April 2014 Church logo and info Promise in the Emptiness POWERSOURCE ASK GOD: 1. To renew your passion for him. 2. To remind you to continue seeking him, even during empty and difficult times. 3. For opportunities to teach your kids about Jesus victory over the tomb. Christmas has the tree, and the stable, and, of course, the Divine Infant. These are all physical things we could touch, and understand. But Easter is different. In many ways it s about celebrating emptiness: a missing person, unoccupied burial clothes, and a vacant tomb. When you think about it, celebrating the emptiness is very different than celebrating the overflowing gifts and abundance we do at Christmas. This Easter, don t hesitate to venture into the emptiness with your family. There s incredible hope there, and it s also a place filled with unseen things like great opportunities to learn more about the true nature of Jesus. Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! (Luke 24:5-6) As the earth wakes from its winter slumber and Easter s hope approaches, remind your family that Jesus was awakened as well. Together, focus on that promise in the emptiness. Plant a tree as a reminder that new life comes from the cold ground. Serve others together to honor Jesus ultimate service to us. God loves your family. And this is the perfect season of promise to explore that truth together.
Easter Traditions Typical Easter traditions include dyed and hidden eggs, sparkly new outfits, and baskets stuffed with candy. You can add something even more important than baskets, bunnies, and bonnets to your family s celebrations, though. Here are easy ideas to create new Easter traditions with deep meaning. Choose an idea that works for your family and add it to your festivities. Your kids will be delighted and so will you! TEACHABLE MOMENTS Seeds Help your kids experience the rebirth of spring and Jesus resurrection. Take your family shopping for seed packets. Have each person select a seed packet that most reminds him or her of Easter. Don t explain what you ll do with the packets. Once home, ask: Why did you choose the seed packet you did? What other things remind you of Easter? What s most important to you about Easter? Say: The new life of Spring is approaching, and we can also focus on Jesus new life. As our seeds grow into plants, let s each take time to reconnect with Jesus and thank him for his promise to us of new life. Together, plant the seeds in pots or in the ground, and pray: God, in this time of renewal, please also renew our hearts. Take root in our lives, just as these seeds take root in the ground. In Jesus name, amen. Egg Candles These take a little work, but they re memorable centerpieces for your family devotions, mealtimes, and faith conversations. You ll need: Raw, washed eggs An egg-dye kit Double boiler Votive candles Wire-core candle wicks (available at craft stores) Funnel Break off the top portion of the eggs and clean out the shell. Dye the eggs following the directions on the package. In a double boiler melt the votive candles. Cut the wicks to four inches, flatten one end into the bottom of the egg, and fasten it to the bottom with a drop of wax. Use the funnel to pour the wax into the eggs. Let the wax harden for two hours, and trim the wick to ¼- inch. Enjoy your candles! Empty Gift-wrap an empty box. Then gather as a family and talk about the importance of Easter, and why it s a cause for celebration. Sing a couple of Easter songs, such as Christ the Lord is Risen Today, and then open the empty box. Pray together, thanking God for the gift of an empty tomb and Jesus Resurrection. Easter Egg Account Number 12 plastic eggs from 1 to 12. Inside the first 11 eggs, place a slip of paper with Scriptures from Luke 24: 1-12 relating to Jesus crucifixion. Leave the last egg empty to represent the empty tomb. Have family members take turns reading and discussing the Scriptures, saving the empty egg for last. Or, open one egg every day leading up to Easter like an Easter Advent calendar. Family Tablecloth Place a new, white tablecloth on the table for Easter dinner. When the meal is over, have each person choose a permanent marker and sign or draw on the tablecloth. Write the year near the signatures Each year, sign again in a new spot adding the year each time. You could have kids draw pictures near their names. Years later you ll have a wonderful memory maybe one you ll have the grandkids sign, too. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Mark 16:6
MEDIA MADNESS MOVIES Title: Heaven is for Real Genre: Drama Rating: PG (for thematic elements) Cast: Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly, Thomas Haden Church Synopsis: When a 4-year-old boy has a near-death experience, he wakes up with vivid accounts of heaven and knowledge about things he s never been told. His family grapples with how to handle this information. The movie is based on the real-life experience of Colton Burpo. Our Take: Whatever your take on Colton s experience, this film will create great opportunities to discuss heaven and our place in it. BOOK Title: Battle Bunny Synopsis: In this picture book by Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett, a young boy s Gran Gran gives him a sweet little bunny picture book for his birthday. He proceeds to draw all over the book adding his own art, changing the story, and making it just the sort of book a boy would want to read. Our Take: This little book is ridiculously clever. It s original, slightly subversive, and laugh-out-loud funny. It does skew toward boys, but that doesn t mean girls won t enjoy it, too. You could use this book to talk about how God has given everyone creativity, and how we can exercise it in nondestructive ways. CULTURE & TRENDS Researchers at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research say most preschoolers can tell the difference between healthy food options and junk food. Unfortunately, research also found that kids exposed to more TV commercials don t listen to their voice of reason and will often choose junk food if it s available. (counselheal.com) QUICK STATS Easter Cavities: Americans spend more than 2 billion dollars annually on Easter candy. (statisticbrain.com) Games, Sites & Apps Teslagrad This 2D platformer uses magnetism and other electromagnetic powers to solve puzzles and advance the story, which is told with no text or dialogue only through beautiful, handdrawn visuals. Rating: Pending; Nintendo Wii U mowillems.com This site is a launchingoff point for all the author s creations, including Pigeon and Gerald & Piggie. The site is full of games, book summaries, and parent guides you can download and use with the books. Chatterpix Kids app This free app lets kids take pictures of animals, people, or whatever strikes their fancy. Kids can add a mouth to the object, record a message, and their picture will speak. It s cute and lets kids be creative. Plus, there are no inapp purchases! Available in the App Store. Keeping Tabs: Thirty-eight percent of children under age 2 used a tablet or smartphone before they could speak in full sentences. (mashable.com) Alone and Online: Fifty-three percent of kids in the UK often go online without parental supervision. (anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk) This page is designed to help educate parents and isn t meant to endorse any movie, music, or product. Our goal is to help you make informed decisions about what your children watch, read, listen to, and play.
April SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1 2 April Fool s Day. Just kidding. It was yesterday. 3 4 5 6 Jacob Cox, Analiese Jones & Jenna Reardon Great Easter Egg Hunt 3-5 p.m. 7 Madeline Jones 8 9 10 Adult Choir Concert - Requiem 7:30 p.m. 11 12 Julia Buytenhuys 13 Palm Sunday Palm Processional 9 & 10:30 a.m. Choir Sings & Glory Ringers play. 14 15 Cooper White & William Davidson 16 Lee Moore Maundy Thursday Service 7:30 p.m. 17 18 Michael Strange Good Friday Service 7:30 p.m. 19 Scrabble Day 20 21 22 Earth Day 23 Brigit Vinnacombe 24 Carolyn Snead 25 Club 45 Rock Climbing & Lock-In. Time to be Announced. 26 National Pretzel Day Sienna Wiles 27 28 McKinley Gough 29 30 Chloe Hudson
Palm Sunday We are inviting all children on April 13 to be part of the Palm Sunday Processional. This is a special Sunday that highlights children. This is the first Sunday of Spring Break and a lot of children are gone but let s get as many as we can to have a really big processional. Our children s choir is singing for both services. If your child would like to sing with the choir bring them on Sundays at 10 a.m. to room 204. Encounter the Spiritual Stations of the Cross. Families are invited throughout the Lenten Season to experience the road to Jesus death and resurrection through this hands on spiritual journey with your children. Come by anytime during the day until 5 p.m. or in the evenings Monday-Wednesday or on Sundays. Galilee Children s Ministries has a Facebook Page! Like us at https://ww.facebook.com/#!/galileecmt Curriculum Assessment Team We are looking for a group of 4-5 to look over curriculum to identify the best possible curriculum that will meet the needs of our children and accomplish our wins. If you have a couple of hours to do this please let us know. We plan to meet the week after Easter. SPRING EVENTS FOR CHILDREN The Great Easter Egg Hunt Bring your basket and join us for an Afternoon of family fun including: * Balloon Animals * Moon Bounce * Bunny Hop Sack Race * Face Painting * Games * The Great Easter Egg Hunt A cake walk will be held from 3-3:30 p.m. and 4:30-5 p.m. to raise money for Passport Endowment Fund & Galilee Children s Ministries. Please stay for hot dogs, chips and lemonade following The Great Easter Egg Hunt starting at 4 p.m. Ages 1-5th grade 3-5 p.m. Please bring 12 pre-stuffed eggs before April 6 and place them in one of the bins. Please sign-up on-line at galileeumc.org/events/easter. Discovery Kingdom News through May 18. All children K-5th participate in their regular classes and then join together for learning the Spring Musical to be presented May 18 at one service 10 a.m. We want as many children to participate as this is a special thank you to Pastor Wayne. Children that would like to say a thank you, draw a picture, sing a little song that can be video taped please let Cheryl know. Video tapping will take place at 10 a.m. on April 6, 27, May 4 & 11.
GALILEE CHILDREN CLUB 45 RETREAT Twenty three fourth and fifth graders enjoyed another fun retreat at Skycroft March 14-16. They learned about the Fruits of the Spirit and how to live everyday with those in their lives. It is amazing to see how these kids grew and the wonderful pieces of art that they put together to represent what they learned. The children also had a blast playing in the gym, playing outdoor dodge ball, the game room, the giant swing, awesome games, the coffee/snack bar, camp fire and S mores, awesome food, and the great banana relay part 1, part 2 coming at Live Out Loud Camp. It was a great time with great children! Thanks to Mike Blake, Juli Briskman, Ron & Samantha Moore, and Gina Woodall for all your support and amazing help! I can t wait for the next one. Galilee Bible Memorization Program 2014 We have 40 kids participating in the program this year. That is 38 more than last year when we only had 2. All I can say is WOW! Some kids have learned only one verse so far but many have learned 3 or more! This is very exciting. The children have four more times to recite their verses before May 18 when they will be recognized in service. April Bible Verses Preschool Matthew 21:9 - Hosanna in the Highest. Matthew 28:16- He is not here, He has risen. Kindergarten 9:00 a.m. & K-3rd 10:30 John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will never die. Get signed up now for Summer Camps!! Don t miss all the fun!!!! For more information contact Natalie Jaquith, Director of the Clubhouse at natalie.jaquith@galileeumc.org or Cheryl Wood at cheryl.wood@galileeumc.org. Some camps like Live Out Loud are filling up quickly. Up-Coming Events April 13 Palm Sunday Processional 9 & 10:30 a.m. - All children. Glory Ringers play and Children s Choir sings. April 20 - No Discovery Kingdom Classes for Preschool-5th grades April 25 - CLUB 45 (4th/5th) - Rock Climbing and Lock-in May 11 Children s Choir sings and Glory Ringers May 16 K-3rd Fun Night 6-9 p.m. May 18 - Bible Memorization Recognition Sunday & Children s Musical 10 a.m. First-Third Grades John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that who ever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes In me will never die. Fourth & Fifth Grades John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes In me will never die. Isaiah 26:19 - Your dead bodies shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.