Hello Families!

In our ever-changing, flexibility-testing Children’s Ministries’ world, here is our plan for the next few weeks:

  1. Wednesday Night Supper is postponed until February. (No eating for now.)
  2. Children’s Choirs will be virtual until February. (No singing in-person for children for now.)
  3. Little Saints’ Nursery will be closed until February 6. (Babies aren’t able to be vaccinated nor wear masks.)
  4. Children’s Church and Formation will resume this Sunday with good masks (I will have extras; no cloth masks) and distance between us.
 
Know that we take great care in making all of these decisions to keep our children and their teachers/caregivers safe. As children have gone back to school, we will follow suit with Children's Formation and Children’s Church with added precautions—better masks, no food, no singing.
 
Now with all the hard stuff out of the way….We Are Still Here! We Love You All! And God is Still With Us! It has been a long and weary journey, but remember that you are always surrounded by God’s love. We all need that reminder sometimes, but especially during a prolonged trauma or change in our normal routines. You might have to work a little bit harder to look for the good, to find God at work in our world, or to give thanks for our lives.
 
Or maybe not. Maybe it is easier for you to see God’s blessings during this time. 
 
And it may change from day to day.
 
All of this is “normal” for living through this pandemic time. The important thing is that we notice where we are each day and what we may need to do to take care of ourselves and those around us.

  1. Pray: Get out of bed and say “Thank You God for another day.” Use a Prayer Book. Sing a hymn. Read the Bible. Just talk with God. Walk in nature and listen. You can’t run on an empty tank, so find a way to refill your spirit.
  2. Exercise: Walk, play sports, move furniture, dance…anything to get stress out of the body and build resilience.
  3. Breathe: Again, get the stress out of your body. Take 5 minutes every hour and breathe 3 deep breaths (your kids can teach you Elevator Breaths!), do Yoga or Tai Chi, lay on the grass and look at the clouds or stars.
  4. Eat and Sleep Well: If you are doing 1,2, and 3, this will be easier.
  5. Play and Love Well: Laughter is God’s medicine for a weary heart. Make a hard stop with work and responsibilities and play with your family. Love them out loud…and yourself…and others!
 
I always tell kids that you can choose which way you will go through a hard time. You can see it as an obstacle that keeps you where you are in pain, sorrow, frustration. Or you can see it as an obstacle opportunity to grow and learn from or a problem to solve. The latter moves your mind from victimhood or hopelessness to creator/problem solver and empowerment. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have all of those feelings when we encounter an obstacle, it just means that we can choose to not get stuck in them. With help from each other, we can learn how to move through anything.
 
“Don’t wait for things to get better. Life will always be complicated. Learn to be happy right now, otherwise you’ll run out of time.” —unknown
 
Peace to you,

Kathy
This Sunday, January 16
Little Saints – Birth to PreK

With the increase in Covid cases and the fact that children under 5 can not be vaccinated yet, we have made the tough decision to close the nursery until Sunday, February 6. 

Stay tuned to this space to be notified of any change in these plans. You are always welcome to bring your child into the church service with you. If you decide to do that, know that there is room to spread out in the chapel if that helps. 

I hope that we will all be able to gather together soon, but please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns or need support in any way.
Children's Church

Sundays at 9:00 a.m. on the 2nd Floor of Pritchett Children's Center

We gather in Kenan Commons at 8:45 a.m. to say hello, make a craft or color, and sign up for jobs to do during our service. Then we process into the chapel at 9:00 a.m. for our service.

We join the parents in “big church” during the Peace and announcements (unless we have Holy Eucharist). Parents: please stay standing so that we can find you; you are also welcome to attend anytime with your kids.
K-5th Grade Formation

Sundays at 10:15 a.m. on the 2nd Floor of Pritchett Children's Center

K-1st grade meets in The Hollow, 2nd-3rd meets in The Bird’s Nest, and Club 45 meets in The Clubhouse on the 2nd floor of Pritchett.

Dress warmly in layers as you may take an adventure outdoors at any time! We are masked and distanced and are not able to have snacks during class indoors. Please make sure your children finish their doughnuts (if they get one) before coming inside for class. Remember, Club 45 will get a doughnut at the end of class each week.

*If you haven't already, please make sure that your children are registered for the 2021-22 program year.* Register here >>
Save the Date!
Parenting with God

Sunday, January 30, 10:15-11:05 a.m., in P307

Parenting With God will start back up at the end of January to explore how we are all getting through this pandemic.

All parents, grandparents, godparents, and caregivers are welcome to join us to share and learn from each other as we travel this parenting journey together.

This spring, we will use Faith at Home: A Handbook for Cautiously Christian Parents by Wendy Claire Barrie as a guide for discussion.


Reminders
Teachers

K-1st Leaders: Sarah Bryant, Kathy Compton, Laura Gandy, Anne Elzemeyer, Elinor Hitt, and Beth Frilingos
Curriculum: The Fruits of the Spirit

2nd-3rd Leaders: Danny Johnson, Sue Bess, Sintra Constant, Meg Fogel, Ashley Thompson
Curriculum: The Fruits of the Spirit

Club 45 Leaders: Jack Norton, Tim Frilingos, Julia Wilson, Steve Davis, Emily Pheil, Emi and Michael Gragnani (subs)
Curriculum: Connect
Here are a few things that help make formation run smoothly for teachers:

  1. Know that your children will get a snack at the end of class and there are some traditions embedded here. Club 45 gets glazed doughnuts (so please tell your child NOT to get one before class). K-1st and 2nd-3rd will begin getting their favorite popcorn again (up to you about a donut before class, but they should finish it before coming to class).
  2. Have your child go to the bathroom before joining class. 
  3. Pick-up happens promptly at 11:05 a.m. as teachers need to clean up and leave. Teachers may have something to share with you about the class and we want to make sure all kids have gotten back to their parents.
Please Register for the 2021-22 Program Year

If you haven't already, please don't forget to register on Realm for Little Saints, Children's Ministries, and Children's Choirs.
Love to you all,
Kathy Roberts
Director of Children's Ministries
For more information contact Kathy Roberts