Children & Youth Ministries Weekly Update | | |
We are heading into the season of wrap-ups, appreciation, finals, last games, evites, banquets, end-of-the-year everythings, and endless requests from our frenemy: signupgenius.com. Sometimes community can feel like a double-edged sword, especially when all the community seems to converge and happen all once. We call this: the month of May.
So here’s our reminder of what is real and true: you don’t have to do it all. Being wherever you are, as present as possible, is the best gift. Maybe pick one or two things, and do them the best you can. Share the load. If you aren’t usually a joiner, perhaps just this one time, sign up and bring the muffins so that one parent who always does can cross that off their list. And for those of us organizing the chaos and creating the dreaded signup-genius emails, have faith it will all get done and God will provide you with the help you need.
If you have no idea what I am talking about, please pray for those who are overwhelmed.
In the end, the month of May (and every month after) belongs to the Lord, and so do we.
Let’s do this.
| | WOMEN'S RETREAT - RESTORED AND RESTORIED | | This past weekend almost 40 women gathered for CPC’s annual Women’s Retreat at Aldersgate Lodge. We welcomed many first timers, sang our hearts out with Catherine Feeny, did Yoga with Stephanie Bisch, made homemade tea with Dr. Lori Brown, discussed a book by John Mark Comer, and remembered the beloved Pastor Bruce Armstrong in a memorial led by Mary Sisson. We were reminded of the Lord’s delight in us by our speaker Paula Gamble, laughed until we cried, ate s'mores, played games, dove into deep conversations, ate a ton of delicious food and went through a large amount of Kleenex. A very big thank you to the Women’s Ministry Team, Mary Jensen, Nicole Webb, Sheri Borrevik, Fran Wallace and Brittany Erspamer, for your prayer, effort, energy and time that went into creating a truly memorable and soul-filling weekend. And a heartfelt thank you to all who attended! | | Circle of Friends Preschool | | |
This Month at Circle of Friends…
We wrapped up April with our annual Donuts with Grown-Ups. We had two joyful days celebrating our students and their favorite people! From decorating frames and playing donut-themed games to singing songs, reading stories, creating art, and (of course) enjoying plenty of donuts. It was a sweet and memorable time for everyone. The pride on our students’ faces as they shared their school with loved ones, and the smiles all around, made it extra special.
Now we head into May with just three weeks of school remaining! These final weeks are always full of fun and meaningful moments, especially for those experiencing their “lasts”, last share days, last performances, and the bittersweet goodbyes that come with the end of preschool.
We’ll kick things off on May 5 & 7 with Beach Day! Come check out the hall, it will be completely transformed, and even our teachers will be on duty as lifeguards!
On May 12 & 14, join us for our Spring Program, where our students will sing their hearts out and create memories that we’ll all treasure. Don’t be surprised if there are a few happy tears!
We’ll wrap up the year on May 19 & 21 with our Last Day Celebrations and Car Parades. If you’ve never seen one, it’s a must! Families from years past even come back just to watch. It’s a joyful, high-energy tradition you won’t want to miss.
Looking ahead, we’ll be back in mid-July for our Christmas in July Summer Camp and then again in August as we prepare for another wonderful school year.
Happy May, everyone!
Blessings,
Ms. Laura Ericcsen, Director
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Work Camp Student & Leader Meeting
Sunday, May 3, 4:00-5:30pm
Youth Center
Work Camp meeting for the team going to Tennessee - both students and adult leaders. Pizza provided. Regular Youth Group will follow from 6:00-8:00pm.
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Bike Hike
July 26-August 1
Farragut State Park
Bike Hike is open to all youth who just completed 6th-8th grades. Registration deadline for Bike Hike is Monday, June 1. Register here.
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VBS - Registration opens May 15
Monday, June 29-Thursday, July 2
9:00am-12:00pm
Ages: 5 years old (by the end of August) through current 5th graders
Join us this year as we travel to Egypt and journey with Joseph. We are bringing back the much loved “Marketplace” this year and are excited to share this with a new generation of students. VBS is nothing short of a magical experience for many kids (and families!) that otherwise would not be in this space. But we need your help!
- First and foremost, we need prayer warriors! We need people to start praying now for the families, kiddos, and volunteers. There is nothing better than Jesus, and our prayer is that we would all experience that during VBS. Let us know that you are including VBS in your prayer time by clicking here.
- VBS can’t happen without hands-on volunteers. If you would like to volunteer working with kids at VBS this summer, middle school and older, please click here.
*All volunteers working with children under the age of 18 are required to have a background check and complete our Expectation Policy.
- We have a great group of people planning fantastic decorations, but we need (many) more hands to bring our decorations to life! You don’t need to be an artist or a super crafter to serve in this way, just a willingness to maybe get some paint on your pants. Options for this include take-home projects, work parties (some in the evening, some on Saturdays) or helping assemble and set up the Sunday before VBS. This is a low-commitment, but high impact opportunity! We tell the kids that all the decorations are a sign of love and faith, like visible prayers from people they might never meet, showing them the care and love of Jesus! If you can donate some time to this effort, please click here.
- In order to turn our church into another world we will need LOTS AND LOTS OF FABRIC. We are looking for BIG pieces of SOLID COLORED fabric. The more yards, the better. Please bring donations to the church office or leave at the Welcome Desk on Sunday mornings.
- We also need a large number of white pop-up canopies! Do you have one we can borrow for the week? Please let us know here.
Blessings as you discern how God may be calling you to serve the Kingdom through VBS this summer!
Questions? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Tifny!
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All Church Camping Adventure
August 14-16
Millersylvania State Park
Registration is open for our all church camping weekend at Millersylvania State Park just south of Olympia. We have reserved 30 tent sites and 2 RV sites. Spend your days swimming and enjoying non-motorized boating on Deep Lake, relaxing by the water, or exploring the hiking and biking trails in the park and nearby. Other attractions in Thurston County are also close at hand. Use this time to slow down, recharge, connect with friends and family, and enjoy God’s beautiful creation. We will provide dinner meat and fixings for Friday and Saturday, and coffee in the mornings. $60 for the first adult and $10 for each additional human. Registration is first come, first served. Once the spots are gone, they are gone. Register here.
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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.
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