Workshop schedule for January 2011 – John Baptizes Jesus

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

During the school year, on Sunday mornings each Rotation for our Cool Disciples (our 1st – 6th graders at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI) includes six workshops. In January, we’ll be studying about John the Baptist, about Jesus’ baptism, and about baptism today.

Read about our story in Matthew 3.
Hint: On this blog you can click on words that are bold and a different color, and you’ll open up an internet site. (In our case, always safe ones!) This link sends you to a site where you can read our Bible passage. Pretty cool, yes?

Here is the schedule of workshops for the next three weeks…

Date Games Art Cooking Drama Storytelling Video
Room 211 Room 212 Pine Room Room 215 Room 204 Social Hall
1/16 2nd grade 5th grade 3rd grade 6th grade 4th grade 1st grade
1/23 1st grade 4th grade 2nd grade 5th grade 6th grade 3rd grade
1/30 3rd grade 6th grade 1st grade 4th grade 5th grade 2nd grade

What’s happening in each workshop?

  • In the Art Workshop students will create molas. Molas are a fabric art form practiced by the Kuna Indians in Panama. Our project will use paper and focus on symbols of baptism.
  • In the Cooking Workshop students will creative edible “locusts” while learning about John the Baptist and the important job that he had. (Do you suppose they will actually eat their creations?!)
  • In the Drama Workshop students will enact the story of John the Baptist preaching “Repent.” They will also enact Jesus’ baptism and they will run through the Baptismal service by baptizing a doll.
  • In the Games Workshop students will participate in a reverse Jeopardy game which will reinforce story details.
  • In the Storytelling Workshop students will enjoy a visit from John the Baptist!
  • In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the video The Animated Stories from the New Testament: John the Baptist while enjoying popcorn (can’t have a movie without popcorn!)

I wonder which workshop will be the favorite of your child?


Photo credits: Banner photo (not visible in readers or email) – Pink Sherbert Photography on Flickr, licensed under: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
Imagine God looking at you.

It is a gaze of cherished love!

So much love; his face shines!

Little girl playing in the stained glass sunlight beam at the Mezquita in Cordoba, Spain

Make this word picture a blessing that you use for your children…

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you.


This Blessing is a portion of an ancient, yet familiar one. It’s from the Old Testament of the Bible; Numbers 6:24-26.


Why give blessings to your kids? Click here to find out.
There are lots of blessings here for you to use! One every Wednesday!
(Click here to see a list.)


Photo credits:
Banner photo (not visible in readers or email) by Pink Sherbert Photography on Flickr.
Other photo by Mingo Hagen on Flickr. Both licensed under: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.

Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing – Go with God

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

Black Man Waving cartoon

Our parting remark when we take leave of people is often a simple “goodbye.”

Recently I was reminded that, “goodbye” originally meant, “God be with you.” In Spanish, a bidding of farewell is “Vaya con Dios,” which means “Go with God.”

I like that concept: going with God.

This week, as you send your kids back to school, send them off with this simple blessing:

Go with God.

Click on a box if you would like to…
A check-box Satisfy your curiosity about why you should bless your child.
A check-box View other suggested blessings.

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Photo credits:
Waving line drawing from Wikimedia Commons by Videoplasty.com, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How to find time to talk about faith?

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

A dinner place setting

Talking about faith at home is important for your family, but how do you find the time to work this into your busy schedule?

Make family dinner a priority

Here’s a book to help achieve this goal: The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time by Laurie David.

The cover of the book: The Family Dinner

Ann Arbor District Library has this book.
See if it is available!

Paraphrased from the book, here are some “rules” (they call them “simple steps”) that you can implement:

  • Everyone comes to the table, even if they aren’t hungry.
  • No electronics: No TV. No phones. No texting. (This applies to adults as well!)
  • Everyone stays at the table until dinner is over.
  • Everyone tries one bite of each food.
  • Everyone helps clean up.

Another thing they suggest is to play games at the table! (Either while eating or afterwards.) Check out some suggested “dinner table games.” (Clicking on the underlined words takes you to the most recent post in the category “dinner games.” Scroll down to see other options.)

This all sounds hard! Something may have to give in order for this to happen. But it’s important, isn’t it?

How about making it a New Year’s an any time of year Resolution?

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Photo credits:
Table setting by Gisela Francisco on Flickr, who licensed this photo under: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.
Other photo – from my archives. (I took a picture of this book when I had it checked out from the library!)

Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
A little something different… a blessing for the adults!

May the God of many, many blessings, bless you in your life as a caregiver.

A parent holds his child

Need a resource to get started using blessings for children? (Click on the word “resource”).

View other blessings to use with kids here.


Photo credits:
Banner photo (not visible in readers or email) – Pink Sherbert Photography on Flickr.
Other photo – .jocelyn. on Flickr, both licensed under: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Jesus’ Birth: Mary’s story

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

A banner for Christmas - Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus
Have you ever noticed how two people can both experience the same event and come away with different memories? It’s the same story, but different perspectives. It can actually enrich the story! Thus, every year our Advent Rotation for our Cool Disciples (our 1st – 6th graders at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI) takes a different focus.

Last year in December the story of Jesus’ birth was told through the eyes of Isaiah. (That’s right, Isaiah from the Old Testament; 700 years before Jesus was born!) There was the year when our story was from the perspective of the wise men. Previous to that it was the shepherds and angels. This year Mary, Jesus’ mother, takes center stage.

Who was Mary?

She was likely poor and lived in Galilee, a region of the Roman Empire, in a town called Nazareth. We are also told that Mary was “engaged to Joseph” which means she could have been a young teenager; as young as 12 years old, as this is the age at which young women were eligible for “betrothal.” God chose a poor, young girl for an important job! And what a rather unexpected job… to become the mother of Jesus!

Here are some questions to discuss…

+++++for the first part of our story (in Luke 1:26-38):

  • When Mary first saw the angel how do you suppose she felt? Was she scared, surprised or just nonchalant?
  • How did Mary react to the news that she would have a baby boy, name him Jesus, and that he would be our Savior?
  • I wonder why God would choose such a young woman to be Jesus’ mother?
  • If God asked you to do something that would be very challenging, do you suppose that you would say as Mary did, “I am the Lord’s servant; may it happen to me as you have said?” (Luke 1:38)
  • Tell about a time when you felt called by God to do something you weren’t sure about doing; were you afraid and had questions but then ready to accept God’s plan?

May you enjoy pondering these “talk time” questions as you nurture and support one another in your faith journeys!

Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
a young child eats a chocolate chip cookie

Give your kids the gift of a blessing.

You are giving them words that please God.

Speaking God’s words to them is like welcoming them home to the smell of chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven.

Say your child’s name and…

May God give you the strength to always follow what you know is right.

Need a resource to get started using blessings? (Click on the word “resource.”)
View other blessings here.


Photo credits: Pink Sherbert Photography
Banner (not visible in reader or email) and
Other photo on Flickr, licensed under: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

Just because I title these blessing posts, “Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing,” does not limit their use to only Wednesdays. Might I suggest you get in the daily habit? Bless your child as you wake them in the morning, or when they leave the house, or as you say good-night. Try out this one: Say your child’s name and…

The Lord blesses you and surrounds you with his love.

Here is a resource to get started using blessings.
View other blessings here.


Photo credits:
Banner photo (not visible in readers or email) – Pink Sherbert Photography on Flickr
Main photo – pipitdapo on Flickr, both licensed under: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic