Sunday School for children is offered year-round during our 8:45 AM and 10 AM worship services for ages 3 years through 7th grade. At 10 AM, Children from preschool through 7th grade attend the opening part of the service with their parents and are dismissed for Sunday School following “First Steps,” a special message just for them on the front steps of the chancel.
Regardless of age, our goal is to help every child know they are beloved children of God. As a church family, we respond to that love by caring for ourselves, each other, our neighbors—both near and far—and God’s world. In our classes, we practice what loving Christians do: pray, give thanks, comfort, defend, forgive, and repent in a safe and supportive atmosphere. And of course, we don’t just learn about Biblical stories—we learn from them, discovering how people have experienced God’s power and love in their everyday lives.
On the first Sunday of each month, all children return to the Sanctuary to participate in Communion.
Childcare is available for infants to 3-year-old children during worship. Parents are asked to comply with the First Congo childcare policies. Please take a moment and complete the Sunday school registration form so that the church understands the needs of your child.
The Sunday school classes use lessons from the SHINE curriculum, which actively engages kids in God’s story using interactive games, reflective wondering, dramatic storytelling, and a whole lot of fun. Colorful story symbols create visual timelines; wondering questions draw children into God’s Big Story; and wonderfully illustrated children’s resources provide support to families. SHINE invites kids to find their place in God’s story, living into and out of it for the rest of their lives.
SHINE Sunday School Curriculum
For more specific information, contact Jen Enriquez, Director of Children’s Ministries, at jen@wscongo.org.
Though children do not need to register for Sunday school, it is helpful for the church for parents to complete the registration form for their children.
A TYPICAL DAY IN SUNDAY SCHOOL
Each class begins with prayer time, where children have a chance to share things they are worried about, things they are sorry for, and things they are excited about in their lives, and then lift up those things to God in prayer. This practice fosters community and is a constant reminder of the Christian practice of praying together.
The Sunday school classes use lessons from the Shine curriculum from Brethren Press. Children are welcomed to a place where they are known and loved, where their questions are taken seriously, and where they can gather to hear God’s story and together find meaning for their lives. Shine guides children to stretch and grow toward God’s light, and then shine that light to others through storytelling, wondering questions, re-telling the story, and an activity.
If you’d like to learn more about the curriculum, Jen Enriquez, our director of children’s ministry would love to hear from you! You can email Jen at jen@wscongo.org.
4TH GRADE BIBLE STUDY
The 4th grade Bible study is a four-week unit that begins in March of 2026. The children will learn about stories in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament of the Bible and how to use the Bible for guidance and comfort. The lessons are presented through discussion, activities, and games. At the end of the unit, each child will be presented with their own Bible during worship.
Here are a few reflections from some of our 4th graders and written testimonies:
“In 4th grade Bible class, I learned that you can turn to the Bible when you are having an emotion, and you can pray and read a story about how God or Jesus may have felt the same way. This is a way you can reach out to God and let him know you are feeling a certain way, and he can give you peace.”
“I think a really important story in the Bible is the story of Adam and Eve. This story teaches us that God will love us no matter what.“
“What I enjoyed most about this class was learning that there are many Bible stories I can learn from to help me become a better person.”
“I really like this class because I learned many things about the Bible and I enjoyed that I get to use my Bible with my family.“
“This class helped me by finding quicker ways to find the verses. At the first bible class, I didn’t even know what a verse was. The class also helped me with finding the tiny numbers because they are really hard to see.”
“The story that I thought was the best is, The Miracle of the Loaves and Fish, also known as The feeding of the 5,000 people. The Gospel of John says that Jesus used five loaves and two fish supplied by a boy to feed hundreds of people. The reason I thought this story was my favorite is because it reminds me of how blessed we are to have all this food for our family and friends.”
“The Bible can help when you are sad because it can make you see that other people had to go through tough times, too. The Bible can also help you when you’re angry, and you can go to a section and look for the emotion angry and find a story how God helps them find a solution.”
“The best part about class was when we got into groups and we read stories in the Bible and we shared them with each other. Also, I really enjoyed that because I got to listen to other Bible stories.”
VOLUNTEER TO TEACH SUNDAY SCHOOL
First Congo is blessed to have inspiring Sunday School teachers who often leave the class with a lesson themselves.
We would love for you to be part of our Sunday school teaching team! We hope to create an inter-generational team of teachers, so we invite all who are 15 – 99 years old to be part of this important ministry at First Congo. We welcome all to be part of the faith development of our children.
Sunday school teachers work in teams assigned to a grade level and are asked to teach roughly once per month. Estimated preparation time is one hour. There is a training for all Sunday school teachers each year in August, and all teachers are expected to complete an on-line Safe Church training (roughly 60 minutes) and attest that they have read The First Congregational Church of Wester Springs’ Safe Church policy.
Here is what the Sunday School teachers have to say about this important ministry of our church:
- “Anytime the children walk into Sunday School they are submerged in the teaching of the church and the Bible. The lessons have definitely helped them grow in their religion.”
- “It was awesome to hear their creative ideas on their faith. This is a great program and really had wonderful discussions with kids.”
- “It meant so much to me getting to bond with all of students…”
- “The children conveyed what was learned to their parents and also talked about something we did later in the year (in Sunday School and/or when I casually encountered them).”
- “We had wonderful discussions and spoke many times about their Faith Journeys and their Faith Formation. They were very candid. We all grew and learned through our sharing.”
If you have any questions about the Sunday school program, please contact Jen Enriquez at jen@wscongo.org or 708-246-1900.
MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to make disciples of a loving God who recognizes the dignity of every human being.
- We believe that every person is a beloved child of God.
- We recognize and respect traditions outside of our own.
- We invite children (and adults) to wonder about Bible stories and other aspects of the Christian faith, rather than indoctrinate specific ideals. Deep spiritual growth occurs in the wondering.
- We strive for understanding of Jesus’ teachings over memorization of verses or stories.
- We know that home is the place where children are most deeply formed, and we strive to support parents and caregivers as they navigate ideas and events in our world that can feel difficult.
- We understand the difficult pattern of life in 2025. We hope to support families with formation opportunities at church and at home. And we understand the rare times when no one must go anywhere on a weekend as sacred. Pancakes in pajamas with family is important family connection time!
Director of Children’s Ministries
jen@wscongo.org
