The Joyful News
Summer 2010
This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it!
Sunday School Class Committed to Building Schools and Peace One Penny at a Time
At the conclusion of their Lenten Book Study, (Young Reader's Edition, Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Journey to Change the World...One Child at a Time) Kristina Kallen's Sunday School class decided to put thier faith into action. With the help of parent, Andy Phelps, the students constructed a replica of the first school built in Pakistan by local villagers and Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea. This modern day epic recounts Mortenson's failed attempt to climb K2, his rescue and rehabilitation in the remote mountain village of Korphe, Pakistan and his commitment to return and build a school for the children of the village. While recuperating and living with the people of Korphe, Mortenson was amazed to learn 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 journey of 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.
The Pennies for Peace service-learning program began when in 1994, Mortenson told his story to the children at Westside Elemenary School in River Fall, Wisconson and those students, on their own initiative, raised 62,340 pennies to help Greg Mortenson keep his promise to the children of Korphe. As is stated on the Pennies for Peace website: "From that seminal experience Greg realized that he had two missions: one, to help children in Pakistan and Afghanistan have access to education where it never existed before; and two, to broaden and enrich education where it existed in the develped world so that students have the opportunity to become more educated global citizens."
St. Michael's Sunday School Class invites you to join them as they launch their campaign to support Pennies for Peace, a non-profit organization dedicated to education for children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Be sure to look for the School Bank and bring your pennies so that we can "Raise the Roof!" and provide hope and education, especially for girls who have often been excluded from educational opportunities in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Please give generously and help the children of St. Michael's help other children build a more peaceful future for themselves and the world we share.
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.