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Ministries
All programs, activities and other aspects of Christian Education and Children and Youth Ministry at Waverly relate to the following goals of transformation for the people of the church:
1. Education – what it means to be a Christian
2. Fellowship – being together in a way that reflects who we are as Christians
3. Participation – being involved in the life of the church through worship, mission, education and fellowship
Adult Ministry
Every Sunday during the church program year,15-20 adults gather an hour before worship in the lounge to discuss topics of interest in the human spiritual journey. With the full knowledge that we don’t just go to heaven but “grow to heaven,” these discussions typically focus on practical applications of our faith. Past topics have included “Rabbi Kushner on the 23rd Psalm,” “The Relevancy of the 10 Commandments,” “If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat,” “God Grew Tired of Us,” “The Nature of Forgiveness,” “Our Spiritual Gifts,” “Social Justice from the Jewish Perspective,” “Close Encounters of a Third Kind: Encountering God, Jesus, and Yourself,” and “Does Religion have a Place at Work?” and “Great Themes of the Bible”.
Youth Programs
Waverly has a very active youth program for Grades 6-12. In addition to being highly involved in the regular worship and music, mission and fellowship activities of the church, the Youth Group meets weekly on Sunday evenings from 6-8 pm. We have a yearly Youth Retreat at Camp Crestfield, an annual Halloween Overnight, participate in the fall CROP Walk for hunger, and perform in the Waverly Opera House, a melodramatic and musical event to raise funds for camp scholarships, every other year. Several of the youth attend Camp Crestfield and/or Trinity Youth Conference and some are leaders and counselors at these camps. Both Jr. and Sr. High Sunday School classes perform in the Waverly Wuppets, monthly puppet ministry lessons, as the Time For Children in Worship. Older Youth are included as one of the yearly focuses in Waverly’s three-year rotation of Mission Trips (Local Mission, Global Mission, and Youth Mission).
Waverly encourages all youth to “come as you are” (and bring friends!). We strive to include questions, doubts and fears as a part of our deep exploration of faith, to create a safe and accepting peer group, to help others less fortunate, and to have lots of fun.
Children’s Programs
Our Christian Education Committee is responsible for the church’s educational activities for infants through adults. It coordinates Nursery Care during Worship and Special Events, and oversees many mission and fellowship activities and special events specifically for children, youth and young adults through Children and Youth Ministry.
Members of the committee help to identify the educational needs of the community, and seek out or develop programs to meet those needs. We provide opportunities for fellowship and mission. They supervise and/or coordinate programs and activities with the appropriate leaders and other committee chairs, including recruiting and training leaders for specific programs. They maintain communication with teachers and leaders, and provide them with learning opportunities. The committee maintains communication with the pastor and the choir director regarding youth participation in Worship and music and other rehearsals. It oversees fund raising strategies for camp, trip and retreat scholarships with various committees and church leaders. The committee communicates with families via e-mail and mail, and provide a calendar of events as necessary.
