Spring is transformational and transitional for Cathedral youth

Just as children mature over time, so does their relationship with God. At Christ Church Cathedral giving youth a firm foundation from which to deepen their spiritual life starts early and tracks alongside the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional stages of children from birth through high school. Or, to encapsulate it, the Cathedral’s holistic vision is a Roots to Fruits program of Christian education.

Spring is a time of big transition for three groups — the fifth grade students who are moving from Children’s Ministry up to the Treehouse, the teens who are being confirmed, and the high-school youth who are gearing up for college or whatever comes next.

As Minister for Children & Families KariAnn Lessner explains, both the Children & Family, and the Youth Ministry Councils want the progression from Children’s Ministry to Youth Ministry to be as seamless as possible.

“It is part and parcel of being both a Cathedral kid and a member of the Treehouse,” Lessner says. “If you consider children’s ministry as the roots of the process — getting your roots really firmly established in our core beliefs — then when they head upstairs to the Treehouse, they will have all the tools that they need to be successful in Youth Ministry. And that’s when we hope to start seeing the ‘fruits.’”

Baptism is only the beginning. Some small children accompany their families to Sunday services, while others are looked after in the Childcare Center.

TRANSFORMATION, page 6

Instruction in Eucharist

BRANT MILLS

“Does anyone know what this is?”

Leaning over the altar rail, ten kids, all about six-years old were eyeing the silver chalice.

A couple of hands went into the air. “It’s a cup,” a blonde girl noted, smiling.

“That’s right, Canon Bradley Varnell said. Do you know what we do with it?”

I had walked into the Cathedral to grab a few photos for Instruction in Eucharist, an accessible overview of Communion elements offered to first-timers and open to

INSTRUCTION, page 7