Calendar – Page 15 – Family Faith Companion

Rotation workshops for December 2010

Posted on December 7, 2010 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 December 2010, spilling into January 2011, we’ll be studying about Jesus’ birth from the viewpoint of his mother, Mary.

Read about our story in Luke. (If you click on words that are bold and red on this blog, you’ll go to various internet sites; in this case a site where you can read our passage. Pretty cool, yes?)

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

Date	Art	Video	Movement	Cooking	Games	Storytelling
	Room 212	Pine Room	Room 211	Social Hall	Room 215	Room 204
12/12	2nd grade	5th grade	3rd grade	6th grade	4th grade	1st grade
12/19	1st grade	4th grade	2nd grade	5th grade	6th grade	3rd grade

Then of course, comes Christmas! For a schedule of service times check out the church web site. (May need to scroll down on that page). On Sunday, December 26th there will not be any Cool Disciples workshops. Everyone will worship together at the 9:30 service! (There will not be a service at 11:15.) The same thing will happen on January 2nd, 2011. Then on January 9th we’ll finish up our “December” Rotation.

Date	Art	Video	Movement	Cooking	Games	Storytelling
	Room 212	Pine Room	Room 211	Social Hall	Room 215	Room 204
1/9	3rd grade	6th grade	1st grade	4th grade	5th grade	2nd grade

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Art Workshop students will listen to melodic music while using colored pencils to create a mandala. Mandalas are circular designs. Coloring a mandala clears the mind and focuses attention. We’ll use the process of working on a mandala to peacefully ponder the story of Jesus’ birth.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the live-action video The Nativity Story. Enjoy popcorn (can’t have a movie without popcorn!) and explore Mary’s emotions as the story progresses.
In the Movement Workshop students will use music and expressive movement with Body Sox to interpret Mary’s experience. We’ll use music from the Magnificat, Mary’s song of magnifying (praising) God.
In the Cooking Workshop students will re-tell the story by voting from a selection of snacks that they think match the emotions felt by Mary in the story. This is sure to be interesting! What will marshmallows represent? Parsley? Pickles?? After the voting, enjoy some of these snacks.
In the Games Workshop students will participate in an obstacle course that is sure to cement story details. I wonder how they’ll do?
In the Storytelling Workshop parents with a newborn will visit and help the students explore Mary’s emotions. Then we’ll ponder what Mary’s scrapbook would have looked like. (With a very cool resource.)

I wish that Sunday school could have been this much fun when I was growing up. Maybe that’s why I enjoy what I do – it gives me an excuse to have fun learning!

Advent: it’s all about rituals

Posted on November 27, 2010November 26, 2020 by Carol Hulbert

Tomorrow is the first Sunday in Advent!

The word “Advent” comes from Latin; it means “coming” or “arrival.” Advent signals that Christmas is coming. Christmas is of course, based on the fact that God arrived on earth as a baby, Jesus. Advent gives us all-important time to prepare to re-celebrate Christ’s coming.

So, what sort of preparations are needed?

How about this one: Have you taught your kids to set the table? (The fork always goes on the left.) Setting the table is like a ritual. (It would look backwards if the fork were on the right!)

a child sets the dinner table

Why are rituals so important to us?

Rituals and traditions are repeated activities that help family members develop a sense of belonging; they connect us together and they connect us to God! During this Advent season, set a different kind of table in your home. Make time for rituals that help your children prepare for the coming celebration of Christmas.

Here’s an idea: put together a simple Advent wreath.

Traditionally they are made of greenery but that isn’t critical; just set up 4 candles in a circle. (The round shape of an Advent wreath is a reminder of the never-ending love that God has for you and your family.) Starting tomorrow and all next week, daily light one candle over your meal shared with your family. Can’t all be there for dinner? How about over breakfast or over a bedtime snack?

Use your Advent wreath as a way to spark faith conversation.

Print a copy of your Advent Wreath discussion guide.

