PMC KIDS

Sunday School / 1-8-2012

2012-01-10T11:42:00.001-08:00

Dreikoenigskuechen & Burger King Hats

2012-01-10T11:32:00.001-08:00

I am of course a parent of child who attends Sunday School at PMC. Every week I get an email from my daughter’s teacher… I just had to share this one…

~Curt

We have a wonderful new helper this term- Miss Joleen! The kids broke her in right away by reciting their memory verse (psalm 80:7) to her and then making her close her eyes and say it back. And there is no "close enough" with these guys.

We jumped right into our Bible story for the day- Matthew 2:1-12- with all the children (except for one, who battled his way into the coveted spot of snack helper instead) taking on roles for an unusually dramatic reading of the story of Herod and the magi. There were dark insinuations and wicked laughter.

The craft of the day was drawing pictures of how we could, in a way, give gifts to Jesus like the wise men did, (these were very beautiful, with pictures of people giving each other hearts and large, otherworldly vases of flowers) and then putting these pictures into little boxes and wrapping them in Christmas wrapping paper.

I told them that in many countries, the day the wise men found baby Jesus is celebrated on January 6, and is called Epiphany. We talked about the word Epiphany, and how it can mean an awesome discovery. The children volunteered some awesome discoveries they had made in their own lives, but we all pretty much agreed that finding baby Jesus in a manger was probably the biggest epiphany anyone ever had.

"Furthermore," I told them, "I used to live in Switzerland, so I am uniquely authorized to hold a Swiss-style Epiphany party right here in this very room RIGHT NOW!" And the crowd went wild. I love these guys. :) I brought out the Dreikoenigskuechen I had baked, and each child took a piece. We all waited to see whose piece would have the golden jellybean in it (discovering the piece with something special in it represents the wise men's discovery of Jesus), and it turned out to be MIA! So Mia was crowned King For The Day, in accordance with Swiss custom. [which explains the Burger King hat she was wearing in church]
We held hands and said a prayer about how the wise men gave the best they had to offer, and how anything good we do is a way for us to give Jesus our best, too. We finished by singing a few "O Come Let Us Adore Him"s and looking at the third and final Christmas View-master reel, which is all about Herod and the three kings.

This week- Be on the lookout for the gifts your children give others, large and small.

Next week- We'll hear the story of how little Jesus was kept safe in Egypt, and remind each other that God keeps us safe, too

Christmas in a Box 2011

2011-12-19T14:33:00.001-08:00

Thank You to all the children, parents and others who showed up on Saturday night to help create an impromptu pageant out of the boxes of props is the basement… Hopefully a video will be posted here soon…

What did you TALKABOUT in Sunday School?

2011-12-12T10:35:00.001-08:00

ADVENT WORKSHOP!

2011-12-05T15:01:00.001-08:00

What did you talkabout in Sunday School?

2011-12-05T14:52:00.001-08:00

Coming December 17…

2011-12-02T23:19:00.001-08:00

So, what did you talk about in Sunday School?

2011-12-01T11:35:00.001-08:00

Learning the books of the OT…

2011-11-28T14:23:00.001-08:00

It has been a lot of fun watching and listening to the children learn the books of the Old Testament!

This is just a reminder that we will be working on the Old Testament CLIMBING THE CASCADES game for 3 more Sundays—until December 18^th.

Hey, we caught some of you on video… :)

IMPORTANT NOTE…There is also an added challenge for those kids who have completed the game.

Because the Bible is a treasure in our lives, we are going to offer a “treasure” to any child who wishes to say ALL of the books of the Old Testament in a row. If this is a repeat for your child, it will be an incentive to “remember” them. If your child has only said the books in “chunks” it will be an incentive to say them all together. If your child wishes to do this, just tell the listener you want to go for the treasure!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Melissa Burton burtonrm4@gmail.com

talkabout 11-6

2011-11-07T11:37:00.001-08:00

Talkabout from 10-30

2011-10-31T13:12:00.001-07:00

talkabout for 10/23

2011-10-24T16:19:00.001-07:00

A Peek inside Sunday School at PMC…

2011-10-17T11:48:00.001-07:00

When the children came in today,they started looking at the pictures Claudia and I had set out of us as children with our grandmothers, and we began to talk about photos that help us remember times and people that are important to us. Almost every single child had a memory of a loved one that they wanted to share.

