Children & Youth | St. Mary's Episcopal Church

Children and young people are welcome at all services and to take part in all events at St. Mary's! From Children's sermons, acolyting, reading scripture in church, fellowship events, to outreach service projects for the community, St. Mary's Children's ministry leaders are excited to serve and partner with parents to foster, strengthen, and grow the faith children have in God and Christ Jesus!

Sometimes worship in our church feels formal, so when children get restless parents get nervous. Please relax and know we support and love your children. God puts the wiggle in children; don’t feel you have to suppress it in God’s house. All are welcome! Sit toward the front where it is easier for your little ones to see and hear what’s going on at the altar: they tire of seeing the backs of other’s heads. Quietly explain the parts of the service and actions of the priest, altar servers, choir, etc. Sing the hymns, say the prayers and voice the responses. Children learn liturgical behaviors by copying you. If you must leave the service with your child, feel free to do so, but please come back. As Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.” Remember that the way we welcome children in church directly affects the way they respond to the Church, to God and to one another. Let them know that they are at home in this house of worship.

During COVID-19 restrictions many of our children's events and offerings have adjusted to fit best health practices. For now we are focused on Sunday Worship with our children. However, we will be offering more ways for our children and their families to connect to St. Mary's in the coming months.

During this time of social distancing and limited in person gathering, we want to encourage our families to take advantage of this fantastic, free, weekly, intergenerational Episcopalian learning experience. The program is offered by ChurchNext, a ministry of Forward Movement, and Forma, which is the network for Christian formation, a ministry of Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF).

Celebrating our Graduating Seniors this Sunday at the 10:30 service

Celebrating our Graduating Seniors this Sunday at the 10:30 service

We are celebrating our Graduating Seniors this Sunday, May 15, at the 10:30am service. Join us as we send them off with a special blessing as well as a special surprise .... shhh..the loose plate on Sunday will be given in support of their next ...

Easter Eggs and treats for Head Start - Volunteers needed this Tuesday

Easter Eggs and treats for Head Start - Volunteers needed this Tuesday

This Tuesday, April 5, at 10:00am we need help preparing the Easter bags and treat filled eggs for the children at Head Start. We have the treats, we just need helping hands. On Thursday April 7th, on behalf of our congregation, the Easter Bunn...

Blessing of the Backpacks August 15th at 8:30, 10:00 and 10:30

Blessing of the Backpacks August 15th at 8:30, 10:00 and 10:30

We will be praying for students, teachers and staff and blessing backpacks at both the 8:30am and 10:30am services on August 15th. Please note we added a 10:00am gathering to our schedule on the 15th. The 10:00am time is particularly dedicate...

Youth Sunday and Graduate Send Off

Youth Sunday and Graduate Send Off

Thank you to all the youth readers, acolytes, singers, and musicians who shared their gifts and talents and made Youth Sunday so special. We were able to send our graduate, Nicholas, off to the University of North Florida with a subs...

Youth Sunday May 23 at the 10:30 Service

Youth Sunday May 23 at the 10:30 Service

Join us for a celebration of the St. Mary's youth! Our young people will lead and serve in worship on May 23 at the 10:30 service and afterwards we will have cake and lemonade in the Parish Hall. We’ll give our graduate, Nicholas DuVal...

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Welcome and thank you for visiting our St Mary’s website! We hope you will find helpful information here about our parish. We invite everyone to “Come to the River” because we believe what you will find here is a genuine welcome, a real community of people from all walks of life who come together for worship designed to empower and nurture disciples to serve the world in Jesus’ name. St. Mary’s natural setting is infused with the beauty of God’s creation, peace and renewal. So, look around our web site. Then come and join our journey of faith and see God at work in our midst on the banks of the St. John’s River in Green Cove Springs Florida.

Faithfully, The Rev. Amy A. Slater

When you come into the church, you’ll encounter steps or a ramp that will take you to the Red doors and the front porch of the church. There might be ushers, greeters and worship leaders there to welcome you and offer you a bulletin. The bulletin will help you know what’s happening in the service. As you enter the church you find yourself in our NARTHEX (that’s Episco-speak for entryway) and that is where we keep our sign-up sheets, newcomer information and where the coloring sheets for the children are located. We look forward to greeting you!

Learn more about our worship!

If you have YOUNG PEOPLE, they are welcome! Young people are an integral part of our life together at St. Mary's. They aren't just the future of the church, they are the church today!

Saturday Family Service at 5:00 p.m.
Held the fourth Saturday of the month

Learn More about Children and Youth Programs

“Come as You Are” and join us for indoor, outdoor or online worship. Visit our Worship Services page for the latest updates on regathering protocols.

If you are not feeling well or you are vulnerable, please join us online. We will continue live-streaming services at 10:30 to our Facebook and on our website for those unable to attend in person.

Worship Services

We often get asked how I do I “join” St. Mary’s? The short answer is: come to St. Mary’s! We welcome anyone and everyone to join us for worship on Sunday mornings or at any of our church activities. We believe that first and foremost, membership in the Church means being part of a community that is drawn ever more deeply into relationship with God and our neighbor through Jesus Christ.”

Learn More about Membership

Here I Am, Send Me

We ask you to prayerfully consider your pledge for 2022 remembering that stewardship provides the largest part of the church’s income. Your pledge allows the church to start the new year on a solid financial foundation. We all have much to be grateful for and your Stewardship Committee is especially grateful for you and your commitment to St. Mary’s.

Stewardship Pledge