Long before Saint Nicholas became Santa Claus, he was known around the world for his love of children. At St. Nicholas Church, we keep the spirit of our parish patron saint alive! We delight in the precious gift of children – not only because they are the future of our church, but because they radiate God’s love and joy right now. They enrich our experience of God in our midst, and we, in turn, strive to enrich theirs. Children are always welcome at St. Nicholas. They are invited to participate in the liturgy at whatever level they are ready for – whether it’s peeking from their parents’ embrace as they worship, or listening to our voices in prayer and song then moving off to the children’s “sharing table” to color, or taking on the roles of lector and chalice bearer. We seek to share the message of God’s love with our children in a way that they can relate to, and to help them grow in their understanding of the meaning – and impact – of celebrating the liturgy with their faith community, remaining sensitive to their individual personalities and development. Simply, we strive to nurture our children’s relationship with God so they fully experience and share His love. We take to heart Jesus’ command to “Let the little children come to me… because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these.”

Simply, we strive to nurture our children’s relationship with God so they fully experience and share His love. We take to heart Jesus’ command to “Let the little children come to me… because the kingdom of heaven belongs to people like these.”

At this time, on the 1st Sunday of each month children are invited to play active roles in the liturgy: joining in the processional, reading, bringing up the gifts, and assisting at the altar as acolytes and chalice bearers. The homily on that Sunday particularly speaks to the young and young at heart (all of us!). On the 3rd Sunday of each month, the children gather with two or three adults in the Noah’s Ark area of our narthex to read a version of the Gospel written for children. We then talk about the story in a way that is meaningful for them and relate it to their own experiences. We conclude by doing a fun activity that brings the message to life.

Our children’s liturgy and formation program continue to evolve, and we invite you to take part in its creation!