What we were remembering today, of course, was God's faithfulness to the Israelites when he finally freed them from slavery, and how important it was to God that they (and we) remembered that faithfulness. We did a little memorizing work, accompanied by much applause, and sang Great is Thy Faithfulness (hymn 327). When I told the children that today, finally finally, was the day where we read how the Israelites are set free, after so many setbacks, they gave a little cheer. They sounded sort of relieved. :)

Then, extremely suddenly, we hustled all of the children out the door as bewilderingly as we could. We had them hurry across the basement and into a corner, where we all sat on the floor. I told them that this was how the Israelites' liberation had come; very suddenly and disorienting, in the middle of the night. We talked about what that must have been like, but also about what it must have been like for people who lost their firstborn sons.

This is such a hard, hard part of the Bible. We talked about how hard it is to reconcile this kind of bloodshed with our loving God, and the kids had a truly excellent discussion with each other about it. Punishments can be fair, after all, but we don't want to think of the innocent children who were lost as being "punished". One student suggested that, since the children would have gone right up to heaven to be happy, it was really only a punishment for the adult Egyptians who were left behind. We left it at that, because I think that is a pretty good answer.

When we returned to our classroom, Claudia had transformed it into a Seder dining room. We discussed the traditional significance of each food item, and talked about how each thing helps us remember what God did for the Israelites, and for us. We spent the rest of the time fellowshipping together around the Passover meal.

Kelsey and Claudia teach the 2nd and 3rd grade class. This post is from an email Kelsey sends to parents every Monday reporting about Sunday’s class.

Its supposed to be Great weather on Saturday!!!!

2011-10-10T14:08:00.001-07:00

The Harvest Party will take place at Lee Farms this coming Saturday from 9:30 till 12:30. This event is truly fun for all ages and is a great way to meet and make new friends here at PMC. (Ok...its also a great excuse to eat pie!)

The Children’s Christian Education Committee has reserved a place for us to hang out and eat doughnuts. (Follow the signs)We will also have activities for younger kids like face painting, pumpkin painting, and doughnut bobbing but there are lots of other things to do around the farm like petting zoo’s and hay mazes to name a few. The address is Lee Farms, 21975 SW 65th Ave. Tualatin, OR. Hope to see you there.

Talkabout / 10-9

2011-10-10T14:04:00.001-07:00

Guess who knows all the books of the Old Testament…

2011-10-04T14:05:00.001-07:00

congratulations on completing the Cascades Bible Memory Game first guys!

talkabout from 10/2

2011-10-03T15:13:00.001-07:00

Talkabout from 9/25

2011-09-28T13:08:00.001-07:00

CHILDREN’S WORSHIP NEEDS HELPERS

2011-09-20T10:51:00.001-07:00

Thank you to the folks that have already signed up!! This sheet is on the table in the back of the Old Chapel and helps the leaders know that they will have at LEAST three helpers each Sunday.

Talkabout 9-18

2011-09-19T13:42:00.001-07:00

Children’s Peace Resource

2011-09-12T11:20:00.001-07:00

The children at PMC listened to this story yesterday as part of CHILDREN”S WORSHIP… It is one of my favorites!

~Curt

Here is the description: It was the perfect summer. That is, until Jeremy Ross moved into the house down the street and became neighborhood enemy number one. Luckily Dad had a surefire way to get rid of enemies: Enemy Pie. But part of the secret recipe is spending an entire day playing with the enemy!

In this funny yet endearing story, one little boy learns an effective recipes for turning your best enemy into your best friend. Accompanied by charming illustrations, Enemy Pie serves up a sweet lesson in the difficulties and ultimate rewards of making new friends.

