Dear Families,
Two big things right out of the gate!!
Please join us this Sunday April 3 at 5pm in the sanctuary for a Community Prayer Service for Peace. We will gather to pray for peace in Ukraine and throughout the world. Led by Rev. Jill Duffield and various other faith leaders form our community. All ages are welcome and the service will also be livestreamed.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL/SUMMER KIDS DISCIPLE CLUB REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for FPC members & Weekday Preschool families! VBS/KDC will be August 1-4; 9am-noon. Ages three-rising 2nd grade will participate in VBS; rising 3rd-5th graders will attend KDC. To register, click the links below. **We are initially capping each age group at 20 children, so register ASAP to make sure your kiddos get on the list! Next week, registration will open to to the community. If you are a volunteer, you should have received an email from me yesterday with a 50% discount code. If you have not yet signed up to volunteer, but would like to, please email me! I’ll be happy to add you to the volunteer list and give you the discount code. 😊
CLICK HERE FOR VBS REGISTRATION
CLICK HERE FOR KDC REGISTRATION
____________________________________________________________________________________
This Sunday
Kindergarten-5th grade will have our final lesson in the Lenten series. We’ll begin together in CORL 306 at 10am. After working together on a prayer practice and experiencing the bible story, we will split up into two smaller groups – K-2nd & 3rd-5th – for more activities. This is a great way to build relationships across ages!
- April 3 – Jesus Dies
Preschoolers will meet in MLC 101 and will be studying these same lessons.
Join us in worship at 9am in Rejoice or 11am in the Sanctuary! It’s confirmation Sunday. We will recognize our confirmands in Rejoice at 9 and formally welcome them into the life of our congregation in the sanctuary at 11.
**Nursery care is available on the first floor of the Life Center for infants, toddlers, & preschoolers during both worship services and Sunday School. Our nursery staff are all full time elementary and preschool teachers who have received our Child Protection Training. They would love to welcome your little ones to our wonderful nursery spaces!
**This week the parent class will meet in THE BRIDE’S ROOM due to confirmation activities in the Life Center. The bride’s room is located on the first floor of the main building under the sanctuary, near the Christian Formation offices. If you need help finding it, come see me in CORL 306 or ask at the welcome desk!
_______________________________________________________________
Coming Up
- April 10– Palm Sunday & Resurrection Egg Hunt! Families are invited to join us at 10 am on the Elm Street/Labyrinth Playground for a resurrection egg hunt. After the hunt, we’ll have some treats and fellowship. **Children are invited to join the Palm Processional in either Rejoice or Sanctuary!
- April 17– Easter Sunday –Children & Parents are invited to join us at 10am on the Elm Street/Labyrinth Playground for bells, bubbles, music, parachute games and fellowship!
- April 24 – No Sunday School for children & youth
- May 1 – 5th grade Celebration Breakfast – 10am
- May 15 – Children’s musical and preschool bibles in worship! (If you have a “rising” three year old, you will be receiving an email from me about the bible presentation.)
Sunday school in May will be simple family fellowship on the playground! On May 1, 15, & 22 parents of preschoolers and elementary children are invited to come together with the children on the Elm. Street Prayground for some casual conversation, food, and fun.
———————————————————————————————————————————
LENT AT HOME
During Lent, I’ll be adding this section to the E-News to share some easy ways you can experience Lent at home with your family.
We have talked about giving and I hope you are working on your Favorite Things Boxes! See attachment for a reminder.
I shared some prayer practices to consider trying with your family. If you missed it, you can read those HERE.
I offered some suggestions age appropriate ways to approach fasting with kids. You can review that HERE.
Last week, I shared some ways to make or look for crosses. Lent is a journey toward the cross and making or finding crosses is a tangible way children can participate. You cna see them all by clicking HERE.
This week, I thought I would share a few of may favorite Easter Children’s books. These are great to have at home!
- ‘Twas the Morning of Easter by Glenys Nellist – a re-framing of the classis Christmas poem with beautiful, rich artwork
- Easter Love Letters from God by Glenys Nellist – Bible stories with a note from God about what those stories mean for us.
- Good News! It’s Easter! by Glenys Nellist – I like this author in case you couldn’t tell! 🙂
- God Gave us Easter by Lisa Tawn Bergren– One of the books in this new classic series.
- The Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story by Mike Berenstain – Brother and Sister bear are learning about the Easter story in Sunday school.
- The Beginner’s Bible The Very First Easter
- A Very Happy Easter by Tim Thornborough– Focuses on emotions through the Easter story.
- Thant Grand Easter Day by Jill Roman Lord– A rhyme & verse that builds on itself!
Religious based Easter books are not as plentiful as Christmas books! If you are looking for books on your own, try to look for books that have culturally appropriate illustrations (also difficult to find) and books that don’t focus on the violence of the cross.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Other Notes and Info
Through a Christian Formation resource I subscribe to, I just discovered these Family Time Kits. According to the website, kits for a family with two kids are about $25 dollars per month. Each box focuses on a particular word/concept (such as “generous” or “peaceful”) and includes supplies for four activities a family can do together. It also includes scripture references, prayers, and conversation starters. You can see a sample of a past box HERE. They look AMAZING!
____________________________________________________________________________________
Please be in touch if you have any questions or concerns!
Blessings,
Lisa Witherspoon
Director of Children’s Ministry
First Presbyterian Church, Greensboro, NC
(336) 478-4726
