http://standrewsmv.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Youth-Policies-St.-Andrews-2022.pdf
Check out the Miracles of Jesus Video…
February Family Faith Kits now available for pick up!
A tradition in my house growing up was the use of a daily calendar with activities to do during Lent. I have found two really good examples and share them with you here. These calendars are written from a Christian perspective from Devyn and Tally Designs and are available for purchase on Etsy. I share them here with you- but if you’d like to support their small business, look them up on Etsy and purchase the calendar of your choosing or both.
The 2021 Kids Lenten Calendar is part of the February Faith Kits which come with a journal and color markers to respond to some of the prompts on the calendar. While this calendar is written for kids with example activities like “Chat with someone in school you wouldn’t normally talk to”, most of the activities are good behaviors for any of us, regardless of age, and can be applied to all regardless of situation. The other calendar, the 2021 Carbon Fast Lenten Calendar, prompts us to consider behaviors that are impacting climate change and energy consumption. The very first prompt, “Remove one light bulb in your house and live without it for 40 days”, is a fitting reminder that all of our behaviors have an impact, whether we literally see those impacts or not.
Whatever we do or don’t do this Lent, let your journey bring new life to your life by taking this opportunity to know Jesus more deeply.
Blessings to all on your Lenten journey.
Sincerely,
Laura Noonan
Mom and Family Faith Kit Coordinator
January 5, 2021
Hi All,
Happy New Year! I really hope for amazing and wonderful new beginnings ahead of us.
One of the things I would like to try in the New Year with our Family Ministry is family activities around a “Prayer Bear”. Each child will receive a bear with a pocket to hold written prayers. The children can add their own prayers in the pocket. In non-Covid times, the concept of the “Prayer Bear” is to instill family connections through the community. In this activity, the bear should only be shared between family members. So, to make this happen, I am looking for a few good seamstresses or misters who sew who are willing to follow a simple bear pattern and craft up a few of these bears for families in the parish. For the folks who would like to participate, this is the pattern I think we could use. HTTPS://WWW.SHINYHAPPYWORLD.COM/2014/04/WARREN-CHARITY-BEAR-FREE-TEDDY-BEAR-PATTERN.HTML I am not an expert sewer but am planning to give it a try, even if it requires a little hot glue, we’ll get there.
The goal of this activity is to instill opportunities for children to interact in communication with God. The hope is that they will articulate their prayers for their family and community with things they’re grateful for to God and also things they worry about. To learn more about the Episcopal Church’s examples of praying with children, this is a great article written in 2004 with many good examples. HTTPS://EPISCOPALCHURCH.ORG/LIBRARY/ARTICLE/PRAYING-CHILDREN
Be well everyone. Please email me if you are interested in sewing a “Prayer Bear”!
Laura
ADVENT 2020 UPDATE FROM FAMILY MINISTRY!
Advent wreath kits, geared towards young children and their families (example photo above), will be available for pick up at St. Andrew’s on Friday 12-4-20 (along with a foam craft for the kids). Email us if you are interested or you know of someone who might be! OFFICE@STANDREWSMV.ORG
September 8, 2020
When I was growing up, inspirational posters were a popular wall decor choice. They come in many varieties, but most consist of a slogan and a photo and many are so familiar they may blend in to the background of modern life. An athlete slam dunking a basketball and a slogan written boldly above his head “Just Do It ”. Or the lyrics to a song like John Lennon’s “Imagine” in bold text in a field of flowers. These are just two examples that come to mind. For me there are two “motivational posters” that continue to inspire and shape my world view.
One is a poster of Murphy’s Law written out in two descending columns like Moses’ 10 commandments. This poster was our bathroom reading material and where I learned to read as a child. In the poster was a picture of an old car stuck in the mud, missing a tire, and the words: “What can go wrong, will go wrong.” and “If everything seems to be going well you have obviously overlooked something.” Among other pearls of wisdom from this poster I learned that life is a series of lessons in what human-kind can expect just when you make plans and expect everything to go “according to them.” Over the past 6 months God has responded to our plans with a resounding, “Not so fast!”
The other inspirational poster from my childhood was one that I even took with me to college, much to my roommate’s disbelief. As I hung it on our wall she asked, “Are you seriously putting that up in our room?” This poster is of a rainbow glowing over the ocean and below the rainbow are the words, “God is my rainbow in the storms of life”. I answered, “Yes, I’m serious.” And I still have the poster.
From these two inspirational fonts of truth, I know that no matter what Murphy’s Law (s) can throw at us, God always gives us symbols of hope, no matter what the struggle. As a wise friend recently shared, “Don’t give up before the miracle.” These are exact the things I want to teach my kids and provide to families on the Island as we begin St. Andrew’s Family Ministry this week.
Below you will see the link and information to sign up for St. Andrew’s Family Ministry take-home Sunday school bags which will include a monthly themed activity kit with stories to inspire, a song to sing, supplies for a craft and an invitation to share photos of the crafts or the stories you create from the take home bag. Our first theme is based on my motivational rainbow poster, because what better message for our children is there than to know God is our rainbow? It is our hope that no matter where we are, together we can reflect God’s light and share sweet signs of hope with our community.
Sign up for a bag here:
HTTP://TINY.CC/FAMILYMINISTRY20-21
The faith based activity bags are free and available for delivery or pick up at St. Andrew’s Parish House porch on the second Friday of every month from 9-2 pm.
We look forward to sharing this faith journey with you and little ones you care for or know in the community. Contact us today to get an activity kit for your child!
We look forward to sharing this faith journey with you and little ones you care for or know in the community. Contact us today to get an activity kit for your child!
Blessings,
Laura Noonan
Virtual Sunday School Coordinator, MV Museum Oral History Assistant and Mom to two precious children