St. Andrew's Children and Family Ministry |
|
Dear Families,
Happy February! Happy Candlemas and Happy Groundhog Day too (both tomorrow). If you were wondering which came first, you can read below for the whole story on how they are related.
We have a special Candlemas celebration in church on Sunday, so please bring the candles you made (or any candles you have) so they can receive the traditional blessing. We will also have prayer stations at our celebration, and you won't want to miss it!
February is Black History Month, so please see below for info on my Black History Month contest. Below you will also find a very important, if difficult, message from Cannon Stephanie Spellers on the death of Tyre Nichols. I encourage you all to read it and review the resources that may help you have these difficult conversations with your children.
Hoping to see you, candle-laden, at church on Sunday.
Much Love,
-Erin
|
|
“O bountiful and merciful God: you have blessed your people with great prophets and leaders to advance the cause of equality under law in this nation and in the world. By their teaching and preaching; by their action and example; by their marching, demonstrating, and sitting in; by their organizing, praying and singing, they have made themselves and the dream of non-discrimination impossible for opponents to ignore and possible for those marginalized to dream. Give us such leaders always, Lord. Let the cry for justice always be heard in our land until, by your gracious will, your children live together in freedom, justice, and equality. Amen.
|
|
This Week in Sunday School
There is no Sunday School this week so the children can join us in church for our Candlemas celebration. Remember to bring your candles to be blessed! Don’t miss next week when we finish our People of Color Who Inspire series with the story of Bishop Barbara Harris.
To make sure you are in the know about all things Sunday School, including this year's enrichment opportunities, please register. Even if you're not sure you can make it on a regular basis, registration helps us plan and keep your children in the loop for special activities. You can fill out online registration here or you can print out this PDF and give it to me at church.
|
|
|
|
Important Dates
-
2/5, 10am– Special Candlemas celebration. No Sunday School
- 2/18, 11am – Heather's Ordination, St. Paul's
- 2/18, 6:00 pm- Parish Mardi Gras party and potluck
-
4/21 – Women's Retreat. No Sunday School
- 6/11-Sunday School teacher appreciation day.
|
|
|
|
We Must Stop Forgetting
By Stephanie Spellers
"We need to sit and wonder why traffic stops so quickly escalate into police brutalization and then to tragic loss of life. Sit and acknowledge the depravity human beings are capable of when mob mentality kicks in. Sit and feel our own broken, haggard spirits, still raw from deaths too numerous to count."
|
|
February is Black History Month |
|
For Black History Month I am doing a special contest. Each week if you can tell me who is in the above picture and something about them, I will enter you/your child into a drawing for one of the books from the linked article. Just email me the information and you're entered! 1 winner each week. Since nobody knew who it was last week, I have given you an easy one this week! Please submit your entry by 10 pm this Sunday.
|
|
|
|
February is Black History Month
|
|
|
|
Last week, nobody Google Lens-ed this image to discover it is the young Charlayne Hunter-Gault. Email me one thing about her and I will put your (or your child's) name in the drawing for a book. Come on folks, I need to give these books away!
|
|
|
|
Mardi Gras Party!
Feb. 18, 6pm, Parish Hall
|
Bring your favorite appetizer and beverage to the parish-wide Mardi Gras party! Share in fellowship and food. |
|
|
|
February 2nd: Groundhog Day or Candlemas? |
For centuries, February 2nd has been celebrated as Candlemas, a Christian Feast Day. Candlemas is also called the Feast of the Presentation, because it honors the day that Mary and Joseph presented the infant Jesus at the Temple. -Matthew Kozlowski
|
|
|
|
Sunday Worship
(Masks Strongly Recommended)
8:00 am and 10:00 am
|
If you can't join us in person
click here to join the livestream worship. If the livestream is unsuccessful, there will be a recorded version posted to the website on Tuesday of the following week. Click here to access this week's bulletin.
|
|
Just for fun
In Germany they may havve used bears or hedgehogs, but here we use Groundhogs!
|
|
|
|
|
The eScrip online mall features your favorite retailers and donates a portion of your purchases back to St. Andrew's.
|
|
St. Andrew's earns up to 7% of your Amazon.com purchases when you shop via the link above or on our website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
