St. Paul's shares the vision of the larger Episcopal Church in seeing Children as having unique spiritual needs, even as they provide a blessing to our corporate worship and life. We are devoted to responding to and including children as they grow into full participation in the Body of Christ.

St. Paul's takes seriously the call to receive, nurture and treasure each child as a gift from God. Talented and faithful teachers proclaim the Gospel to children in ways that empower them to receive and respond to God's love. St. Paul's wholeheartedly provides the necessary resources to staff and equip a successful children's church school in our undercroft.

The children of St. Paul's are included and integrated into our on-going worship, service and witness of God's love in Christ Jesus. For more information, contact our Director of Christian Education, Kate Huston.

Child Care

A team of four childcare givers, coordinated by Marilyn Rogez, is available in our well-equipped nursery and toddler rooms every Sunday from 8:45 AM to 12:30 PM. Childcare is available at other times as needed. For more information,contact Kate Huston, Christian Education Coordinator. 

Church School

Church School for the 2010 - 2011 runs through May 29th. We will recognize our wonderful Church School Teachers on May 8th, 2011 at both 9:00 and 11:00 services.

Current School Teachers

2–3 Year Olds
Brad and Amy Williams, Ashley and Charles Ozan and Buffy Heater

Pre & K – Godly Play
Brooke Murphy, Kati Christ, and Patti Morgan

1st - 2nd Grades – Seasons of the Spirit
Ivette Gamez and David Sapper 

3rd - 5th Grades – Seasons of the Spirit
Scott English, Lauren Bass and Tobey Heater

6th - 8th Grade – Rite-13
Fran Derrick, John Koons and Carl Stover

9th - 12th Grades
Louisa McCune Elmore, Tom March

Floater - Sandra Opalka

Youth Leaders - Jordan and Laura Rousseau

Snacks - Dianne Dooley, Anne and Roone Richmond, Sharon Rysted and Ashley Wells

Camp Cathedral

St. Paul's Vacation Bible School
St. Paul's Cathedral offers its own version of Vacation Bible School for children 3 years old through the fifth grade. This year, Camp Cathedral 2011 will be held the last week of July.  Previous Camp Cathedral themes have includedThe Earth Is the Lord's; Saints of God; and Lord, Teach Us to Pray. In a typical Camp meeting, we gather for games in the garden, convene for a brief chapel service, and then cycle through story time, crafts and music. The week culminates in a family picnic Friday at lunchtime and a presentation during the 9:00 o'clock service Sunday morning. We rely heavily on our wonderful youth and adult volunteer helpers, and all are encouraged to come to Camp.

Registration Forms are available in the Reception Area. Early response is appreciated, for appropriately sized T-shirts.

Special Events

During Advent and Lent our Church School programs also meets on Wednesday evenings. In Advent we rehearse for the annual Christmas Pageant and Children's Choir while during the Lenten season we meet for crafts and stories about the life and experiences of Jesus in preparation for the celebration of Easter. This past Lenten season we were blessed to have the talents of Ashley Ozan, Buffy Heater, Amy Williams, Lauren Bass and Melissa Sartin during our Wednesday evening events. 

Relax. Your family is important here.

We have a commitment to help children worship. While they may not always understand what is going on, they probably understand more than we realize. By our attitude, they can understand that this is a place where they are loved and accepted. The worship service can provide an excellent opportunity for parents to be involved in the spiritual nurturing of their children. Talk with them about the service. Explain what is happening. Share your enthusiasm and excitement about being part of St. Paul’s.

Suggestions for the Parents

Before the Service:

• Prepare your children for what will happen in church. Make a point of knowing the Gospel story beforehand and telling it to them so they have something to anticipate.
• On your way to St. Paul’s: in the car try to calm down as a family and get into a peaceful mode. 
• Talk about what people or events need our prayers and might be included during the Prayers of the People.
• Arrive at church in plenty of time to take the children to the bathroom and get settled before the service begins.
• Infant and toddler care is provided at the Sunday 9:00 & 11:00 am services. Ask the usher to direct you if you need to bring your child to the nursery during the service. 

