In our baptismal liturgy, we describe the path we desire for our children when we pray that those baptized be given "an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage and will to persevere, a spirit to know and love God, and the gift of joy and wonder in all God's works." In the act of baptism itself in which a person is joined into the ancient and life-giving rhythm of losing life to find life, of letting go and receiving, of death and resurrection.

Trinity Church is a small church. We believe that our small size makes for a unique, intimate environment in which children can be formed as Christians. More specifically, children at Trinity are formed by regular participation in the Eucharist with their families, being a part of our "Godly Play" program in which they engage the stories of our Christian tradition in an environment of reverence and awe, and by participation in special Trinity events.

Like adults at Trinity, children benefit from active participation in our weekly Eucharistic celebrations. To foster this participation, we teach children parts of the liturgy that they can say aloud and parts of our Eucharistic music and hymns that they can sing. We also conduct special instruction with parents and children on the experience of the Eucharist as the shared meal of the family of God.

At Trinity Church, we offer "Godly Play," a method of Christian education and spiritual direction for children. The goal of Godly Play is "to teach children the art of using religious language - parable, sacred story, silence, and liturgical action - to help them become more fully aware of the mystery of God's presence in their lives." Rooted in the Montesorri tradition, Godly Play was developed and classroom tested for more than twenty years by Episcopal priest, author, and teacher Jerome Berryman. The Godly Play method is currently being used in churches of many denominations throughout the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. Since 1991, Godly Play has spread to nearly 1000 churches and institutions. Click here for more information about the program.

Our Godly Play sessions begin at 9:00 AM each Sunday and last until the exchange of the Peace in our Eucharistic liturgy (about 40 minutes) at which time children join their parents for the Eucharist. During a typical Godly Play session children are greeted, told a sacred story using special materials, and are engaged in a series of "I wonder" questions allowing them to explore the relationship between the story and their lives. The session concludes with children working with materials of their choice to express and "meditate" on the story in an artistic and kinesthetic way. In this way, Godly Play helps children know God - not just know about God or the Bible.

While Godly Play is very disciplined in its format (the same way that liturgy is), it encourages children to explore their questions through work with art materials. In this way, the program gives children both the kind of structure they need and the freedom they need to work based on their own different personalities and interests. We believe that this approach is uniquely suited to forming children within an Anglican or Episcopal spiritual tradition-one that values both a way of doing things that has flow and grace and cultivates a spirit of experimentation and freedom.

At Trinity, we typically have at least two special events involving children each year, both of which are focused on high points of the Church year. On the evening of the 4th Sunday of Advent, we have a short "Order for Evening" service within which our children perform a Christmas Pageant. The children act out the Christmas story as well as sing a number of songs. This is followed by a festive potluck dinner. Our children also sing at our Easter Vigil and on Trinity Sunday as well as participate in the "EasterFeast" following Easter Vigil.