EKids Sunday program for Orcas kids begins second year
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Submitted by Sarah T. Moore, Emmanuel Episcopal Church.
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, known locally as the “church with the labyrinth, a red door, and a seaside garden on the shores of the Salish Sea,” will kick off this year’s Sunday morning program for children, ages 4-12, at 10 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 5. This Sunday is also the annual Blessing of the Animals.
St. Francis Day recognizes Francis of Assisi as the patron saint of animals and ecology. Children will help hand out pet bandanas at the Blessing of the Animals, as people gather around the outdoor flagpole by the labyrinth, after the worship service, about 11:15 a.m. People are encouraged to bring their pets for a blessing, witnessing the importance of animals in our lives. Pet treats, thanks to Pawki’s pet store, will be distributed.
Every Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m., families are invited to bring children to join EKids with an intergenerational service then move to a classroom to engage with volunteer teachers in a wide range of topics touching on Christian principles of God’s work in the world, our service in the world, reconciliation, love, forgiveness, nurture and nature, healing, justice and peace.
The fourth Sunday of the month will be a child-centered worship service, where children will be an integral part of the Episcopal service as they begin to feel comfortable in a worship setting. Adult volunteers will rotate Sundays to meet with children on wide-ranging topics.
Special events throughout the year will be scheduled to observe holidays with a religious significance, teaching youngsters the connection between many religious and secular events.
All families on the island are invited to come every Sunday at 10 a.m.
“Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Orcas Island is a welcoming Christian community for children,” says the Rev. Berto Gandara-Perea, rector of the congregation. “We are a community of faith that shows how to live lives of deep spirituality within a Christian religious community: A religious community that is different from what some of us have experienced as dogmatic, guilt-ridden, and rigid.”
Emmanuel Episcopal Church is one of more than 100 congregations comprising the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, known as the Episcopal Church in Western Washington. With central offices in Seattle, the diocese is one of 106 dioceses across 22 countries or territories. The Episcopal Church, headquartered in New York City, is the only U.S.-based member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
For more information on this program, contact Emmanuel at 360-376-2352; parishoffice@orcasepiscopal.org; orcasepiscopal.org or www.facebook.com/orcasepiscopal. Or drop by, 242 Main St., and explore the seaside campus.
