atrium, just as we do from Church. Art work and collages that children create in the Atrium are collected in a folder. A few times during the year, your child will review his or her folder with a Catechist and then bring all of their work home. In my family, we collected this work in a large old fashioned scrapbook, and we have enjoyed having this keepsake from atrium, and seeing how the children's work progressed over the years. 


We will communicate regularly with families about life in the Atrium via email and through our blog, Thoughts from the Sheepfold. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to receive new blog post via email in the box on the right margin of the blog. We are always happy to meet with parents to talk about their child's development, and about what we are doing in atrium!