And Jesus said, “Let the children to come to me; do not hinder them.  The Kingdom of God belongs to such as these."... And he took them in his arms and began blessing them - Mark 10:13-16

At St. George's Church, our Children's Ministry is an integral part of our Family Ministries. We understand the many demands on families today -- from school and work to extracurricular activities -- and our goal is to partner with parents as we minister to our children together as a church family. We believe that everyone is created in God's image and is never too young or too old to know Him, love Him, and enter into a personal relationship with Him. Guided by Proverbs 22:6, we aim to "start children off on the way they should go, [and] even when they are old they will not turn from it."

With this in mind, our Children's Education program offers children an opportunity to step away from the hustle of the world to talk to, listen to, and to be with God by providing a theologically orthodox, vibrant, and age-appropriate environment where children learn the basics of Scriptural content and the core doctrines of the Christian Faith within the Anglican tradition. Through thoughtfully organized space, time, and community, we invite children into worship, wonder, and prayer. Our curriculum emphasizes unity, service, and identity as the next generation of God's chosen people.

For more information, please scroll down and/or visit the "Learn" tab on our website  or  email our Children's Ministry Director, Wendy Thornewill, at

Nursery

Nursery (Infants - Age 3)

Our Nursery is a safe, clean, and welcoming environment guided by current “Safe Church” standards with well-trained professional care providers. We offer Nursery on Sundays from 9am-Noon. We also offer Nursery for other significant programs and worship opportunities. In addition to Lori Constantine (supervisor) we have other staff members who serve when scheduled. Our nursery leaders have significant training (either currently working in daycare or in early childhood development). Unlike almost all other areas of ministry, our nursery staff are not volunteers; they are professional care providers.  

Sunday School, 10am-10:45am 

    

    

Age 3 & Potty-Trained through First Grade: Let the Children Come - In these early years, children focus on learning how the classroom community works, navigating the space, and building a foundation of feeling safe and loved. Learning mostly by example, relationships begin to form and they begin working together.

Second Grade - Third Grade: Godly Play - Children continue to build upon this foundation within a safe space especially designed to imagine, process, and form relationships with each other and with God. Through prayerful story, wonder, and play, children may learn to intimately trust by faith what we can see and what we cannot see as they explore God's Word and the cycle of the church calendar. In the words of the Godly Play founder, Jerome Berryman, "Our goal is to create an opening in their circle of meaning...to make room for new Spiritual insight and understanding."

Fourth Grade - Fifth Grade: What's Up - As children navigate the social and peer anxieties of late childhood, we strive to provide a supportive, consistent environment each week. Students receive their own Bibles to use in class and at home as they learn to read and navigate Scripture and apply it to their lives. Our program encourages students to engage with both Old and New Testament stories, share and explore diverse perspectives, and discuss the essential truths found in God's Word as they discover the transformative power of the Gospel. Building on this foundation, our curriculum also covers key Christian traditions—including Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, Lent, and Advent. By exploring God's overarching plan of redemption, renewal, and restoration, we aim to help children process deeper questions about identity, life, and faith.

Our overall goal is for all children to enter adolescence with an inner working model of the Christian language system and to provide them with a firm foundation upon which a lifetime of ongoing discipleship and Spiritual development may grow.

Children in Worship

While our nursery is available for infants to age 3 from 9am-Noon, all worship services at St. George's Church are family friendly.  You are always welcome to have your child with you!  We love having kids in our worship services -- we feel it's vital for a child's development as a Christian to feel like she or he is part of worship, not an "interloper" in the thing adults do. Our 9am service lasts about 45 to 50 minutes and our 11am service lasts about one hour. 

But what if my kid is getting squirmy?  Here are two suggestions:  First, families are welcome to use our "activity bags" found in the large basket near the baptismal font (feel free to ask an usher).  Second, if your little one needs a breather, it's easy to step into the narthex (the entry area).  The wall between the narthex and the church is glass and the sound comes through speakers, so it's sort of like you've not left worship.  Above all, know that you and your children are welcome here!   

                                         

Christmas Concert & Live Nativity

                        

Each Advent we host a free Christmas Concert with family friendly "pops" music and carols.  This is followed by a Live Nativity featuring our Children, Youth, Families, and other members of the congregation.  Chat with our associate rector, the Rev. Dr. Cal Lane if you've got questions or would like to join the cast!   

      

VBS

Vacation Bible School (2026) was Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, June 17, 18, and 19 / 9am to Noon.  We welcomed children age 5 (by VBS) through Rising 5th Graders.

Vacation Bible School is one of the largest ministries of St. George’s Church involving easily 40 to 50 volunteers, some behind the scenes. One of the strengths of our VBS is that we provide live music.  We are also proud to follow our church's safe-guarding protocols for ministry with children.

Mark your calendars for Summer 2027's VBS: Crave ~ Stirring Up a Hunger for Jesus! Wednesday-Friday, June 16, 17, and 18th. 

                                              

     

Family Ministry

We hold a variety of events and programs aimed at strengthening families in our community.  We regularly offer a discipleship conference called EQUIP aimed to welcome and help the local community in ways inspired by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. EQUIP has featured workshops on faith and the arts, the opioid crisis, and issues surrounding suburban families like children and technology. A portion of EQUIP is also for children, both enabling parents to come and to engage children (not merely baby-sitting). We often employ local Christian artist and Dayton Art Institute museum educator, Matt Burgy, to hold programs with kids. Matt has become, in a sense, our “artist in residence” and we are proud that he produced the commissioned murals in our nursery.  We've also hosted concerts featuring Sand Dollar Music and New York recording artist Melanie Penn.