Dear Families,

I hope you all enjoyed some fun in the snow (or, um, sleet!) over the weekend. Looks like we may be getting more on Friday! Check the church website & social media for any weather related closings or updates! ❄❄

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This Sunday

Our Winter Milestones resume during the Sunday School hour at 10am!

• Kindergarten (Beginner bible) – CORL 304 – One Special Book (Genesis & Exodus)
• First Grade (Worship Education) – CORL 301 – Our Plan for Worship
• Second Grade (Communion Education) – CORL 300 – Remembering our Baptism – **Parents are encouraged to attend and bring a memento from child’s baptism. Rev. Jill Duffield will visit! 
• Third Grade (Catechism Education) – CORL 301 – Covenant & Ten Commandments
• Fourth Grade (Bible Skills) – Memorial 200 (Spencer Love Room) –The Bible is a Special Library
• Fifth Grade (Spiritual Practices) – CORL 306 – Unplugging
• Preschoolers will begin their special “Bible Heroes” series in MLC 101 by learning about Jonah! 

Join us for worship in Rejoice at 9am or Sanctuary at 11am!

**NEW PARENT CLASS: Families Growing in Faith– a *new* Sunday School class designed for parents who seek community, support, and growth in their faith. The class will focus on different topics each week, and will be collaborative in leading and planning.  We will meet in the back of the Life Center at 10:15. Please email Lisa Cook at elisawcook@gmail.com for more information.  **Nursery care is available, but little ones are also welcome to come with you to the class if you are more comfortable keeping them with you! 

Also  beginning this Sunday, –  FPC is joining Pastors for North Carolina Children in a monthly letter-writing ministry on behalf of public schoolkids. January focuses on school nurses. Discipleship Coordinator Leigh Curl-Dove is making it easy — she will have materials (including sample letters) in the Welcome Center that you can fill out in a few minutes. Anyone who can hold a pen or a crayon can participate! Learn more in her post at the First Elm Notes blog.

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Coming Up

• In 2021, our Share the Love Valentine Outreach Project was so wonderful that we have decided to do it again! I am working with Newton Cowan to update our list of congregation members who could use a little extra love this Valentine’s day due to health concerns, loss of a loved one, or other situations. If you would be interested in providing a Valentine’s gift bag to one (or more) of these members, please CLICK HERE to read more details and sign up. 
• Last Call for Passport Camp Registration! Since church has been closed due to weather (and may be closed again this weekend!), I have extended the deadline to January 30. If your current 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th grader is interested in attending Passport Camp at Greensboro College July 11-14, please fill out THIS REGISTRATION FORM ASAP!  Let me know if you have questions. 
• We’re bringing back Vacation Bible School in summer 2022!!!After much discernment, the children’s formation committee has decided to bring back our traditional VBS/KDC this summer! It will take place on August 1-4 from 9am-noon. We are extremely excited to get back to this favorite tradition! However, our ability to offer VBS safely & effectively hinges on our volunteers.  Please consider helping out if you can. If you can’t, but would like VBS to happen for your kids, please invite someone else in the congregation to volunteer. You can read more about the available volunteer slots and SIGN UP HERE. We will be evaluating our volunteer capacity in mid-February and, if we have enough volunteers to move forward, we will open registration in mid-March. Of course, we will monitor the covid situation as we get closer to the August date and make adjustments as needed. 

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Other Notes & Info

Just a few things I have been pondering lately that I thought I would share:

• THIS ARTICLE has been popping up in my Facebook feed a lot recently. Maybe you have seen it, too. I think it is popular because it is so honest and relatable. Even though I have teens instead of toddlers, I feel that same thing she is describing. “There is not good or right way to proceed other than the one that keeps you sane.”  I might have to get that quote blown up onto a giant poster!
• There’s a blog called REFOCUS that I really like and have shared some things from this site before. It focuses on including children in worship and other Christian formation topics. I really liked THIS POST about why children should be IN worship – not squirreled away to “chidlren’s church.”
• I also saw something about THIS BOOK, The Topography of Tears, on Facebook initially. It really captured my attention to realize that tears cried for different reasons also look under a microscope. I’ve been thinking about the implications of that – for children and adults. Unfortunately, the book is on back order, but I hope it will be avialbe again soon.

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Please be in touch if you have any questions or concerns! Also, please know that our pastoral care staff is available if you need someone to talk to during these heavy, strange days. I am happy to put you in touch, you can email Newton Cowan at ncowna@fpcgreensbor.org, or call the Pastor on Call phone at 336-908-8615.

Blessings,
Lisa Witherspoon
Director of Children’s Ministry
First Presbyterian Church, Greensboro, NC
(336) 478-4726