Schedules

Cool Disciples Schedule – May 2013

Posted on May 2, 2013May 15, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

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On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC, our “Sunday’s Cool” is a different sort of Christian education. We are a Workshop Rotation Model church. That means kids spend five weeks learning a particular Bible story, each week encountering a different kid-friendly multimedia workshop.

Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dreams

In May and in June, we are covering part two of the Old Testament Joseph story. Read part two in Genesis 39:1-5, 39:20-45:28, 46:1-7, 50:15-21. (It covers a lot of reading – nine chapters! Stay-tuned, a reading plan will be up next week.) A review of part one (with a printable discussion) is here.

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule…

Date	Workshop	Activity
5/4	Puppets Workshop	Use handle-bag puppets to enact the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt.
5/11	Games Workshop	Play a quiz game to focus on story details.
5/18	Video Workshop	Watch portions of the animated video Joseph King of Dreams.
5/25	No workshop for Memorial Day weekend.	If you’re not at Family Camp, worship with your family.

For Sundays at the downtown location, here is the schedule of workshops…

Date	Our workshops…
5/5	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
	Puppets	Games	Video	Storytelling	Photography
	Room 215	Room 211	Pine Room	Social Hall	Room 204
5/12	3rd grade	1st grade	2nd grade	5th & 6th grade	4th grade
5/19	1st grade	2nd grade	3rd grade	4th grade	5th & 6th grade
5/26	Memorial Day weekend! Family Camp! If you’re in town, attend worship with your family.

This Rotation will continue in June!

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Games Workshop students will play a quiz game using the life-sized game board and an over-sized game die.
In the Photography Workshop students will create a series of tableaux (still photographs) of each portion of the story. These will later be made into a slideshow with narration.
In the Puppet Workshop students will use handle-bag puppets to enact the story of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt.
The Storytelling Workshop tells the story with a musical! Experience Joseph’s feelings and events in his life by viewing and discussing parts of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the animated video Joseph King of Dreams.

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Joseph interprets Pharaoh’s dream, an illustration by O. A. Stemler and Bess Bruce Cleaveland from the Standard Bible Story Readers: Book 3 (in the Public Domain), made available by La Vista Church of Christ under a Creative Commons non-commercial 3.0 license.

Peter is Forgiven — Workshops we’ve used to teach this story

Posted on April 3, 2013April 17, 2022 by Carol Hulbert

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The Workshop Rotation Model of Christian Education at FUMC rocks! Here are a couple of reasons why:

A Bible story is explored in-depth through a variety of creative teaching mediums (“workshops”) over a period of 5 weeks.
Kids from age 3 to 6th grade, whether attending Sunday’s downtown or Saturday’s at Green Wood, are all focusing on the same story, which allows families to share learning at home.

In April, we are continuing our study of Jesus’ forgiveness of Peter.
Can you imagine how Peter felt when he heard the rooster crow?

What had Peter just done? What was it that Jesus had told Peter about a rooster crowing? Ask your kids! Read our story in John 13:33, 36-38 and John 18:15-18, 25-27 and John 21:1-17.

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule…

Date	Workshop	Activity
4/6	No workshop	Worship with your family.
4/13	Art Workshop	Create a positive space/negative space cut-paper or a stencil collage using symbols from the story.
4/20	No workshop	It’s youth-led worship!
4/27	Games Workshop	Participate in a quiz game.

For Sundays at the downtown location, here is the schedule of workshops…

Date	Our workshops…
4/7	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
	Games	Drama	Cooking	Video	Art
	Room 211	Room 215	Social Hall	Pine Room	Room 212
4/14	3rd grade	5th & 6th grade	2nd grade	4th grade	1st grade
4/21	Youth-led worship! Attend with your family.
4/28	4th grade	2nd grade	1st grade	5th & 6th grade	3rd grade

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Drama Workshop students will enact the story of Peter’s denial and restoration using shadow drama.
In the Art Workshop students will create a cut-paper collage using symbols from the story and the Japanese design principal of “Notan” (dark and light).
In the Games Workshop students will participate in a quiz game (using the game wheel) to reinforce their knowledge of story details.
In the Cooking Workshop students will create Peter’s Trail Mix and tell the Easter story with each ingredient.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the live-action video The Gospel of John, exploring the story of Peter’s denial and restoration.

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Rooster by Christopher Craig, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.

Easter & Beyond: Peter is forgiven

Posted on March 7, 2013April 17, 2022 by Carol Hulbert

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At FUMC on Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings, our Christian education for children is based on the Workshop Rotation Model. This means that kids spend six weeks learning a particular Bible story, each week encountering a different kid-friendly multimedia workshop. When they are done they really know the stories!

