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 or 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 am I 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 to 3 years old) during the 9:00 AM 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.

Where to Take Your Children

Childcare is available beginning at 8:45 AM in the building across from the church. Please return to pick up your children after the “Agnus Dei” hymn, so that all of you 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. This 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 the senses by using 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 9:00 AM service by Children’s Ministry workers, and taken to the altar railing to receive a blessing at the beginning of Mass. From there, the children will be taken to their appropriate rooms. After the “Agnus Dei” hymn, please step into the narthex and pick up your children so that all of you can come to the communion rail to receive a blessing. Children will remain with you for the rest of the Mass.

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 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.

For more information about our youth group, please contact Fr. Hayden at hayden@stmatthewsnewport.com.