Hello!

My hope is that this blog will be a resource for all Christian Education leaders at Faith Lutheran. I will post announcements, important need-to-know info, and articles that may help you on your journey as a teacher, small group leader, bible study leader, manager, coordinator, or student!

Check out Faith Lutheran’s website by clicking here.

This Wednesday, 1.14.09

Welcome back to Wednesday night confirmation!

• Since it is our first week back since Christmas, it would be great if all guides are a little early to greet their students!
• Guides, if you weren’t at the meeting last week, and don’t have your new lessons, you better come early to read through and plan tomorrow’s lesson!
• Thank you for a great Guide/Manager meeting last week. We really had a good discussion and I feel blessed by all of you!
• I assume you will soon begin to get questions from parents about Lent. Please let them know that I will be sending a letter to their home in the next few weeks with all the details.

That’s all for now! See you all tomorrow night!

This Sunday, 1.11.09

Hello Teachers,

Not much new to report this week….

• We will start in the Sanctuary for worship.
• Library: 6th grade       Computers: 4th grade (if you would like to lead)
• 3 yr. old-1st grade teacher meeting, 10:00-10:30 AM, Rm. 2F. Remember to bring your eval. forms with you! Next week from 10:00-10:30 will be 2nd-6th grade teachers meeting.  If you need childcare during the meeting, arrangements have been made to have the nursery supervised during that half-hour.

That’s all for this week!

This Sunday, 1.4.09

Wow, that was weird to type “09″. My first one of the new year!

News you can use for this Sunday…

Welcome back to Sunday School! The Christmas programs were wonderful and I thank you for all your help pulling things together. But, it will be nice to get back to our old routine. This Sunday, we will return to the opening worship schedule, this Sunday being in the Chris. Ed. wing. So from 9-9:15/10:30-10:45, all ages (3 year old-6th grade) will meet in the Gathering Area for worship.

Special Note:Adrian Poynter will no longer be able to lead the Computer lab sessions. If you would like, your class may still use the space, but Adrian will not be able to plan and lead.

• There is no assigned class to the library this week. The 5th grade class has computer lab if you would like.
• Please mark your calendars!  I would like to meet with all 3 yr. 0ld-1st grade teachers on Jan. 11th from 10:00-10:30 AM. On Jan. 18th, I would like to meet with all 2nd-6th grade teachers from 10:00-10:30 AM.  Please look for evaluation forms in your folders this Sunday. Fill them out and bring them to the meeting in Rm. 2F. These meetings will be a great opportunity to offer feedback, evaluate the program year so far, and support one another in our ministry together.
• 4th-6th grade winter retreat at Luther Crest is coming soon, Jan. 23-25! Please encourage your students to register. If they need financial assistance, it is available. Deadline is THIS SUNDAY!
• In a few weeks, the Chris. Ed. committee will be re-introducing the Playground fundraiser to the kids. The committee is starting a “campaign” in the marketplace this Sunday. Congregation members will be able to contribute to the Playground fund and see the preliminary sketches.

There will be a Christian Education committee meeting next Thursday, Jan. 8th, at 6 PM in Rm. 2F.  You are all welcome to join!

This Wednesday, 12.31.08

No confirmation class or Walk-In Worship! The small group guides/managers will meet next week, Jan. 7th, at 6:30 in Rm. 2F.
Have a safe and wonderful New Year’s Eve!

May you have a very blessed Christmas!

This Sunday, 12.14.08

FULL-HOUR CHRISTMAS PROGRAM REHEARSAL for all ages!
-3 yr.-Kind. meet in the Gathering Area in the Chris. Ed. Wing
-1st-6th grades go directly to the Faith Life Center
*Note: No Sanctuary worship today. We need the full hour for rehearsal.

“Christmas in a Box”, Wednesday, December 17-All kids be here at 6 PM. (Cast at 5:45) Meet in the gathering area to line up for program. Parents can pick kids up in their Sunday morning classrooms after the program.

