Education

Godly Play classes are offered for children grades K-2 and grades 3-5 at the 10:30 am service. Godly Play is an imaginative and creative curriculum rooted in Montessori methodology that seeks to engage the whole child. Through storytelling, wondering together, and creative response time, the Sacred Stories of the Bible, Jesus’ Parables, and Liturgical Action stories are shared. These story materials can be found on the shelves all around the room along with creative response materials for the children to do their work each week. These are the children’s classrooms and it is God who invites them into Play.

Godly Play respects that children already have an awareness of the Mystery of God’s presence in their lives and seeks to foster a religious language system that will help them express and make meaning with their spiritual experiences and traditions. Each classroom is led by a team of co-teachers, a storyteller and a door person, who work together to support and guide the children in their spiritual formation.

• Grades K-2 meet in the Prentiss Whitman Room
• Grades 3-5 meet in the John Gloucester Room

If you would like to learn more about our Godly Play program or have interest in joining our team of classroom leaders please contact Amy Tardiff. You can also learn more about our methodology at the Godly Play Foundation website.

In Greek, LOGOS literally means “The Word.”  In John 1:1, LOGOS is translated “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.”

LOGOS is an after-school, midweek intergenerational program that engages our children and youth in the life of the church, providing opportunities to learn about God, have fun, and create lasting relationships with others.  LOGOS is a program intended to run parallel to the school year, with weekly Tuesday evening meetings beginning in September and running to April.  At Ark and Dove, our LOGOS program is currently offered for pre-K through 5th grade. However, Middle School and High School Youth are invited to participate in LOGOS as helpers.

LOGOS is not meant to replace Sunday School. Rather, it is another opportunity for children and youth at Ark and Dove to build their faith. LOGOS facilitates the development of strong Christian relationships between youth and between generations.  Through the weekly interaction with each other and with adults, children in the LOGOS program experience how God’s unconditional love is a part of all interpersonal relationships. The program enables them to learn to share this love with their peers, adult leaders, and their families.

The LOGOS program is a four-part program designed to reflect the life of the early church as expressed in Acts 2:42

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

The four parts of LOGOS; Bible Time, Family Time, Recreation Time, and Worship Arts, plus Sunday worship, make the whole. Participating regularly in worship as an integral part of the congregation is essential for our youth if they are to have a complete experience of Christian nurture.

For more information, please contact logos@arkanddove.org. We hope you will join us!

Vacation Bible School is a weeklong program for children and youth grades preschool through middle school. We meet in the early evening for fun and fellowship while learning about God’s loving grace and the Bible. Our Compassion Camp: Changing the World With Lovingkindness, 2024 program was a fun and exciting week that included a mission component in support of our local food pantry.

Stay tuned for important dates and more information about next year’s program!

Our Wednesday morning Bible study meets weekly at 10am on Zoom. We typically discuss the scriptures that will be used in worship on the following Sunday. This group is also a place to share prayer concerns and pray together. Contact Pastor Jenn for the Zoom link or for more information.

Our conversations will be informal, non-judgmental, inclusive, theological, and lively. During some gatherings we’ll pursue truth, during others we’ll sit as non-anxiously as possible with doubt, and every time, we’ll be the church where all are called and where all are welcome.

Second Saturday is a prayer group that meets every second Saturday of the month at 10:00 am in the Ark and Dove Room. We usually practice one of several types of contemplative praying which we see as a means of developing our relationship with Christ “to the point of communing beyond words, thoughts and feelings and the multiplication of other acts” (Thomas Keating). These are frequently referred to as “prayers of the heart.” Some of the types of contemplative praying we have practiced in the past have included centering prayer, Lectio Divina (Divine reading or “doodling”), Praying the Hours, and Christian walking meditation. We conclude each meeting by praying as a group for our families and friends, as well as our church, community and world. For more information, contact Kim Champagne.

During the four week season of Advent, Ark & Dove hosts a variety of small group Advent studies to choose from, each focusing on the season’s theme. These groups provide an opportunity to gather together in community, connect with one another, and grow our faith. Some groups gather together in the homes of the study’s hosts, others meet in person at church or online via Zoom. Our hope is to make these small groups accessible to as many as possible. The theme for Advent 2024 is “The Grit and Grace of Advent.” For more information, contact christianed@arkanddove.org.

Our Lenten study small groups are held during the six weeks of the Lenten season and include in-person as well as virtual gatherings. Some years, each group focuses on the same devotional and other years, the leaders of each group choose their own study resource. All are welcome and we encourage you to join in the discussions. Watch for more information about our 2025 Lenten season offerings here!