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Good News!
Friends, thank you all for a wonderful kickoff month! It was truly a joy to see kids back at chapel, to have so many smiling faces on the fourth floor, and even to be dunked for the fifth consecutive year (though I've been thinking maybe it's time for something new... :-) )
October is an action-packed month in Children and Family Ministry, so I hope you'll take the time to read through all the events below.
We have something going on every single weekend this month, including this Sunday's new TED Talk parenting series meeting in the Loft on the fourth floor during the 9:30 a.m. worship service. The idea for this series came from a parent talk at this year's Family Camp, and we're excited to offer another way for parents to connect and learn.
I'm also excited to begin our monthly cycle of having children in worship on the second Sunday of the month and to kick off the first in our series of faith "milestones" that we are celebrating with various ages and grades throughout the year.
Plus we have our old favorites like Pumpkin-Decorating Family Night and the Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Lock-In.
Seriously, October is a great month!
Finally, I know I'd be remiss if I didn't go all proud papa and include a picture of Elliot.
He continues to grow, and Alison and I are learning more about being parents every day. Thanks to all of you for the kind words and encouragement. We're looking forward to having you all meet him soon!
Associate Pastor for Children and Family Ministry
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This Sunday, October 1
9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
The Loft (Fourth Floor Gratz Center)
This fall, Children and Family Ministry is excited to announce a new series for parents: Sunday Morning TED Talks!
On the first Sunday of the month, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the fourth-floor Loft
, all parents are invited to gather for a time of connection and conversation with one another. Our typical time together will look like this:
- Twenty minutes of socializing and meeting other parents
- Twenty minutes of watching a TED Talk on parenting
- Twenty minutes in small groups, discussing themes and ideas from the talk, using a handout with prepared questions
We'll be covering the following topics this fall, hopefully with more to come in the spring.
- Sunday, October 1: "How to Raise Successful Kids--without Overparenting"
- Sunday, November 5: "For Parents, Happiness Is a Very High Bar"
- Sunday, December 3: "Agile Programming for Your Family"
Come join us for coffee, muffins and bagels, and some great conversation!
For more information, please contact Matt Helms.
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Sunday, October 8
During the 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. worship services
Sanctuary
Next Sunday is the second Sunday of the month, so we will again be inviting children to attend worship with their parents for the first half of the hour. If you did not have a chance to experience this last spring (or if you're like me and you forgot!), here's everything you need to know:
- All children who would normally attend Sunday School on the fourth floor (ages three through fifth-grade) should instead stay with you as you attend worship on Sunday, October 8. Nursery-aged children (age two and younger) are welcome in the nursery as usual.
- Before the sermon begins next Sunday, all Sunday School children will be invited to come forward to the front of the Sanctuary for a short liturgical piece before heading off to their regular classrooms. Our teachers will meet them at the front and help everyone get where they need to go after exiting the Sanctuary.
- After worship, you will pick up your children from their fourth-floor classroom just like you would on any other Sunday.
If your child attends Cherub Choir, you can plan to walk with them to worship after choir rehearsal rather than dropping them off on the fourth floor.
We look forward to seeing you and your children in worship on October 8
(If you want a refresher about the best way to get to church on Marathon Sunday, click on the map here.)
For any questions or clarifications, please contact Matt Helms.
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"Cradles to Crayons" Volunteer Day
Saturday, October 14
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
4141 W. George St. (Chicago, 60641)
As part of our ongoing commitment to practice being Jesus' disciples by helping others in need, we're excited to announce that we will once again be volunteering at Cradles to Crayons on Saturday, October 14!
Cradles to Crayons
specializes in helping new or gently-used clothing and supplies get into the hands of people who need it the most, and they are also unique in that they have special family days in which kids ages five and up can volunteer with their parents!
We will be collecting clothing and supply donations all month, and then we have thirty spots available for families to do hands-on volunteer work to help make sure that kids across our city are getting quality clothing, toys, and supplies.
If you and your family can volunteer for our two hour shift on Saturday, October 14, RSVP by Friday, October 6 to Briana Belding-Peck
!
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Pray-and-Play for Four-Year-Olds
Sunday, October 15
10:30 to 10:50 a.m.
Room 4B
As part of our new push to celebrate our children's faith "milestones," we're excited to announce a special event on Sunday, October 15, for our four-year-olds: Pray-and-Play!
In between the 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. worship services, Pastor Matt will meet with four-year-olds and their parents to talk about what it means to pray, followed by an opportunity for families to pray together and for the kids to receive a gift on behalf of the congregation.
An e-ail has gone out to four-year-old families with more details; if you have a four-year-old and did not receive an email, please contact Matt Helms.
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Pumpkin-Decorating Family Night
Friday, October 20
Borwell Dining Room
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Join us for our first Family Night of the year: our annual Pumpkin-Decorating Night!
Fall is one of the best times of year, and we'll be celebrating it all night with a fall-themed menu, a visit to a "pumpkin patch" (otherwise known as Anderson Hall), and plenty of awesome crafts and pumpkin painting!
If you've never been to a Family Night in the past, please know that we always have a shared dinner that starts at 6:00 p.m. There is no cost to attend Family Night, and there is no RSVP necessary; we do, however, put out an offering box if you'd like to help us offset the cost. Parking validations for $8 are available at the reception desk, provided that you park in the 900 N. Michigan garage after 5:00 p.m.
We hope to see you all there--and even though it's little early, we won't mind if you want to wear a Halloween costume!
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Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Lock-In
Friday, October 27 to Saturday, October 28
Borwell Dining Room
6:00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.
All current fourth- and fifth-graders are encouraged to join us on Friday, October 27 for our annual lock-in!
For those unfamiliar with the term "lock-in," it is essentially a sleepover at the church.
Kids arrive between 6:00 and 7:00 p.m. on Friday night and then get picked up the next morning between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. Many fourth- and fifth-graders list this as their favorite event of the year--so much so that we're considering holding one again in the spring ... despite Pastor Matt getting too old for these late nights.
Some of our activities for the night include
- Pizza dinner and get-to-know-you games
- Playing sardines (basically hide-and-seek with a twist) up on the fourth and fifth floors
- A flashlight scavenger hunt in the Sanctuary
- A behind-the-scenes tour of various places in the church (the bell tower and choir loft)
- A movie to end the night
All attendees are encouraged to RSVP by Friday, October 20.
To RSVP, or for more details, contact Matt Helms
.
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Save the Date!
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Animal Family Night: Friday, November 17
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Family Camp: May 18-20, 2018
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Vacation Bible School: August 6-10, 2018
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