Children's &
Youth Ministries
Episcopal Church of the Redeemer
2341 Winterfield Road
Midlothian, VA 23113
(804) 379-8899
Family Sunday School Comes to an End, For Now.

Sparkhouse has provided us with a great Sunday School resource we have used for the last eight weeks we have been sheltered at home. The one for tomorrow, June 7th, is about Creation and the Great Commission and is a little over 17 minutes long. It starts with a song, then the lesson, then an activity you can do with items you have at home, and finishes with a song. There are even coloring sheets you can print out to work on tomorrow or next week. It is lectionary based so it follows along with the Gospel Fr. Robert is preaching on during the liturgy of the word. Enjoy learning about Jesus together as a family!

Youth, come grab your Care Package!

Two weeks ago, Helen put together Pentecost bags for families, to help in celebrating this special day and to help pass the time as we continue to primarily shelter at home. Starting on Wednesday, June 10th, there will be care packages in red bags for our youth in grades 6th through 12th. Please swing by the church and pick up your care package. Your last name will be on the outside of the bag and there is one for each family. Parents , included in the bag is a book written by an African American author, Kekla Magoon, titled How It Went Down . I thought it was important in these times of racial unrest, to expose our youth to books about abuse against people of color. I hope that they will read the book and it will lead to some family discussions. I understand if you don't want your youth to receive this book. Please reach out to me by e-mail so I can leave it out of your care package ( helen@redeemermidlothian.org ). Enjoy the activities and fun little gifts! I want you to know I think about you and pray about you and look forward to the time we can gather together, once again in person.
A message from Megan Dern, our Youth Missioner

This past week, the nation mourns another death of an unarmed black man. George Floyd's death resulted in protests and people around the globe calling for justice. Presiding Bishop Michael Curry recently put out a statement about the tragedy saying "This crisis reflects deep sores and deep wounds that have been here all along. And perhaps the deeper pain of this is the fact that it's not an isolated incident. The pain of this is that it's a deep part of our life. It's not just our history. It is American society today. We are not, however, slaves to our fate, unless we choose to do nothing." During this time, we must ask ourselves what part does the church play and what can we as individuals do?
 
The Church is calling us to be a Beloved Community. Jesus laid out the fundamentals for any who would follow him when he said, "The first of all is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Mark 12:29-31). The Beloved Community is the body within which we promote the fruits of the spirit and grow to recognize our kinship as people who love God and love the image of God that we find in our neighbors, in ourselves, and in creation. Even when it's we must work to show love to everyone, and to stand up for love when it's difficult to see. We are the feet of Jesus. So how can we actively grow relationship across dividing walls and seek Christ in the other? What actions or behaviors will foster reconciliation, justice, and healing?
 
Watch this video  and think about what part you can play in the fight for love today.  
 
God of freedom, we pray for our nation, and all the nations of the world: For peace and unity across barriers of language, color, and creed; for elected and appointed leaders, that they would serve the common good. Inspire all people with courage to speak out against hatred, to actively resist evil. Unite the human family in bonds of love. Add your prayers, silently or in your hearts. Amen
Youth Reciting the Nicene Creed

By now, you have probably seen the children of our parish reciting the Lord's Prayer. We would like to get our youth involved in our weekly service by reciting the Nicene Creed. Please videotape yourself or have someone videotape you saying the Nicene Creed and send it to Helen as an MP4 file ( helen@redeemermidlothian.org), to be compiled with other youth voices and heard on Sunday mornings. Looking forward to seeing your faces and hearing your voices!
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Wine & Whine

I have enjoyed seeing all of you virtually each week through our wine & whine zoom calls. We are going to continue gathering on Tuesdays at 8pm with our preschool and elementary parents and on Thursdays at 8pm with our middle school, high school, and college parents until we are able to return to seeing each other in person on Sundays. If you haven't joined us, I send a zoom link by e-mail that day. Please let me know if you haven't been getting the e-mails ( helen@redeemermidlothian.org). Then grab a glass of wine or other beverage and your computer and join us for some good conversation. See you this week!
Episcopal Church of the Redeemer
2341 Winterfield Road
Midlothian, VA 23113
(804) 379-8899