All About Our New(ish) Children's Church Leader Seva Ganga
Seva Ganga joined us as our Children’s Church Leader for the 4-10 year old group in July 2015. Seva comes to us as a licensed Early Childhood Educator, experienced Montessori teacher and one of the few men in the Valley who work professionally with preschool aged children.
He has taught full time at preschools for 3 years, and part-time for 2. He has worked at a number of preschools and daycares in the Valley, a Montessori preschool in Edmonton and a Waldorf-inspired program on Denman Island. Ryan, Cheyenne and Seva have been working together to reimagine Sunday School as a time to introduce children to the faith in their own age-appropriate (and equally important) service, and nurture the creation of their own personal connection with God.
Children’s Church happens each Sunday in the St. George’s library. Our Children’s program includes a gratitude prayer, a lesson which parallels Ryan’s sermon and is presented through a puppet play, felt board story, story book or other creative presentation. After the lesson we have a time we call “wondering together” where we explore our understanding of the story and what it means. When the children feel done with their wondering we do a craft or have time for play before we rejoin the adult congregation to end the service.
Seva grew up in Edmonton attending Trinity United Church as a child and youth with his family. As a young adult he took great interest in learning about and exploring the practices of many religions and spiritual paths. He still has great interest in finding the connections, commonalities and shared values in the teachings and practices, and seeing how different peoples work for the good of others and help to make God’s world an even better and more loving place.
Seva lives in Courtenay with his lovely partner, Karyn Parkinson, and their two year old son Narayan. He also has an amazing 11 year old daughter, Arrowynd, who lives most of the time on Hornby Island. Seva currently works as the director of his own early learning program for 2-6 year olds, Inner Smile Montessori, which is located near Courtenay Elementary.