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Interfaith Thanksgiving Worship
Thursday, November 24
10am • HAUMC Sanctuary
Come and celebrate the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service as we host our neighbors of the Downtown Congregations, right here at Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church! It has been a very long time since we have been able to host this service and what a way to express our Radical Hospitality!
The Service will feature a message by Senior Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman of Temple Israel of Minneapolis and will include worship elements shared with us from different faiths.
Each tradition has its own unique way of expressing its faith–but a central tenant to all of our faith practices is gratitude. Let's all come together and bless this day with the multiple wondrous ways there are to express thanks!
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The Angel Tree:
Holiday Gifts for
Newly Arrived
Refugee Families
Every year we partner with Minnesota Council of Churches to provide gifts for refugee families who have resettled in the Twin Cities this year.
To participate click HERE, select the children you'd like to shop for, then bring your unwrapped gifts to the church by December 18th. Make sure the gifts are clearly labeled with the child's name, age, and family number. Refugee Services recommends purchasing only three gifts per child- something warm (hats, socks, gloves, etc.), something fun (toys, games, soccer balls, etc.), and something educational (books, games, puzzles, etc.). To ensure gifts are culturally sensitive, avoid stuffed animals that are dogs or pigs.
Questions? Contact Leslie Wille at leslie@haumc.org
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Advent Begins this Sunday–
Get Your Advent Bag!
If you weren't here last Sunday be sure to ask one of our Sunday School teachers for an Advent bag to take home with you! Inside you'll find a devotional to do together as a family each week of Advent, along with all the supplies needed to complete each week's activity. We hope that these bags will empower you as parents to take time for family faith formation as we anticipate the celebration of Christ's birth.
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Christmas Eve
I have heard rumors that the Family Christmas Eve Service is the most adorable thing that happens at HAUMC every year and this year will be no exception! I am planning a Christmas Pageant that kids of all ages can participate in! If your family will be here December 24th for our 4pm service, your kids are automatically welcome to star in our original production of "The 12 Days of Christmas." We will be following the journey of the Magi as they make their way to Bethlehem to meet Baby Jesus. It will be joyful, funny, and include fun audience participation. There will be a few speaking parts that will require a rehearsal, but there will also be parts for all kids, even those who aren't able to make a rehearsal! In addition to the pageant we will have a preschool choir and a children's choir performing as well. See more details below!
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Children's Choirs Practice
Altar Choir (grades 1-5) led by Darin Riedel, will practice this Sunday at 11:30am in Border Chapel. Cherub Choir (pre-K & K) led by Patricia Rice starts this Sunday, November 27th at 11:30am in Room 105.
Join in as soon as possible! Our first time to share our songs will be on Christmas Eve at the 4pm service! Questions? Contact Darin or Patricia at riedel.darin@gmail.com or patriciarice765@gmail.com.
I am looking for a parent wiling to sit in on each choir rehearsal so that we can help our choir directors with our safe gatherings protocol of having two adults per classroom. Please let me know if this is something you are willing to do. I will be teaching Confirmation class while these choirs meet so I'll need two volunteers. You can reach me at keesha@haumc.org.
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Deck the Halls
On Saturday, November 26th we'll spend the afternoon decorating trees, hanging garlands and lights, and getting our building ready for Christmas. Everyone is welcome to join us, contact Patrick Henning for more details at patrick.henning@haumc.org
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Family Faith Formation Resource of the Week
The last few weeks I've been highlighting ways that we can deepen our experience with gratitude using Notice, Think, Feel, Do. Moving beyond simply noticing what we are thankful for, beginning to think more deeply about these things, and looking inward so that we recognize how they make us feel. Our last practice is do. What can we do in order to express our gratitude?
During Children's Time on Sunday, we talked about this, and the kids were quick to come up with ways we can express our gratitude toward our families–give hugs, give gifts, use our words to tell them how much we are thankful for them... These are all great places to start!
As you slow down this Holiday weekend and you go around the table to list all the things you're thankful for, try to take time to lead your kids through thinking, feeling, and then making a plan to do something in response to their gratitude. Move from a Thanksgiving list to a spiritual practice of gratitude.
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Safe Gatherings
At HAUMC we take child safety seriously. Any volunteers or staff members working with students under the age of 18 are required to do a background check and training through Safe Gatherings. I would like to see more of our parents and grandparents be Safe Gatherings certified. When we are all on the same page about what to expect of each other as we interact with HAUMC children and youth, the more effective we will be at maintaining a safe and trustworthy space for spiritual formation to take place. There is no cost to you. Click here, select "new application," and follow the prompts.
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For any questions regarding Children & Family Ministries,
please contact Keesha Sedgwick at keesha@haumc.org
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