CHILDREN’S

Formation

Their relentless love gives us a glimpse of the life God desires for us all.

At Good Samaritan, we believe our children have as much to teach us about God as we have to teach them. Children’s unashamed questioning, their unbounded joy, and their relentless love gives us a glimpse of the life God desires for us all. And yet, as adults and as a Christian community, we recognize our responsibility to provide intentional opportunities for our children to learn about and grow in faith. Our children’s ministry seeks to support parents as the primary spiritual leaders for their children, find intentional ways to build relationships, and share the Christian story in a way that provides a foundation for our children to be life-long followers of Jesus Christ.

THIS IS YOUR CHURCH VIDEO SERIES

Especially for children and newcomers, the series explores what you may see at church and each item’s purpose.

This is Your Church Video Series

SUNDAY MORNING FORMATION (not meeting in summer)

10:20 AM on Sundays
Downstairs Classrooms

Sunday mornings at Good Samaritan offer opportunities for children to explore and experience the Christian faith through activities that allow children visiting for the first time, or who do not attend consistently, to jump right in and fully participate. Children gather in the preschool area for spiritual formation and play that is centered around a Bible story featured in one of the readings their parents hear upstairs. At the passing of the peace in the service, the children rejoin their families so they can be together for the Eucharist. Children are an important part of our church life and we hope that you won’t worry about them being disruptive. Parishioners regularly report that the unscripted comments and laughter of children are something they find delightful, and a reminder that we are called to function as a community of faith that welcomes everyone.
First Sundays of the month children join participate in the whole worship service with their families. On those Sundays we will include an element to engage children more intentionally.

Celebrations constitute an important part of church life. On some occasions we just gather for fun and connection around the holidays.

Family Formation Resource

We are excited to offer a free resource to parents and families to discuss and practice faith at home! The Constant Source is a weekly devotional based on the lectionary (our cycle of Bible readings used in our Sunday services) to help parents grow in their faith and relationship with God. The Constant Source includes easy-to-do, age-appropriate, and engaging activities for families to do together to explore and grow in faith together. Sign up for The Constant Source here.

For more information about our children’s ministry, or to ask questions, contact Mother Charissa.

Poinsettias at the Altar | Honor a loved one with a poinsettia by making a $25 donation and take your poinsettia home after the 10 pm Christmas Eve service. You may also order poinsettias for your home. Each poinsettia ordered benefits the Good Samaritan Faith-in-Action Fund.

Wreaths and Trees | Select “Good Samaritan” when you order your tree and wreaths from RotaryTrees.org. Proceeds from your purchase benefit the Good Samaritan Faith-in-Action Fund.

Donated Items for Unhoused People | Place any of the following items into the “Prepare for Advent” basket in the Narthex.
The Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank will distribute items to unhoused people in our community. High-Need Items – New thermal long underwear sets
(men’s sizes M, L, XL), New Fleece hats and gloves