Education

The purpose of Christian Education is to provide a solid grounding in the stories and principles of the Bible which underpin our understanding of history, morality, and the Christian faith.  At Zion we offer the following programs:

Sunday Church School

Our Sunday Church School program welcomes children between the ages of 3 years-of-age and 8th grade and helps them come to a greater understanding of the unconditional love God has given us through His son, Jesus Christ. The children learn through a variety of experiences including Bible stories, Bible study, role playing, written activities, as well as craft and mission projects.  Classes start at 9:00 A.M. in the Fellowship Hall from September through June.

Donna is our Sunday School administrator, head of the Education committee, and sets curriculum and is in charge of the Opening.

Ingrid teaches the 5-8-year-olds, using a lesson plan that generally mirrors the three-year lectionary cycle, so that children who attend her classes usually have a preview of the topic of that Sunday’s sermon.

Phil teaches the 9-13-year-olds from the “Manna and Mercy” syllabus (by Daniel Erlander) syllabus that traces the revelation of God’s Word throughout the history described in the Old and New Testaments. A deeper exploration than is typical for this age range.

Susan is Zion’s Director of Music, Organist and Choir Director.  She is in charge of the Musical parts of the Opening, but this is often just a pretext for her to draft young singers to participate in some part of the church service.

Confirmation

Confirmation is a two-year period of study and reflection, for 7th and 8th graders, that explores the promises and the life that God gives us in the waters of holy baptism.  Confirmation provides an opportunity for discussion, learning and thinking so that we can grow in our relationships with God and one another.  During these two years, we learn the content of our faith which is found in the Bible (year 1) and Luther’s Small Catechism (year 2).  In addition we learn why faith in God matters in our daily life.  Third, we learn what it means to be a Lutheran Christian.  Most importantly, though, we want to communicate how the Gospel, God’s good news, makes a difference in our daily lives.  Confirmation meets two Monday nights a month from September through May.

Adult Education

Until Zion calls a new pastor, we have suspended Adult Education classes.