This Sunday, 12.7.08

Just a couple things for this week…

• The Advent Festival is TONIGHT! I hope you all can bring your families. Enjoy food, fellowship and fun all in one place! We’ve got TONS of Grandma’s Attic merchandise for your kids to buy. Just a quarter a piece! Fun crafts too! The supper is free-will donation.
• Sunday will be a program rehearsal for the 1st-6th graders. The younger kids will have opening worship/rehearsal and then go to class.
• Next Sunday, the 14th, will be a full-hour run through for all ages. The older kids will be in the Faith Life Center and the younger kids will be in the Chris. Ed. gathering area. There will be no Sanctuary worship on the 14th. We will ask all parents to bring kids directly to practice.

That’s all for now! Thank you for allowing Sunday School to be a part of your life!

This Wedesday, 12.3.08

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT’S DECEMBER ALREADY!?

We await the birth of Christ...

What you need to know for this week…

• Please have your group ready to leave Faith at 6:30 sharp for shopping. Pick up your tags and money at the welcome desk in the North Lobby. Each group will get 2 tags and 50 dollars. (Unless your group did a Faith Break, then you will have more.) Remember to bring the release forms for transporting your group.
• Please be back to church by 7:30 to get the gifts wrapped. We will do wrapping in the North Lobby.
• Note: Shopping night will not be counted as a fellowship/service event for your group.
• Need to get going on your small group service credits? Service event opportunities for your group: 1. Sort Giving Tree gifts this Sunday: I need a group to sort the gifts according to which agency the tags came from. Shouldn’t take too long and can be done anytime Sunday morning. (If a group can’t do it, it would be a good individual credit for those in your group who need to catch up.) 2. Costumes for Christmas program: I need a group to sort through the costume closet and find costumes for the cast. Then, if the group wants, they could be backstage help during the program on Wednesday, the 17th.
• For the groups who are helping with the Advent Festival this Friday: Supper starts at 5:15 PM and shopping at 6:00. Please have your groups here by 5:45. The plan is to have each confirmation student pair up with a Sunday School child and accompany them through Grandma’s Attic. Please come with a flexible attitude as your group may be asked to help with kitchen, crafts, or wrapping too. I’m excited! It will be a great night!
• There are many acolyte opportunities for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Please encourage your kids to sign up if they will be in town.
• I am working on a new acolyte schedule for Jan.-April. Your kids can expect these in their mailboxes by next week.

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Confirmation Schedule for the remainder of the 2008 year 

December 3- Giving Tree Shopping Night

December 10-Worship and Class: The Greatest Prayer (I will have print-outs for each student in your folders on the 10th.)

December 17- No class, 1st-6th grade Christmas Program

December 24- No class, Christmas Eve Worship @ 3, 5, 7:30, 10:30 PM

December 31- No class, New Year’s Eve

January 7- No class, Guide/Manager Meeting at 6:30 PM

ENJOY YOUR “BREAK” FROM CONFIRMATION CLASS DURING DECEMBER! YOU DESERVE IT!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

 

Here are some things I am thankful for…

1. My family. A great 2 yr. old son and a loving husband.
2. A healthy pregnancy so far. I’m due May 12.
3. A job which fulfills a great purpose through ministry.
4. Cranberry sauce!
5. A vehicle that can get us from here to there.
6. Sunday School teachers, small group guides, managers, coordinators, nursery help, Bible study leaders, musicians.
7. Kids who come to Faith each week with an eager heart, open and ready to take it all in!
8. For a King who died for you, for me, and even for that guy walking down the street.

This isn’t an all-inclusive list by any means, but it sums up a lot of the gifts in my life for which I’m thankful. Try it out! Leave a comment of thanksgiving so we can share in eachother’s thanfulness!

Thess. 5.18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Happy thanksgiving to you! (I bet something else you’re thankful for is a week off from Confirmation and Sunday School!)