Talkabout 9-11

2011-09-12T11:07:00.001-07:00

TALKABOUT is a weekly note for families of children who use the Gather ’Round curriculum here at PMC. Each week you will find faith nurture ideas from the previous Sunday that coordinate with the weekly session plans for your child’s group. We hope this is a helpful way you as a parent can participate in your child’s Sunday School experience.

~The Children’s Christian Education Committee

Core Min Meeting set for 9-21

2011-08-31T11:37:00.001-07:00

SIGN UP FOR VBS…

2011-07-12T12:05:00.001-07:00

There is a box in the OLD CHAPEL where you can sign up your child for the AUGUST 20 VBS DAY held at the home of John and Beulah Hess-Yoder.

Or you can email CURT at curt@portlandmennonite.org with the following information…

YOUR NAME

YOUR EMAIL

YOUR CHILD’S NAME

YOUR CHILD’S AGE

indicate if you plan to attend the BBQ at 4 PM (Its so much fun …please do!)

VISIT the FACEBOOK EVENT for VBS 2011 and see who is coming

ANOTHER GOAT!!

2011-06-28T09:53:00.001-07:00

Thank you PMC kids for buying another goat for Heifer International with your Sunday School offerings.

What a great year of living generously!

talkabout from 6-19

2011-06-21T11:17:00.001-07:00

Book Bank volunteers needed for Saturday…BRING THE KIDS!!!!

2011-06-13T14:37:00.001-07:00

The CHILDREN’S BOOK BANK is located HERE

PLEASE CONTACT KATE MANELIS if you plan to come...

email: kate.manelis@gmail.com

talk about for 6-12

2011-06-13T12:39:00.001-07:00

Talkabout for June 5

2011-06-06T10:20:00.001-07:00

Talkabout from May 29

2011-05-31T10:28:00.001-07:00

Its Time to say THANK YOU

2011-05-25T10:39:00.001-07:00

Here at PMC we are uniquely blessed with truly outstanding Sunday School teachers. Many other churches across our denomination are struggling to keep the doors of their Sunday schools open… but somehow every Sunday our basement is buzzing with creativity and energy…

There is no secret to why Sunday School at PMC is working…it is because of our teachers and over the years many of them have poured their lives and gifts into the lives of our children.

This year those teachers were Heather Gingrich, Michelle King, Brenda Z. F., Molly B., Karen Nussbaum, Jeff and Diane Zook, Stephen O.E., Grace Herr, Linda Smith and Gerry Leatherman.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Memory Verse Celebration / 6-12

2011-05-24T21:24:00.001-07:00

Our first year of the Bible Verse Memorization program is close to an end. It is hard to believe. It has been a fun time. It has been amazing to see what the kids are capable of.

On the last day of Sunday School, June 12, we will have our memory verse celebration for the children who have participated in the program. Around 10:15 (during the coffee time) certificates will be handed out to children who have memorized verses during the second half of the year. They will also receive tickets for each verse they have recited. Then they will have a chance to redeem their tickets for small trinket prizes.

There are still TWO Sundays left to recite verses—May 29 and June 5. We will be available to listen to verses during coffee time on those Sundays.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Melissa Burton

Talkabout / May 15

2011-05-15T23:03:00.001-07:00

The Bible: In TEN acts

2011-05-09T22:27:00.001-07:00

Thank you to everyone who helped make this great memory! Also a big thank you to Ryan Rush for making it a MOVIE.

Thank You for helping PMC pack 190 lunches!

2011-05-02T08:26:00.001-07:00

Back Pack Day at PMC

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WE are PACKING LUNCHES THIS SUNDAY…Will you help?

2011-04-28T18:26:00.001-07:00

This is just a reminder that THIS SUNDAY (May 1) is the final day to bring food items for the Portland Back Pack Program food drive that has been going on throughout the Lenten Season at Church.