In Church:

• Just inside the front doors, is a box of clipboards , crayons and a child’s version of the Gospel story in pictures. Make sure you give each child one not only to occupy them during the service but also to familiarize them with the story.
• Sit in the front pews. Children who can see what’s going on will feel more included in the ceremonies.
• Introduce your children to people who are sitting nearby.
• Share the bulletin with your child at eye level and encourage them to sing along.
• Teach and encourage each child to participate in praying the Lord’s Prayer, making the sign of the cross, saying the responses, such as “And also with you,” passing the peace and saying “Amen.”
• Allow your children to participate in giving an offering in the alms basin as it comes around.
• Children learn how to worship by participating. Teach your children what to watch for, what is taking place and when to respond in unison.
• Baptized children are invited to receive the Sacrament of Eucharist if parents feel comfortable about the child’s readiness. Feel free to discuss this with one of the clergy.
• For small children, carry quiet toys in a bag for emergency diversions, as it is hard for them to sit still for long. Allow small children to sit or kneel on the floor. The Chapter Room is set up with a direct TV feed if you feel you need to step out during the service. You may enter the Chapter Room by walking directly through the Courtyard or by exiting the Cathedral building through the door in front of the baptismal font. 

After the Service:

• On your way home and during the rest of the week talk about the worship experience. “That’s like what we heard at St. Paul’s last Sunday.” “Do you remember the Gospel story you heard?” Also encourage your children to discuss what they learned in Sunday School. 
• Pray a prayer of grace at mealtime. Pray morning and night prayers with your children. Include some of the hymns we sing at church or parts of the prayers used in worship in your family prayer life at home.

St. Crispin's

St. Crispin's Episcopal Conference Center is located on 400 acres in the rolling, oak-covered hills of Seminole County within easy driving distance of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Quiet trails and clear lakes make the conference center a place where re-creation becomes a natural part of the St. Crispin's experience.

Summer Camp:
Summer Camp, held at St. Crispin's, begins in early June and runs for eight weeks. Graduates of grades 3-12 are eligible for the camping program. All camp sessions are coeducational.

Emphasis is placed on individual growth in a context of Christian community through relationships with other youth and adults, through religious education and worship, and through a variety of well-planned and supervised creative and recreational programs.

An Episcopal priest, deacon or a qualified religious education worker is responsible for the worship and education program of each session.

Six of the nine cabins hold eight campers, the other three hold twelve. Each cabin has two counselors; one is a member of the camping program's summer staff, the other one is a volunteer there for the week. These counselors are responsible for the health, safety, happiness and general welfare of the campers in their cabins. Counselors are carefully screened, selected and supervised by camping program personnel. Each week a registered nurse or medical doctor also volunteers a week of their time to provide on-site medical care for the camp. 

Summer Staff members, who are under the supervision of the Camp Director, are chosen for their interest, commitment and abilities. Among them will be people trained in water safety, boating, sports and games, crafts and other skills. This full-time summer staff consists of adults of college age or older with proven talent in working with young people. In addition to the summer and volunteer staffers, the program provides a nurse for each session. The camper to counselor and staff ratio is maintained approximately 4 to 1.

Over the years, campers and staff at St. Crispin's have developed a rule of life that guides all the work, play and prayer. Attempting to live by this rule in all activities helps to provide each camper a rich personal experience.

St. Crispin's Rule of Life

• We are a community of daily worship and prayer.
• Out of our worship and communion with God, we strive to respect the uniqueness of each individual.
• We do not put one another down.
• Instead, we are willing to level with one another in love, honoring one another with honesty and respect.
• Whatever we do, we do out of love for God, self and one another. We are in life together.
• Therefore, we are willing to give all we are to one another and, with God's help, to offer more.
• In everything we do, we seek to be open to the Holy Spirit.

For more information, contact Kate Huston, Director of Christian Education, or the Diocesan Office at 232-4820 or Aaron Mooney, Summer Camp Director. All Application and Reigstration Forms are available at the Diocesan website.

New Beginnings: 

New Beginnings is program for junior high aged children (grades 6 - 9). The weekend-long program, hosted at St. Crispin's, focuses on building and strengthening children's relationships with self, friends, and God. Look for registration materials in late 2011.