Children & Youth Ministries

Worshippers of all ages are always welcome at Saint Barnabas!

Nursery

Parents with small children may bring their children with them to the worship service or may choose to take advantage of our supervised childcare for newborns through toddlers (ages 0 through 3) in the Seedlings Nursery. The nursery is open for the 9:00am and 11:00am services, as well as during the 10:00 Sunday School hour. Our nursery teachers have been trained in Safeguarding God's Children and are a dedicated, caring group with vast experience. Parents may drop off their children prior to the service and pick them up during the Offertory so that families may come together to share Communion, or they may pick their children up after the service. The nursery is located in the same building as the Church office — halfway down the hall towards the playground (follow the signs).

Grades PreK-5

There’s so much fun to be had in Sunday School for the young children of Saint Barnabas! Learn through games, crafts, study and activities. We use Godly Play, an approach to supporting the spiritual growth of children through Biblical story, liturgical action, parables and silence, leaving lots of room for wondering and the work of the Holy Spirit within the hearts of each one of us. 

Our time together begins with a welcome by the Doorperson as each child enters the room, and joins the others to make a circle for the day's liturgy and story. After the story (which is a prayerful mix of Scripture, symbolic movement and tactile experience with wooden figures, sand, etc), the children are given space to "wonder" and describe whatever the Holy Spirit is opening their hearts to see. After the group wondering time, the children continue their wondering time independently with artistic work, or they can choose to give their attention to the story materials and re-enact what they have just experienced during the storytelling. Following this creative time, we conclude by regathering in our circle for the Feast (where the children learn how to serve one another), and communal conversation. As parents come to reunite with their kids, we dismiss them from the circle one at a time with a personal blessing or benediction. This arc of Gathering with Blessing, Sharing Story, Reflecting Communally, Participating in Feast, and Going Forth in Benediction mimics the same liturgical arc in our church services!

Middle School and High School

We offer a caring and safe environment for students in middle school (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12) to explore their growing faith throughout the school year. Sunday School for students in grades 6-12 is held every Sunday at 10:00am in room 119 of the Children’s Wing. High Schoolers are also encouraged to attend the Young Life meetings every Monday at 7:47pm at Hondo’s (312 W Main St). Click the link to learn more about Fredericksburg Young Life! Please check our Facebook and Instagram accounts for updates on these and other hangouts.

As a church in the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, we encourage our youth and their families to participate in some of the many camp offerings at Camp Capers in Waring and Mustang Island Family Camps on the coast and Duncan Park near Boulder, Colorado.