This Sunday, 11.23.08

Just a few things…

• Start in Sanctuary.
• Your new set of lessons is in your folder. Please pick these up this Sunday.
• Computers: NONE (Adrian, our leader for computers, will not be available to lead the 3 yr. olds this Sunday. Sorry for any inconvenience.) Library: 5th grade
• Reminder: No Sunday School on Nov. 30. Happy Thanksgiving!
• I would like to take the whole hour on Sunday, Dec. 7, for Christmas program rehearsal for 1st.-6th grades. (3 yr.-Kind. would do worship then class as usual). This means that Dec. 7 and 14 would both be rehearsal days for the older kids, and that the next week of actual “class” won’t be until January 4. (Dec. 21 is the 3 yr.-Kind. program, and Dec. 28 is Christmas Break.) Dec. 14 is a full run-through for all ages.
• Grandma’s Attic is coming soon! We will have shopping lists for the kids this Sunday to take home. It is from 5:15-8:00 PM on December 5th.
• 4th-6th grade teachers: Please encourage your kids to sign up for the Winter Retreat at Luther Crest Bible Camp, Jan. 23-25. The cost is $95. Registrations are available at the Chris. Ed. counter.

That’s all for now! See you on Sunday!

This Sunday, 11.16.08

News you can use…

• Opening worship will be in the gathering area for 1st-6th graders and in Rms. 1A &1B for 3 yr. olds-Kindergarten. We will use the Christmas program songs during worship time.
• Library: 4th grade Computers: 4 yr. olds (only at 10:30)
• This Sunday, at 10 AM, I will be meeting with the kids who signed up to have speaking/acting parts in the 1st-6th grade program. We will have very informal “auditions”. Can you believe the Christmas programs are just over a month away?!
• We are approaching a new church season! That means you need more lessons in your binder! Next week, I will have new lessons ready for you. They will be in your folders.

THANKS! SEE YOU ALL ON SUNDAY MORNING!

Confirmation, 11.12.08

News you can use…

Lesson: Defend Truth, The 8th Commandment

• Please take attendance at the beginning of small group time and place your sheets outside your classroom door. It’s difficult for the managers to get everything recorded  if these aren’t put out right away! Thanks!
• Help is needed this Friday night for the Craft Fair here at Faith. If 1 or 2 groups could come from 5-8 to help with set-up, the ladies would greatly appreciate it! They could also use a group or two for take down on Saturday from 4-7.  As added incentive, if your entire group commits to helping out and shows up, I’ll give you 2 service event credits! Talk to Laura if your group can help out!
• Please make the following adjustment on your confirmation schedule….Giving Tree shopping night will be December 3 instead of December 10. We will do the lesson “The Greatest Prayer” on Dec. 10.

This Sunday, 11.9.08

Dear Sunday School staff,

• This Sunday is Youth Sunday! It is a sanctuary Sunday, so all children will start in the Sanctuary. (Worship is NOT in the Faith Life Center as planned.) You are welcome to invite your class to sit with their parents the entire worship because it will be a great worship to be a part of. The children’s choirs are singing and the youth band is leading worship. If you plan on having your class stay the entire time, please send me an email letting me know. It’s important that we know for planning purposes which classes will stay. Make sure that your class parents know ahead of time. Don’t spring it on them Sunday morning! And please plan on still being here in case any of your students don’t have parents with them and would need you.  It may be hard for the younger classes to sit through an hour-long worship, so I would recommend class as usual for 3 yr.-Kindergarten.
• Library: 3rd grade (only at 10:30), Computers: Kindergarten**(this could change as Adrian may be unavailable to lead. I’ll let you know if that happens)
• Attendance on Sunday: if your class is staying in worship, just note that on your attendance sheet. If not, take attendance as usual.
• Lesson Plans: if you are doing a lesson as usual, remember to switch Nov. 9th’s lesson with Nov. 16th’s lesson. Just flip-flop them to match the worship lectionary.

