How was church today?

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We sang several favourite hymns this morning:
Let Us Build a House - MV
Seek Ye First - VU
Like a Healing Stream - MV
Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness - VU

And for Children's Time I had a group of about a dozen people aged 2-12 "shepherding" white pompoms into an enclosure by blowing on them through straws. It was completely silly and fun. Then we talked a little about how Jesus shepherds each of us.
 
My church didn't have worship this morning - instead it was on Thursday evening. Our local marathon run was this morning & the route goes right by the church - so getting there is next to impossible - hence the change. I have to admit, it was nice to get up, make my way through reading the paper at a leisurely pace, then headed outside to putter in my garden - a spiritual practice for me.
 
Hilary....I'm going to have to beg you for ideas for this summer when I help organize Church Day Camp! We had 12 children in Sunday School....most of them guests, here because of a baptism. We built a fire and had breakfast on the beach, after learning about Jesus appearing to the disciples when they were fishing. Then we hit 3 cans with balls....each can said "I don't know him", representing Peter's denial of Christ. That, and the fish crackers, were 'hits'. We had a little paper work too...a maze and a colouring sheet where they had to draw in the fish. I'm not an arts and crafty kind of person. I like to act and pretend instead. Or throw balls. Oh ya...and we sang a song.
 
You just never know said:
Thanks Pinga, I'm glad I'm here too.
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I too am glad to have you here. It sounds like your church is willing (and able) to tackle difficult topics. Teen suicide has always worried me. I remember thinking about it myself, although I never acted upon those thoughts. I worried about it when my kids were that age - and a friend of theirs took his own life. I worry about it with my grandchildren - a friend of Granddaughter's little brother killed himself at age 13. Good family, beloved only son, in treatment for clinical depression. I feel for those First Nations communities where young people seem to lose hope and suicide seems to be almost contagious. This is an important matter worthy of the church's concern and yet I don't remember ever hearing it addressed from the pulpit.

I was about to say that church here was great - but then I read your post and realized what 'great' could entail.
I'll say church here was good. I was glad to be there. Our minister used the lectionary passages from Acts and John (the good shepherd) and spoke about 'trust'. Ironically, we've recently touched on the matter of trust here at WC2.
We had a baptism - always a special time. Beautiful baby, dressed in a family heirloom gown - good as gold, and obviously much loved.
We closed worship with VU#151 Lift High the Cross - a favourite post Easter hymn.
 
Nancy said:
Hilary....I'm going to have to beg you for ideas for this summer when I help organize Church Day Camp! We had 12 children in Sunday School....most of them guests, here because of a baptism. We built a fire and had breakfast on the beach, after learning about Jesus appearing to the disciples when they were fishing. Then we hit 3 cans with balls....each can said "I don't know him", representing Peter's denial of Christ. That, and the fish crackers, were 'hits'. We had a little paper work too...a maze and a colouring sheet where they had to draw in the fish. I'm not an arts and crafty kind of person. I like to act and pretend instead. Or throw balls. Oh ya...and we sang a song.
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I've been leading Children's Time since 2011. Some of my ideas are borrowed from online sources (textweek.com, ftw!) and some are born from my lifetime of learning in the UCC and love of all things childish.
I hope I remember the cans and balls for next Lent. I don't think we'll want to throw balls in the sanctuary, but I really like the potential adaptability of the idea. Thanks!
 
That tends to be a huge goal of our ministry to young people. Make them feel like part of the family, like they belong, like church is a familiar place, like home.
 
In any group, kids need to figure out where they fit. It's the same thung with skiing. Until a kid decides where they want to fit in, they really lack a sense of belonging. It was a problem with Claire for a while. Now she's a committed racer and she loves the place. Before she took to racing, she didn't really want to go. She needed to find her identity.
 
Hey Nancy - my dear friend Birthstone - some from here will remember her from WC - does children's ministry. She was recently telling me about a cool resource - Dollar Store Children's Sermons - https://dskidsermons.com/ which she finds interesting. She's also doing a kids camp this summer & basing it on a book titled Stepping Stones - it's the story of a refugee family - so it's especially pertinent to our congregations who have recently been involved with refugee sponsorship. :) https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-c...V-z_jBXBuDOCWZWOSl5SFVzoWWFVswFEfEaAm718P8HAQ
 
Pinga said:
@BetteTheRed -- picking at works here, but, make them feel like, or make them part of ....
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More like make them feel like, because a lot of the youth that come into our building are not core to our congregation. They are the scouts and guides, they are the rhythm & pitch music program, they are the monthly "loonie lunch" attendees from the high school.

Were they and their families to venture into our more "Christian" programming, like bible study, junior church, sunday service, etc., we'd try to make them part of that family should they wish it.
 
We only have two young people in our church. A low teen, and a 20-something. Both are valuable members of our tiny faith community. She helps with serving food, and is in charge of the powerpoint slides during worship services. He plays guitar and leads the singing in our services. I think both are wonderful people, and I'm thankful that they stay with us when they could go off to a more youth-oriented church in Toronto.
 
Last Sundays service was part 2 of a 5 part series called "Who Needs God?". Part 2 was called "Gods of the No Testament" which referred to the Gods we were raised with which really can't be found in the New Testament. The minister went on to speak of 5 Gods that are often referred to and thought of as biblical and often lead many away from the church.

The question was asked, "what if the God you're walking away from, never existed to begin with?"

Sermon was strongly based on this series by Andy Stanley part 2:

 
Then you would walk away from nothing but a large void ... kind 've like a heart ache ...

With the voids urges ... something would be put there to ease the non existential sense ...
 
Waterfall - usually when I check a video and find it is over 20 minutes long I decide not to watch it. This one was almost 44 minutes and I took time to watch it all - and enjoyed it. I hope you post again next week.
 
Seeler said:
Waterfall - usually when I check a video and find it is over 20 minutes long I decide not to watch it. This one was almost 44 minutes and I took time to watch it all - and enjoyed it. I hope you post again next week.
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Next week will be a Mothers Day service and the series will resume the Sunday after. Also for next Sunday we've been invited to a United Church for mothers day.
 
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