In March, we are studying an Easter related story. Easter comes once a year, allowing us the chance to focus on a different aspect of Easter.
(View the last couple of years of Easter stories here and here.)

This year our focus is on Easter through the eyes of Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples. The big question to ask your kids:

What happened to Peter that gives us a powerful message
of what Easter is all about?

Jesus and his disciples share breakfast on the beach (John 21)

Jesus & his disciples have a post-Resurrection breakfast on the beach

Reading all the various parts of our story takes lots of jumping around in the Bible. (Good practice!) Read our story in John 13:33, 36-38 and John 18:15-18, 25-27 and John 21:1-17.

Here are the schedules of workshops for March

For Sundays at the downtown location…

Date	Our workshops…
3/3	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
	Drama	Art	Games	Cooking	Video
	Room 215	Room 212	Room 211	Social Hall	Pine Room
3/10	3rd grade	5th & 6th grade	1st grade	4th grade	2nd grade
3/17	1st grade	4th grade	2nd grade	5th & 6th grade	3rd grade
3/24	4th grade	2nd grade	5th & 6th grade	3rd grade	1st grade
3/31	Enjoy Easter worship with your family!

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Drama Workshop students will enact the story of Peter’s denial and restoration using shadow drama.
In the Art Workshop students will create a cut-paper collage using symbols from the story and the Japanese design principal of “Notan” (dark and light).
In the Games Workshop students will participate in a quiz game (using the game wheel) to reinforce their knowledge of story details.
In the Cooking Workshop students will create Peter’s Trail Mix and tell the Easter story with each ingredient.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the live-action video The Gospel of John, enjoy popcorn (can’t have a movie without popcorn!) and explore the story of Peter’s denial and restoration.

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule…

Date	Workshop	Activity
3/2	Puppets	Wrap up the story of Joseph and his brothers by acting out the story with puppets.
3/9	Cooking Workshop	Create Peter’s Trail Mix and tell the Easter story with each ingredient.
3/16	Update!	Due to a plumbing problem Green Wood is closed this weekend.
3/23	Video Workshop	Explore the story of Peter’s denial and restoration while watching the scripture come to life in the live-actor video, The Gospel of John.
3/30	Cooking Workshop	Focus on the Resurrection story of Easter making “resurrection rolls.” Experience the empty tomb, just as the women did on the first Easter morning!

What did you think of doing six-week Rotations? Please, give us your feedback!

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Jesus eats breakfast with his disciples an illustration by O. A. Stemler and Bess Bruce Cleaveland from the Standard Bible Story Readers: Book 4 (in the Public Domain).

Cool Disciples Schedule: February 2013

Posted on January 31, 2013February 27, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

February and a bit of March…

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On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC our Cool Disciples experience Rotation Model Christian education. (Click on any of those bold words to find out more about our programs.)

We are currently studying the Old Testament saga of Joseph’s Coat. (Wait a minute, we studied that last month!) That’s right, we are trying out a six-week Rotation to see how it might be if all the grades got to visit all the workshops. (When we did three-week Rotations we offered six workshops but kids only got to visit three of them.) So, stay with us as we experiment and please, give us your feedback!

Read our story together as a family — it’s in Genesis 37:1-36 and 39:1-5. Other resources for this story include the family reading plan with discussion questions. That is here. (Or, you can print out it out by going to this page and clicking on the little printer icon at the top left.)

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule…

Date	Workshop	Activity
2/2	Art Workshop	Discuss how Joseph’s family could have used a little peace! Create a backpack clip-on as a reminder of peaceful relationships.
2/9	Games Workshop	Play a Cranium®/Trivial Pursuit® type of game and learn story details in a fun way.
2/16	Drama Workshop	Enact the story with a special guest acting-coach!
2/23	Worship with your family
3/2	Puppets Workshop	Tell the story with easy-to-use handle-bag puppets and props, including a special coat!

For Sundays at the downtown location, here is the schedule of workshops…

Date	Our workshops…
2/3	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
	Cooking	Games	Art	Video	Drama	Puppets
	Social Hall	Room 211	Room 212	Pine Room	Room 204	Room 215
2/10	3rd grade	5th & 6th grade	2nd grade	4th grade	{closed}	1st grade
2/17	1st grade	4th grade	3rd grade	{closed}	5th & 6th grade	2nd grade
2/24	2nd grade	{closed}	1st grade	5th & 6th grade	4th grade	3rd grade
3/3	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family

What’s happening in each workshop?