Spend time as a family talking about other ways you’ll prepare to welcome the celebration of Jesus in your life. Need more ideas? Search for “Advent” on this blog.
Enjoy!

Photo credits…
Setting the table by Kitty Ireland, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0).

Cool Disciples Workshop Schedule for October

Posted on October 7, 2010October 12, 2010 by Carol Hulbert

During the school year, each Rotation for our Cool Disciples (our 1st – 6th graders at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI) includes six workshops. In October 2010, we’ll are studying about the
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Here is the schedule for the next four weeks…

Date	Art	Video	Drama	Cooking	Science	Puppets
	Room 212	Pine Room	Room 215	Social Hall	Room 211	Room 204
10/10	2nd grade	5th grade	3rd grade	6th grade	4th grade	1st grade

Things will be different on the 17th. That is the Sunday that the 3rd grade gets Bibles at the 9:30 service. And then, they and their parents go to a special class!

Date	Cooking	Bible class	Games
	Social Hall	Calkins Hall	Wesley Lounge
10/17	1st & 2nd grades	3rd grade	4th – 6th grades

It sounds funny to call it a “Bible class” since every week we learn about our Bible!

Then things are back to normal… Note: On 10/12 a change has been made that affects 4th, 5th, and 6th graders for the 24th and the 31st.

Date	Art	Video	Drama	Cooking	Science	Puppets
	Room 212	Pine Room	Room 215	Social Hall	Room 211	Room 204
10/24	1st grade	6th grade	2nd grade	4th grade	5th grade	3rd grade
10/31	3rd grade	4th grade	1st grade	5th grade	6th grade	2nd grade

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Art Workshop students will create a torn paper collage representative of a scene in the Garden of Eden. As they work they’ll discuss choices, hiding from God and how God looks for us. How does it feel to know that God looks for you?
In the Video Workshop students will watch two videos. The first one will tell them the story of the Garden of Eden: The Creation, an animated film narrated by Amy Grant. Then they’ll look for themes of the Adam and Eve story in a second video: Finding Nemo. How are the choices made by Finding Nemo characters similar to our Bible story?
In the Drama Workshop students will enact the story in a creative way. Then they’ll get a chance to meet the serpent (a snake puppet) and hear his view of things, exploring the concepts of temptation, choice, and obedience. By the end of the workshop, the children will have had a chance to make a good choice and say “no” to the serpent. I wonder what the serpent will ask them to do?
In the Cooking Workshop students will create an apple salad that tells the story of Adam & Eve in the Garden. While eating they’ll discuss story concepts. Did your child bring home the recipe so that you could recreate this at home?
In the Science Workshop students will visit various stations set up with experiments. While having fun they will inadvertantly explore temptation, consequences, separation and grace! Ask your child: at which experiment did you learn the most?
In the Puppets Workshop students will watch a puppet show that tells the story. After discussion, they will create and enact puppet skits that tell modern-day scenarios of temptation, choices, and forgiveness.

Let us know what you think of these workshops. Use the form below to submit your feedback.

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Are you sending off your kids with heartfelt wisdom?

Posted on September 8, 2010August 25, 2019 by Carol Hulbert

Children board a school bus as parents say good-bye

September is here. School has started. Did you send your child off with a blessing?

With words that when continually spoken, become the playbook they run in their heads?

It’s never too late to start! To help form this new habit, here is a blessing to use. Add on to “See you this afternoon,” with…

Go with the confidence of God’s love.

It’s simple. It’s short. It’s easily said.

How about a new blessing every Wednesday…
“Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing.”
It’s got a catchy sort of ring to it. Let’s try it out. OK? (At least for September.)

Later added note: We kept up with blessings on Wednesday’s for quite some time! Blessings never expire. Look for one that appeals to you!

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

Photo credits…
Boarding the school bus by Glenn Beltz, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0).

