Church School Chalkboard — February 2011

During the month of February the children will be studying The Lord’s Prayer. Prayer is the vehicle through which humans experience the presence of God. Expressing the relationship we have with our Creator, we call on God’s presence to hear our prayer as we praise, confess, thank and petition.

Scripture:

• Matthew 6: 9-15
• Luke 11: 1-4

Memory Verse: “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be they name…”

Objectives:

• Learn that the Kingdom of God is a reality in their world today.
• Learn that we must forgive those who do us wrong as God forgives us.
• Learn that God is interested in listening to our prayers and is active in our lives. God wants to walk along the path of life with us; our hearts must be open to live God’s will.
• Learn that the phrase “daily bread” means that God will continue to provide for our physical needs.
• Learn that we as humans are responsible for enacting God‟s will on earth and that God’s will is the light of our path.

Come and join us in the fun and learning of Church School! Parents are welcome too!

JoAnne Marsh and Amy Coccodrilli, Church School Co-Superintendents

What’s Up in the 6th, 7th and 8th Grades?

The Church School report usually includes what the younger students are doing, but
what about the older kids? This group, which averages 18 students most Sundays, has been extremely busy this year!

The curriculum, now entering its third cycle, Seasons of the Spirit, follows the lectionary so that students are introduced to many different types of readings from the Bible. The focus has been on how the various scripture lessons relate to our everyday lives. The class has also engaged in several activities and service projects.

We kicked off the church school year with an age-appropriate examination of Communion, tied into the Communion Education Experience of the younger students. At Halloween, we had a scavenger hunt in our church cemetery. While we had fun, the class also considered the lives of the saints of our church who have gone before and how we fit into that picture. Just before Thanksgiving, the class made crosses with the banner “Rejoice” and the Nativity which were given to the Deacons to distribute to the shut-ins they visited during Christmas season. In early December, we made signs and wrote a letter in support of the Children of La Oroya for their protest demonstration for International Children’s Rights. We rounded out the year with a friendly cookie competition, judged by Rev. Chip, a cookie exchange and a little celebration.

Lots more is planned for the New Year!

Kathy Anderson