January BIBLE BLAST

Our January rotation will be "The Boy's Lunch." We'll be learning about the story of Jesus feeding thousands with 2 loaves of bread and 5 fish. Our workshops will be art (painting with fish), storytelling and cooking (making bread and fish parfaits). 

There will be a group activity for everyone on January 3 and no class on January 31. More details on the plans for January 31 will follow.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to Greenfield kids and their families! 

December BIBLE BLAST Rotation

Our December rotation will be "A Candy Cane Christmas." We will experience the story of Christ's birth as it might have happened 2000 years ago. We plan to create manger scenes out of Lego blocks, make candy cane chocolate covered coffee spoons, read about an unlikely shepherd girl, and play, "what's missing from the manger." We hope you'll join us!

TEAM KID Reminders for December

Thursday, December 3 and 10:  Regular Gathering from 4:30 - 7 p.m.

Sunday, December 13:  Ring Chimes at 11 a.m. worship service

Thursday, December 17:  Christmas Musical rehearsal and pizza party from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Saturday rehearsals:  December 5, 12, and 19

Performance:  Christmas Eve at 5:30 p.m.

No TEAM KID on December 24 or 31
Enjoy your holidays!

Advent Activities

 

Nursery and preschool Sunday School will be available
 on November 29, the first Sunday of Advent.

 Older children and youth will stay in worship to participate in the decorating service.

Family Advent candle lighting booklets and calendars will be available for you to take home. 

Sunday School Kids "Pay it Forward!"

During November, our BIBLE BLAST Sunday School kids are learning how faithful stewards "pay it forward." We're be random acts of kindness, asking our friends to pay it forward to three more people. We're also learning how we stewards of God's creation, making a recycling poster to show the congregation. Our other activities are to play Thanksgiving Jingo and learn magic tricks. You can teach your parents the burping quarter and topsy turvy dollar bill tricks.

TEAM KID Schedule

Remember, this week's TEAM KID gathering is for the purpose of distributing Christmas musical parts. We'll have pizza and end early at 6 p.m. 


On Thursday, November 19, we'll have our regular gathering. We'll be practicing our song for the Advent decorating service on November 29 and for playing chimes on December 13. 

No TEAM KID on November 26. Happy Thanksgiving!

TEAM KID Reminder!

Remember, there is no TEAM KID on Thursday, Nov. 5. Our fall overnight begins on Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. Your parents can pick you up at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning. Adult volunteers are needed to make this event happen. There's a sign-up sheet at church or email cindyblakely@gmail.com.

TEAM KID ANNOUNCEMENTS

TEAM KID will join in the fun at Trick or Trunk on Sunday, October 25 from 3 - 5 p.m. We will have our regular gathering on Thursday, October 29. You should wear your costume to Trick or Trunk, but not to our Thursday gathering.

A sign-up sheet is now available for those who want to come to our fall overnight on Friday, November 6. Adult volunteers for 3 time slots will be welcome:  7 - 10 p.m., overnight, and breakfast crew.

Get Ready for Trick or Trunk!

I can't wait to see how your family is going to decorate your car for Trick-or-Trunk on Sunday, October 25 from 3 - 5 p.m. The STAGE kids are having a contest between the boys and the girls to decorate 2 vehicles!

Wear your costume and be ready for some games and goodies!

TEAM KID Sings in Worship this Week!

TEAM KID will sing in worship this Sunday, October 11 at the 11:00 a.m. service

Christmas, Already?

We're putting together the parts and rehearsal schedule for the Christmas Eve play. Please pick up your copy at TEAM KID or Sunday School if you would like to participate.

Check this Out!

Check out this website for Presbyterian kids! Very cool!

http://www.presbykids4kids.org/index2.html

Team KID Starts October 1st!

Get ready, get set, grow! Come, grow in faith with us at Team Kid on Thursday, October 1st! Snack time begins at 4:30 p.m. We'll have Bible study, music, games, and dinner together. Parents can pick you up at 7 p.m.

Make sure your parents register you so we know about food allergies and when to celebrate your birthday.

Moses, Miriam and Mayhem!

