Children’s Ministries Thanksgiving & Advent 2020
A Thanksgiving CHALLENGE and Ancient Advent Tradition
January 2021
Dear Parents:
As the COVID19 pandemic continues and life continues to be limited to "the Essentials" - Essential workers, Essential businesses, Essential activities, this winter Children's Ministries is continuing to focus on the essentials of our Faith with more Bible Essentials curricula to CHALLENGE and help you make Faith Essential for your family.
There are three different age/grade Bible Essentials curricula components:
- Essential Jesus Facts for Elementary grades 1st – 5th
- Essential Bible Stories for Children 2 years – Kindergarten
- Monthly Essentials for newborns – 2 year olds
We have tried to provide a variety of curricula components and options that can be used and adapted as appropriate to each child and/or family. Essential Jesus Facts and Essential Bible Stories are hybrid curricula with online and at home resources. The at home resources for Jan. 17th – Feb. 14th for children 1st - 5th grade have been prepared and packaged in weekly envelopes that can refill the blue BIBLE ESSENTIAL backpacks children were given back in September to keep and use at home. Two year olds – Kindergarteners will continue to use the at home resources that were prepared and packaged in the red BIBLE ESSENTIAL backpacks children were given back in September to keep and use at home.
If your child did not receive a backpack of resources or needs the 1st – 5th grade refill weekly envelopes for Jan. 17th – Feb. 14th, please email children@wcpres.org. The online resources can be found on this page each week. Monthly Essentials is a printed newsletter that will continue to be mailed to homes each month. If you have a child under the age of two and you are not receiving monthly SPLASH newsletters but would like to, please email children@wcpres.org.
Following are descriptions of the three different age/grade Bible Essentials curricula components:
The all new Essential Jesus Facts curriculum will help elementary children learn five Essential Facts about Jesus - one each week from Jan. 17th through Feb. 14th. This curriculum will be integrated into the weekly Sunday morning worship services. The weekly Essential Jesus Fact will be introduced by Lou in the Sunday morning worship service. A video clip of this segment of the worship service will then be posted on the Children’s Ministry page so that it can be viewed again or for the first time during the week by children and families.
Each week, children and families should
- learn about the weekly Essential Jesus Fact, as they watch the 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning live-streamed worship service at live.wcpres.org - OR - watch the worship clip during the week found below.
- Find and open the appropriate Essential Envelope. The fact and date is indicated on the label on the front of each envelope.
- Use the Devotional Lesson to review the fact and to discuss or journal about the Essential Jesus Fact using the Essential Questions.
- Proclaim each Essential Jesus Fact as you pray the Essential Prayer found on the Devotional Lesson.
- Choose from the Essential Jesus Fact activities inside each envelope to further explore each Essential Jesus Fact, using the Essential Jesus Facts Resources as required.
The Essential Bible Stories curriculum consisting of the God Loves Me story cards and corresponding coloring pages is continuing. Children may watch and/or read the weekly Essential Bible Story and color the corresponding coloring page each week. The online resources can be found each week on this page. Please continue to use your family’s story cards and your child’s coloring book provided in the red backpacks last Fall throughout the entire 2020/21 program year.
The Monthly Essentials for newborns – 2 year olds is an at home monthly curriculum component to support and help families with children under 2 years old. SPLASH is a Faith based age specific monthly newsletter that is mailed to families. Each newsletter is specific to the age of the child (i.e. 2 months, 6 months, 18 months) and is designed to help families incorporate faith formation into every day events using Bible stories, prayer, worship and devotionals. Each year families will also receive a CD of age appropriate faith based songs.
Monthly SPLASH newsletters are mailed to the families of children under the age of two that are registered with WCPres Children’s Ministries. To register your child (or to confirm that they are already registered) please email children@wcpres.org. And if you are expecting a child (especially during this time when we cannot be together) please let us know so that (1) we can be praying for you (2) we can celebrate with you and (3) we can get you started right away with monthly SPLASH newsletters when your little one arrives!
I pray that you and your families stay safe, healthy and happy throughout all of 2021! It is our prayer that all of this will serve to nurture, support and equip children and families - from a distance, during this time that we cannot gather together as a Family of Faith - in the faith formation and discipleship of your children to be life-long disciples who know, love, follow and serve Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
Luv Lou
Lou Pennebaker
Director of Children’s Ministry
Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church
Call/text: 702 303 2153
Email: lpennebaker@wcpres.org
