Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
Family Ministries Activities Are A Blast!!!
Family Ministries Activities Are A BLAST!!!!!!
Wow, we have had such fun in Family Ministries lately and it’s not ever too late for you to come and be a part of the excitement. First of all Stepping Stones has gotten off to a great start with lots of activities, laughter, music and fun. The month of October was spent exploring our faith through art—we called it Images of Faith. From pottery to painting, to photography children and families worked together to express their faith. You should see some of the art work created. The photo collages showed families spending quality time together talking about how God is at work in their lives. How exciting for children to hear their parents and grandparents talk about their faith. The month culminated with a celebration dinner and art show.
And of course one need not forget the fun that was had at the Trunk or Treat and the dance that followed. About thirty cars lined up in our parking lot all decked out in fall and Halloween finery for the one hundred or so children to trick or treat or rather trunk or treat! Then everyone gathered in the fellowship hall for music, dancing, cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn and crafts. Everything from the Electric Slide to the Chicken Dance and of course the Macarena (hope I spelled that right!). It was hard to figure out who some folks were all dressed up in their costumes.
Sacred Shelter has also been going especially well this year. Special thanks to all of you who have hosted. It’s so nice to be part of a group that eats, meets, plays and prays together, knowing you are being supported and encouraged through the good times and the rough times of life—knowing you can share with friends in a safe environment without being judged. What a gift we are giving to our children as well. I’ve noticed lately in church how the children are all hanging out together and it truly is becoming “a village” for everyone. God is truly great!
Anyway—look at the photo album attached—of course for safety reasons we try not to show full face views of the children, but you can figure it out! See you in church!
Wow, we have had such fun in Family Ministries lately and it’s not ever too late for you to come and be a part of the excitement. First of all Stepping Stones has gotten off to a great start with lots of activities, laughter, music and fun. The month of October was spent exploring our faith through art—we called it Images of Faith. From pottery to painting, to photography children and families worked together to express their faith. You should see some of the art work created. The photo collages showed families spending quality time together talking about how God is at work in their lives. How exciting for children to hear their parents and grandparents talk about their faith. The month culminated with a celebration dinner and art show.
And of course one need not forget the fun that was had at the Trunk or Treat and the dance that followed. About thirty cars lined up in our parking lot all decked out in fall and Halloween finery for the one hundred or so children to trick or treat or rather trunk or treat! Then everyone gathered in the fellowship hall for music, dancing, cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn and crafts. Everything from the Electric Slide to the Chicken Dance and of course the Macarena (hope I spelled that right!). It was hard to figure out who some folks were all dressed up in their costumes.
Sacred Shelter has also been going especially well this year. Special thanks to all of you who have hosted. It’s so nice to be part of a group that eats, meets, plays and prays together, knowing you are being supported and encouraged through the good times and the rough times of life—knowing you can share with friends in a safe environment without being judged. What a gift we are giving to our children as well. I’ve noticed lately in church how the children are all hanging out together and it truly is becoming “a village” for everyone. God is truly great!
Anyway—look at the photo album attached—of course for safety reasons we try not to show full face views of the children, but you can figure it out! See you in church!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Going to School Blues
Picture this scene! You've parked the car and walked around to get your kindergartener out of the seat--backpack on his back, shoes on the right feet, hair combed, lunch box in hand and then all of the sudden, he becomes a wide eyed, bewildered statue. "Waah" is followed by tears streaming down the cheeks, hands glued to the car door handle, and those brand new tennis shoes cemented to the pavement. Too late now--so you end up dragging your child screaming into the classroom. And now, YOU are crying too! Wow, what a morning! Is it possible to avoid this scene? Is there anyway for that first day of school to be a little easier? Well, hopefully yes--but you must start NOW--especially for those "first time in school kids."
Yes, the first day of school can be emotional for both parent and child, but it is all really quite normal. You can, however, reduce the fear of the unknown and therefore much of the anxiety surrounding that wonderful dreaded day. Listed below are just a few tips that might help you and your child survive and perhaps even enjoy the first day or so of school.
* Ease Your child into a New Routine: Have your child go to bed at school night bedtime a few nights before the first day. Set an alarm clock for the correct school wake up time and get up!