Our October rotation is "Moses, Miriam and Mayhem!" We'll be learning about the birth and adoption of Moses. Planned activities include science experiements with water, games and storytelling. Everyone will be together on October 25th for a group activity. We would be happy to have your parents sign up to take a turn teaching this month.

We Have Lift Off!

We got our new year of Sunday School off to a great start! Our middle school youth joined our Bible BLAST K - 5th grade all stars to learn about the story of Adam and Eve in cooking, art, and video. Each of our all-stars will get a chance this month to bake apple turnovers, create an Eric Carle inspired collage of the Garden of Eden and watch segments of Finding Nemo. What do these activities have to do with the Bible story? Come, check us out and see for yourselves!

Our preschoolers and 6ht/7th/8th graders will routinely have a traditional class with a consistent teacher.

Surprises this Sunday!

Just wait until you see the surprises we have in store for you this Sunday! See you at church at 11:00 a.m.!

What in the World is Rotation Sunday School?

Kids: ask your parents to read this article about the new way we're going to do Sunday School at Greenfield Church for ages 5 through 5th grade.

Here's the Workshop Rotation Model in a nutshell: Teach major Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly multimedia workshops: an Art workshop, Drama, Music, Games, A-V, Puppets, Storytelling, and any other educational media you can get your hands on. Teach the same Bible story in all of the workshops for 3 or 4 weeks rotating the kids to a different workshop each week. And here comes the extremely teacher friendly part: Keep the same teacher in each workshop for all five weeks -teaching the same lesson week after week (with some age appropriate adjustments) to each new class coming in.

The model allows teachers to get better at their lesson. By the second week of the rotation, the teacher is already improving the original lesson plan for the next class. No more "if I only would have...." in the parking lot after class. No more Saturday night planning. No more recruitment hassles because adults are happy to sign up for 3 - 4 week rotations. And because the teacher is assigned to teach in the creative mode they are comfortable with, the teaching and learning experience are enriched. No more lectures and no more overused worksheets, or fumbling popsicle stick Jesus' crafts.

There is no need to buy curriculum, instead educators are calling each other and saying "I'll trade you my Moses rotation for your Ruth, and do you have any good art projects for the Prodigal Son?" Churches are gleaning from each other. They're digging into their stockpiles of creative materials and hitting their resource centers,Because each workshop uses essentially the same lesson plan for 3-4 weeks in a row, every week isn't a mad rush of planning.

The name for our rotation Sunday School is "BIBLE BLAST: Bible Learning Adventure Stations". I can't wait to get started on September 1st. The kids will go downstairs after the children's time in worship to meet their teachers and find out which group they'll be in for the September unit called "Adam and Eve: Named and Claimed by God." Each age group (K/1, 2nd/3rd, and 4th/5th grades) will do on of the following rotations: art, cooking, and video.

There will be a family page with information about each rotation available on the check-in table. Our ALL STARS will each have a name tag to wear each week.

I encourage you to pray about serving as a teacher for one of our monthly rotations. All the materials and step-by-step instructions are provided.

Our preschoolers and tweens in 6th through 8th grades will have a traditional class setting with new material and team teachers.

I am always available to talk with you about our children's faith formation ministry. I can be reached most easily at church on Tues/Wed/Thurs from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. or on my cell at 248.766.4622. My email is cindyblakely@gmail.com.

Back-to-School Blessing

"I am with you always."
Matthew 28:20

When you are shopping for school supplies, buy any extras that you can afford and donate them to Leaps and Bounds, Simon House, Orchards Childrens Services, or any agency that can provide these items for students who would otherwise struggle to purchase needed supplies

Before you and your family donate school supplies, bless them by saying a prayer over them for the child(ren) who might receive them.

On the night before school begins, lay out your backpacks to bless them and the teachers who will help you learn this year. Ask your parents to lay their hands on your heads and say a blessing for a healthy, happy, successful school year.

Team KID Late-Breaking News!

Due to a scheduling conflict with one of our elementary schools, we're postponing the start of Team KID to Thursday, October 1. Please tell your friends!

"UNDIE SUNDAY"

You're not going to believe this!

September 20 is "UNDIE SUNDAY." We'll be collecting donations of diapers, new underwear and socks to be distributed by Orchards Childrens Services to local foster families. The undies and socks can be any size, toddler to adult. We'll also be happy to take donations of diapers of any size and brand.