Saul/Paul’s Transformation – Workshop Schedule

Posted on April 8, 2010September 24, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

During the school year, each Rotation for our Sunday’s Cool Disciples (what we call Sunday’s school for our 1st – 6th graders at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI) includes six workshops.

In April 2010, we’ll be studying the story of the Transformation of Saul/Paul. Read this story in Acts 9:1-22. Here is the schedule for this Rotation…

{The schedule has been removed, as it is no longer applicable.}

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Art Workshop kids start off talking about how transformations are happening at a rapid rate! Buds are becoming blossoms, tadpoles are changing into frog… and artists transform supplies into art. Use all of their creativity to transform ordinary clay.

In the Cooking Workshop they’ll discuss changes that can occur on our outsides and on our insides. Then they’ll change ordinary ingredients into a tasty surprise snack.

In the Drama workshop hear about how Saul/Paul was changed on the inside by Jesus. He looked the same but believed and behaved in different ways. Enact a conversion story.

In the Games workshop we’ll play a quiz game to see how much of the story they know. Get ready to be the first to ring the bell! We’ll be running two games workshops each week – one for older kids, and one for younger kids. (Exception: on the 11th we’re expecting a lower enrollment with everyone out on break.)

In the Video workshop kids will hear the Bible story while viewing pictures that depict the story in an unusual way. Then watch portions of the animated video from Nest Entertainment, Saul of Tarsus. Discuss how getting to know Jesus can change us.

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Have you filled a bucket today?

Posted on April 2, 2010February 23, 2019 by Carol Hulbert

Updated to reflect newly available publications.

Child at the beach filling a bucket
I learned something new at a family program at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI.

I learned how to be a “bucket filler.”

Even though this interactive presentation on bucket filling was right after the Easter egg hunt, this wasn’t instruction on how to garner the most chocolate eggs in your Easter bucket basket.

No, this event was about something far more important.

Here’s what I took away:

Work to keep my bucket full (by filling other people’s buckets)
Don’t be a “bucket dipper”
And keep my bucket lid close at hand.

So what’s all this talk of buckets?

It’s all based on the concept that everyone carries around an invisible bucket where we store our good thoughts and feelings about ourselves.

When your bucket is full, you feel great.

When your bucket is empty, you feel lousy.

When we are kind and do nice things for someone, we fill their bucket. In the process of doing “bucket-filling, the gratifying side-effect is that our own bucket gets replenished!

This is a great way to teach kids (even young ones) about the importance of being loving and considerate of other people. To keep your own bucket full you need to either receive scoops of love from someone or ladle love upon someone else.

Jesus told us to be a bucket filler: “Love your neighbors as much as you love yourself.” (Luke 10:27). I’m all for full buckets!

But, don’t be a bucket dipper!

What is not good is “bucket dipping.” When someone acts mean, in the things they do or say (or even simply ignores us!) they dip into our bucket, hijacking some of our happiness.

For kids, this describes bullies, but it also can describe the daily goings-on in our households. How about: “My bucket is being dipped when you don’t pick up your toys as I’d asked.” Or, “I see that both of your buckets are being dipped when you and your sister are arguing.”

What’s with the bucket lid?

This event turned out to be so much more than just another way of looking at the Golden Rule. The presenter from Bucket Fillers, Inc. empowered us to deal with bucket dippers by putting a lid on our bucket! What a refreshing way to visualize protecting your feelings—for kids of all ages.

As I have thought about this bucket concept, it occurred to me that God wants to fill to overflowing, all of our buckets!

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16

God needs us to do the work of filling each other’s buckets. I have just one question…

A bucket full of blessings

Some Bucket-filling Resources:

This is a great book to introduce bucket filling to your kids; for all ages (even adults!)

This one is great for ages birth to 5.

A chapter book for ages 9 and up.

Board-book for ages birth to age 2.

Baby’s have buckets too!

To purchase the above books and other products visit Bucket Fillers, Inc.

Photo credits:
Beach photo offered by RJ Bejil, who licensed this photo under a Creative Commons License.