That’s all I have! Have a great rest of your week! See you on Sunday!

Confirmation, 11.5.08

Lesson: Protect Property: The Seventh Commandment

• Printouts for each student will be in your folders. Please go over these with them and pay special attention to those who have many expectations yet to meet. Also, be thinking about your small group events too. I’m sure you don’t want to cram most of your events in the months of April and May.  Spread them out, it will make it easier for everyone.
• Confirmation Sub-Committee meets Wednesday. If you have any ideas for Lent that you would like the committee to discuss, please email them to me before Wednesday.
• I want to encourage small groups to sign up to help with a Wednesday night meal. You wouldn’t be able to do clean-up because that is worship time, but you could do set-up and serving. That would be a great way to get a small group servant event credit. Please talk to Laura if that is something your group would like to do.
• Remind your group of the importance of giving offering. We haven’t been taking in much this year, and that means less for the Giving Tree.  Help them put it in perspective by relating it to items they buy every day…something like, “If you could just sacrifice 3 pops a week and give that money for offering…”
• Youth Sunday is in just a few days! If your group is not involved, encourage them to come and worship! Worship will be in the Faith Life Center at 9:00 and 10:30. (7:45 Sanctuary)

See you on Wednesday!

Trunk or Treat Pictures

Here is a link to pictures from Friday night. The event was fantastic! We had a great turnout and lots of excited kids! A big thanks to all who helped with set-up and clean-up.

www.flickr.com/photos/faithlutheran

This Sunday, 11.2.08

Hi Sunday School staff!

News you can use…

• Library: 2nd grade    Computers: 1st grade
• We start Christmas program rehearsal this Sunday. Rehearsals will be held during opening worship time on the Sundays that we aren’t in the Sanctuary. Nov. 2&16, Dec. 7 and Dec. 14(we will use the whole hour for a run-through that day…no sanctuary.) We will keep the opening time worshipful, like it has been, using the Christmas program songs during worship. Colleen Marshall will take the 3 yr. olds-Kindergarten in Rms. 1A&B for worship and I will keep the older kids in the gathering area. We have asked parents to bring kids to classrooms at the beginning of the hour. That way, you can lead your class to the appropriate space for worship. We will be taking 30 min. of the hour for worship up until the Christmas programs. This means that your lesson time will be shorter. Thanks for your flexibility.

***Note: It is up to parents of 1st graders whether they want their child to do the Christmas program they are familiar with from last year and stay with the younger children, or if they want to join the older kids to learn a new program. Either way is fine.

***Note: On Sunday, Dec. 21 when the little kids perform their program in worship, all older classes will attend worship to show support for the 3yr.-Kind. program. So on that day, plan to walk your class to the Faith Life Center for worship/Christmas program.

• There are sign-up sheets on the Chris. Ed. counter for K.I.C.K and for Christmas program speaking parts. Please encourage your class to sign up for those! K.I.C.K is on November 7 from 6:30-8:30 PM. It will be a game night centered around Thankfulness. Deadline to sign up is November 5.
• The November 9th and 16th lessons need to be switched to match the lectionary from worship. Youth Sunday is on the 9th, and is a Sanctuary Sunday. If you would like your class to stay for the entire worship service, that is great! The service will be upbeat and fun!
• Christian Education Committee meeting Monday, Nov. 3 at 6:30 PM in the youth room. Join us!

God made you as you are in order to use you as He planned.  

-J.C. Macaulay

Family Fun!

Trunk-or-Treat

Got kids? Bring them to get even MORE candy! Don’t get many trick-or-treaters at home? Come with your car trunk and hand out candy! Food for everyone! Let’s once again make this event a hit!

Friday

5-7 PM

Hot dogs and pop, hot chocolate, cheese popcorn, candy!

