“If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth,  and the truth will make you free.”  (John 8:31-32)   

Christian Education is a life-long journey, and St. John's is committed to providing high-quality education for all ages.  On Sunday mornings and during the week, the people of St. John's are engaged in learning to live more fully as Christians. On Sunday mornings we offer Christian Education for all ages-children, youth and adults.

Adult Education

The Adult Discipleship Committee seeks to provide meaningful Christian educational programs to the adults of St. John's Church.  Our committee is composed of individuals who represent various and differing interests with the community of St. John's.  The Adult Discipleship Committee bears the responsibility for determining the programs and scheduling the Adult Sunday School hour held on Sunday's at 9:00 AM in the Parish Hall.  The committee also has input into the weekly educational offerings at St. John's.

Our mission for Adult Discipleship at St. John’s is to stimulate, inspire, and motivate church members and guests by providing educational offerings on Sundays and throughout the week.  Our purpose is to equip individuals to grow in their knowledge of Scripture, to minister to others, and to proclaim the Gospel in our daily lives.

The offerings this fall have been:

• The “Spiritual Journey of Family Life”, led by Jen and Carter Brothers

• “Bible Study”, led by Dr. Richard Grayson
  

Growing in our faith continues beyond our Sunday morning worship:

• Monday mornings Jane Stuart Smith teaches a Bible study class

• Monday afternoons Helen Beasley teaches a Bible study class
  
• EFM (Education for Ministry) is a four year theological education program for the laity of the Church. It is offered by the School of Theology of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. Participants meet weekly at St. John’s from September to May to study the Old Testament, the New Testament, church history, and twentieth century theology.
  

We welcome your ideas and suggestions for future programs.  Please contact John Garst or Jen Brothers with ideas or suggestions.

Youth Discipleship -- A.M. Live

Middle School -- Room 404

Senior High -- Room 406

The A.M. Live program on Sunday morning is an interactive class that mixes fellowship, games, and service activities with the study of the Bible.

Children's Education

St. John's Sunday School (9:00 AM) began the Workshop Rotation Model in September, 2003.  This curriculum engages the eight intelligences:  linguistic, logical-mathematical, special, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal and naturalist.

The same Bible Story is told for several weeks.

• In the Art Workshop the children will creatively and artistically respond to the Bible Story.
• In the Storytelling Workshop we will re-discover that storytelling captivates the attention of the children.
• In Drama the children will respond to the story through the use of drama, puppets and video-taping.
• With Cooking the children will respond to the Bible Story through edible activities.
• In our Computer room there will be software with which the young people will be able to create, research, memorize and review stories using this high-tech tool.

  and finally...

• In our Audiovisual workshop, the young people will explore the story by watching a video presentation (sometimes one they created themselves).

This year we will be studying:

• Character Counts:  Joshua
• Won't You Be My Neighbor:  The Good Samaritan
• The Birth of Christ
• You've Got Mail:  Letters from Paul
• Road Trip:  From Resurrection to Pentecost

Call David Lake (342-6667) or Nikki Dandridge, Chairs of Children's Discipleship Committee (400-8421) if you are interested in helping our children grow in Christ, or if you would like to visit class on Sunday morning.

Nursery (birth to 3 years old)

We have two nurseries at St. John's. One is for infants under the age of 18 months and one is for toddlers up to the age of 3. Childcare is provided every Sunday from 8:45 a.m. until after the 10 a.m. service. We also provide childcare for a variety of programs that take place Sunday evenings and during the week. Our nursery is ably staffed by three paid adults who have a long history of caring for children who come to St. John's. Crystal Gills Fernatt has been responsible for our nursery for the past eight years.

It is our goal to provide a safe, loving, fun, comfortable and clean environment for our children.

Three-year-olds & Four-year-olds

Sunday School for our three and four-year-olds is largely experiential. There is lots of storytelling, arts and crafts as well as music and physical ways of “telling the story”. The Bible stories our three and four-year-olds learn are based on the lectionary.