". . . and he said, "I am the Good Shepherd . . ."

Welcome to The Sheepfold

I hope this page will give you an idea of what the "Worship Center" format of religious education for children is all about.

The Worship Center is a special place belonging to the children, where they can better understand what worshipping God is all about. The aim is to create an atmosphere where they can listen to God' stories and catch the wonder and spirit of the living God who is ever present.

We sit in a circle on the floor with our legs crossed and our hands in our laps. We begin with a review of the behavior expected, which is very calm and quiet. We teach quite a few of the prayers and songs in American Sign Language, and the children love it. It is beautiful to watch.

The children then hear the Bible story. It is presented in the middle of the circle on a felt underlay with wooden figures and props so the children can see as well as hear the Word. After the story is told we spend time wondering about the story. Sometimes the children are quite talkative during wondering time and other times they are silent. Both responses are correct. The idea is to get them thinking about and feeling the presence of God. They are then given time to express their feelings in artwork, music or using the materials we use to tell the story. Sometimes we will have a puppet show and occasionally learn new signs for a song during this response time. We end with a short prayer and Bible reading, so the children know that the story they heard comes from the Bible.

A response I frequently get from the children is, "Wow, you mean all this stuff is true?" I just love to see their faces when they realize that. It has been for me more of a learning experience than a teaching experience. There is such joy in sharing the Lord.

Joy and blessings,
Elaine