YouthHappenings - Mont Vernon Congregational Church, U.C.C.

*** Sunday School ***

Children’s Day and the end of the Sunday School year.

Sunday June 8 was Children's Day and the end of the Sunday School year. It was a service that celebrated the children and their year of learning. We had Bible readings, songs, artwork and a promenade around the sanctuary with Spirit streamers. We had Bible presentations and thank you gifts of perennial plants for the teachers to symbolize our coming back each year to teach. Our closing hymn was "I Love to Tell the Story", an old hymn and a favorite in our church. The lyrics to this hymn are "I love to tell the story, twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story, of Jesus and his love". I don't know who selected this hymn for the service but it was exactly what I was feeling. That is what Sunday school teaching is all about: to tell the story of Jesus to the children and to have an activity or song that helps them remember it. We had some interesting discussions each week and time to share our week and what was going on in our lives.

Being a teacher means missing most of the worship service every other week. But it also means preparing a Bible based lesson every other week and finding a way to present it to the class in a way they will understand and remember. To do that you have to take the time to understand it yourself and to think about what the children's mindset may be. Sometimes if I think about it from their perspective and experience it takes on a different meaning for me completely.

I want to thank all the parents who entrusted their children to Sue Ries and me for an hour every Sunday this year. I speak for both of us: it was our privilege and our pleasure to teach your children and to tell them "the old, old story of Jesus and his love".

Susan Smith

This space will have the weekly Sunday School lesson summary, taken from the Spirit of the Seasons. Parents may want to review the Bible reading with their child before coming to church.

April 27 Spirited Love, based on John 14:15-21 God has listened to our seach for holy presence. Spirit's gift comes as response to that listening. We talk about a force that we cannot see and how it works in our lives.

May 4 Community of Prayer, based on John 17: 1-11 Jesus offers a prayer that showers the disciples with unity in God through Christ. To be a community of faith is to be a community of prayer.

May 11 Life-giving Spirit, based on Acts 2:1-21 On Pentecost Sunday we celebrate God's life-giving Spirit poured out on the community of disciples. The gift blesses each child. We celebrate the Church's birthday together.

Christian Links for Kids

Big Idea -- Veggie Tales activities, coloring pages, wallpaper, etc

Garden of Praise - Children's Bible Lessons and Activities

Keys for Kids Devotional -- from Childrens Bible Hour

Kids Virtual Church -- from virtualchurch.org; Illistrated Bible stories, coloring pages and Christian kids links

Little Lambs Ministry -- Bible Story Coloring Pages

MustardSeed -- Glossary of people, places and things in the Bible

*** Christian Education ***

What is a missionary? It is a person who shows God's love by helping others. Our hope is that the children will become aware of people who need our help and that we can all be involved in the efforts of charitable mission organizations.

Bridges is a local organization that helps abused women and their children. Heifer International sends contributed money to areas around the world, which is then used to buy farm animals for families. Each family promises to give away one of the offspring to someone in their community to help them. Habitat for Humanity uses volunteer labor and material to build houses for families who would not otherwise be able to afford a house. In this way families are helped around the world and in the U.S.

Do you discuss your opportunities as a family to be a missionary? When you make contributions or do volunteer work for organizations, it is a great time to talk to your children about giving to others and why it is important to do that. It is a way to tell your children about your values and the character aspects you hope they will have as they grow into adults. You can encourage them to be involved. If you are contributing food they can help choose items at the grocery store. They can help sort out clothes to be given away. They can give up part of their allowance to give away to a charity. They can start helping others even though they are young, which is our message to them.

We would love to hear from parents about charities and organizations to which you give time and effort. Please email the church office or talk to us after church on Sunday.

We are teaching children about the Bible and about life as Christians by our words and actions. Your input is valued greatly.

Submitted by Sue Ries and Sue Smith, Sunday School teachers for the 6-8 year old class.

To contact Bridges for more information or to contribute: shelter@bridgesnh.org

603-889-0858

Prepare for the Season: Lent and Easter
Check out these ideas and links for more information about Lent and Easter:
The Events of Holy Week -- this page has a timeline of holy week happenings and explains where Jesus was, what He did and what events took place in this important week.

From the Sunday School Superintendent:
We have approximately 20 students who have reached the age to explore their faith as a preparation for Confirmation. We have contacted the students and their families, selected a Confirmation curriculum, designed the learning experiences, and started the classes. We will continue through summer of 2007. Please keep these Confirmation activities, teachers and students in your prayers. Thanks!
Children come to worship in the church with their parent and after Children's Message go to their class. This year the teachers will bring their class up to the Coffee Hour to rejoin the parents after class and worship are finished.

Vacation Bible School
To all of those that contributed time, talent and supplies/money, I thank you for making this program a success. To all those that participated during the week, I hope you had fun! And to all those reading this, I hope that you will all be able to join us next year for another fun filled vacation bible school.
Submitted by - Tanya Fox

Learn more about our Sunday School Curriculum:

We use "Seasons of the Spirit" which has weekly lesson plans for teachers. These are coordinated with the revised common lectionary. The weekly classes have time for Focus Scripture, Gather, Engage, Respond, Bless and Reflect.

We pray, sing, read scripture, do Bible oriented crafts, view posters and have a small snack together. It is also a time to talk together about our week and events in our lives in a Christian environment. We team teach, two teachers for each age group, alternating weeks. For any questions about the Sunday School, call the church office at (603) 673-3500 and leave a message for Lois Boericke.

For more information on the curriculum, go to webpage www.spiritseasons.com

Seasons of the Spirit
1.	Seasons of the Spirit Curriculum Foundations...