   
Children's
Ministry at First United Methodist Church
May 11, 2008
Welcome to the Family! WELCOME to First Church! We hope that you will want to be a part of all that we have planned for kids and families and that you will invite your friends to come with you. We are excited about our schedule of activities and events, from Sunday School and weekday programs to special events throughout the year. A great bunch of volunteers have signed on to make things fun for all.
CHILDREN'S SUNDAY
SCHOOL PROGRAM
8:15 AM
9:30 AM
11:00 AM
5:00 PM
The Bible tells us that the apostle Paul got in trouble for talking about Jesus. Paul was put on a ship sailing to Rome where he would go on trial. Paul told the sailors it was a dangerous time to sail, but they didn’t listen to him. Not long after they had set sail, the wind picked up and the ship found itself in a hurricane. For many days it was battered by the wind and the waves. The people were very afraid. They were sure that the ship would sink and that they would all drown. They were so busy trying to keep the ship going that they didn’t eat any food. But Paul told them to have hope. He urged the people to eat. He said that they needed to eat to keep up their strength. He said to stop worrying, that God had promised to save them. Acting on his words, Paul gave thanks to God and ate some food. The next morning they saw an island. The boat crashed but all of the people managed to swim to shore. Everyone was safe, just as God had promised Paul. We all get discouraged and frightened sometimes. We need people like Paul to cheer us up and to give us hope. Sometimes we need to be the ones who set a good example. We can encourage and comfort others by telling them about Jesus. We can trust God to help them through stormy times in our lives.
Happy Mother’s Day! Each year the United States sets aside the second Sunday in May to celebrate Mother’s Day. Julia Ward Howe, writer of The Battle Hymn of the Republic, had been inspired by a woman named Ann Jarvis who organized “Mothers Work Days” during the Civil War to help people on both sides of the war. She attempted to establish a Mother’s Day for Peace in 1870 to honor women like Mrs. Jarvis, but her efforts were not successful. However, a number of years later, on May 10, 1908, Ann’s daughter, Anna Jarvis, organized the first Mother’s Day celebration at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, where Ann Jarvis taught Sunday School for many years. The custom of setting aside a day to honor mothers soon caught on in other states, and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother’s Day as a day for American citizens to honor those mothers whose sons had died in war. Today we celebrate and say thank you to all moms on Mother’s Day. FUN FACT: Mr. Chris Hall’s mom was a member of the same Jarvis family as Anna Jarvis--which means he is related to the founder of the first Mother’s Day!
Congratulations to the Confirmation Class of 2008! On Sunday, April 27 at the 11:00 a.m. worship service forty-five middle school students were confirmed at First Church. Confirmation is when a person becomes a member of a church. The students began attending the Confirmation process back in September. Students learned about the history of Christianity. They learned about John and Charles Wesley and how the United Methodist Church began. They heard from different ministers what it means to be a United Methodist They helped with service projects and went on retreats. Some asked faith friends to join them at different activities. Students also presented Confirmation projects at interviews with church staff members. During the Confirmation ceremony the confirmands answered questions about their belief in God. They will promise to participate in the life of the church and to support the church. Confirmation is an important and exciting time in the life of a Christian.
BISHOP’S SEAT COVER PROJECT Bishop Keaton of the Detroit Annual Conference is asking for donations of “seat covers” (underwear) for children and youth. We are collecting NEW underwear which will be taken to the Detroit Annual Conference meeting in May. They will be distributed to various locations throughout Michigan. Bring your donations to church and let’s see how many seats we can cover!
JUBILEE PROJECT WORK CAMP FOR Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Graders Want to do something really special this summer? Sign up for the Kids’ Mission trip to Sneedville, Tennessee, July 16-19. You will travel by bus to the mountains of Appalachia where you will work together on projects to help the people there. It is a wonderful opportunity for young people to learn what it is like to work in the mission field--and to swim in an old-fashioned swimming hole! This will be our fourth trip to Sneedville. Pick up a registration brochure outside the Children’s Ministry Office. For information contact Jan Mistele at 248 646 6407 ext. 3131.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
registrations
are being accepted for this
On Sunday, June 1 as part of our Pentecost celebration, people of First Church will get a look at the different places that people from our church go to do mission work. There will be a big tent on the church lawn where there will be displays about different mission projects and people to talk about them. You will receive a special “Passport to Missions” which will be stamped at each “country” you visit. get ready for it...the lemonade stand revolution....coming this summer....
First United Methodist
Church
Our church’s
state-licensed school offers programs For information call Paula
Darany or Julie Busch at the Click here for a Registration Form The Preschool and Enrichment Program admits students of any race, creed, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, and other school administered programs.
SAFETY FIRST... The Sneed Children’s Park provides many hours of fun for our children. We would ask that all users of the playground follow basic safety guidelines when playing on the equipment. 1) Parents or care-givers should supervise children at all times from inside the fenced area. 2) No pets should be brought within the fenced area. 3) The equipment is specifically designed for children 5-11. Younger children should be closely monitored and children over the age of 11 should not be on it at all. 4) No climbing UP the slide -- use the stairs. 5) No climbing ,sitting, or standing on top of the curly slide structure or the tube. 6) The Preschool and Enrichment programs have exclusive use of the playground Monday through Friday at specific times. For the safety of all of our children, please do not visit the playground when the preschool and enrichment classes are playing on the playground.
Please be aware that First Church has been declared a nut-free environment. No nuts of any kind should be brought to the church. A number of people in our congregation have life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other kinds of nuts. Please check the ingredients of any food product you bring into the church. Also there are people who are highly allergic to animals, so please leave your pets at home. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!
THERE'S ALWAYS A
PLACE FOR VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers must complete a
Volunteer application and submit to a
IN CASE YOU’RE LOOKING
FOR SOMEONE IN CHILDREN’S MINISTRY…
|
Getting
through the storms
year’s“Power Lab---Discovering Jesus’
Miraculous Power” VBS. Dates for the half-day program are June
23-27, 9 am to noon. Children age 3 (as of Dec. 1, 2007) through
fifth graders are invited to participate. We also need older youth
and adults to be crew leaders and to fill other volunteer
positions. Forms are available outside the CYF office, or contact
the Children’s Ministry office at 248 646 6407 ext. 3124.
AROUND
THE WORLD IN HALF AN HOUR
NO
NUTS and NO ANIMALS, PLEASE!!!
THE
CHILDREN'S NEWS NETWORK