Donation Deadline Wednesday, December 9
While we aren't able to have our beautifully decorated tree in the Great Hall this year, Children's Ministry is continuing our Advent Giving Tree program. This year we are collecting items for the Episcopal City Mission Youth in Detention outreach ministry. These gifts will be distributed to youth in St. Louis area juvenile detention centers. This outreach is especially important this year as the children are not allowed visitors. With your help, every child in detention will have at least one gift to unwrap. The message they receive is the true gift:

They are beloved children of God, someone cares, and there is hope for a better life.

Please consider donating:

Gift Cards or Checks: Gift cards from Target, Amazon, Walmart, and Old Navy will be used to purchase items for children. Gift cards and checks help ensure each child receives exactly the same item and allows ECM volunteers to take advantage of holiday sales. If sending a check, please note "Holiday Gifts" in the memo.

Gifts for the Children: Please keep in mind that the children are typically around 11 to 17 years old. Requested items are listed below or you may purchase from the Advent Giving Tree Wish List on Amazon and ship items directly to CSMSG.
  • Playing cards
  • Jigsaw puzzles (100, 200, 500 pieces)
  • Art or coloring books and crayons (superhero and teen-themed)
  • Composition notebooks for journaling (black only, no spiral or wire binding)
  • Word search books (no spiral or wire binding, no sudoku or crossword)
  • Individually wrapped candy (no chewing gum or lollipops)
  • Youth version Bible trivia

Please return gifts to CSMSG by Wednesday, December 9. If purchasing items from Amazon, please remember to support CSMSG with AmazonSmile. Go to smile.amazon.com and select The Church of St. Michael & St. George as your charitable organization to support.
Advent Creativity
Carter and Sadie Lamb enjoyed the activities from week one of the Advent curriculum, Do Not Be Afraid. Please share pictures of your Advent creations with us. If you want a curriculum packet, they are available to pick up at any CSMSG outdoor Sunday worship service. You also may request a packet to be included with communion pickup or mailed to your home by emailing Mary Beth Tipton. For mailing requests, please include your mailing address.
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Advent Curriculum
Week 2: To Bring Peace
The second lesson of our Advent curriculum focuses on the scripture reading Luke 1:46-55. As the story begins, Mary just learned from an angel that she is going to have a baby.

Scripture: Look up the scripture and read it out loud together. You also may watch a video of Luke 1-2, the story of the Nativity, called "He's Here" from the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.

Reflection: Each lesson includes a brief reflection for the scripture texts. Can you think of a time when you felt several big emotions at once? Check the lesson for more reflection questions.

Activity: In the scripture reading, Mary sings a song. Color the lyrics from Mary's song on the activity page. Cut them into strips and link the strips together to form a chain. Make more strips using lyrics from some of your favorite Christmas songs.
Host the Traveling Nativity
Would you like to host some special travelers in your home during Advent? To aid in our preparation for the feast of Christmas, parishioners are invited to host Mary and Joseph, some shepherds, or some Magi. Members of the CSMSG Knitting Ministry lovingly created these travelers so that we may experience the traveling nativity, a modern take on the Mexican tradition of the Posada. When the travelers arrive, please unpack them from their box and create a place for them. Included in the box is a brief service to pray that we may encounter Jesus as we prepare for Christmas. Please take pictures so that we may share on social media the journey our travelers take. Use the link below to sign up to host the travelers and read more about this tradition in Fr. Tom’s Words of Encouragement.
Stories about Las Posadas
To learn more about the Posada, the tradition on which CSMSG's Traveling Nativity is based, watch and listen to the video links above. The book 'Twas Nochebuena, written by Roseanne Greenfield Thong and illustrated by Sara Palacios, tells the story of a Latino family preparing for the Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) celebration. In the book The Night of Las Posadas, written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, the couple who were to play the roles of Mary and Joseph in the Posada are delayed and some mysterious people take their place.
Register for Children's Ministry
We are still registering students for Children's Ministry for the 2020-21 school year. Please complete the online registration for your family. We will continue to send weekly updates through our e-newsletter and resources also are available at csmsg.org.
Contact Us
Mary Beth Tipton
Director of Children's Education
The Church of St. Michael and St. George
314-880-9206
Amy Zimmerman
Assistant Director of Children's Education
The Church of St. Michael and St. George
314-960-3474
Church School | The Church of St. Michael & St. George | 314.721.1502 | www.csmsg.org