Children

Children’s Sunday School

First Presbyterian Church uses the Workshop Rotational Model for Sunday School (the WoRM method) as the basis for the Christian Education program offered to first through sixth graders. The method was created in 1990 by Christian educators at a Presbyterian church in Barrington, Illinois, as a way to improve attendance, learning and enthusiasm within the church’s Sunday School program.

The WoRM model focuses on teaching major Bible stories and concepts through a series of child-friendly workshops using art and crafts, drama, music, games, audio-visuals, puppets, storytelling, computers and other educational media. The same Bible lesson is taught in all the workshops, but the method used to present the lesson (through art, cooking, drama, computers, memory exercises, competition, etc.) is different. The children rotate to a different workshop each week so that each age group experiences the same lesson.

At FPC, children are divided into three groups:

• First and second graders.
• Third and fourth graders.
• Fifth and sixth graders.

All age groups meet together for 10 minutes each Sunday at 9:45 a.m. for fellowship, opening prayer, singing and brief discussion of the lesson theme. After the assembly concludes, the groups are dismissed to go to the individual workshops for fun, learning and follow-through. The workshops conclude at 10:30 a.m.  Accompanying each group are two adult “shepherds” that stay with the class throughout the year and offer encouragement and assistance to the children. Educators and teachers at FPC believe the workshops address the repetition that children need to develop a lasting memory and understanding of content in the Bible. 

FPC implemented the WoRM model in January 2005 and feels that the workshop concept gives children the necessary tools to grow into the Christian life as they become adults.