Early
Childhood
Milestones
First Sunday at Redemption
On this special Sunday, we pause to celebrate the very first milestone of a child’s journey of faith, and we affirm our intention to be faithful guides along the way. With great joy we welcome infants into our community, and we embody our prayer that they will never know a single day when they don’t feel a part of the people of God. From day one, we will treat them as full members of the body of Christ who have gifts to share, and whose presence is a blessing to each of us.
Baby Dedication/Baptism
This ceremony is a public commitment made by parents, signaling their intent to raise their child in the ways of Jesus and guide them in the process of becoming a channel for God’s activity and promise. It also provides an opportunity for our congregation to confirm our promise to come alongside families and offer our support and love as they lead their children on the journey of faith.
Promotion Sunday
Promotion Sunday is a special milestone we celebrate as a church. It is a moment during a Sunday service where we honor our preschool students as they take the next step in their faith journey, transitioning into the elementary classroom. We mark this passage together, celebrating their maturity and affirming our commitment to walk with them in this new chapter.
Elementary
Milestones
Eucharist Class
This class for children and parents is an invitation to understand the Lord's Supper as a meal of remembrance and belonging. We explore the meaning of our communion liturgy and what it means to be nourished by God's grace in our shared life together.
The Bible Class
This class is an opportunity for elementary students and their parents to engage with the Bible as a normative story for our faith. It's a time to learn how to read and listen for what God is saying through these sacred texts, discovering them not just as ancient words but as a living story. This milestone provides families with a shared map for their journey and equips them to build a common vocabulary of faith that will anchor them as they grow.
Promotion Sunday
Promotion Sunday is a special milestone we celebrate as a church. It is a moment during a Sunday service where we honor our 5th-grade students as they take the next step in their faith journey, transitioning into Youth Ministry. We mark this passage together, celebrating their maturity and affirming our commitment to walk with them in this new chapter.
Youth
Ministry
Milestones
Middle School
Classes
Justice and Compassion Class
In this class, we lean into our shared responsibility to stand in solidarity with the outcast. We will explore the difference between justice and compassion, helping kids and their parents discover how their unique wiring can be used to bring God's redemptive love to a broken world.
Relationships Class
We explore the formative nature of friendship and fidelity in this class. It is a time for students and parents to talk about how relationships shape who we are and what it means to build a life of connection, loyalty, and healthy community.
Confession Class
This class introduces confession not as a burden, but as a practice for pursuing wholeness. We teach students how telling the truth about our lives can be a pathway to freedom and peace, inviting them to engage in this sacred practice.
High School
Events
Fall High School Retreat
This is a weekend away for high school students to step out of their normal routines, deepen friendships, and explore their faith in a focused, intentional way. It's a time for rest, community, and encountering God.
Spring Break Civil Rights Trip
This is a service and learning trip focused on the history of the Civil Rights movement. Students will engage with the past, explore themes of justice and compassion, and consider their role in bringing about the future of God.
High School
Experiences
Wilderness Story
This is an opportunity for our seniors that takes place during the season of Lent. Seniors share their personal stories of wilderness and reconciliation.
Senior Internship
This is a service commitment where seniors commit to a year of intentional service, mentoring, and leadership within the church.
GRADUATION
SUNDAY
Graduation Sunday is the capstone of our U18 milestones, a final rite of passage that celebrates our seniors' full participation in the life of the church. Over their time with us, we have sought to bear witness to who they are, to see the gifts God is bringing into the world through them. This morning, we make a communal call—a public naming of these gifts—and we send them forth, entrusting them with the response of their lives. They are not all of a sudden members of the church; rather they have more fully become who they have been the whole time, part of the people of God. As they move forward, we affirm their place in our community and commission them to let their lives speak for the sake of the church, the world, and their own meaningful existence.