Immediately after church there will be a big “lunch packing party” in the church basement. We have tried to design this event for people of all ages to participate so the tables will be set low for little hands to reach. Please consider stopping by to pack a few lunches...there is no time commitment..so stay as long as you can.

Marilyn Mauch (The founder of the program) stopped by this week and was very touched by the amount of items that we have collected. As Rod referenced in his sermon on Easter morning, Thank you for AFFIRMING the resurrection!

Dear PMC Kids…

2011-04-20T13:52:00.001-07:00

Children’s worship update for EASTER SUNDAY and the month of MAY

2011-04-18T10:07:00.001-07:00

I just want to take a moment and say a huge thank you to the folks at PMC who have been leading and helping with Children’s worship this past school year.

Maria S is going to be leading Children’s church this coming Easter Sunday and below are the leaders scheduled for May. If you have never been a helper during Children’s Worship please consider helping in May!

May 1 (Still need a teacher)

May 8 CHURCH RETREAT (no separate children’s worship)

May 15 LISA F

May 22 CURT W

May 29 MARIA S

We are excited about this coming summer with Children’s Worship as well…the summer series will focus on the teachings and parables of Jesus. There will be some curriculum support from Gather-round so if you have always wanted to give leading Children’s worship a try…this summer is going to be a fun time to give it a go!

Talkabout for 4-17

2011-04-18T08:24:00.001-07:00

Talkabout for April 10

2011-04-12T09:51:00.001-07:00

Your child and Holy Week @ PMC

2011-04-07T15:56:00.001-07:00

Talkabout / April 3

2011-04-04T13:51:00.001-07:00

Talkabout /3-27

2011-03-28T09:10:00.001-07:00

Talkabout for March 20

2011-03-20T23:02:00.001-07:00

VBS is Set for August 20, 2011

2011-03-14T11:11:00.001-07:00

The Children’s Christian Education Committee is pleased to announce that a date has been set for VBS this summer. VBS will be on August 20. We also want to extend a LARGE thank you to Beulah and John Hess-Yoder who have agreed to host this event again at their property in Sherwood.

The curriculum for VBS 2011 will come from a resource produced by Mennonite Publishing Network called KIDS CAN DIG THE BIBLE.

Kids Can Dig the Bible invites children in grades 1-5 to dig into the Bible and discover its amazing treasures! Through ten lively sessions, kids will learn how the Bible is put together and that its messages are important for us today. They will learn that the Bible teaches us how we can have a relationship with God and each other. They will find out how God's promises are revealed to us in the Bible, and that the Bible can light our way throughout life.

talkabout for 3-13

2011-03-14T08:22:00.001-07:00

Spring Memory Work @ PMC

2011-03-08T12:58:00.001-08:00

It is SO great to see kids at PMC running up to Melissa Burton and Sharon Ness to recite their memory verses! Thanks to everybody who pushed for this idea and who helped make it happen.

Above is the “take home” sheet of the verses for the spring. (Hard copies will be at church) Your child will also get a “Progress sheet” at church where they can keep track of which verses they have memorized successfully.

The Beatitudes are worth 8 stickers! Insane! :)

Talkabout March 6

2011-03-07T09:22:00.001-08:00

Sunday March 6

2011-03-02T14:30:00.001-08:00

This coming Sunday PMC has the gym at Sunnyside United Methodist Church from 7-9pm.

If you are in the mood to get out of the house come on over and hang out with other folks from PMC. We will reserve half of the court for little people and use the other half to play Basketball.

There is a small room off of the gym where we can share snacks and maybe play some table games.

Come whenever you want and leave whenever you want. The Gym is located at 3520 SE Yamhill.

talkabout 2-27

2011-02-28T10:49:00.001-08:00

Talkabout 2-20

2011-02-22T10:39:00.001-08:00

Talkabout from 2-13-2011

2011-02-17T09:18:00.001-08:00

Yeah!! Sunday School money supports HEIFER

2011-02-10T14:58:00.001-08:00

Talkabout for 2-6-2011

2011-02-07T09:46:00.001-08:00

Thank You for Helping with Children's Worship

2011-02-03T15:50:00.001-08:00

The sign up sheet in front of the church is of course a test of faith that all of us together will take turns helping to make a worship service for our children happen downstairs each Sunday. This is a post to thank those of you who have continued to fill in these roles and have joined our youngest members in worship.