* Try a School Run or Two: Go over your child's bus route (if they are riding a bus). If your child is a car rider, then get in the car with your child and actually "do the drive" to the school, talking about where you will turn, showing your child where you will drop him off and pick him up. You might even want to "practice" walking into the school door.
Get ready the night before: Establish a routine that requires your child to pick an outfit (if not in uniforms) for the school day. Pack the backpack the night before. (This is good for EVERY school day so that any last minute rushing is eliminated.
* Breakfast and Prayer: Make sure you and your child have enough time to sit down to an adequate breakfast. Pray with your child thanking God for this wonderful opportunity and adventure.
* Talk, Talk Talk: Talk, POSITIVELY, about the school, the teachers, the principal and the entire school experience.
* Take a School Tour: Call the school and arrange to tour the school with your child. Help your child find their way around the school and the location of their classroom and teh bathroom. If possible meet with both the teacher and the principal.
* Make a New Friend: If possible, introduce your child to a classmate before the first day of school.
* What Now: Make sure your child knows what to do after school is out. If going to an afterschool program, familiarize your child with that program just like you did the school. Make sure your child has emergency phone numbers in his or her backpack and also knows how to get help in an emergency.
* Ask and Listen: After school make sure and ask your child SPECIFIC questions about the day, such as, "What letter did you work on today?" "What is the name of one new person you met today?" Discussion questions are much better than yes or no questions. No multitasking when you are talking to your child about school--what could be more important, anyway?
Of course there are lots of other ideas, but hopefully this will get you both off to a good start. Remain positive about the school experience. If you start crying--it's okay--it's a big deal for both of you. If your child sees you crying it's okay to explain to him or her what you are feeling, reassuring them that going to school and learning is a good thing! So--off to school with you and have a GREAT year!
Yes, the first day of school can be emotional for both parent and child, but it is all really quite normal. You can, however, reduce the fear of the unknown and therefore much of the anxiety surrounding that wonderful dreaded day. Listed below are just a few tips that might help you and your child survive and perhaps even enjoy the first day or so of school.
* Ease Your child into a New Routine: Have your child go to bed at school night bedtime a few nights before the first day. Set an alarm clock for the correct school wake up time and get up!
* Try a School Run or Two: Go over your child's bus route (if they are riding a bus). If your child is a car rider, then get in the car with your child and actually "do the drive" to the school, talking about where you will turn, showing your child where you will drop him off and pick him up. You might even want to "practice" walking into the school door.
Get ready the night before: Establish a routine that requires your child to pick an outfit (if not in uniforms) for the school day. Pack the backpack the night before. (This is good for EVERY school day so that any last minute rushing is eliminated.
* Breakfast and Prayer: Make sure you and your child have enough time to sit down to an adequate breakfast. Pray with your child thanking God for this wonderful opportunity and adventure.
* Talk, Talk Talk: Talk, POSITIVELY, about the school, the teachers, the principal and the entire school experience.
* Take a School Tour: Call the school and arrange to tour the school with your child. Help your child find their way around the school and the location of their classroom and teh bathroom. If possible meet with both the teacher and the principal.
* Make a New Friend: If possible, introduce your child to a classmate before the first day of school.
* What Now: Make sure your child knows what to do after school is out. If going to an afterschool program, familiarize your child with that program just like you did the school. Make sure your child has emergency phone numbers in his or her backpack and also knows how to get help in an emergency.
* Ask and Listen: After school make sure and ask your child SPECIFIC questions about the day, such as, "What letter did you work on today?" "What is the name of one new person you met today?" Discussion questions are much better than yes or no questions. No multitasking when you are talking to your child about school--what could be more important, anyway?
