Children and Youth Ministry

Children and youth are a blessing in the Apostles Anglican community. After a season of intermittent leadership changes through the COVID pandemic, both our children's ministry leader and our youth leader were hired in August 2022. Apostles has been blessed by generous growth in attendance of young families and these leaders and their awareness of the needs we have for the future are important for the congregation. 

Our children's ministry leader, Laurie Armstrong, has a heart for seeing our children understand and be a part of our church community. Our children have a unique opportunity to participate in a Montessori-inspired program on Sunday mornings called "The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.”  A special room has been set up that allows children, ages three through eleven, to follow the liturgical rhythms of the church and explore the stories of the Bible at their own pace and in a hands-on manner. There is a theme to each day accompanied by a short presentation. In today's busy world, Apostles has set aside a unique time for children to be guided in peaceful exploration of themes like Jesus as the Good Shepherd, Jesus as the Light of the World, and the elements of communion. Other activities and programs for children and their families in recent years include Advent and Lent Saturday mornings as a time to prepare for the upcoming seasons as well as age appropriate classes about taking communion and confirmation. Those who work with our children go through background checks and follow the protocol recommended by the ACNA. Summer opportunities for family fellowship and fun filled workshops are in the works for this summer.

Samuel Hood, our youth and young adult pastor, is grounded in the desire for the youth to grow close to each other and to the Lord. A group of seven high school students meets at Samuel and Maddie's home on Monday nights in a relaxed, small group setting. Samuel allows space and time for these students to connect their hearts with fellowship, food and dialogue. He is sensitive to the issues and pressures facing students today and has a heart to create an atmosphere where it is safe to ask hard questions. The number of Middle School and High School students in attendance at Apostles is small at this time, so this is a ministry that overlaps with our sister church, St. Patrick’s, allowing students from the two churches to be together. Our middle school student attends St. Pat's program. Our youth are active in the church and contribute actively. They serve as nursery workers for our toddlers, help with the sound board ministry and share their musical and artistic gifts and they have helped with other service projects in the past.