The Ark Program is a monthly family formation program for young children and their parents. It helps children grow in love for God, love for the Church, fellowship with Orthodox friends, and healthy parent-child bonding, while also giving parents time for fellowship, spiritual growth, and practical parenting discussion.
Mission
Ark exists to help families become more attached to the Church through worship, learning, fellowship, service, and parent-child connection. The program gives children a joyful Orthodox environment and gives parents a space to grow alongside other families.
Who It Serves
Ark is designed primarily for families with children from Pre-K through 4th grade. Younger siblings may have limited childcare during the parent discussion portion when available, and older youth may be invited to serve as volunteers under adult supervision.
Goals for Children and Parents
- Help children love God, love the Church, and feel at home in the parish.
- Build fellowship among families so children and parents grow with Orthodox friends.
- Strengthen parent-child bonding through shared activities, crafts, meals, and service.
- Give parents space for spiritual growth, practical discussion, and encouragement.
- Teach children Orthodox habits through prayer, hymns, Coptic language exposure, saints, Bible lessons, and age-appropriate apologetics.
- Train older youth to use their talents in service through chaperoning, music, photography, crafts, technology, sports, setup, cleanup, and other supervised roles.
What an Ark Day Looks Like
Ark days usually include a mix of structured learning and active fellowship. The exact schedule may change by month, but a typical day includes family sign-in, free play, prayer, a song or hymn, a Bible or Orthodox lesson, parent discussion, lunch, crafts or cooking, team-building games, Coptic or hymns, apologetics, a saint story or movie, birthdays, and optional book checkout.
| Part of the Day | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Prayer and Hymns | Children begin and end activities with the language of the Church. |
| Lesson and Behavior Activity | Age-appropriate teaching connects Scripture, Church life, and daily choices. |
| Parent Discussion | Parents gather for practical and spiritual growth while children are in supervised activities. |
| Lunch and Fellowship | Families and children build friendships in a relaxed parish setting. |
| Crafts, Games, and Team Building | Children practice cooperation, creativity, patience, kindness, and participation. |
| Coptic, Hymns, and Apologetics | Children learn the language, worship, and reasons behind the faith in small, memorable ways. |
| Saint Stories and Books | Children encounter holy examples and are encouraged to love reading and the Church library. |
Curriculum and Themes
Ark uses a rotating curriculum that introduces children to the life of the Church over time. Themes include the Church fasts and feasts, the sacraments, parables and miracles, the Old and New Testaments, Bible character studies, Church rites, saints, and practical Christian living.
Recent and planned lesson themes include Noah’s Ark and the Church, Jonah and the Feast of the Cross, the Sundays of Holy Lent, the Resurrection and Holy Fifty Days, the Ascension, the Holy Spirit, St. Mary, the Nayrouz feast, the Three Holy Youth, the Transfiguration, educational liturgy, the Book of James, the washing of the disciples’ feet and humility, the widow and the two mites, Cornelius, the life of St. Paul, and St. Mary visiting Elizabeth.
Parent Partnership
Parents are not just dropping children off. Ark is meant to form the whole family. Parents are encouraged to attend the parent discussion, arrive on time, help children participate, keep family information current, and communicate with servants about needs that may affect a child during the day.
- Watch the weekly announcements and church schedule for the current month's date and timing.
- Bring anything your child may need for the day, especially if a child is potty training or needs extra help.
- Encourage your child to participate in lessons, hymns, crafts, games, and prayers with a positive attitude.
- Ask servants how to continue the month's theme at home through prayer, reading, or a simple family activity.
- Let the team know if you would like to help with setup, cleanup, crafts, food, parent activities, or youth volunteering.
Care, Safety, and Expectations
Ark uses chaperones, sign-in, age-group activities, and clear expectations so children can enjoy the day in a safe and peaceful setting. Children are taught to use respectful words, stay with their chaperone, keep appropriate personal space, walk quietly in church, participate in class, and treat friends with honesty and kindness.
The program also teaches practical boundaries and reverent behavior: how to sit and walk in church, how to participate during class, how to handle competition with kindness, and how to ask for help. Private attendance lists, volunteer assignments, and child-specific notes are handled internally by the Ark team and are not published online.
Older Youth and Volunteer Formation
Ark also gives middle and high school students a supervised place to begin serving. Older youth may help with sports, music, photography, chaperoning, setup, cleanup, action songs, skits, technology, crafts, or other roles. The goal is to help them discover the talents God has given them and learn how those talents can serve the Church.
Registration
Related Youth Formation
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