If you ever want to know who is teaching or helping on a given Sunday you can simply click on the Google calendar above to expand the view for each CW event. I try to add this information on the calendar when you sign up at church.

While there is still openings where helpers will be needed in the future we want to say thanks to everyone who has signed up in the past few Sundays!!

Bible Memory / PMC Sunday School

2011-01-31T14:47:00.001-08:00

talkabout for 1-30

2011-01-31T13:46:00.001-08:00

talkabout 1-23

2011-01-26T14:39:00.001-08:00

talkabout for 1-16

2011-01-18T12:08:00.001-08:00

Last Sunday …

2011-01-13T13:41:00.001-08:00

Talkabout 12-19

2010-12-20T13:23:00.001-08:00

Christmas in a Box: THE VIDEO

2010-12-16T11:16:00.001-08:00

Thank you Ryan Rush!!

Talkabout from 12-12

2010-12-14T12:27:00.001-08:00

Thank you for a great event!

2010-12-08T13:29:00.001-08:00

Talkabout 12/05

2010-12-06T11:23:00.001-08:00

Talkabout for 11-28

2010-11-29T14:16:00.001-08:00

CHRISTMAS IN A BOX

2010-11-24T15:53:00.001-08:00

What is “Christmas in a Box?”

It’s a fun, intergenerational, interactive way to retell the story of Christ’s birth. Its not about perfection or acting or making a good impression… its about spending time with our kids, our church family, and our friends...its about showing up and joining in.

Those brave enough to play along will gather at 6:30 in the church sanctuary and await further instructions. (Who are we kidding...you know what's coming... We're going to open up boxes of props and throw together a PAGEANT!)

The rest of us can show up at 7:30 and take in the Mystery that is Christ’s Birth, and the mystery that will surely make this a one-of-a-kind production.

6:30 pm // “Lets put on a Pageant!” // (most fun option)

7:30 pm // “Lets go see the Pageant” // (pretty fun option)

8:00 pm // “Lets eat cookies after the Pageant” //(delicious option)

Talkabout for Sunday 11-21

2010-11-22T10:09:00.001-08:00

Portland Mennonite Church to host…

2010-11-17T10:21:00.001-08:00

The Advent Workshop is fun for families and people of all ages. Come spend a Saturday morning (10 am—1 pm) smelling the smells of the season, eating Christmas cookies and MAKING THINGS WITH YOUR OWN HANDS. Forget about cheap plastic Christmas decorations and come spend time with a child creating an ornament or dipping a candle with a friend. Seriously, when is the last time you made a real live GINGERBREAD HOUSE?
Supplies are provided by the Children’s Christian Education Committee.

If you would like to volunteer or bake cookies (pretty please :-), contact Melissa Burton, Kate Manelis, Claudia Fransen, Ardy Alberts, or Karen Nussbaum.

Talkabout for 11/14

2010-11-15T13:48:00.001-08:00

Parenting Class to be offered at PMC

2010-11-10T15:38:00.001-08:00

Hey I’m excited about a new Adult Sunday School class that’s going to be happening at PMC beginning December 5 (Winter Quarter).

Its based on a book called THE PARENTS WE MEAN TO BE by Richard Weissbourd.

The Children & Youth Core Ministry Team has been looking for ways to support and connect parents of children and youth at PMC and I think this class is a great step in that direction.

Some of you have already read this book (Jen Shuping recommended it to some of us at VBS this summer) but others may wish to give it a quick read prior to the class. It can be found HERE

Weissbound does not necessarily write from a faith perspective but I think Rachel Ringenberg Miller, who will facilitate the class, hopes that this perspective will be brought out in the interchange of class discussion.