Graphic: “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” – used with permission from Bucket Fillers, Inc.
Book covers – Not affiliate links (I get nothing for pointing you to the organization Bucket Fillers, Inc. Just trying to point you towards resources.) but these covers do link to the publishers’ web site. This, in my mind, keeps this in the category of fair use for educational purposes.

The Garden of Gethsemane workshops

Posted on March 25, 2010February 16, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

During the school year, each Rotation for our Cool Disciples (our 1st – 6th graders at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI) includes six workshops. Here’s the line up for our Rotation on the Garden of Gethsemane.

In the Art Workshop kids are creating charcoal drawings visualizing events on the night Jesus was betrayed in the garden of Gethsemane. They are reading the story in Luke.

In the Cooking Workshop pretzels are being folded following the practice of a monk 1,400 years ago, who first shaped his dough to represent someone praying. People often prayed at that time, with their arms folded across their chests, each hand on the opposite shoulder. (Try saying your prayers in this manner!) As the pretzels bake, the story is being read from Matthew.

In the Drama Workshop the kids read the story in Mark and then enact it (complete with costumes and props). Here’s the 6th grade in action from last week:

In the Movement Workshop students hear the story from Luke. After discussion they climb into Body Sox – tubes made of a very stretchy Lycra material. While listening to music they are urged to use their bodies to create expressive movement to depict the retelling of the story. This is captured on video for watching pleasure at the end of the lesson.

In the Science Workshop kids are creating little gardens- terrariums. These gardens are not intended to be replicas of the Garden of Gethsemane as they include other symbols of the Easter story – an empty tomb, a rock rolled away, a cross and some flowers. As you care for the garden that your child brings home, talk about the elements of the story. Why is the tomb empty? How about that stone – was it moved away to let Jesus out, or so people could see Jesus had risen from the dead? What does the cross represent?

In the Video Workshop students are first reading the story in Matthew and then watching portions of the video The Visual Bible: Matthew. They are watching this live-action video portray Jesus and his disciples first at the Last Supper and then in the garden. This video uses the exact wording from the New International version of the book of Matthew.

What are your children’s reactions to these workshops? What have they learned?

Photo credits:
Photos thanks to Greg Stout.

Preparing for Easter: Notice the sacred in the secular

Posted on March 18, 2010February 23, 2019 by Carol Hulbert

Words on the street warning: look both ways

How is God calling us to look around with God’s eyes

and see all things sacred, and act accordingly?

This question was posed by Rev. J. Douglas Paterson in a sermon at FUMC Ann Arbor—the first sermon in a Lenten series entitled “Intentionally Christian.”

Intentionally Christian? What does that look like?

In the days of the early church, “Lent” was a time when the focus was on teaching new followers what it meant to be a Christian. It was like a prerequisite class to joining the church! The sermon series “Intentionally Christian” seeks to take this olden-days practice as an example, by asking questions like: “How do we conscientiously and purposefully live out our calling as Jesus-followers?” and “What is God asking me to do?”

In his first look at being intentionally Christian, Doug talked about how we often separate our lives into two facets: the sacred and the secular.

Our sacred life is when and where we practice our faith; it’s when we notice God. We hear ourselves say, “there is Holiness in this moment.”

And then there is the rest of our life, the secular or, the “worldly.” Unfortunately this latter slant is where we often forsake our faith and behave as if God is not involved. We don’t notice God’s presence and in fact, we aren’t even looking!

OK, so there should be no difference in the way we view what is secular and what is holy. That should be easy enough to do, right?

Wrong! I, surprisingly, have found that this can be hard to do! It takes careful thought. It takes being deliberately intentional! (Oh yeah – the title of the sermon series!)

We live in a world that is waiting for us to notice holiness. Share with your family members what mundane aspect of life looked holy to you. And share with all: What have you been noticing lately?

Photo credits:

Look by Travis Nep Smith; licensed on Flickr under Creative Commons (BY-NC 2.0).