Moonwalker/Jumper for the kids to wear off some of that sugar high!

Costume Contest

Best Decorated Trunk Contest

Pumpkin Carving Contest (bring your already carved pumpkin)

BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY! YOU CAN STILL

TRICK-OR-TREAT AFTERWARDS!

Confirmation, 10.29.08

Hey small group guides and managers!

Each week, I will post announcements on this blog, instead of taking time in Walk-in-Worship. Last week, it took about 15 minutes for announcements, and that is too long! If there are ever announcements that the students need to know, I will provide print-outs for them in your folders.

This week, 10.29

Lesson: Remain Faithful, The Sixth Commandment

 

Things to keep in mind this week…

• I desperately need some help for Trunk or Treat. Even if your small group can’t make it, I could use the adults. I’m hoping that we have enough people turn out with their car trunks to make it a success!
• The confirmation sub-committee is meeting next Wednesday, the 5th, at 5:30. We will be making some decisions about what to do during Lent. If you have any opinions about that, please either email me or one of the committee members before the meeting so that your p.o.v can be shared.
• The Poinsettia sale kicks off this week! Kyrstin has fundraising sheets for any student who wants to fundraise for camp, retreats, etc. Find her on Wednesday if you have a student who wants to sell.
• We’ve got a good portion of the year under our belts! Please remind your group to get moving on their expectations. Most of the students are doing great, but there are some who are gonna be hurting come May if they don’t get a move on it! Next week, I will have the print-outs for each student in your folders so they and you can see where they stand.
• When your group does a servant or fellowship event, please write it down on the sheet in your folder. If you want to fill out a pink sheet as well, that is fine, but we really need it written on the sheet in your folder.

Keep up the GREAT work! Have a great week! I’ll see you on Wednesday!

This Sunday, October 26

Hi Chris. Ed. leaders! Welcome back!

Here is what you need to know regarding this Sunday, October 26.

• Opening Worship is in the Sanctuary.

• There are sign-up sheets on the Chris. Ed. counter for K.I.C.K and for Christmas program speaking parts. Please encourage your class to sign up for those! K.I.C.K is on November 7 from 6:30-8:30 PM. It will be a game night centered around Thankfulness. Deadline to sign up is November 5.

• There will be a flyer for Trunk-or-Treat in your folders to pass out to parents. We really want to see this event happen with great success! I hope you can bring your families on Halloween night, even if for just a little bit from 5-7 PM.

• Christmas program rehearsals will start next Sunday, November 2. We will be using the opening worship time (only on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays) to teach the kids the songs. We will maintain a worshipful setting, while using the Christmas songs as our worship songs. Colleen Marshall will take the 3 yr.-Kind. into Room 1A during opening time, and I will keep the older kids in the gathering area. We will also be using close to a 1/2 hour for opening worship in preparation for the Christmas programs. This means that you will have the remaining 1/2 hour for class. Thanks for your flexibility these next few months! Watch this blog for another post with the full rehearsal schedule. (There will also be a schedule in your folders on Sunday.)

• NO computers or library this week, October 26.

• The Advent Festival, including Grandma’s Attic, is coming soon on December 5. Stay tuned for more details!

God bless you as you continue on this journey!

Christmas Program Schedule

We will once again be doing two Christmas programs. One for the 3 yr. olds-Kindergarten kids and one for 1st-6th grades.

Rehearsal Schedule:

3 yr.-Kindergarten:

“Someone Has a Birthday”

November 2 &16, December 7

(during Sunday School opening worship)

December 14

(full run through during Sunday School hour)

December 21-Perform during worship at 9:00 and 10:30

1st-6th grades:

“Christmas in a Box”

November 2 &16, December 7

(during Sunday School opening worship)

December 14

(full run through during Sunday School hour)

Wednesdays, December 3 &10 from 5:30-6:15 PM

December 17-Perform during worship at 6:30 PM.