... and their families, too.
A place for kids...
At Saint Hilary's we are passionate about providing a place to grow in faith for people of all ages. We offer childcare during our Sunday service and opportunities for older children to have fun, build friendships in a Christian community, and experience God in a meaningful way.
Our parish has hosted fall festivals, Easter egg hunts, inter-generational lessons, youth mission trips, and much more. Our focus here is on Christian formation, and our vision for our young people is to cultivate a Christ-centered community and inter-generational relationships through a team-centered approach utilizing music, service, education, and worship in environments that promote belonging, safety, and growth. We invite the families of our Youth to join our faith community through one or more of the many enriching ministries found here.
Nursery Care is offered each week during the 10am service for children ages birth thru five years.
Trained and caring staff provide Bible lessons, holiday crafts, and fun in an interactive playroom and playground designed to keep our littlest members safe and happy to come to church while their parents worship. Children can be dropped off in the Education Wing prior to service and picked up either for communion or before coffee hour.
Children's Church welcomes kids ages four thru eleven at 10am in the Education Wing.
On the third Sunday of each month children are invited to join Children's Church, a forty-minute relevant and developmentally-appropriate version of our Episcopal liturgy. They'll enjoy activities and a children's sermon and rejoin their families in the Sanctuary for Blessings, Thanksgivings, and communion. This fun and enriching ministry is led by members of our church's youth group!
YOSH meets every Sunday of the school year from 11:15am until 12:30pm.
Youth of Saint Hilary's, or YOSH, is a loving space created for teens in grades six thru twelve to explore faith through study, fellowship, and service. This fun group is for exploring and wondering, and we enjoy open discussions based on Bible passages and life. Youth are paired with a parish mentor to talk to and share their life journeys. On the second Sunday of each month mentors and youth meet as a group in the Music Wing to learn different lessons in preparation for those who wish to be confirmed; YOSH meets in Browning Hall on the third Sunday of each month to join the parish for potluck. Regular meetings are held in the Education Wing unless otherwise noted. Everyone is welcome at all of our events and accepted exactly as they are.
YOSH Mission 2023
The whole crew! Thanks to Holy Innocents for joining us from Valrico!
Rebuilding
Youth mission trip to help aid restoration efforts of hurricane-ravaged Sanibel Island, Florida
The whole crew! Thanks to Holy Innocents for joining us from Valrico!
As Southwest Florida continues to rebuild in the devastating wake of Hurricane Ian, YOSH partnered with the youth group from Holy Innocents in Valrico to help Saint Michael and All Angels on Sanibel restore their island community.
Together with their adult volunteers our youth contributed 1,050 hours of service in a week's time. They served several local non-profit organizations in their efforts, including FISH, CHR, the Sanibel-Captiva School, the gathering place, and the Sanibel-Captiva Conservancy as they landscaped, cleaned, swung hammers, and helped host Vacation Bible School for island children. Each night the groups gathered in Browning Hall for food, fellowship, and sleep. It was an exhausting but rewarding mission for all!