The Joyful News

February 2010

“The answer my friend, is blowin’ in the wind, the answer is blowin’ in the wind.” Bob Dylan 1962

It may be the shortest month of the year, but there is no shortage of great opportunities and events for children and families during the month of February! One of the offerings for our Sunday School age children is a Lenten Book Group that will study the young reader’s edition of Three Cups of Tea. This modern day epic tale recounts the journey of Greg Mortenson whose failed attempt to climb K2 led him to a remote village in the mountains of Pakistan. While recuperating in Korphe, Mortenson was amazed to discover that there was no school in the village and that children were often left to practice their lessons by writing in the dirt with sticks. Three Cups of Tea is the story of one man’s personal transformation which led to the hope and transformation of an entire village and subsequently inspired a movement to educate children in regions of the world long plagued by years of war and poverty.

Every Sunday School student (grades 2 – 5) will receive their own copy of Three Cups of Tea on Sunday, February 14th. Families are encouraged to read the book together during the season of Lent, to participate in the Sunday School classroom discussions and to learn more about “Pennies for Peace” a non-profit organization dedicated to educating girls and building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Sunday, February 7 Souper Bowl of Caring Sunday! Give generously (cash or checks) and help our hungry neighbors by supporting the NE Emergency Food Program. Look for the smiling Sunday School children holding the great big “Souper Bowls” after the 9 and 11 o’clock liturgies!

Sunday, February 14 Godly Play class make take-home Alleluia banners. Students in grades 2 – 5, receive their copies of Three Cups of Tea for the Sunday School Lenten Book Group.

Tuesday, February 16 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper! Come and join the festivities from 5:00 to 7 p.m. and eat to your heart’s content on this last day before the beginning of Lent. Children help decorate an Alleluia Banner that will be buried on Ash Wednesday and resurrected on Easter Sunday!

Wednesday, February 17 Ash Wednesday Services at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Childcare provided at both services.

Sunday, February 21 Listen to the Wind, the children’s illustrated version of Three Cups of Tea, is shared with the children in Godly Play and Sunday School. The Joyful Noise Choir rehearses at 10 a.m. and sings at the 11 o’clock liturgy.

Saturday, February 27 Bishop–elect Michael Hanley and his green dragon puppet, Archimedes, will be special guests at the upcoming Children’s Day at the Cathedral. The theme, "Come Holy Spirit: Wind and Fire," completes a three year cycle based on “God of the Elements.” This annual diocesan event invites children in grades K-5 to engage in a full day of hands-on science, music, drama, arts and crafts, games, and worship. Teens are welcome to come as helpers and childcare will be provided for preschool age children. Parents, grandparents, Sunday School teachers and clergy are encouraged to participate as chaperones or to join the children and Bishop-elect Hanley at the closing worship beginning at 2 p.m. Registration is $5 per person which includes snacks and lunch. Brochures available online Click here for registration brochure or at the information table in the Gallery. Don’t miss this wonderful day!

Sunday, February 28 The Godly Play classroom begins the story series, “Faces of Easter” and the Sunday School classroom explores the book, Three Cups of Tea.

Looking ahead…Please mark your calendars for:

St. Michael’s to host SAFE Church Training Saturday, March 13, 2010

St. Michael’s is proud to be hosting the SAFE Church Training, Safeguarding God’s Children, on Saturday, March 13, 2010. The workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Childcare will be provided.
What is SAFE Church Training?
SAFE Church Training provides awareness in the areas of sexual conduct and sexual abuse issues for both employees and volunteers working within the congregations and organizations of the Diocese of Oregon. The diocese currently offers three different programs developed by the Church Pension Group: 1) Safeguarding God’s Children, 2) Preventing Sexual Harassment of Church Workers, and 3) Preventing Sexual Exploitation in Communities of Faith.

Who should attend Safeguarding God’s Children?

Online registration and further information is now available at the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon website, http://www.diocese-oregon.org. Registration is due by 12 noon the Tuesday preceding the training. For those attending the March 13th training at St. Michael’s, registration is due by Tuesday, March 9, 2010.

Questions? Please contact Leslie Sackett, Associate for Ministry with Children and Families.

Children and Family Ministry at St. Michael's

At St. Michael & All Angels Church everyone, including children of all ages, is encouraged to participate fully in all aspects of the life of the community: Worship, Education, Service (Outreach & Justice) and Parish Life. The St. Michael’s community is enriched, challenged and renewed by its children, and the opportunity to minister to and with young people and their families.

St. Michael’s strives to honor the best of the Episcopal tradition in worship, to give children an experience of sacred place and belonging, and to nurture a respect for the individual balanced with an ever-growing awareness of our call to be good stewards of the earth concerned with the wellbeing of our neighbors, near and far.

Childcare

Childcare is provided for infants, toddlers and pre-school age children during the 9 and 11 am Sunday morning worship services, during the 10 am education hour and for special liturgies and community gatherings throughout the year. Childcare providers are parish members, active at St. Michael's for at least six months before beginning their once-monthly rotation in the Childcare Room.

All childcare providers are expected to attend the SAFE Church Training offered through the diocese to help prevent sexual abuse and to create the safest environment possible for children and their care providers.
Listed below is the link to upcoming SAFE Church trainings in February and March 2010.

http://www.diocese-oregon.org/artman/publish/article_885.shtml

Children's Liturgy of the Word

School age children are invited to participate in their own Liturgy of the Word during the Sunday morning services while the congregation engages in the lectionary readings and the sermon for the day. An adult leader from the community invites the children to the mural space on the lower level where child-appropriate versions of the scripture are read and discussed. Children are encouraged to share their insights, questions and prayers. The group returns to the church to join their families and the gathered community for Holy Eucharist. For further information about Children's Liturgy of the Word click here.

Sunday School & Godly Play

Sunday School classes for children in Pre-K through the fifth grade are located on the lower level and occur during the 10 o'clock hour, between the 9 and 11 am liturgies. Sunday School is a time for children to practice building a beloved community that respects the dignity and value of every person, while helping them the recognize their own distinctive gifts, given by God, to be shared with one another.

Godly Play, for children in Pre-kindergarten through the 1st grade, is a religious education program that teaches children stories from sacred scripture as well as helping them to better understand the traditions of Episcopal liturgical practices and the seasons of the church year. Central to the Godly Play experience is the telling of a sacred story, followed by an opportunity for the children to ponder “wondering questions” that lead them deeper into the beauty and mystery of the story and their relationship with God. The Godly Play classroom is treated as sacred space and the Godly Play program mirrors the structure of the Episcopal liturgy.

St. Francis & St. Clare Visit St. Michael's October 4, 2009
A special visit to the church on St. Francis' Day from St. Clare and St. Francis enchanted the children and adults who learned the life stories of these two remarkable saints. Brother Sun and Sister Moon brightened not only the children's space, but were also present with the gathered community for the "Blessing of the Animals." See the photos in the Photo Gallery.