I know it’s a tad early….but….

2010-11-10T14:44:00.001-08:00

Talkabout for 11-7-2010

2010-11-08T11:19:00.001-08:00

Talkabout 10-31

2010-11-04T14:00:00.001-07:00

Goats Are Great for Families

2010-10-26T15:16:00.001-07:00

The PMC Sunday School Kids are giving their offerings to Heifer International in order to buy a goat (or two) for a family!

The gift of a dairy goat represents a lasting, meaningful way for you to help a little boy or girl on the other side of the world.

Goats can thrive in extreme climates and on poor, dry land by eating grass and leaves. The gift of a dairy goat can supply a family with up to several quarts of nutritious milk a day - a ton of milk a year. Extra milk can be sold or used to make cheese, butter or yogurt. Families learn to use goat manure to fertilize gardens.

Goats often have two or three kids a year making it easy for Heifer recipients to pass on the gift of a goat to another family in need. This great investment allows our partners to lift themselves out of poverty by starting small dairies that earn money for food, health care and education

We hope you have many wonderful conversations with your child about this project. Ask them to show you their progress chart in the Children’s Worship area.

Talkabout for 10/24

2010-10-25T11:53:00.001-07:00

Talkabout for 10/17

2010-10-19T11:41:00.001-07:00

see more pics in the side bar….

2010-10-19T11:38:00.001-07:00

Harvest Party

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Talkabout from 10/10/2010

2010-10-11T10:15:00.001-07:00

we need help!!

2010-10-06T15:00:00.001-07:00

Talkabout for Oct 3

2010-10-04T11:19:00.001-07:00

NOTE: You may notice that the week number on the talkabout sheet does not match the week of Sunday school starting with this one. The reason for this is that we skipped one of the weeks (lessons) of the curriculum in order for it to fit our Sunday school schedule.

PMC HARVEST PARTY / Saturday, October 16th

2010-09-30T15:35:00.001-07:00

Come on out to Lee Farms in Tualatin and spend a day with your church family. PMC will have a space reserved for our group. Look for the PMC signs! You can pack your own lunch or buy a polish dog from the farm kitchen. Hot Cider and doughnuts will be provided throughout the day by the Children's Christian Education Committee.

Come paint a pumpkin or paint your face, bob for apples on a string or simply sit and visit with friends. Lee Farms has lots of activities for children and adults to enjoy together. Come anytime between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.. Stay as long as you like.

A free hayride is scheduled for 11 a.m.

Contact:Curt Weaver, curt@portlandmennonite.org

Lee Farms is located at 21975 SW 65th Ave.
Tualatin, OR 97062 click here for directions

Sunday School Talkabout

2010-09-29T10:55:00.001-07:00

THE PMC KIDS GOAT PROJECT

2010-09-23T11:59:00.001-07:00

The Children’s Christian Education Committee has decided to do a project with Heifer International this year. We are calling it the PMC KIDS GOAT PROJECT. Our Sunday school offerings will go to this project. To sponsor one goat for one family is $120.00. Our hope is we will be able to sponsor several goats for several families. If we have remaining funds we may consider some other smaller animals.
We chose a goat, because it gives milk, so that children in the family can have a hearty food. Added to that benefit is the possibility of making cheese, building a small heard, having products to sell or trade, or sharing resources with a neighbor.
We believe this can be a fun challenge for our kids and we hope that you as parents can support it too. (With excitement!) We plan to have monthly updates on this project. You and your child can track our progress on the wall in the Children’s worship area.
Thanks,
Ardy Alberts, member of the CCEC

Children’s Sunday School (week 2)

2010-09-20T13:05:00.001-07:00

Sunday School 9/12

2010-09-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

UPDATE for VBS

2010-08-06T20:34:00.001-07:00

SAVE THE DATE / PLAN TO ATTEND

2010-06-09T13:35:00.001-07:00

Hey…remember this story?

