"Let the little children come to me"
Hey! Don't Miss Rally Day!
We'll kick off the beginning of a new Sunday School year on September
12th! Bring your child/ren, grades Pre-K through 7th, to the Chorister
Room at 9:30am for a welcome back session. Then at 9:45, our children
will be excused into their classrooms where they will meet their
teachers. From 10:15-10:30am, we will
head out to the front of the church to create welcoming artwork on the
sidewalks and enjoy some Dilly Bars! There will be a Sunday School
parent meeting in the Chorister Room immediately following the
children's dismissal into their classrooms (9:45). Although it won't be
long, we will cover some important information about the upcoming year.
Introducing the 2010-11 Sunday School Teachers
This year, the Christian Education Director, Marthe Herbert,
is incredibly excited to introduce you to the phenomenal team of Sunday
School teachers who have volunteered their time to be with our kids!
Pre-K: Jane Houlton, Ann Johnson, Patti Kubicka & Hilary Olson. 1st &
2nd Grade: Gretchen Albu, Kelly Kalahar &
Tracy Pierce. 3rd & 4th Grade: Marv Andersen, Kirk Atkinson & Shelly
Petters. 5th, 6th & 7th Grade: Paula Filipiak, Kevin McNabb & Andrea
Oman.
Please
stop in and say hello to these incredible volunteers!
Make
a Joyful Noise!
Calling all 3rd graders
through 7th graders! Choristers starts on Wednesday, September 15th!
Choristers is a children's choir which meets weekly on Wednesdays to
practice, and to prepare for about six performances in church throughout
the year. Children do not need to know how to sing! This is the perfect
place to start. A lot of time is spent learning how to sing, and what to
do to conquer nervousness. Time is spent on how to use your voice for
stage speaking. NO child leaves this program without learning some great
lessons that will help them throughout their lifetime! Every Chorister
is encouraged to stretch outside of
their comfort zone and try something new. Children will be amazed and
rightfully proud of what they can accomplish. They will develop a
greater sense of self-confidence and group confidence. Encourage your
child to bring a friend! All kids are welcome to come and try it out!
Contact Amy McNabb at the church office for more information.
Calling all Acolytes
We are looking for
volunteers to light the candles during each worship service. If you are
in third grade or above and think you might be interested, please
contact Marthe in the office, or sign up on Rally Day. Training for
acolytes will be on Wednesday, September 15th at 5:45pm, or Sunday,
September 19th immediately following each service. This is an important
ministry you can provide for our church!
Halloween Event for Kids!
Mark your calendar! On October 30th from 2-4pm, we'll have a
spooky house at church! Bring a guest if you want!!!
Vacation Bible School a
Huge Success!
Things were hopping down the street at Holy Trinity in August when
thirty-six children from the combined congregations of Union, Elk River
Lutheran, and Holy Trinity got together for VBS! "It was a huge hit! And
we'll definitely be doing it
again next year," said Cari Osmek, Interim Youth Minister at Elk River
Lutheran. The week closed with a celebratory service in the sanctuary at
Holy Trinity. Parents and caregivers were swept up in song as their
children played instruments and marched to vivacious music around the
room. Throughout the week, the children at VBS learned about Malaria,
and pooled their coins (totaling over $225) to help purchase bed nets
for families in countries where Malaria is prevalent.
Pilgrim Point Camp
The Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ owns and operates one of the most beautiful summer camps in Minnesota. Pilgrim Point Camp is located just outside of Alexandria on Lake Ida. Camps include age specific weekends and week long camps and also those specifically designed for Music, Arts, Theater, Family, Beading, Ecological Studies, and much more. Union Church offers scholarships for families who are already stretched when it comes to summer holiday finances. Go to Pilgrim Point's web site to find out much more!
Christian Education
Union Church has a lively children's Sunday School program for ages 3
through Seventh Grade. "Church School" meets from 9:30 – 10:30am
September through May between
our two services. This year’s age groups are: ages 3, 4, and 5;
grades 1-2; grades 3-5; grades 6-7. All children begin the morning
with a brief time together in the lower level Chorister Chapel room for
opening prayer, singing, and learning together before going to
individual classes. This group also meets throughout the year to
do lots of fun family stuff including bowling and a family movie night,
as well as special activities after church on occasional Sundays.
Nursery and Child Care
Mary Westholter has been presiding over our nursery for more than 30
years! She
ensures that our youngest little ones feel welcome and safe.
Thanks to a growing group of wee little ones, we have added another
fabulous childcare worker,
Linda Conner, who works in the nursery alongside Mary! Please drop by and visit the nursery when you're here next time and see our beautiful Noah’s Ark cradle roll banner just outside the door.
Family and Intergenerational Activities
We recognize that children's ministry needs the partnership of the family. Studies have consistently shown that parents are the most important component to the faith development of their children. Union Congregational UCC continually develops and provides fun family education activities that help parents and other generations within our faith community to model... living in the faith.
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Library
We are a church that worships with our heads as well as our hearts. We've dedicated an ever-expanding library to help those who want to grow in their faith through reading past and present books on faith, God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, and Christian family life.
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O.W.L
O.W.L. stands for Our Whole Lives. It is a series of classes for youngsters, with a curriculum focusing on helping children AND their families comfortably talk about human sexuality in age-appropriate ways. Our children learn about self esteem, what is safe and unsafe touch, how to tell their parents about difficulties with sexuality, and all those topics on sexuality which will help them appropriately develop their own Whole and Holy lives. If you've always felt that talking about sexuality with your child was important, yet find it difficult, Our Whole Lives will be a true gift to you and your family!
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My Own Montessori
