The earliest description of Christian faith in the Bible was to call it “the way” (Acts 9:2). From the beginning Christian faith was seen as a way of life, not merely some beliefs and practices to be added on to our existing life in the world. We are returning to this emphasis. Our focus now is on teaching what we call the “life of prayer,” which is the way we live each day in union with God the Father through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit. We aim to teach people how to pray (Luke 11:1f.), not merely what to believe.

This is especially important for young people…

Young people often come to church for as long as their parents require it, but then choose not to continue when they are old enough to make their own decisions—which is younger now than it used to be! This results in an all too frequent pattern of young people leaving the church somewhere in the middle school to high school years. This has often been attributed to a lack of a “youth program.” But youth programs are often as much the problem as the solution. Many young people who go to exciting youth programs in high school are merely postponing their departure from church until college.

The real problem is the failure of young people to experience the power and presence of God in their lives. Faith is seen as something done “at church” that has no real connection to daily life in the world. When faith is experienced this way, people, young and old, will eventually ask, “Why I am going to church?” Lacking a sufficient answer, they will stop. The answer is to lead young people into a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ that is characterized by constant prayer and a sense of Christian vocation in daily life.

We now see the instruction of youth the same way we see the instruction of adults. It is an ongoing process of spiritual formation, not a few months of Confirmation classes, the conclusion of which marks the end of one’s education. The central truths of the faith will be revisited each year in new, age appropriate ways. We are trying to cultivate a pattern of prayer and Bible reading for daily life that will provide the framework and foundation for all of life.

Children’s Ministry

Childcare is offered in our nursery for nursery-aged children (about 10 months-3 years old) during the 9:00am mass. Professional childcare workers hired through a reputable agency watch over children as they play, allowing their parents to participate in the liturgy of mass. Children participate in individual and parallel play, as well as have story and song time towards the end of the mass. After mass, parents are encouraged to drop their children off in the play area behind the gate for Education Hour. Children are given a snack, have an opportunity to participate in play outside, and are read a Bible lesson inspired by the Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm.  

Where to Take Your Children

Childcare is available beginning at 8:45am in the building across from the church. Please return to come pick-up your children after the “Agnus Dei” hymn so that both you and your children can come to the communion rail to receive a blessing.

All children ages 3 to 7 are invited to participate in our children’s liturgy of Godly Play.  Godly Play is a rich children’s liturgy that allows children the opportunity to pray and discover the riches of God’s Word through a liturgically oriented curriculum.  Like the liturgy of our mass, Godly Play engages all of the senses for children through the use of beautifully simplistic illustrations and wood figures.  

Where to Take Your Children

Please have your children sit with you during the beginning of mass. Children will be picked up for Godly Play during the Processional Hymn of the 9:00AM mass by Children’s Ministry workers and taken to the altar railing to receive a blessing at the beginning of the mass.  From there, the children will be taken to their appropriate rooms.  After the “Agnus Dei” hymn, please step into the narthex to come pick-up your child so that both you and your children can come to the communion rail to receive a blessing.  Children will remain with you for the rest of the mass.

Older children ages 8-12 years old are invited to participate in our Liturgy of the Word.  Led by an acolyte, children have the opportunity to participate every other week in the Liturgy of the Word together.  This offers children a space to worship freely together as they grow more comfortable with the liturgy and build community together.  Children will then return to the church after the sermon to participate in the Liturgy of the Eucharist with their families. For more information and a schedule of the alternating Sundays, please contact Rachael Crews.

Where to Take Your Children

Please have your children sit with you during the beginning of mass. Children will be picked up for Liturgy of the Word during the Processional Hymn of the 9:00AM mass by Children’s Ministry workers and taken to the altar railing to receive a blessing at the beginning of the mass.  From there, the children will be taken to their appropriate rooms.  After the sermon, the children will be brought back to you in the church and will remain with you for the rest of the mass.

Our Children's Ministry team offers classes during our Education Hour after the 9am service for children. Parents are encouraged to stay through the blessing to the end of mass with their children, and then bring them to the play yard. We have snack in the play yard for all children, including the older children. All children not confirmed are invited to join us as we introduce curriculum inspired by the Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm. The curriculum seeks to highlight the grand narrative of the Bible, and to show the children that the stories in the Bible are not isolated stories, but together they weave the rich tapestry of the history of God’s people and the unfolding of the Kingdom of God on earth. It includes both Old and New Testament stories that point to and reveal Christ as the Savior and Promised Forever King. Please return by 10:45-10:50 to retrieve your child and sign them out.

Please email any family questions or pastoral needs to Rachael Crews at: childrensministry@stmatthewsnewport.com

Youth Ministry

We believe that in Baptism and Confirmation, a person is given the Holy Spirit to regenerate them to new life in Christ and to empower them to carry out a Christian vocation. Unlike much of the modern world, we don't subscribe to the vision of a prolonged celebration of adolescence, but rather to a season of deliberately equipping young people to step fully into parish life. Because of this, we believe the goal of a youth ministry is to deliver young people back to the congregation to do the work of the people of God. At St. Matthew's we sync our youth formation with the main components of our adult formation, teaching them to develop a rule of prayer, pursue healthy relationships, identify their unique gifts, and serve the Body of Christ.

Led by Fr. Hayden, our youth group meets every other Sunday from 10:30am-11:30am in the youth room (upstairs in the middle building). For more information, please contact Fr. Hayden at hayden@stmatthewsnewport.com.