Youth Education

FPCP Youth Education

Our Sunday Morning services are relaxing, inspiring, and creative!
Enjoy Nursery Care, Youth Sermon, Sunday School, & the Goat Bank.

We love kids! Children of all ages are welcome on Sunday mornings at The Church of the Open Door. Children are an essential part of the joy we feel in our congregation at weekly worship services.

During the first part of our Sunday services, Rev. Dr. Doris Chandler shares a Youth Sermon with younger folks. Kids walk on up to the front of the church and sit on the floor of the sanctuary with Rev. Doris so they can see, listen, learn, ask questions, and share their insights. Rev. Doris was a school teacher for 20+ years. She gets kids! The Youth Sermon is a wonderful, warm, and thoughtful introduction to some pretty big ideas about how to care for each other, to stand up for what's right, and to do a little good in the world every day. (Grown-ups can always learn a thing or two from these Youth Sermons, too!)

Right after the Youth Sermon, members of the congregation offer up their gifts. While beautiful music plays, older children often pass the collection plates. Meanwhile, the younger children get to walk (or skip, or hop!) up and down the center aisle of the sanctuary, collecting quarters for our Children's Mission. Then they get to drop all of these quarters into a tall, transparent tube (photo at left). That's our Goat Bank!

Whenever the Goat Bank is full, our congregation uses all of those quarters to buy a goat through Heifer International. This farm animal is donated to a grateful family in need somewhere in the world. To date, we've purchased nine goats for families all over the world! Visit our Heifer International page for more information on this wonderful Children's Mission project!

Following the Goat Bank collection, children can stay with their parents for the rest of the worship service, or they can join other children at Sunday School! Our Sunday School welcomes children in pre-Kindergarten through Grade 8, and our bright and cozy classroom is just down the hall, a few steps away from the sanctuary..

Sunday School is like an old-fashioned one-room schoolhouse. Children of all ages learn together in the same room, but explorations and activities in our lesson plans are tailored according to ages and abilities. Middle school students often take leadership roles, assisting our volunteer teachers as well as the younger students.

All Sunday School teachers are volunteers from the congregation who take turns teaching in the classroom. You don't have to be a parent to teach -- everyone has special gifts and wisdom to share! For more information, email Youth Education Coordinator Carolyn Llewellyn at pchamsia@gmail.com.

Parents of babies and toddlers sometimes worry if their littlest ones cry or get "the squirmies" during Sunday morning services.

We love crying babies and squirmy toddlers! But if it makes attending services a little bit easier, you can always bring your little ones to our Nursery Care. We offer baby and toddler care in our peaceful church library, just steps from the sanctuary. Care is available throughout the service. Parents can come and go with babies and toddlers as many times as you like.

So remember: Our Nursery Caregiver is available every Sunday to watch over our "Littlest Congregation."

Teen Programs

Opportunities for Teens:
Community Service Through Mission Projects

Teens play important roles in our mission projects to help people and families in need in our community. For example, they collect food donations and volunteer to help on Saturdays at the Philipstown Food Pantry.

They also sort clothes and make lunches for our Midnight Run missions that provide food, comfort, and conversation to homeless people in New York City.

Students 16 and older can sign up for our PresbyBuild Work Days to help build and renovate homes for families in Newburgh, in partnership with other churches and Habitat for Humanity.

Teens can also volunteer to help prepare PAPA Meals on the first Tuesday of the month, when we provide a hearty and nutritious hot meal for up to 80 people at the Salvation Army's soup kitchen in Peekskill.

Families, please note: Teens can participate in mission projects with their families, or on their own (with parental permission). They can also volunteer through youth organizations such as school groups or scout troops. You will find more detailed information about projects our Mission Page. To volunteer or donate, please contact the organizer listed for each mission project on our Mission Page, or contact the church office at 1presbyterian@gmail.com or (845) 265-3220.

Youth Group for Teens
Teens meet on select Sundays from 5:30 - 7 pm

All local teens are welcome at our Youth Group meetings! Your family does not need to be a member of our congregation, or any congregation, to participate. During COVID-19, teens are meeting via the ZOOM remote meeting platform!

On Sunday afternoons, teens meet with Rev. Dr. Doris Chandler to discuss timely issues; share opinions, concerns, and experiences; and (when we can meet in person) collaborate on projects. Youth Group members often volunteer on mission and outreach projects, and contribute to Sunday services and other activities.

Teens also have the option to take our confirmation classes. Eight teens took confirmation classes in spring 2019; many chose to be confirmed as FPCP members (photo at left).

For info about our Youth Group, contact Rev. Dr. Doris here.

To receive important updates about our Youth Group, teen mission projects, and other adventures in faith for teens:
* Join our email list! The form is on our home page.
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