News from the Children and Families' Ministry
Check out what's happening the next few weeks!
August 18th, 2019

Hey everyone! I hope the school year is off to a great start! I know our children are busy being salt and light at their schools! If your child would like me to have lunch with them, sign them up here ! I would love to come see them at school :)

Read on to find out what's happening in the Ministry to Children and Families:
Updates
Family Retreat- January 2020
We will be taking a Family Retreat to Great Wolf Lodge (in LaGrange, about an hour from here) January 24th-26th, 2020 . We'll head up there Friday evening and stay Friday night and Saturday night, before returning home on Sunday. We will spend time in the water park there on Saturday, and also have some time to do a few devotions and talk about God together. We have gotten a group rate, and the church will also be covering some of your family's stay and $50 per person for meals. We are trying to make this as affordable as possible. Your stay will be $200 a family , and then whatever meals that $50 a person doesn't cover. We will mostly be eating away from the Lodge to help cut down costs. We have space for 10 families. This will be on a first come, first serve basis. If you want to reserve a spot for your family, email me here . You must have at least one child in the Children's Ministry (infant-5th Grade). I'm really excited about this- we're going to have a blast! And this would make a FANTASTIC Christmas present! Payment isn't due until November 1st - sign up today!

Father Son Bowling
Bring your son (4 year olds- 5th grade) and join us at Stars and Strikes (Sandy Springs Location) on Saturday, September 7th , for Father Son Bowling! $10 a person, includes 2 games of bowling and shoes, pizza and drinks, and a $10 arcade card. 10 AM- Noon. Sign up here !

First Grade Bible Presentation
Our new First Graders will receive their new Children's Bibles on Sunday, September 8th , in our 11 o'clock service. I hope you'll make plans to attend!

Date Night: Movie Party Edition
Join us on Saturday, September 14th, from 5 PM- 8 PM for Date Night: The Chase. We'll meet in the Joy House for this fun, movie themed event. Dinner catered by Zoe's Kitchen. $20 a couple, includes dinner, childcare, and entertainment! Kids will be having a movie party of their own. Sign up here !

Save the Date: Fall Festival
This year, our Fall Festival is going to be BIG! On Saturday, October 19th , our church will begin its day with a Blood Drive in conjunction with the Red Cross (sponsored by the Deacons). From 10 AM- 4 PM , our church and community will be able to donate blood to help those facing surgery, blood transfusions, and other situations. From 2 PM- 5 PM (note the time change!) , our Fall Festival will take place. And this year, the Fall Festival will have something for everyone! We will have bouncies for the kids and sand art, caricature artists and face painters, popcorn and the cake walk, something fun for the youth (TBD),as well as a Chili cook-off (with prizes!) and a Pumpkin Carving Contest. The Fall Festival and the Blood Drive are purposely overlapping so that your children have something to do if you wish to give blood. I hope you'll take part in this fun and important day in the life of our church! *There will be no ponies or rock wall this year (so you won't spend the whole time waiting in line!)

Children's Ministry Logo
We chose the name "Salt and Light Factory" after Matthew 5:13-16 " You are the salt of the earth. but if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Our children are learning to be salt and light. They are building their faith foundation as they learn how much God loves them, what God has done for them, and their own place in God's big story. We are calling the Children's Ministry the Salt and Light Factory because we (Sunday School teachers, Mission leaders, VBS volunteers, choir leaders, and on and on) are partnering with you to help your children be salt and light in this world. It is my hope and prayer that by the time your children graduate from the Children's Ministry, they have built a solid faith foundation and their lights are shining brightly. Then, when they go to youth and they begin to ask more questions and to make their faith their own, they can continue to shine brightly because of that strong faith foundation.
Like any good factory, we are working with wonderful materials (your children). As a new school year begins, I hope you will make an intentional commitment to bring your kids to Sunday School and to worship, to join us for activities whenever you can, and to partner with us to help your child be salt and light in this world.

