Children age 5 and under

All children are encouraged to attend worship with their families. During the 9:00 and 11:15 a.m. services, nursery care is available for infants through age 5, with a welcoming toddler room for those more comfortable outside the service. My Church Bags are also offered to help young children engage during liturgy. Nursery care is available on request for other parish functions as well. 

Formation for children age 3 to 5th grade

Sundays 10:00-11:15 during the school year. Our atria foster quiet wonder, hands-on learning, and deep engagement with Scripture. 

Our children’s program builds on the rich foundation of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, weaving in Episcopal Church resources to create a curriculum that is both faithful and flexible. Our Sunday School and atria foster quiet wonder, hands-on learning, and deep engagement with Scripture—while making it accessible to today’s families and parishioners

Sunday mornings during formation time

Our Jr. and Sr. EYC (Episcopal Youth Community) programs follow a three-year cycle that prepares students not only for Confirmation—a mature profession of faith—but for a lifelong journey with Christ. Along the way, we explore the great foundations of our faith from the historic catechisms: the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer.
But youth ministry here is so much more than Bible study and donuts (though we love both!). Throughout the year, we dive into service projects, community outreach, and fellowship events that build lasting friendships and make a real difference in the world.

August/September

As the school year looms, we celebrate with Rally Day when children, parents and all the generations gather! We share a parish-wide picnic and provide fun games and activities for children. Children and youth register for Christian Education and Formation, parents sign up to volunteer,  and we begin meeting each Sunday to worship and learn and experience friendships grow.

December

As Christmas grows near, we mark the season of Advent as a time for preparation. The themes in the children’s atria and youth room change as we prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. We also take time to celebrate fellowship and all the generations gathered on Christmas Cookie Sunday. Parishioners bake hundreds of cookies for children and youth to decorate—youth get the added challenge of decorating blind folded.

Feruary/March

As Ash Wednesday comes and goes, the Forty Days of Lent begins. Themes change in the children’s atria and in the youth room as we experience the story of Jesus’s death and resurrection. Worship takes on a more somber tone as there is less organ music and the Alleluias are put away. Children, Youth, and Young Families take up a special Lenten Day service project.

April

Following the Palm Sunday Liturgy, Holy Week begins. Families are invited to share in the Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil liturgies. On Easter Sunday the parish is decked out in the white vestments and flowers of Resurrection. Children are invited to participate in the Easter Egg Hunt, the Easter Egg Toss and other activities that help us celebrate our friendships and the new life of the resurrection

May/June

As the Fifty Days of Easter march toward Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit, the themes in the children’s atria and in the youth room change. By this time of year, families tend to be wearing down with the pressures of work and school and the busyness of Naples seasonality. We try to offer less pressure on families, but encourage them to continue to find the balance that the church offers. As the school year ends, the church looks forward to the annual fun on the waterfront—a special blessing to our church that is situated on the water.