2010-05-20T11:20:00.001-07:00

Continuing God’s Story

2010-05-05T21:42:00.001-07:00

The last 2 weeks in Children’s worship Maria has been talking with our children about the story of Jesus (from the beginning to the cross) and how the story isn't over! We talked about how Jesus is alive and the story continues. And WE get to be part of the story! We talked about how Jesus said before he went back up to heaven "Feed my sheep." So we thought of ways WE could continue to "feed" Jesus' sheep.

So last week we put up a big paper cross and added the pictures that show the story of Jesus. We then added pictures of ways children at PMC have been part of the story (MDS house, homeless bags, MCC, backpack project,
etc.) Then we had puzzle pieces that the kids used to add their names to the cross trying to get across the point that we are ALL part of the story. We looked at the cross and saw that there was still a lot of empty space and we
thought of ways we could continue to be part of the story.

What are things we (they) can do... make a card for someone who is sick, say I'm sorry, be kind, etc. We left the cross up on the wall and we invited them to think about ways they can continue to follow Jesus and said that they could keep adding pieces to the cross.

There is an envelope with puzzle pieces down by the cross.
We think it could be fun to see maybe by next fall, what pieces we ALL can add. Adults and children….continuing God’s story together.

GAME NIGHT WAS FUN!

2010-04-12T14:23:00.001-07:00

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Are you going to DRIFT CREEK this summer?

2010-04-12T12:00:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder that registration for Drift Creek summer camps will increase in cost a bit after May 1 (camps fill up quickly as well)

Here is the link to download the registration form.

Saturday, April 10 (6-8PM)

2010-03-25T13:16:00.001-07:00

The Westside small groups are hosting a game night down at Sunnyside United Methodist Church. (this is the space the PMC youth rent…there is a game room and a gym)

The hope is that it will be a fun evening for people of all ages. Hope to see you there!

MEMO TO TEACHERS & MUSIC LEADERS

2010-03-03T11:31:00.001-08:00

March 3, 2010

To: Sunday School Teachers & Music Leaders

From: Melissa Burton & CCEC

Re: Last Quarter Notes

Greetings,

At our recent Children’s Christian Ed meeting we realized that we are in the last quarter of Sunday School this year! This is simply amazing to me, it has just flown by. What a great year it has been so far! Here are a few important things you will want to note:

In a few Sundays, Kathleen Rush will be taking over for Kate Manelis in the K/1^st grade room. She and Bobby will make a great team. Thank you so much Kate for your amazing service to our kids! We wish you sleep!! Please welcome Kathleen to the SS team when you get a chance.
There will be no Sunday School on Easter Sunday. You are invited instead to attend the MYF Easter Breakfast Fundraiser!
There will be NO Sunday School on April 11. We will be having our kick-off for Mission Month and the CCEC will be hosting all of the children for activities (3 yr olds-5^th grade). Gail & Mark: we would still like to have singing.
On April 11 the Jr High Sunday School class is invited to join the MYF for coffee… meet at the bottom of the MYF room stairs.
Instead, on April 11th you are invited to our Annual Teacher Coffee/Tea Time. It is a small way for us to say thank you for all of your time and effort with Sunday School. Please join us if you can.
Bags for people experiencing Homelessness will be assembled by the 2^nd/3^rd grade AND 4^th/5^th grade classes on April 18^th. This is normally done during the beginning of Sunday School. It does NOT take the whole SS hour, so teachers please plan on a shortened time with the kids.
There will be NO Sunday School on May 9 due to the church Retreat.
The last Sunday School will be June 13. We will be hosting our annual Sunday School Celebration with ice cream.
Lessons: We have 12 more lessons left. When there is no Sunday School please move that lesson to the following week. This book will take us to June 6. We will be in touch regarding plans for June 13.
Please remember to take attendance each and every Sunday! The CCEC is tracking and using this data.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or someone on the committee. Thank you for your continued dedication and effort!!