Of course there are lots of other ideas, but hopefully this will get you both off to a good start. Remain positive about the school experience. If you start crying--it's okay--it's a big deal for both of you. If your child sees you crying it's okay to explain to him or her what you are feeling, reassuring them that going to school and learning is a good thing! So--off to school with you and have a GREAT year!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
Mission Trip Update 7/2/07
What an adventure we had! Germany was everything and more than what many of us expected. It’s amazing how a smile and the light of Christ cuts across cultural and language barriers as we all served alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ to reach out to the community surrounding the American Church in Berlin. Obviously internet connections are not a high priority which is why it was very difficult and often impossible to get to the Blog to continue to update. So please accept my apologies and take a look at the pictures just added so you can get a taste of what wonderful work is going on in Berlin in the name of Jesus Christ. You will meet Kumar—who met us at the airport along with Denise. Kumar continued to remind us that we were “the light of Christ” as he too wielded a paint brush all week. Denise gave us detailed instructions on our apartments as well as how to use the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn. You’ll meet Sarah, the preschool teacher I worked with all week and see a few of the children. You’ll also see a little of the tour through Berlin as we all experienced the magnitude of the Holocaust as we walked through the “memorial to the Jewish people.” We were given personal stories from those that had experienced the coming down of the Berlin wall as we stood at what was left. You’ll see Laura and me washing windows at a Children’s Hospice center, Joan and Molly teaching the ESL Instructor’s class – they did a GREAT job!!! And be sure to notice that Greg Minck is doing the detail work on painting the walls in the area of the church that will be used for the children’s Sunday School room. And yes, they finished painting before we left. I could write a book on the diversity that is wholeheartedly embraced and how, for me, it was truly reflective of the kingdom of God and the church universal. Some other pictures will be forthcoming soon from the worship service on Sunday—I will talk more about the wonderful blend of voices praising God together. Thank you for all of your prayers and support.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Berlin Photo Fun!
New! We hope you enjoy viewing the airport shots, steeple of the church, pictures of the food distribution on Friday, and the pictures of us painting in the church. We will send more photos tomorrow. Things are going great! Everyone is working really hard and learning to speak German. Miss you all--miss ice cubes!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
We have arrived in Berlin!
Hello! After a long 10 hour plane ride, we arrived safely in Berlin. We "lugged" our luggage all over town finally locating the area in which we are living which is a culturally diverse area of Berlin.
Friday was our free day. Using public transportation many of us enjoyed touring the city and visiting Potsdam. Friday evening was spent working at the American Church in Berlin helping with the food distribution fellowship program. We sorted various fruits, veggies and breads to be given out to many families including Muslim, Turkish, Russian and Greek families. Many of us served as liaisons to over 70+ families as they came through the food line. We experienced one-on-one interaction where language seemed to be of no barrier. Our friend, Kamar, one of the representatives for the American Church in Berlin, explained that we were God's light and his theme song for us is "This Little Light of Mine." After serving food, we scrubbed and cleaned up including the many tomatoes that had been smashed on the floor. In this church, everything takes place in the Sanctuary - from food preparation to the food distribution fellowship meals to worship!
This Saturday morning we went to the church and helped reorganize, moving tables from one level to another level of a church - upstairs! Kamar took many of us on a tour up to the top of the steeple which is around 300 feet.
Tomorrow, Sunday, we look forward to leading in worship and taking place in the adult forum, which is like an Adult Sunday School class. We are also looking forward to sharing in a pot luck with the members of American Church in Berlin and then sharing in city tours together.
Weather is cool, beautiful and the temp is around 70 degrees.
We've already made a lasting relationship with the pizza place on the corner. They give us the low down in what we should and and should not do. We also experienced culturally diverse demonstrations with police presence and all their riot gear.
We're having a great time and feel like we've known these people forever. Keep checking this blog for updates; we were unable to upload photos to the blog at this time but hope to resolve this and will post the many beautiful photos as soon as possible. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. -Susan
Friday was our free day. Using public transportation many of us enjoyed touring the city and visiting Potsdam. Friday evening was spent working at the American Church in Berlin helping with the food distribution fellowship program. We sorted various fruits, veggies and breads to be given out to many families including Muslim, Turkish, Russian and Greek families. Many of us served as liaisons to over 70+ families as they came through the food line. We experienced one-on-one interaction where language seemed to be of no barrier. Our friend, Kamar, one of the representatives for the American Church in Berlin, explained that we were God's light and his theme song for us is "This Little Light of Mine." After serving food, we scrubbed and cleaned up including the many tomatoes that had been smashed on the floor. In this church, everything takes place in the Sanctuary - from food preparation to the food distribution fellowship meals to worship!
This Saturday morning we went to the church and helped reorganize, moving tables from one level to another level of a church - upstairs! Kamar took many of us on a tour up to the top of the steeple which is around 300 feet.
