Children’s Ministry Update, January 2021
Sunday School
We will finish up our “Birth of Jesus” unit at the beginning of January, and start our next unit, titled “People Jesus Met” on Jan. 10. This unit will take us right up through February break. We continue to enjoy the warm, multi-age community of our weekly 30-minute ‘Google Meet’ Sunday School class, and encourage families to join in! Participants from pre-school all the way through 5th grade make up this community—all are welcome!
Mailed Illustrated Ministry Bulletins
We are continuing to mail Children’s bulletins to church families. If you would like to be added to (or removed from) the list, please contact Becky. Look for “Epiphany Star Words” to be included in your mailing in early January, and if there are others in the congregation who would like to receive a star word (a word to guide your year), send Becky an email and she will get one out to you!
The Parent Portal has been a wonderful home-base for parents to get videos of stories, songtime with James and Becky and supplemental resources (including crafts, storybooks and other activities). Email Becky if you need the password to access the portal.
For parents, a weekly Parent Check-In on Thursday evenings after bedtime has been a wonderful community builder, and we encourage parents who haven’t already to join us!!
Junior Choir is continuing to meet in an online format. Any interested families are always welcome to attend a session at any point. To find out more information, or join this wonderful group of musicians, please contact James Kealey
A new year’s top 10 list of Children’s Ministry in the time of COVID:
10. James and Becky are eagerly awaiting word if “Songtime with James and Becky” will be nominated for a Grammy this year (haven’t seen it yet? Be sure to tune in to the weekly videos of songs on the parent portal on the Children’s page of the church website!)
9. Not only does the Junior choir all know James’ cat, but Becky and James have met a majority of the pets of the regular attenders of Sunday School and Junior choir—from dogs to frogs!
8. Becky is single-handedly bailing out the USPS with continued weekly mailings of Children’s bulletins!
7. James is teaching music theory (ask him whose FACE reminds our choristers of the spaces of the treble clef??)
6. Each Sunday morning 12-14 screens-worth of families get to see the corner of room 206 of the education building that has been transformed into a makeshift recording studio!
5. We get to hear wonderful, funny, touching stories of what families are doing for faith formation on their own!
4. Guest readers! From Sunday School teachers to staff members to families, kids are getting to see beloved, familiar faces reading the Bible stories and teaching them crafts each week! (Visit the Parent Portal to check them all out!)
3. Virtual choir anthems—they are coming—get ready!
2. We finally have proof that the old Avery and Marsh song is true: The church is NOT a building!
1. The reminder that God is bigger than any program we will ever create—and the ability to be in awe of the faithfulness, creativity and community that is the lifeblood of this congregation.