Education at St. John

Children and Youth

Church School meets on the first three Sundays of the month at 8:15am, before the main worship service. Check the website calendar for information on specific scheduling. We offer classes for children and young people, all the way through high school. We have a group of experienced and dedicated teachers and assistants, and we use a high quality education program known as the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This approach to Christian education is based on the techniques of Maria Montessori, and it includes ages three through twelve. We are very proud of our Church School, and we want everyone to participate; however, the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd curriculum does require a parent-and-child orientation. So, rather than just ‘drop by’ some Sunday morning, we ask that you contact Sandi Andrews, our CGS Coordinator ahead of your visit, so that we can give you and your child the best possible introduction to our Church School program.

Adults

We offer a number of different opportunities for adult education. To begin with, we have a very large parish library that includes some of the most helpful and some of the most basic texts on Orthodox Christianity. The library is open to all, and books can be checked out for a month at a time (and renewed for an even longer period of time).

The St Thomas Catechetical School also offers classes most Saturday afternoons of the year. You can check the website calendar for specific scheduling, but, just about every week, this class deals with some of the basic doctrines of the Faith. The St Thomas School is specifically designed for people who are looking into Orthodox Christianity, but many people from our parish and other parish communities also attend the class on a regular basis.

We have other educational events throughout the year, as well. In the fall, we offer our Annual Theological Seminar. This event takes place at several different times and locations throughout the week, and it provides us with an opportunity for some in-depth study. Our Pascha Book Study takes place in the spring, between Easter and Pentecost. It also meets at several different times and locations throughout the week, and, during those sessions, we discuss a book that we are all reading together.

If you have specific questions about any of our education programs, either for adults or children or young people, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.