Christian Formation for all ages is a top priority at St. Alban’s. We believe in the full participation of every parishioner in the life of the parish, and our Christian Formation ministry is designed to prepare our children to participate fully in worship, learning, education, fellowship and ministry and prayer.

On Sunday Mornings we offer two nurseries -- an Infant Nursery and a Toddler Nursery -- both opening at 9:30 am and remaining open until the end of the             10:00 a.m. service.

Each nursery is staffed by a professional child-care worker. In addition, parent volunteers take their turns caring for our children in the nursery.

Our nursery is open and staffed for many parish events.

Children's Chapel is offered during the 8:45 service most Sundays in the Library.  Adult chapel leaders escort children from the worship service just before the readings, and the children return to the sanctuary during the announcements.

Children's Sunday School - Ages 3 – 5th Grade

Children are welcome at every parish liturgy and most parish events.   Therefore, we provide learning opportunities during our education hour from 10:00-10:45 a.m.on Sunday mornings.

Our Christian Formation hour begins at 10:00 a.m. Children ages three through fifth grade fifth grade report directly to their Sunday School classrooms.  Our Sunday School classes use the Episcopal Children's Curriculum.  Grounded in the Baptismal Covenant, the curriculum asssumes that Christian formation is a lifelong process.  The role of the program, through the teachers, is to help children discover and proclaim God's presence in us.   In addition, our programs encourage a sense of community -- both in the fellowship shared together and in outreach beyond our church doors through gifts to a food pantry or creating art for those on our prayer list.

During the 8:45 a.m church service, children ages 4 through 2nd grade are invited to attend Children's Chapel.  The chapel experience is an age-appropriate worship service in which the children sing, pray, and listen in an environment open to questions and lots of wiggle room.  Following Children's Chapel, the children are returned to their parents so that they might receive communion as a family.   

Godly Play:  We enrich our curriculum with manipulatives from Godly Play, a Montessori-based experiental approach to children's religious formation.  Children are in Sunday School to study, but also to worship and to wonder.  Through the materials, we can tell parables, play with Noah's Ark, and gather in prayer before a table.

The Christian Education Committee meets regularly to guide our planning.

Youth Ministry – Middle School and High School

We want our youth to feel at home and comfortable in church on Sunday mornings, and we encourage them to be involved in our Sunday liturgies as acolytes, ushers, lay readers, chalice bearers and members of the choir.

Our youth groups emphasize full participation in the life of the church, involving our young people in education, worship, fellowship and ministry. As they mature, their needs and questions change. St. Alban’s is a place where questions about the faith and about God are encouraged.

The emphasis in our group meetings is on fun, and along the way, we encourage our young people to build friendships based on respect for each other and the love of God rather than on who’s cool and who’s not.

The High School and Middle School Youth meet on Sunday mornings from 9:45-10:45 a.m. Some families prefer to attend the 8:45 a.m. service and then stay for Sunday School, while others prefer to come to Sunday School first, and then attend the 11:00 a.m.liturgy. Both groups also have fellowship events such as swim parties, game or movie nights, and casual dinners on weekends and evenings during the year.

Adult Education

At St. Alban’s we recognize that God doesn’t finish working on us when we graduate from school. We take adult Christian Formation seriously, knowing that our relationship with God deepens as we get more involved in parish life.

We see all of our adult ministries as opportunities for growth and learning what it is to be a Christian man or woman. Sometimes we learn by mopping a floor or setting up tables for our annual Pig Pickin’. We learn through worship as we sing, pray and serve the church in the Altar guild, or as an usher, acoloyte or lay reader.

We learn as we pray the daily office and on Sunday mornings and as we pray our way through the church year.

We also provide regular opportunities for learning through study.

Adult Forum
Each Sunday morning at 9:15 a.m. our Adult Forum focuses on topics of interest that have included studies of particular books of the Bible, church history, religion in America, music in the church, studies of the world’s faiths and an examination of issues within the Episcopal church.

Via Media
Via Media is a program designed for those new to the Episcopal Church or the Anglican tradition. We use Via Media as an opportunity for those new to St. Alban’s to get to know our clergy, and other parishioners while seeking to address the many questions they may have such as “how is this church different from a Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist or Presbyterian churches?” Via Media is a seven-course series of conversations. We run a cycle of Via Media courses every quarter. Some sessions are held on Sunday mornings during the Sunday School hour, while others are held in the evening.

Disciple
Those interested in more extensive small-group study are encouraged to join one of our Disciple groups. Each 35-week Disciple course provides the opportunity for deep Bible study with a close group of parishioners. We learn a lot from one another when we read the scriptures together.

Faith in the City
For those who work in downtown Charlotte, Faith in the City is a monthly gathering of professional men and women who meet over lunch on the first Friday of the month for food and conversation led by our clergy on a topic such as “balancing work and family life.” Faith in the City was suspended during our leadership transition, but is under consideration for reinstatement.

Education for Ministry (EFM)

Education for Ministry is a four year lay ministry development program provided and administer by the University of the South Divinity School. The coursework includes the Old Testament, the New Testament, early history of the church, and recent history of the church. It is a serious commitment to a faith journey that is life changing. Graduates receive a certificate from the University of the South. We do not have an active EFM program at this time, but it is under consideration.