Christian Education--Fall 2008
What's Happening in Faith Discovery for Children?
NOVEMBER
For a month with only 30 days, November
sure has a lot packed into it! Here are the
special dates for Faith Discovery.
November 2: for the special Service of
Remembering the children will stay in
worship. First Steps children will be cared
for by Sharon Kuhn. Also on November 2,
the children gather EARLY, at 10:00 AM, to
continue practicing the song we are singing
with the Walker Choraliers in Brockton.
Meet with Catherine in the Library.
November 8, SATURDAY at 1 PM!! Practice
with the Walker Choraliers at our church,
CCW (isn’t that generous of them to come all
the way here to practice?).
November 9: leave CCW at
9:15 am for Messiah
Baptist Church in Brockton
to sing with their children’s
choir, the Walker
Choraliers. That’s LEAVE CCW, so plan to
arrive earlier so we CAN leave at 9:15 am.
We will return between 2 and 3 pm. Any
questions, contact Catherine (508-647-
0144, or cathliddell@comcast.net)
November 30: Pageant practice at 9:15 AM
sharp. Advent starts “early” this year. As we
did last year, and to give the children two
Advent Sundays in their classrooms, the
first 2 Pageant rehearsals are before
worship.
AND, as if that were not enough, be on the
lookout for the special Stewardship for
Children mailing that will appear around the
same time as the adult mailing.
Our popular Family Advent
booklets will be ready on
November 30. Look for yours in a
basket on the sign-up area.
Save the date on Saturday, December 6th
4:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. for our very own
Annual Trim-a-Tree Event, brought to you
by Faith Discovery! This is always a festive
time for all ages. We are looking for 6 craft
tables where you can share a favorite family
craft or try a new one! You may purchase
supplies (or ask us to do that) and provide
instruction. We will have a Potluck supper to
follow and continue our tradition of singing
carols and re-enacting the 12 days of
Christmas! Sign ups for Craft tables or
Potluck are in the Events Binder. Please
contact Candy Paquin (ccpaquin@comast.net),
Ann Marie Kreft Ramsey
(amkreft@comcast.net) or Lisa von
Lichtenberg (LisavL8888@aol.com) with any
questions.
FAITH DISCOVERY OUTREACH IN NOVEMBER
We hope your children will collect “good-as-new”
items for Mary’s House as part of our
Faith Discovery Community Outreach. Please
help us collect these things and bring them
to the CE Office by November 23rd.
On November 23rd, we will deliver our
collection to Mary’s House. We’ll leave CCW
at 12:00 noon and plan to return to CCW by
1:30pm.
Below is a wish list of items we hope to
collect for Mary’s House:
* Shampoo, * Shelves
* Toothbrushes &
Tooth Paste
* Ziplock &
Freezer Bags
* Socks * Aluminum Foil
* Winter Jackets * Toasters
* Winter hats & gloves * Paper Towels
* Crib Sheets * Colored Paper
* Baby Monitors * Postage Stamps
* Blankets
There are 2 12-year olds, 6 8-year olds &
under, and 4 toddlers as well as their
families in need--gender was not specified.
Please sign-up to volunteer to drive some of
our CCW children. Contact Lisa von
Lichtenberg at LisavL8888@aol.com or 978-
443-8091 for more information and/or to
RSVP to participate.
Dates for Future FD Outreach Endeavors
Sunday December 14th 12-2pm All Faith
Discovery Children Encouraged to attend
Christmas Caroling to a few homes and a
local Hospice/Nursing Home with Jessica,
Lisa, Choir and interested Church Members.
Save & Recycle Your “Good as New”
Children’s Games/Books for Future FD
Outreach Endeavors
Sunday, January 11th Book, Puzzle, Game
Collection. Pizza Lunch and Bingo at Mary’s
House 12:30pm. Return to CCW by 2:30pm.