More information about this great agency can be found on their website: http://www.orchards.org/. The Christian Education ministy leadership team and Mission Committee are promoting this project.

Stuff to Save

Two things we'll be needing this fall/winter are LEGOS and empty cereal boxes. They can be dropped off to Rev. Cindy. Just remember, they be used for BIBLE BLAST activities and cannot be returned to you.

To Infinity .... and Beyond!

Something new and out-of-this-world is coming to Greenfield! Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to experience the BIBLE BLAST, a new way of doing Sunday School.

BIBLE BLAST stands for Bible Learning Adventure Stations. You'll have the chance to experience a new Bible story each month in a variety of ways: art, science, music, puppetry, storytelling, video, and movies. Adults will make a one-month commitment and all teaching materials will be provided. One adult "Galactic Guide" will stay with each age group throughout the year to be a consistent presence, count kids, celebrate birthdays, and ask for joys and concerns at the end of the gathering.

Kids will be divided into 3 age groups: K/1, 2nd/3rd and 4th/5 th grades. Groups will learn at one of the above stations each week. Our first rotation, "Adam and Eve: Named and Claimed by God," will begin on September 13. There will be a family take-home page that describes our Bible story, learning objective, and family discussion-starters.

Preschool children, ages 3 and 4, and tweens, grades 6 - 8, will stay in a traditional Sunday School class. Our middle-school youth will be invited to help occasionally in BIBLE BLAST and do special faith in action mission projects. All age groups will be in the 11:00 a.m. worship service with their families and go to their learning location after the children's time.

Publicity about BIBLE BLAST will available on the church website prior to September 13. Watch for it, and prepared to blast off into the glorious galaxy of God's good news!

Meet Lydia, our 3rd Grader!

Lydia will begin 3rd grade at Harlan Elementary this fall. She's excited to be in the first class at her school to experience !gnite, a technology-based collaborative learning environment. She'll be getting her children's Bible on Bible Sunday. And she'll be driving before we know it!

What grade are you going into? What are you excited about this year at school.

Meet Abby, our Safety Town Star!

Abby graduated from Safety Town today. She can't wait to start kindergarten at Harlan Elementary School this fall. She's also looking forward to Team KID at Greenfield Church.

Bible Sunday

We will celebrate Bible Sunday on September 17. If you are going into 3rd grade, or are older and have not received a Bible, please ask your parents to stop in to the Christian Education office and pick one up. We're asking that your families and friends write notes of encouragement inside. Remember, the Bibles need to be returned to the church prior to September 17.

STAGE Events Coming Up!

"Fully Rely On God" Mission Experience for STAGE 1 kids will be July 27 - 30 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The bus for Cedar Point leaves at 6:45 a.m. and returns to church at 10 p.m. on Aug. 30.

Contact Nathan at STAGEyouth@gmail.com for more details on both events.

Teachers W(h)ine and Cheese Gathering

Our fall Sunday School teachers are asked to gather for a quick meeting after worship on August 19. Let's talk about what works and what doesn't (that's the part where it's okay to whine a little). I'd like to hear from you what you love about teaching at Greenfield Church.

Those who attend this meeting will get a sneak peek at the ideas for something new coming to the teaching ministry at our church in early 2010.

Chiming In

Three of our Greenfield kids will be playing the chimes for special music this Sunday, July 26 at our 10:00 summer worship service. Can you guess their names?

Greetings to Greenfield kids and their families:

I'm so excited to be joining you as the new Director of Christian Education at Greenfield Church. I can't wait for you to meet my family: my husband, Bob, and our daughters Lydia (3rd grader) and Abby (kindergartner).

Summer Sunday School continues through September 6. The kids attend the first part of worship with their families. They gather after the children's time for a lesson and project.

Sunday School will kick off in the fall on September 13! We'll be dividing the classes as we have in the past and using the "Walk with Me" materials.

Team Kid will begin on Thursday, September 24 at 4:30 p.m.

The Christian Education ministry team is planning a few surprises for this fall and early 2010! Check back here to be the first to know!

Cindy Blakely