What is an Advocate meeting?

2010-01-27T12:36:00.001-08:00

This Thursday a bunch of people will be meeting at Sharon Ness’s home for something we are calling a Children’s Advocate Meeting. The people that gather there will in some way have a connection to Children's ministry at PMC, whether through serving on a committee, teaching Sunday School, or being involved in Children’s worship. If you are a parent of a child from age 3 through grade 5 we will be talking about your child so I thought it was only fair to help you understand why we are doing this in the event you are still a bit fussy about what an advocate meeting is all about…

If you ever have been a teacher, youth leader or parent you have probably experienced moments when you stood around and talked about kids… whether it was sharing concerns or fears or bragging about how proud they make us. I think when we do this (out of love) we are in some small way weaving a net of support and community around a child.

If you think about this simple act in the life of a congregation it becomes a model of pastoral care for our little ones.

The idea for Thursday’s meeting is simple. We will say a child's name and hold up a photo of her and ask two basic questions... Lets use my daughter Chloe as an example...Someone will ask..."What do we know about Chloe?" We will make some quick notes about her personality, interests, fears, special needs, important events in her life etc...we will get this information simply from what knowledge is in the room. (If we don’t know much about Chloe this moment will be an invitation to get to know her better.)

The second question is "How can we be church to Chloe?" This is primarily a question asking whether there are obvious actions we could/should take BEYOND program with Chloe that would connect her to more adults at PMC. In most cases, my guess, is that we ARE ALREADY being church to most of our kids...so the answer would be to continue relating to Chloe in Sunday School and at special events. But sometimes, for some kids, this question sparks something creative and unique. Our intent will be to pay attention and listen to ideas that connect us to our kids BEYOND our programs.

We will end our evening praying for all of these beautiful kids and thanking God for bringing them into our congregational family here at PMC.

So there it is…

ad·vo·cate n. helper: somebody who acts or intercedes on behalf of another

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, [Advocate] to be with you forever, ^_the Spirit of truth. John 14:16

Questions about Miracles

2010-01-05T10:31:00.000-08:00

I have had the privilege of teaching the Kindergarten/1st grade Sunday School class this year, and I am often surprised by the depth of understanding the kids have about the lessons. This past week, we talked about Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana - his first miracle. After hearing the story, and having some discussion about other miracles that Jesus performed, these were some of the questions and wonderings that the children shared:

"Is a miracle like a magic trick?"
"Why was Jesus the only one who could turn the water into wine?"
"If Jesus could raise people from the dead, why didn't he raise himself from the dead?"
"Can Jesus make my grandma alive again?"

I just love that our kids at PMC are being brought up to ask these kinds of questions - and it seems like these are the same questions that we as adults might have (we just use bigger words).

Worshiping with our Children

2009-12-29T14:59:00.000-08:00

During Children's worship this past Sunday I once again was reminded of the sense of wonder that children have access to that we seem to struggle to hang on to in adulthood. I asked them to retell me the story they have been hearing and we walked slowly around the basement with the light of a candle collecting shepherds and wise ones from various places as the pieces of the story slowly unfolded. At last we ended up in the dark and dirty furnace room where we discovered the crèche and a small candle I had planted there ahead of time.
Seeing them quietly (for the most part) kneel down and gather in to see the figures and to add the shepherds and wise ones was maybe my favorite moment of this Christmas season so far.

Thanks to all of you who teach Children's Worship and to all of you who serve as helpers. I look forward to more wonderful moments in the New Year.

NOTE: If you click on Children's Worship on the calendar it will display who is teaching and who has signed up as a helper. I will keep this updated as more of you sign up.

A Birthday Party for Jesus

2009-12-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

This coming Sunday the Sunday school hour will be used for a time to celebrate together the birth of Jesus. There will be snacks, crafts, puppets and lots of fun things to do and learn.

The Jr High will meet Curt and Andrew in the Jr Room and head down to Starbucks for a morning of drinking Hot Chocolate and catching up.