Here at Good Shepherd, our Children’s Ministry core focus is to share the stories and songs of our faith.
Children and Families
Quick Guide
Our deepest desire for the children and families of Good Shepherd Church and Day School is that they know the Holy Trinity Who dwells inside them and loves them beyond all measure.
Upcoming Events & Announcemets
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Family Lenten Lunch
Families are invited on March 1st at 11:30am to the undercroft for lunch and a Godly Play Story about the life of Jesus as we begin to journey through the season of Lent towards the Mystery of Easter.
Experience the story we will tell the children in chapel. Enjoy time with other families. Receive Lenten resources to encourage your family to Love Like Jesus together.
Register for event using the link below.
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Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
Join us for our parish-wide Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper on February 17th at 5:30-7:00pm! We are looking forward to this fun, family-friendly event! We will have several pancake stations for everyone, including: Chocolate Chip, Banana, Blueberry, and more!
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Music Sundays
Did you know how vital music is to our development? Music not only brings us joy, but it also ignites various cognitive, emotional, and physiological processes! For children and adults, music helps strengthen memory skills and helps our body and mind work together.
Feb. 8, Mar. 8, Apr. 12, May 10
Come join us for Music Sunday this Sunday after the 10am service until Noon. Children will meet in the Youth Suite for a fun singing lesson! There will be lunch food set up in the Undercroft for families waiting.
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Mom's Ministry
The Moms' Ministry provides a nurturing space for mothers to gather for friendship, support, and spiritual growth in the midst of motherhood. We gather on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month 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
Hey 5th Graders! 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.
Godly Play
Rooted in love for life.
We use a contemplative practice called Godly Play to teach the stories of our faith and to help our children cultivate an awareness of the mysterious presence of God within themselves and others. Consistent Godly Play practice helps children develop a fluency of religious language to articulate the movements of the Divine both within and around them. As we partner with parents in nurturing their child’s relationship with the Indwelling Holy Trinity, our prayer is that our children and families will be rooted in Love for life.
The Godly Play philosophy permeates all of our formation offerings for children and families at Good Shepherd. Below are some of our current children and families offerings:
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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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During the 10am Service, children playfully explore the stories of our faith using the Godly Play contemplative practice.
Here is our monthly 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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Ms. Patty offers Children’s Chapel as a part of the Good Shepherd Day School ‘Enrichment Period’ Curriculum.
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A few times a year, Ms. Patty and her Godly Play team will host a lunch with an overview of the Godly Play Contemplative practice. This opportunity is geared towards new families at Good Shepherd, although it is open to anyone who is interested!
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At the start of both the Advent and the Lent liturgical seasons, Ms. Patty and the Godly Play team hosts a lunch where families are invited to fellowship with each other. One of the Godly Play team members then provides a Godly Play story covering the overview of what the season means in the church and to us, Christians.
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Our Vacation Bible School Curriculum includes a daily Godly Play lesson for our children. The 2026 VBS theme is “Rooted in Love,” and it will be held June 1-5, 2026 from 9am-Noon.
You can register HERE.
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A couple times of year, the Good Shepherd Day School will host an ‘All-School’ Chapel time. Parents and children come together, and one of the items on our agenda is to share a Godly Play story with everyone.
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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
Celebrate your Life Events with Us!
The Guild of the Christ Child 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.
Meet our Godly Play Team
The Rev. Cynthia Insko serves as our Godly Play Consultant and Trainer at Good Shepherd. Cynthia offers various types of training for parishioners who want to go deeper with Godly Play.
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Patty Webb
Minister for Children and Families
Godly Play Advanced Training
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Cynthia Insko
Godly Play Trainer
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Wendy Vanmeter
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Jack Branum
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Emily Greenfield
Completed Godly Play Core Training
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Anna Morris
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Hannah Williams
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Kara Johnson
Completed Godly Play Core Training
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Emma Lovely
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Victoria Mears
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Lindsay Nordin
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Ann Maggard
Completed Godly Play Core Training
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Ann Mayer
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Trevor Moffitt
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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Patty Webb writes a beautiful introduction each week for the Children + Families email. You can view her weekly messages HERE.
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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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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.