Sunday School
Our children are in their new Sunday School classes based on the grade they just began (or are beginning shortly!) in school. Sunday School is still at 9:15 AM until September 1st.
toddlers and twos- E159
threes- E157
Fours/PreK- E153
Kindergarten- E151
Level 1.0 (1st Grade)- E252
Level 2.0 (2nd Grade)- E255
Level 3.4 (3rd and 4th Grade)- E253
Level 5.0 (5th Grade) - E251

The 6th graders are now in youth! Please take your 6th grader to the Joy House for Sunday School (they start there and then move down to Room 111, across from the gym).

Sunday School Teachers for 2019/2020:
3s- Tracey Mitchell, Kelly Nuckolls
4s- Jeff and Kathy Jennings, Jan and Mike Tamucci
Kindergarten- Lynn Lynch and Ruth Johnson
1st Grade- Amanda and Brian Mackay, Alan and Kimberly Wrenn
2nd Grade- Pat Seabolt and Bamila Rosina, Karen Sorckoff and Angela Shine
3rd and 4th- Judy and Jerry Wilhoyte, Judy Hutton, Timothy Paul (as needed)
5th- Julie and Stewart Barnwell, Beth and Justin Bennett

Sundays in August

8:30 AM Worship in the Chapel (40 minutes long)
9:15 AM- Sunday School
10:30 AM- Worship in the Sanctuary

*Our Summer Schedule will continue through the month of August. On Sunday, September 1st, there will be no 8:30 service (due to Labor Day). Sunday School will be at 9:45 and Worship at 11 AM in the Sanctuary. Beginning Sunday, September 8th,we will resume our normal schedule (the 8:30 Service will be in the Sanctuary, Sunday School will be at 9:45, and the 11:00 Service will be in the Sanctuary).

 Choir and Handbells
Children's choir and handbells have begun! You can sign up here for choir registration and here for children's handbells (3rd-6th grade). Tinkerbells (for Kindergarten-2nd Grade) will begin on Wednesday, September 4th.

Missions Activities
Our Wednesday night dinner and missions activities (along with studies for adults and middle school Bible study) begin on Wednesday September 4th . Join us for dinner from 5:00-6:30, and then bring your 3 year old-Kindergartens to Mission Friends (1st floor of the Sanctuary Building, Room 101), and your 1st-5th graders to the Childrens Hall for Large Group time followed by RAs (boys) and GAs (girls).

The First Night of GAs will be a craft night! Have your girls bring a friend and have a blast at GAs on Wednesday, September 4th! The GAs are also looking for a few more leaders. If you or your high school student would like to help, let me know!



Reading the Bible as a Family
Each week, we will have a spotlight on a different character/family in the Bible, along with some selected passages and what to talk about as a family. The goal of this is to give you and your family a way to read the Bible together. If you'd like a paper copy, you can pick them up at the end of the Children's Hall!

Spotlight On: Elijah
  Elijah was an unpopular prophet. In a time when all of the Lord’s prophets were being killed, Elijah alone was left. And he warned Ahab, the king, that there would be no rain for several years except when Elijah asked for it. He had to flee as well, for Ahab and Jezebel wanted to kill him Read more...

Previous Spotlights:


Family Devotion
This week's devotion is all about our family's story of faith and is a follow up to last week's devotion (By Faith, part 2).Check it out here: Family Devotion.

Articles for Married Couples

Parenting Podcasts/ Programs

Parenting Preschoolers

Parenting Elementary Kids



Coming Soon...
September 4th- Wednesday Night Activities Begin
September 5th- MOPS begins ( 9:30 AM)
September 7th- Father/Son Bowling
September 8th- First Grade Bible Presentation
September 14th- Date Night
September 22nd- Family Lunch after Church
October 5th- Parents' Night Out
October 19th- Fall Festival



I hope you have a great day!

Blessings,
Jessica

Rev. Jessica Asbell
Minister to Children and Families
First Baptist Roswell