5th & 6th graders show off their creations

5th & 6th graders show off their Art creations

In the Art Workshop students will create a backpack clip-on to remind them of the story and it’s message. I’ll bet they talk about peace!

In the Drama Workshop students will focus on learning the story sequence by hearing about the story characters and their feelings and by enacting the story.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the animated video Joseph King of Dreams. They’ll compare the video to the Bible story. Does it get the story correctly?
In the Puppets Workshop students will use handle-bag puppets to re-tell the story of Joseph and his brothers; how a special coat and strange dreams cause trouble in Joseph’s family.

Students make "dirt" pudding out of crushed Oreos

Students make something good from a “crushing” experience.

In the Cooking Workshop students will learn about “crushing” experiences – those that can break us down and can separate us from family and friends. They’ll learn that good can come from what seems like bad and we are never separated from God!
In the Games Workshop students will participate in a game that involves answering questions, singing, acting, drawing, and sculpting – a Cranium®/Trivial Pursuit® type of game. In the process of having fun, they’ll learn about story details.

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Other photos by Beth Pascoe and Carol Hulbert. Used by permission.

Cool Disciples Schedule – December 2012

Posted on November 29, 2012November 27, 2013 by Carol Hulbert

Happy Advent! This is the perfect season to bring faith conversations to your family and this blog will help.
To ensure you don’t miss a thing (usually only one post a week) subscribe over on the right. Enter your e-mail address to have posts sent directly to your inbox. Or click on the orange RSS icon to subscribe in a reader.

On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC our kids, whom we call “Cool Disciples,” experience Rotation Model Christian education, as they learn about Bible stories and concepts through kid-friendly multimedia workshops. Scroll down to view our December schedule of workshops.

Since this is December, we are learning about Jesus’ birth! Because Christmas happens once a year, each Advent we focus on a different aspect of the Christmas story. In the past we have covered Jesus’ birth through the eyes of the prophet Isaiah, the story of the magi, the birth from his mother’s perspective, and the overall details and sequence of the Christmas story. This December we target the key role of angels and shepherds. Read about our story in Luke 2:1-20.

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule…

Date	What’s happening
12/1	Children will be singing and assisting with the service, so please arrive early (between 4:30-4:45) for rehearsal and instructions. There will be a short time spend downstairs watching part of the video Why Do We Call It Christmas? Don’t forget to stay after service for a chili supper, making ornaments, & decorating cookies!
Date	Workshop	Activity
12/8	Storytelling Workshop	Hear the Christmas story via a “visitor” from Bible times – a shepherd!
12/15	Cooking Workshop	Bake candy cane cookies to give away.
12/22	Art Workshop	Choose from a variety of media to create a scene of shepherds and/or angels.
12/29	Worship with your family

For Sundays at the downtown location, here is the schedule of workshops…

Date	What’s happening
12/2	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
	Games 1	Games 2	Storytelling	Cooking	Video	Art
	Room 211	Room 215	Room 204	Social Hall	Pine Room	Room 212
12/9	3rd grade	5th & 6th grade	2nd grade	4th grade	{closed}	1st grade
12/16	1st grade	4th grade	3rd grade	{closed}	5th & 6th grade	2nd grade
11/23	2nd grade	{closed}	1st grade	5th & 6th grade	4th grade	3rd grade
12/30	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family

What’s happening in each workshop at the Downtown location?

In the Art Workshop students will create a shepherds & angels picture using mixed media.
In the Cooking Workshop students will become messengers of the good news by making candy-cane cookies to give away.
In the Games Workshop students will test their knowledge of the details of the Christmas story in a quiz game.
In the Storytelling Workshop students will hear from a shepherd, who describe his experience on the night of Jesus’ birth.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of that all-time favorite video A Charlie Brown’s Christmas.

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Shepherds photo from my archives, sewn by the Paraments committee at church.

Cool Disciples Schedule: November 2012

Posted on October 31, 2012July 26, 2015 by Carol Hulbert

Thanks for visiting! You’ve reached a place to gain insight into how to grow your kids faith (and your own as well). Easily read future posts by subscribing over on the right. Enter your e-mail address to have posts sent directly to your inbox. (There is usually one post a week.) Or click on the orange RSS icon to subscribe in a reader.

