Along with God’s promises made to us during baptism, we promise to teach each child the Lord’s Prayer, Ten Commandments, and the Creed. We promise to place in their hands the holy scriptures and nurture them in faith and prayer.
We do this so that each may learn to trust God, proclaim Christ through word and deed, care for others and the world God made, and work for justice and peace.
We take these promises seriously and structure our children’s and youth education around these promises.
Sunday School (Ages 5-18)
During the school year, classes are available each Sunday at 9:45 AM for all ages from Kindergarten to adults. Visitors are welcome in any of our Sunday School classes. Need more information? Check here or reach out to our pastor.
We present age-appropriate Bibles for each child throughout elementary and middle school and provide first communion instruction.
Confirmation (typically grades 6-8)
Confirmation has been around in Lutheran Churches for a long time. It’s a time when we help young Christians grow in faith so they can live out the promises made for them at baptism. Our first two years focus on the Bible and Luther’s Small Catechism (Ten Commandments, Creeds, and the Lord’s Prayer). Our third year is when we live out our promise to care for others and the world God made by serving others in our congregation and in our community.
Mission Trips (middle and high school)
Mission trips make memories but more importantly, they can impact our faith and the way we view the world. Past trips have included serving at community gardens and shelters in our local community, cleaning up after hurricanes on the coasts of Georgia and Florida, and attending the ELCA Youth Gathering with 15,000 other Lutheran youth! We are so very thankful for our congregation who supports our youth both financially and with prayer, allowing each to experience God’s world beyond the walls of our church.
Family Fun Afternoons
We love to gather together with our families outside of Good Shepherd. We typically meet near a Woodstock location for a day on the beach, bowling, a visit to the pumpkin patch, or we hang at the church and make gingerbread houses.
VBS
We offer Vacation Bible School every summer at Good Shepherd for children who are rising pre-k to rising 6th graders. Stay tuned to our website for launches and updates.
Preschool Chapel
We are fortunate to have had Child’s Play Preschool with us for the last 30+ years. One of the highlights is our “Church Chapel”, when we welcome the littles into the sanctuary to hear an interactive Bible story, sing, laugh, and learn about Jesus.
Youth Policies
Please rest assured that all our programs are led by facilitators who love to work with children, but as importantly, have received a background check and been trained in child safety procedures through Protect My Ministry. Questions? Please reach out to our pastor.