October
The Faith Discovery Journey is heating up already!! Our first-ever “Spirit Field Trip” is in the works! But first, not to get lost in the shuffle, on October 5, the children are singing a song during the usual Time with Children moment. They started to learn it on our first Sunday together, but I’m sure they’ve forgotten it by now. So, let’s get together at 10:10 AM on October 5. It’s an easy song. The whole congregation will join us, but we need to know it so we can lead them.
Now, remember how much fun we had back in March singing with the Walker Choraliers from Messiah Baptist Church in Brockton? And we had pizza afterwards? And some of you were saying how cool it would be if we could sing together at their church? Well, we’re doing it! November 9th we’ll go in several cars over to Messiah Baptist Church in Brockton. I hear the song is really good and there’s movement to it, so this should be lots of fun. And what a wonderful opportunity to experience how other people worship! Here’s how we’ll get ready:
Their choir director is making a recording for us and we’ll have several CDs available for people to take home and play. Then,
On October 19. Sam Martinborough will get us started at 10:15 AM SHARP in the library!! It’s only 15 minutes so don’t be late! (it’s a Work Sunday, so kids who are helping with that can easily duck inside to become acquainted with the song with Sam.)
October 26 and November 1 – rehearse with Catherine starting at 10 AM
November 8, SATURDAY – joint rehearsal at CCW from 1:15-2 PM.
November 9 – leave CCW at 9:15 AM; warm-up at 10:15; worship at 10:45 until 12:30, light lunch following; return to CCW by 2:15. I am told, however, that their worship services can run over, as ours sometimes do and that might result in a somewhat later return.
We’ll need to get a rough estimate of how many kids are participating so we can organize car pools. So, parents, look for an email from me with details. We hope everyone will be able to participate, but if one or two can’t, have no fear, we’ll have curriculum-based activities ready at CCW.
September
The summer months that were once ahead of us are now largely behind us, mere memories! I hope that your summers have given you many happy ones. We are gearing up for another faith-filled, fun-filled year in Faith Discovery and would like to share what’s NEW.
In First Steps, we have a new lead teacher: Sharon Kuhn. She’s 23 and lives in Waltham and she’s fresh off work with Americorps, working with children aged 3 and 4. She comes to us highly recommended from the Paquins and we are grateful to Candy for passing Sharon’s name on to us.
Who’s in What Class? We have returned to the previous allocation of grades in our classes: Lighthouse Keepers are children in grades 3-5; Explorers are children in grades 6-8. This is what we had 3 years ago but changed because there were so few in the Explorer class. Now we have enough children in Middle School to make quite a large group. The Lighthouse Keeper group will also be quite large, necessitating 2 adults to be in that classroom every week.
Involving Children in Worship: Communion. The Faith Discovery Committee, with Joe and the Deacons, looks for opportunities to involve the children in worship in appropriate ways. That goal, combined with a desire to make communion available to teachers, has led the Committee to try something new. On September 28th after worship, Joe will lead a Sacramental Learning Event for parents and children in grades K-8 during which Joe will teach and lead a conversation about children and communion. Thereafter, on Sundays when Communion will be served by intinction (October, November, January, March and May), the children will go straight to class and then come into the sanctuary to sit with their parents for communion and the rest of worship. Parents will receive reminders ahead of time each month and the dates will be on the list of Important Dates in the Parent Packet.
Sign up to be a Light Bearer! Come to Lisa or to Catherine if your child would like to do this. It’s easy and we can show him or her how. Or he or she can “shadow” for a few Sundays to learn the ropes.
September’s Special Dates in Faith Discovery
9/7 All together in a One Room. Sharing about our Summers, reacquainting ourselves with the Bible, craft and song.
9/14 First day of regular classes.
New Lighthouse Keepers will receive Bibles!
ALL teachers meet after worship for orientation, where is everything, conversation about past experiences and suggestions for improvements, and to sign up for teaching dates.
9/21 Bring ALL of your friends for Sundae Sunday so they can get to know us and maybe join our Sunday fun!
9/28 Parents and children join Joe for a Special Communion Learning Event after worship.