Children & Youth Ministries Weekly Update

Hello February! This sweet month is filled with heart parties, love, friendship, communication, and excitement as we look ahead to the 2026–2027 school year.

We wrapped up January with in-house registration and had our largest first-day registration ever! Alumni Registration took place on Wednesday, February 4, and Open Registration will be on Friday, February 6. If you know a family looking for a loving, Christian preschool led by amazing women who truly love teaching, please send them our way. Circle of Friends is a family-centered preschool, and it is truly a joy to do what we do. We are honored to have been voted Best Preschool in The Columbian’s Best of Clark County for the past three years, and I would love to give you, or anyone you know, a tour and show you why.

It’s Mail Time! February brings one of our most beloved traditions; mail in the preschool hall! For the first two weeks of the month, families and students send letters to one another, and delivered to classrooms each day. The children absolutely light up! It’s a highlight of the year!

Love is in the Air! This month, our students will learn all about kindness, friendship, family, and sharing, and most importantly, that God is love, and His love is unconditional and unchanging. Our science lessons will be Valentine-themed, and we’ll celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 10 and 12, with two joyful party days. Think: exchanging valentine’s, bounce houses, heart crafts, heart snacks, heart balloons, and hearts everywhere! There truly is nothing sweeter than preschoolers celebrating love.

Our halls may be filled with little hearts, but they are overflowing with BIG love.

Happy February, everyone!

Ms. Laura Ericcsen

Director

Celebrating Lydia Fitzpatrick

Thank you to everyone who helped send Lydia off well!

Announcements

Parents' Night Out

Friday, March 20

5:30-8:00PM

Registration opens March 1

At Parents' Night Out we will be painting, coloring, and creating our way through the evening with children ages infant-5th grade.

We are in need of volunteers. Please email Tifny if you are willing to help. We are required to run a background check on all volunteers 18 years old and older.

Columbia Faith & Life Conference:

Faithful Living in Secular Times

February 27-March 1

We live in an age that goes at the speed of the internet, with social media, deep fakes, and AI an everyday part of life. In this fast-paced world, for many people God and church seem like ancient remnants of another time. How do Christians make sense of things and live faithfully in this secular age? Andy Root will help us to see how deeply the church has been impacted and exhausted by trying to keep up with the speed of these secular times. He will help us to find new spiritual footing that will help us avoid the traps of the secular age and live a richer, more abundant life that is grounded in Jesus Christ.

We are often unknowingly shaped by the culture that we live in. Ours is a secular culture that tells us that our identity and value is in what we can produce and how popular we are. We get caught up in the rat race and become exhausted or come crashing down when we fail to live up to the expectations of secular society. Andy unmasks the forces of secularism and will help us to see how we can resist secular forces and embrace the deeper ways of Christ. Register here.

Work Camp Auction Donations

Your donations are the first step to a successful Work Camp Auction - which is our primary way of funding our summer high school Work Camp. This year the students will be assisting in Hurricane Helene relief in Tennessee and North Carolina. For the Auction, we need physical items, experiences, services, monetary and gift card donations. Donation information sheets are available in the office, at the Welcome Center, and on Church Center. Please plan to return those with your items by the end of February. The second step to a successful Work Camp Auction is your attendance, so please mark Sunday, March 15 on your calendars and register here. Do you have questions about donations or the auction? Contact the Auction Coordinator, Amanda Stimmel.

High School Work Camp

July 4-10

Students will help rural communities rebuild after the devastation of Hurricane Helene through hands-on projects such as debris cleanup, construction, and repair. Each day includes shared meals, meaningful work, and a rhythm of devotions, prayer, and reflection led by Experience Mission staff. Work Camp invites students to grow in faith, serve alongside peers, and notice how God is at work in communities different from our own. Registration closes March 15 - please register as soon as possible. Register here.

Work Camp Auction

Sunday, March 15, 12:00pm-3:00pm

Fellowship Hall and Gym

Join us for one of CPC’s most fun and meaningful events of the year - the annual Work Camp Auction! This all-ages event helps send our high school students to Work Camp, and everyone is welcome. You don’t need to have a student in the ministry to come, bid, and enjoy the day. Register online to purchase lunch, grab raffle tickets, and get ready to bid both online and in person. Lunch must be purchased in advance to be guaranteed, so don’t wait. Register and find all the details at https://CPC2026.auctria.events

Contemplative Yoga Classes

Tuesdays and Thursdays

The classes are led by Stephanie Bisch and there are several class and time options.

Click here for more information.

Tifny Mathena, Children and Intergenerational Ministry Director

tifny@columbiapresbyterian.org

Anna Haagenson, Director of Grove 345 and Children's Music

anna@columbiapresbyterian.org

Lydia Fitzpatrick, Youth Director

lydia@columbiapresbyterian.org

Catherine Feeny, Youth Ministry Worship Leader

catherine@columbiapresbyterian.org

Viva Dennis, Administrative Associate for Children's Ministry

viva@columbiapresbyterian.org

Katie Mrochko, Administrative Associate for Youth Ministry

katie@columbiapresbyterian.org

Lindsey Wright, Childcare Coordinator

lindsey@columbiapresbyterian.org

Laura Ericcsen, Circle of Friends Preschool Director

laura@columbiapresbyterian.org

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