30 Main Street, PO Box 392, Salisbury, CT 06068     Tel: 860. 435.2442 © Congregational Church of Salisbury Website by  Designs & Images Confirmation Class ~ 2010 Click on a picture to enlarge photos and activate a slideshow. Church School Building Project  Our church school building project has recently been completed! And you’re encouraged to view it upstairs in the parish hall. The construction of a  Palestinian village in biblical times involves learning on all levels for all  ages. Church School Classes Church school classes for children in Pre-kinder- garten (age 4) through Grade 8 meet most Sundays, September through May. On the first Sunday of each month, the children go directly upstairs to their church school classes when they arrive.  Later in the hour, those in second grade and older move into the church to sit with their families to participate in Communion. On the other Sundays of the month, the children attend the first part of the 10:00 am worship service with their families.  After the children’s message, students move upstairs to their class-rooms.  Dismissal is at 11:10. There are several opportunities for inter-gener- ational worship during the year, especially at special holiday times such as Reformation Sunday, Thanks- giving, Christmas and Easter. Year-round crib/ toddler care is provided in the Nursery for young children, birth to age 4. Church School Curriculum The Whole People of God curriculum is based on the three-year cycle of Scripture readings from the Common Lectionary, Revised.  In worship and in the classroom, parents and children are often reflecting on the same Scriptures, which encourages continued conversations and questions at home.  The Bible is a living, vibrant model of people who have struggled to understand God’s will in their time and place, which can urge us to confront the same hard questions of our lives and time in history. Spring Term During the spring term, the entire Church School studies a particular biblical truth or story in depth. Multi-age classes explore the chosen theme in a  variety of art forms.  Recent topics have been Esther, Jonah, the Creation, the Ten Commandments, and the Good Samaritan. Morning Offering There are no fees or dues required to participate in Church School.  However, the children are encour- aged to practice regular giving as part of their com- mitment to the work of the church.  The offering can be in the form of money or a non-perishable food item for OWL’s Kitchen. Through the Year The Crop Walk, intergenerational worship, a family Advent workshop and service, the Christmas pageant, Christmas caroling to shut-ins, parent discussion groups, potluck suppers and other opportunities for fellowship are some of the family- oriented activities that take place during the year.  We welcome sug-gestions for new ideas and projects. Church School Staff Barbara Collins is the Coordinator of Christian Edu- cation. She holds a certificate from the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ as an Associate in Christian Education and has over thirty years of experience in religious education.  Opportunities for Children and Families   Congregational Church of Salisbury, U.C.C. is a Christian community of faith which values people of all ages. We welcome families from all church backgrounds. Volunteer church school teachers serve on a rotating basis for five or six weeks at a time, sometimes longer.  Our teachers come from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences.  Some are “current” parents, some are not.  All bring to the program a love of children and a desire to share their faith.  New teachers are always welcome to join us.  A less formal way to become acquainted and to help with our program is to volunteer as an occasional aide in a classroom or in the Nursery. Click on picture (above) to enter photo gallery. The Board of Deacons put on quite a spread for Homecoming Sunday and the first Sunday of the new Church School year. (To see a small gallery of photos, click here.)  Sunday, September 12, 2010 “Once in the city of Jericho, many long years gone by, The chief tax collector was a Hebrew man who made his people cry.  He gathered the taxes to send to Rome, Always adding extra padding for his own sweet home.  Zaccheaus was his name, oh yes, Zaccheaus was his name.”   During our spring term the children of the Sunday School learned the story of Zacchaeus, the crooked tax collector who climbed a tree to get a better look at Jesus and ended up changing his life forever. We heard the story, acted the story, watched the story, illustrated the story and, finally, sang the story for the congregation on May 22nd when we presented “Hurry on Down” as the sermon of the day.  A Heartwarming Story! At the recent birthday party of a five- year old member of our church family, the boy was asked what gifts he’d like to get for his birthday. He responded that he really didn’t need any more toys, that he really didn’t need anything. He suggested instead that contributions be made to the OWL’s Kitchen food basket in our parish hall. Today that basket was full to overflowing! A powerful lesson from the youngest among us! “Hurry On Down” - Children’s Sunday - May 22, 2011 “No matter who you are, no matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!” In the September MHT, Denali Blumert wrote about creating the Silver Lake Magazine, a compilation of work created by Silver Lake campers this past summer. Its intent was to get the campers to share their artistic talents and “to be proud of their incredible work.” The magazine has now been published and is available in all its colorful excellence. You can see it  HERE.