"He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'" Matthew 18:2-5
Children and Families
Here at Good Shepherd, our Children’s Ministry mission is to share the stories and songs of our faith.
We offer many different opportunities for you and your family to join us on your spiritual journey! Keep scrolling to learn more.
Overview of Opportunities
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Faith Stories, Family Stories
Children and parents participate together Sunday mornings at 9am to learn the stories of our faith! Families explore the connections between their unique stories and the stories of our faith through the Godly Play contemplative practice. Parents are welcome to stay or drop off their children.
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Children's Chapel
During the 10am Service, children playfully explore the stories of our faith using the Godly Play contemplative practice.
Click Here to view the weekly schedule!
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Nursery
Children ages newborn to three years learn about God’s amazing love through music, story, and play in our nursery.
The Nursery opens at 7:45am and closes at 11:30am.
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Guild of the Christ Child
This is a ministry for expectant and postpartum families. The members of the guild walk alongside the expectant family during their pregnancy and postpartum transition, offering prayer and practical support if needed. There are 4 stages of support for your parenting journey.
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Moms' Ministry
The Moms' Ministry provides a nurturing space for mothers to gather for friendship, support, and spiritual growth in the midst of motherhood.
We meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at 8:45am in the Bishop’s House! Come join us!
536 Sayre Avenue
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Godly Play
The Godly Play® method is a curriculum of spiritual practice exploring the mystery of God’s presence in our lives. The Godly Play curriculum engages what is most exciting about religious education: God inviting us into—and pursuing us in the midst of—Scripture and spiritual experience. Godly Play practice teaches us to hear what God is saying and then to make authentic and creative responses to God’s call in our lives.
Upcoming Events & Announcemets
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Family Fun Day at Evan's Orchard
September 21
Children and their families, please join us for a fun afternoon of fellowship, apple picking, and hayride at Evan’s Orchard on Sunday, September 21, 3-5 pm. Good Shepherd Church has reserved a party tent for our families. We hope you will make plans to join us that afternoon! You can register for this event by clicking the link below. Hope to see you there!
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Popsicles on the Playground
Join us this summer on the Playground! After the 10am Service on Sundays meet us on the Playground for popsicles! Ms. Patty will bring out cold popsicles for the children to have. Families are invited to stick around and fellowship while the children play on the playground!
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Mom's Ministry
During the summer months, the Good Shepherd Moms’ Ministry meets every 4th Tuesday of the month at Woodland Park!
August 26
The Moms' Ministry provides a nurturing space for mothers to gather for friendship, support, and spiritual growth in the midst of motherhood. We’ll gather at 8:45am, in the Bishop’s House, 536 Sayre Avenue (next to Good Shepherd Day School Kinder Condo).
CLICK HERE for more information!
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Take 5
Starting Sunday, August 10
Hey 5th Graders! Starting Sunday, August 10th, join us for TAKE 5. Each Sunday during the 10am Children's Chapel time, GoodShepEYC will provide an additional program offering. The vision is to connect 5th Graders to the Gospel. The mission is to teach the students how to identify the principles of the appointed Scripture in the Gospel, so that they can apply them to their lives.
*If your student prefers to go to Ms. Patty’s Children’s Chapel, they are more than welcome to do that! They just need to stay at one for the entirety of its meeting time.
Life Events
The Sacrament of Baptism
Click the link below to learn more about Baptism and how to become baptized!
Guild of the Christ Child
This is a ministry for expectant and postpartum families. The members of the guild walk alongside the expectant family during their pregnancy and postpartum transition, offering prayer and practical support if needed. There are 4 stages of support for your parenting journey.
Resources
Exploring the spirituality of children: God’s way of being with children and children’s way of being with God. How can we cultivate spaces where the spirituality of our children flourishes and where we adults learn from children about the kingdom of God?
Learn about ways we can more deeply nurture the spiritual lives of our children. Church is a unique intergenerational organization where we are connected to one another through faith and love. The children truly belong to all of us and we to them!
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Our Theologian-in-Residence has put together a Parent Resource list. Click below to view it.
CLICK HERE to Check it Out!
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The Reverend Cynthia Insko will join our team as our new Theologian-in-Residence for Children and Families. Cynthia’s time with us will extend from Lent to Christmas. She will work closely with Patty Webb as we learn more about the spiritual lives of children, how we can create an environment that cultivates the faith formation of our children and their families, and how being with children can enrich our own spiritual journeys.
Click Here to Read ‘Wonderings’
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Each Sunday we provide our children with a new Godly Play story and/or opportunity. Check out our schedule:
1st Sunday: Godly Play story
2nd Sunday: "Music Sunday"
3rd Sunday: Godly Play story
4th Sunday: "Play" Response with art or story
5th Sunday: Godly Play story
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The final promise of our Baptismal Covenant urges us to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and to respect the dignity of every human being.” In the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, we live into that promise by creating environments in our congregations, schools, and institutions that are free of all types of abuse, exploitation, and harassment. Toward that end, all staff and other adults who work with children and youth are required to complete an abuse prevention training program designed for the Episcopal Church called Safeguarding God’s Children, complete a background check, provide references, and be re-certified every three years.
Click Here if you would like to get trained
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Click Here for Resources
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Parents, consider joining a small group! It is an opportunity to engage in fellowship, explore your faith, and connect with God and each other.
Click Here to Learn More
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Click Here to find our Photo Release Form.