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Dear Bethesda Family,
This will be a very quick update, as we do not have too much to report. We successfully got the church, rectory, vicarage, and Church Mouse buildings all buttoned up and secured. All our staff were amazing in this effort, working efficiently and pitching in wherever needed. We began preparations on Wednesday and sent the staff home at 3:00 p.m. so that we all had some time to tend to our personal preparations. We all gathered back Thursday morning to pitch in and get the parish work completed. In addition to putting up armor screens and shutters, we had to disconnect all our computers and cover them with plastic, relocate some important items from the ground floor to the second floor, move the organ console as high as it will go and cover it, cover the pianos, secure the work going on in the Parish Hall and place some sandbags at certain doorways. Then the sextons shut off the air conditioning system and much of the electricity to avoid damage from electrical surges as much as possible.
Now, we are simply in a waiting period, watching the track of this storm wherever we have decided to ride it out. Father Thomas and I have headed to the Orlando area, as that is where we could find hotel space when we made our plans earlier in the week. We have been receiving reports from parishioners who are in town and staying put, others who have left, and yet others who are away for the summer. All share some level of anxiety about what the aftermath of this storm will look like and concern for those who are vulnerable and in danger.
We must hold all those in the path of this hurricane in our prayers, especially those who lack the resources to get to safety and live in substandard housing, along with all the emergency personnel and others who are working to keep everyone safe and to begin recovery operations as soon as possible.
God of heaven and earth, God who carries our lives and the lives of our whole community in your hands, be with us in the peril of the coming days. Help us to release our anxieties and fears into those same caring hands, knowing in faith that your will for us is life and everlasting good. Send your holy angels to watch over us and guard us. May they spread their holy wings to give us shelter against the storm. For you alone, O God, are all good, all life, all love, and that love is for us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessings to you all,
James+
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Sunday Conversations Update: Sunday School
Did you know that Sunday School was originally designed by Christian missionaries in America to teach children to read by using the bible? That's it. A simple purpose. Now Sunday School is a blanket term for what we call Christian formation, education programs that look to engage children and youth in what it means to be a Christian. A not-so-simple purpose. In recent years at Bethesda, there has been a compelling trend when it comes to what has been successful formation opportunities and what has been a struggle. In one word: inspiration. Our high school youth are inspired by their opportunity to organize their own pilgrimage or mission trip. Our confirmands are inspired to dig into their beliefs and how they fit in our community. These are encouraging signs, because they show that if you engage youth in what they're passionate about, they are much more likely to participate in programs and integrate that learning into their lives. This year we are going to be adapting some of our Sunday School classes by allowing children to participate in the type of education program that speaks to them. Therefore, when you register your son or daughter for Sunday School classes, you will find choices of different groups. Do you have a son or daughter who learns better through creating art? We have a class for that. Do you have a son or daughter who learns better by participating in service projects? We have a class for that. Do you have a son or daughter who wants to get out of the classroom and learn more about the church and the community of people that call it home? We have a class for that. And, since we recognize that sometimes interests change, this new class arrangement allows children to move from one subject to another each week. So, if you would like to work on the Blessing of the Animals service project in the Service Group to start the year and then transition to the Art Group or Explorers Group after you've completed that project, you can do that. Bring your passions to us and we will find a way for you to learn how to apply that passion in service to the kingdom of God.
Sunday Children and Youth Ministries
Pray and Play Group (available for all children ages 3 & 4)
Sundays | 9:50 a.m. | Sunday School Hall
Our Pray and Play Group uses lessons and resources from Godly Play to engage young minds in the teachings of the Old and New Testaments through storytelling and imaginative play. Each week, children will learn a different story from the Bible and be able to interact with it through child-friendly toys.
Story Group (available for all children in Kindergarten & 1st Grade)
Sundays | 9:50 a.m. | Sunday School Hall
For our Kindergarten and 1st Grade children we have a class that engages them in the lessons of the lectionary, the Bible readings assigned for each Sunday worship service. Each week children will explore the readings from worship in more detail through centers-based learning.
Arts Group (available for all children in 2nd-5th Grade)
Sundays | 9:50 a.m. | Sunday School Hall
For children who learn best through creating, either through visual arts, creative drama, music, science projects, etc., we offer a class that focuses on learning through art. Each month we will explore one Bible story through a variety of artistic disciplines.
Service Group (available for all children in 2nd-5th Grade)
Sundays | 9:50 a.m. | Sunday School Hall
For children who learn best through helping others we offer a class that focuses on participating in outreach ministries at Bethesda-by-the-Sea. For one month each, children will participate in annual service projects including the Blessing of the Animals, the Port Ministry SOS Project, the Angel Tree, Feeding in February, etc.
Explorers Group (available for all children in 2nd-5th Grade)
Sundays | 9:50 a.m. | Sunday School Hall
For children who learn best through getting out of the classroom and exploring the community around them we offer a class that focuses on reaching out to our Bethesda community and beyond. Children will participate in a program called Christ Walk Kids where they apply lessons from Christian life (taking care of the planet, sharing our resources with the community, making mistakes, prayer) and learn real world ways they can apply those concepts in their lives.
Questions Group (available for all youth in 6th-12th Grade)
Sundays | 9:50 a.m. | Library
For our 6th & 7th grade youth, and high school-aged youth who know they will not be participating in the mission project for the year, we offer a class that focuses on learning the basics of Christian beliefs while encouraging our young people to ask hard questions about their faith. This is a discussion/debate class that encourages youth to go deeper in their spiritual journey.
Confirmation Group (available for all youth in 8th Grade)
Sundays | 9:50 a.m. | ECW Room
In this class we explore beliefs, specifically the beliefs that make up Episcopal theological understanding through the three areas of scripture, tradition, and reason. Together, we learn where our beliefs meet the beliefs of a 2,000 year old tradition that has been passed down to us and what that means for our lives. Youth have the option to be confirmed at the bishop's visitation in the Spring.
Mission Group (available for all youth in 9th-12th Grade)
Sundays | 9:50 a.m. | Youth Room
This year our high school-aged youth will work on a mission project for the year. As we've done over the past three years, youth will discern, budget, and raise funds for a summer mission trip in 2018. This group is open to all youth in 9th-12th grades including those who are away at boarding school.
Greg Knight
Director of Children and Youth Ministries
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