Learning Together in Faith

It’s that time of year again! I dropped my 16 year old daughter off at school this morning for her first day of her junior year. It always seems like summer passes in the blink of an eye. So, here we are at the beginning of another school year with great hopes for our children and their families for the learning that is to come. With that said, we have a lot going on in the life of the church where learning is concerned…

• Christian Education Team welcomes Judy Otte as our leader and Kathi Vance as our new Sunday School teacher for the children’s class.
• George Kissick will be offering a comprehensive study on the Old Testament beginning in September. Those of you who continually say you don’t know enough about the Bible will now have a chance to dig in with other novices to learn about all the amazing ways God has led flawed people into doing great things in the world…Imagine what God can do with you and me!
• Children Worship & Wonder will begin again on August 17^th. Children aged 3 years to 3^rd grade are invited to participate. This program is Worship. While there is an element of learning, the ultimate goal of Children Worship & Wonder is to create child-friendly space for children to encounter God in worship, to learn the traditions of the church and how we worship and to discover their own best practices for speaking to and listening for God in their daily lives. Parents and concerned family members are invited to join us for our first orientation session, which will occur during worship on Sunday, August 17^th.
• September 7^th we will begin our “Light a Candle for Children” Prayer Vigil which leads up to Children’s Sabbath on October 19^th. On that date we will also celebrate Promotion Sunday, promoting children and youth to the next level of classes as they grow in their faith journey. Christian Education would also like for this to begin our emphasis on Christian Education. Building a strong foundation is essential to raising faithful children into faithful adults. Outside of the home, Sunday School is THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN! Bring your children to Sunday School and set the example by joining one of our adult classes as well. Classes begin at 9:30 a.m. AND, we offer donuts and coffee before classes begin!
  **George Kissick will also be going around to each class room to photograph each Sunday School group hang outside our classroom doors. Be sure to wear your best smile that day!
• And, as you well know, our youth groups are growing and this is something to celebrate! But, with growth, comes change. Our current model for doing Youth Ministry cannot be sustained if we continue to seek growth. So, youth groups will take on a new format this fall and we will start things up again in the month of September, as well. Middle and High School youth will meet on Sundays following worship. They will gather together for lunch and getting-to-know-you/team-building games. Then, they will separate out for age-appropriate learning experiences. In order to do this, we will need to increase our number of volunteers. We need to make sure there is food for lunches each week and we will need loving adults on hand to help lead and guide discussions. Please consider joining us in youth ministry and learning together how to fully be the Body of Christ!

Blessings,
Tracy