Tomorrow, Sunday, we look forward to leading in worship and taking place in the adult forum, which is like an Adult Sunday School class. We are also looking forward to sharing in a pot luck with the members of American Church in Berlin and then sharing in city tours together.
Weather is cool, beautiful and the temp is around 70 degrees.
We've already made a lasting relationship with the pizza place on the corner. They give us the low down in what we should and and should not do. We also experienced culturally diverse demonstrations with police presence and all their riot gear.
We're having a great time and feel like we've known these people forever. Keep checking this blog for updates; we were unable to upload photos to the blog at this time but hope to resolve this and will post the many beautiful photos as soon as possible. Please continue to keep us in your prayers. -Susan
Monday, June 4, 2007
Leaving Me for Germany?
This is Molly, one of my Pembroke Welsh Corgis. She does NOT like it when the suitcases roll out because she knows that means I am leaving for a while. While I am gone she hides out underneath my bed. The suitcase has rolled out as I pack for the upcoming mission trip to Germany. Molly's response: "Not again!" Follow along on Vanderbilt Presbyterian's first international Mission Trip. The fun begins, June 13th. The trip is over on June 22nd. Say a prayer for the trip and one for Molly, too! I will try my best to keep everyone updated with photos and info during the week of the trip--of course that means I'm actually going to have to learn a little more about blogging!
Friday, June 1, 2007
Come Along With Us To Berlin
Come With Us To Berlin Germany Our first international mission trip - to Berlin, Germany takes place this June, 2007....Come along with the Vanderbilt Presbyterian mission group through this blog! Look for updates, photos and more as we experience mission work with our sister church. We leave June 13th!
Labels: Berlin Mission Trip
Labels: Berlin Mission Trip
Thursday, May 31, 2007
What? Stepping Stones Already?
This year’s Stepping Stones promises, once again, to be a wonderful time for families to come together to share in fun, fellowship and faith development. We will begin meeting again on Wednesday, September 12th with a surprise kick-off that you will not want to miss. The times are a little bit different this year to try and make it easier for you to get here without rushing around. The activities will begin promptly at 5:30 with dinner being served at 6:30. This fall we will be using the curriculum “Seasons of the Spirit” in which children explore a Bible passage through games, arts and crafts, music and drama during September and November. In October—we will be sharing together in art. The theme is “Images of Faith.” Children and youth will work with local artists, including a potter, an art teacher and others to create their own images of faith which will culminate in a dinner and art show on Sunday evening, October 28th. This fall families will have the opportunity to grow in faith together as we come together each week to learn and share together. Adults will have the opportunity to attend Bible Study, Parent Empowerment Classes, Marriage Enrichment Classes and Chats with Tom. Children’s Choir will be working on songs of faith and will be singing once a month in worship.
Middle Schoolers will be involved in Bible Study time and their own fellowship time around the ping pong table, foosball table and other games. What a wonderful addition that has been-thanks to Carolyn Upham!
Remember EVERYONE is invited to participate—nursery is available, classes begin for four year olds through adults. Dinner is open to all—so get registered now—you don’t want to miss this exciting year of Stepping Stones coming soon!
Middle Schoolers will be involved in Bible Study time and their own fellowship time around the ping pong table, foosball table and other games. What a wonderful addition that has been-thanks to Carolyn Upham!
Remember EVERYONE is invited to participate—nursery is available, classes begin for four year olds through adults. Dinner is open to all—so get registered now—you don’t want to miss this exciting year of Stepping Stones coming soon!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Welcome to the Family Ministries & Mission blog about life, experiences, spirituality and more with Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church.
All of our Fall Activities are beginning soon for both Family Ministries and Missions. You will also find, under "Tips for Families" many helpful postings concerning all aspects of family life. Feel free to respond and ask questions! Also stay up to date with the next mission and service opportunities.
Follow along with us as we post messages, photos and updates through this blog.
All of our Fall Activities are beginning soon for both Family Ministries and Missions. You will also find, under "Tips for Families" many helpful postings concerning all aspects of family life. Feel free to respond and ask questions! Also stay up to date with the next mission and service opportunities.
Follow along with us as we post messages, photos and updates through this blog.
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