Children

Welcome to St. Paul's! We are so very glad that you have chosen to worship with us. Children are welcome at all of the worship services at St. Paul's. On Sunday (from the first Sunday after Labor day until Memorial Day) our services are held at 7:45 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 5:00 p.m. During the summer, we hold services at 7:45 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. We include children, youth, and adults in all of our services, but especially in the 9:00 a.m. service. You will find the 9:00 a.m. service to be very child-friendly with music and messages geared to our littlest worshipers, while the 11:00 a.m. service has a children's sermon that is offered separately during the Gospel reading, sermon, and prayers.


 

Child Care

St. Paul's believes that children deepen and enrich our parish family. While we desire to see families with children of all ages worship together, we also understand that there are times when an age-appropriate play environment may be more suitable for our preschoolers.

During the Sunday morning services, St. Paul's provides complimentary childcare through weeSIT, a professional nursery and early childhood care service. During the summer, weeSIT cares for children up to age 5 from 9:45 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. On Sundays during the program year, weeSIT provides childcare from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Our child care offerings during Sunday Worship include:

Infant and Toddlers up to 2: Nursery care is offered by weeSIT on the 2nd floor of Wilmer Hall. Stroller parking and access is available through the playground entrance on Pitt Street. Please look for a greeter and they will direct you.

Children age 2 to 5: A combination of supervised play and childcare is offered by weeSIT on the 1st floor of Wilmer Hall. Look for a greeter in front of the Pitt Street Playground and they will point you towards the correct rooms.

Parents who use childcare are welcome to pick up their child during the Peace so that the family can participate in the Holy Eucharist together. Children of any age are welcome at the altar rail to receive Communion or a blessing.

weeSIT has been providing the best of childcare services to St. Paul's for nearly 20 years. All of weeSIT's caregivers are trained professionals with a gifted ability to care for our youngsters. You will recognize the weeSIT staff by their nametags and brightly colored shirts. Please be sure to sign your child in and out with the weeSIT staff.

Childcare is also available at the following times:

First Fridays: A relaxing and fun dinner for parents and young adults of St. Paul's held the first Friday of each month from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

For more information about nursery and childcare at St. Paul's, please contact Bill Campbell, Director of Education for Children and Youth, at 703-549-3312 x20 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Christian Education for Preschool
At St. Paul's we realize that every child has their own unique way of understanding and learning. We strive to engage our children at their level, respecting our youngest Christians eagerness to discover God's presence in their world. Our preschool Sunday school lessons provide just the right amount of movement and learning with the earnest experience of a worship service designed just for this age group. During the Sunday school hour (10:00 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.) preschoolers aged 3-4/5* participate in Wee Worship and Sunday school. Wee Worship is a short interactive service that includes lessons, prayers, and songs. During the Sunday school time our volunteer teachers implement the Movers & Shakers curriculum. This program is designed to get the children involved in art, music, and dramatic play while reinforcing each week's Bible lesson. The two year olds stay with Parky and the staff of weeSIT for fun activities and age appropriate play. If your child is in weeSIT during the 9:00 a.m. service, they will be automatically transferred to their classroom. However, if you pick your child up during the Peace for communion, it is necessary to escort your child to their appropriate Sunday school room. For any questions related to preschool education, please contact Bill Campbell, Director of Education for Children and Youth, at 703-549-3312 x20 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Vacation Bible School
At the end of June, St. Paul's offers VBS for any child ages 3 through entering 3rd grade. The cost is $35 per child with a $70 maximum fee per family. Parents are required to volunteer to help with VBS at least once during the week. Detailed information and sign-ups are available in the late spring.

Teachers and Volunteers in the Preschool
Everyone who teaches in the Sunday school for St. Paul's provides a wonderful and important service to our children and youth. If you are interested in joining this dedicated group of volunteers please feel free to contact Bill Campbell, Director of Education for Children and Youth, at 703-549-3312 x20 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Christian Education for Elementary Age Children
Our goal at St. Paul's is to provide every child an age appropriate lesson and activity that is fun, creative, and educational. We strive to create young disciples-children who learn about the history of our Church, as well as feel the warmth and love of God personally. With these goals in mind, St. Paul's offers several programs to capture the attention and hearts of this age group. All Sunday school classes for kindergarten through 5th grade meet on the second floor of Wilmer Hall from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Classrooms are clearly marked and teachers will be easily identifiable to parents.
Workshop Rotation Model (WoRM)
On Sunday mornings, children in kindergarten through 5th grade experience God through workshops in storytelling and drama, video, art, Bible skills and games, music and movement, computer and science labs, and cooking. The rotation model is a different approach to Sunday school. Over a 4- to 5- week period, children repeat the same story from the Bible, learning through a different workshop each week. Because they repeat the same story several weeks in a row, and because the emphasis is on active learning, children better recall the story and form a deeper understanding of its meaning. To learn more about our Sunday School program, or to volunteer as a teacher or aide, please contact Bill Campbell at 703-549-3312 x20 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

St. Paul's Day School
Since 1948 the St. Paul's Nursery and Day School has been offering members of St. Paul's and the community at-large one of the best early childhood educations in Alexandria. Their program encompasses a wide variety of activities and learning opportunities designed to meet the needs of each individual child. St. Paul's Nursery and Day School's mission is to provide a balance between the development of language skills, social skills, and perceptual/motor skills with art, music, movement, dramatic play, science, cooking, field trips, and experimentation. If you have a three, four, or kindergarten-aged child and would like to inquire about the St. Paul's Nursery and Day School, please contact Martha Schafer at 703-549-1974.

Teachers and Volunteers for Elementary-Aged Children
Everyone who teaches in the Sunday school for St. Paul's provides a wonderful and important service to our children and youth. If you are interested in joining this dedicated group of volunteers please feel free to contact Bill Campbell, Director of Education for Children and Youth, at 703-549-3312 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Choirs

Angel Chorus (pre-K through grade 2) meets weekly on Wednesdays during the choir year from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m. Spiritual formation, learning to belong, and musical fun are all included. The Angel Chorus participates in occasional 9:00 a.m. services.

St. Cecilia Choir (Grade 3 through changed voices) is an affiliate-graded choir program of the Royal School of Church Music training scheme, "Voice for Life." The St. Cecilia Choir leads worship at the 9:00 a.m. Sunday service from September through May. Choristers meet weekly on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:15 p.m. The choir gathers at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday morning to prepare to lead the 9:00 a.m. service.

For more information about St. Paul’s music ministries for children, please contact Douglas A. Beck, AOJN, Organist-Choirmaster, at 703-549-3312 x17 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .