Our strategic discipleship plan for the entire congregation—from birth through retirement—starts with Sunday school.
Our goal is that when our children graduate from high school they will have a true knowledge and lasting relationship with Christ that started developing as babies. As they transition to adulthood, we continue to focus on what it means to truly be disciples making disciples.
While we’ll continue to have community groups, mid-week studies and events for various groups (those can be found here), the foundation for those will be built during the Sunday school hour. We encourage everyone to join us. Below you’ll find the details for each of the age groups in the church.
for adults
As a community of grace and healing, we recognize that our lives are broken and we live in a world that is broken. Jesus came to bring his kingdom among us to renew and restore our lives and the whole of creation to himself. In keeping with our mission to make disciples who make disciples, St. Andrew’s Church will offer a robust adult Sunday school curriculum comprising three tracks: Core, Electives and Bible.
Each semester will be broken into two 8-10 weeks quarters and with three classes per quarter, which gives six different class opportunities each semester.
core track
Our core classes represent skills and information that we believe are essential for everyone at St. Andrew’s. They are designed with the whole church in mind and all members are encouraged to complete them. These courses provide a place to not only learn, but they are also designed to help people establish relationships and integrate meaningfully into the life of the church. In this two-year cycle, attendees will learn and practice faithful ways of relating to God, themselves, the church and the world.
Liturgy and Discipleship at St. Andrew’s
Taught by Dustin+ Freeman, Robert+ Cook and David Young | Andrew Room
Are you new to St. Andrew’s? This class is for you! Everyone is welcome to attend this edition of the Newcomers’ Class as we learn what Anglicans believe, the history, vision and values of St. Andrew’s and explore how discipleship and liturgy function as the foundation for experiencing God’s transformative grace in everyday life.
Discipleship Practices: Prayer
Taught by William+ and April Carpenter | Commons
Prayer is a vital component of being a disciple of Christ. This class is aimed at laying out basic understanding, and then quickly moving toward doing, with the ultimate goal of providing prayer practices that a person can use to start and/or deepen their prayer life. Practices will focus on both inward- and outward-focused prayer. It should be a safe place to practice praying, ask questions and be encouraged in prayer for, and with, each other.
ELECTIVES track
Electives classes are just that—classes you can elect to take or not. They offer a way to go deeper into the various callings and interests that people will uncover or clarify in the Core track.
No classes in this track during the 3rd quarter
BIBLE track
Bible classes are our standard offering for those who want to intersperse that material with a deeper engagement with scripture. A rotation of Biblical books and formats—lecture and discussion—allow these classes to provide fresh and meaningful material that is always relevant to all. Fall semester will cover books from the Old Testament; New Testament books will be during the spring.
Isaiah: the LORD saves
Taught by Hannah Clardy | Mary & Martha Room
Join us as we read and study the book of Isaiah. This class will introduce the big-picture view of the book of Isaiah and its historical backdrop, explore key themes and characters (e.g., “the day of the Lord,” new creation, Isaiah of Jerusalem, servant[s] of the Lord), and help deepen your understanding of Old Testament prophecy. We’ll consider how Jesus and the writers of the New Testament understood this book and its good news about God’s plan to rescue and restore his people.
The class format includes teaching and group discussion, as well as at-home assignments. It will run for the whole spring semester.
for YOUTH
St. Andrew’s Student Ministry, DASH, is divided into three groups—6/7th grade, 8th grade and high school—for Sunday school, and two groups—middle and high school—on Wednesday nights.
DASH track
We believe that every student should have the chance to learn who they were created to be, who they are in Christ and to love what he loves. We want all our students learn everything they need to know so that they can follow Christ in the way they were intended to.
6/7th Grade
In a class geared just for them, sixth & seven graders dive into companion lessons of the New Testament survey they do on Wednesday evenings.
8th Grade
Eight graders walk through a year-long confirmation class as they solidify the basics of their belief in and love for Christ. Student confirmation takes place each Spring.
9-12th Grade
In a class designed to take our high schoolers deeper in their knowledge of God, take a more in-depth look at companion lessons of the Old Testament survey they do on Wednesday evenings.
for Children
ENCOUNTER kids (K–5th grade) and Beginnings (infant–pre-k4) each have two distinct, but related, discipleship times on Sundays: service and Sunday school.
God’s big story track
God’s Big Story, rooted in the incredible truth that God has come to rescue his children from their own sin through his Son Jesus Christ, invites children to enter into the narrative of God’s abounding faithfulness and love for all of his beloved children. It explores the biblical narrative from creation and the fall to Jesus’ sacrificial victory on the cross to the promise of a new heaven and earth. God’s Big Story is taught in the context of worship through liturgy, song, scripture memory, story presentation, wondering questions, catechesis (teaching of doctrine and the faith), prayer and many reflective and creative responses geared to a variety of age groups.
Toddler
Ones and Twos
The curriculum repeats with the same lessons each year. The same bible story is repeated over four weeks and each week we provide different activities to help children engage with the story.
Spring Semester Topics
January—Jesus calms a storm
February—Zackhaeus
March—The Lost Sheep
April—Jesus is Alive
May—Good Samaritan
Preschool
Threes and Fours
This one-year curriculum is designed to transition a group of kids from the toddlers program to the regular elementary program with shorter stories and plenty of play time. The lessons are designed with lots of review and repetition as stories build upon each other.
Spring Semester Topics
January & February—Jesus life and miracles
March—Events of Holy Week
April—Crucifixion/Easter/Ascension
May—Parables
Lower Elementary
K, 1st & 2nd grade
Each year of this curriculum covers Old Testament stories in the fall, New Testament stories beginning in Advent and has a Catechesis Unit for the summer. In small age-based groups (no more than 12 kids), children explore and engage the story.
Fall Semester Topics
God with his people in the tabernacle
God with his people in the temple
Upper Elementary
3rd/4th grade
Each year of this curriculum covers Old Testament stories in the fall, New Testament stories beginning in Advent and has a Catechesis Unit for the summer. In small age-based groups (no more than 12 kids), children explore and engage the story.
Fall Semester Topics
God’s Promises of the Serpent crusher, Land, People, Blessing and the Forever King.
Faith. Sin. Substitution.
Junior Youth
5th grade
Two year rotation which is pedagogically different than Elementary curriculum in which kids go more in-depth discussions as they read directly from the scriptures, play games and act out stories.
Fall Semester Topics
Joshua
Judges
Ruth