Rachel Sun Jan 15, 2012 9:59 am
Well, we have the crêche which is about 6 months to 3 years, and then we have the youngest SS class which is about to about Year 2, I think. Then there's 3-5 and 6-8 (school years, not ages). We can go to Youth Group and Youth Events from Year 7 (it used to be Year 8, but they changed it last year because all the other states and most private schools start high school from Year 7, but it's Year 8 in public schools), and there are separate boys' and girls' small groups for years 7-9, 10-12, and Schoolies Plus (after school age, mostly uni students).
I guess it changes from church to church. The church we went to for a bit about 3 years ago had only two SS classes and Youth Group, all on Sunday morning; the SS classes were two years to seven years, and seven years to twelve years, and the youth group was twelve years plus. These are all very big age groups and I don't think it worked very well, but there simply weren't enough children or teachers for more age-specific groups.
The church I grew up in (we left when I was 11, along with about 80% of the congregation. Something happened with the elders and I really don't know what happened, but basically the church imploded [the people, not the building] so we all left. 3 other families from that church are at the one we now go to) was slightly odd in that the children were all born in bursts. There were about 9 children all born within about six months either side of me. Then there was a two-year gap before there were about 12 children all born within a year of each other. And so on. My group was the oldest; there were a few older than us but not many. My parents say that when they married and first started going to the church, there were hardly any children at all. Six months later, Jonothan was born and the rest of us all followed within the year. Anyway, the point I'm getting to is that our Sunday School classes didn't need to have a specific age group, because there was simply no need; we had a large group all near each other, and then nothing, and then another large group, and then nothing, and so on. We never really 'graduated' to a different class, because we just sort of moved along together.
And I am babbling again. Sorry.
By the way, 'kindergarten' is a German word made from the two seperate words 'kinder' (children) and 'garten' (garden). Just in case you're interested.
from Rachel.