The Children’s Arts Club (CAC) and Youth Arts Club (YAC) meet on Thursdays from March to May at Calvin Presbyterian/Deer Park United Church at 26 Delisle Ave.
CAC is for kids from ages 4-10 and runs from 4:40pm -5:25pm
YAC is for kids from 11-15 and runs from 5:10pm-6:10pm
Both the CAC and YAC are free to families. They are focused around community building through singing, drama, games, arts & crafts, and conversation. While the younger children learn about themes such cooperation, friendship, gratitude, wonder, listening, and kindness; the older youth cover these themes through such issues as human rights, anxiety, individuality, community, and service. The two groups overlap for 15 minutes each Session to promote relationships between the two groups and work on performance pieces. Occasionally, the groups have an opportunity to share their work with the wider church community through Thursday night or Sunday morning sharing of songs, plays, pageants, cabarets or community dinners. These events are optional.
The Children’s Arts Club is a Thursday after-school program is professionally run by our alto section lead, Ramona Gilmour-Darling, who is trained in children’s choral music and drama and a qualified assistant who has training and/or experience in children’s theatre and music. Ramona is incredibly well educated, experienced and gifted in working with children and the arts.
THE CHILDREN’S WORSHIP CENTRE is open on some Sundays, while other Sundays children are encouraged to stay in worship with their parents. On the Sundays when the Worship Centre is open, the children stay with their parents in worship until after the children’s time. After the children’s time, they go upstairs to the worship centre. The worship centre is a sacred space for our children. They sing together, hear the word of God together, and have the opportunity to respond with stories, art and prayer.
ACTIVITY BAGS for children are provided at the back of the sanctuary for all age groups. Children and parents are invited to choose a bag and take it with them to their pews for the first part of the church service. Parents are asked to please return the bags to the back at the end of the service, so that they can be replenished for next Sunday. We have 2 separate spaces for families with young children in the sanctuary, so that even with COVID restrictions, families have space to move around.