On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC our Cool Disciples experience Rotation Model Christian education. (Click on any of those bold words to find out more about our programs.) In November, we are studying part two of the Old Testament saga of Jacob and Esau. Last month, in part one of this story, we learned about mistakes made by Jacob and Esau, including the stolen blessing…

This month we’ll learn that God doesn’t give up on Jacob! What an amazing God who forgives such a scoundrel! God promises Jacob to be with him always. (Just as Jesus promised us.)

Read about what happens in part two of our story in Genesis 28:10-16, 29:15-30, 31:1-3, 32:3-7a, 22-30 , and 33:1-4.

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule for the coming month:

Date	Workshop	Activity
11/3	Art Workshop	Create mosaics to tell the story of Jacob and Esau.
11/10	Puppet Workshop	Use puppets to tell the story.
11/17	A visit from Pastor Doug!	We’ll play some get-to-know-you games and hear what he thinks about Jacob and Esau.
11/24	Video Workshop	Watch portions of the video The Lion King. Explore how God’s plan of loving grace continues even when we make poor choices.

For Sundays at the downtown location, here is the schedule of workshops:

Date
11/4	Enjoy worship and Communion with your family
	Cooking	Art	Drama	Puppets	Video	Games
	Social Hall	Room 212	Room 215	Room 211	Pine Room	Room 204
11/11	2nd grade	5th & 6th grade	3rd grade	{closed}	4th grade	1st grade
11/18	1st grade	{closed}	2nd grade	4th grade	5th & 6th grade	3rd grade
11/25	3rd grade	4th grade	1st grade	5th & 6th grade	{closed}	2nd grade

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Art Workshop students will work cooperatively to create duct-tape mosaics illustrating the story of Jacob and Esau. The mosaics will focus on the story sequence.
In the Cooking Workshop students will focus on Jacob’s dream and examine how God is at work in their lives. Make (and eat!) breadstick pretzel ladders.
In the Drama Workshop students will enact the story while it is paraphrased. Then they’ll watch themselves on a video.
In the Games Workshop students will play a Cranium-like game using a game die & a “ladder,” to review events of the story.
In the Puppet Workshop students will use puppetry to retell/interpret the story the story.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the video The Lion King, enjoy popcorn (can’t have a movie without popcorn!) and explore how God’s plan of loving grace continues despite the poor choices we make.

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Jacob tricks his father © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers. Used by permission per a license from the Visual Bible Alive Resource Center.

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Cool Disciples Schedule: October 2012

Posted on September 27, 2012September 14, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

Welcome! This is the spot to find encouragement for growing faith in your family. You can do it! Easily read future posts (usually one a week) by subscribing over on the right. Enter your e-mail address to have posts sent directly to your inbox. Or click on the orange RSS icon to subscribe in a reader. Thanks for visiting.

On Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC our “Sunday’s Cool” is a different sort of Christian education. We are a Workshop Rotation Model church. That means kids spend a month learning a particular Bible story, each week encountering a different kid-friendly multimedia workshop. In October we are starting a big story: Jacob and Esau. This is such a long story that we’ll be breaking it into two parts. (Part two will be in November.) Read part one in Genesis 25:19-34, 27:1-37, and 27:41-43.

For Sundays at the downtown location, here is the schedule of workshops for the end of September and for October…

Date	Art	Drama	Puppets	Games	Cooking	Video
	Room 212	Room 215	Room 204	Room 211	Social Hall	Pine Room
9/30	1st grade	5th grade	3rd grade	6th grade	4th grade	2nd grade
10/7	Worship and Communion with your family
10/14	2nd grade	4th grade	1st grade	5th grade	6th grade	3rd grade*
10/21	Attend worship: kids will help us to worship!
10/28	3rd grade	6th grade	2nd grade	4th grade	5th grade	1st grade

* On the 14th the 3rd graders will be having a special class on using their Bibles. Parents/guardians are encouraged to attend.

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Art Workshop students will work cooperatively to create construction paper mosaics illustrating the story of Jacob and Esau. The mosaics will focus on characters and story sequence.
In the Cooking Workshop students will explore why Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew, and in the process create and taste “some of that red stew.”
In the Drama Workshop students will enact the story and learn what happened when one brother tricked the other.
In the Games Workshop students will participate in a game of “Bible Baseball” – with the rules changing as the students play! What’s up with that?!
In the Puppet Workshop a puppet storytelling kit will be created and used to tell the story. Encourage your child to use their kit to tell the story at home.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the video The Lion King, and explore what happens when we do things our way.

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule for October. (For September 29th refer here.)

Date	Workshop
10/6	Puppets Workshop
10/13	Drama Workshop
10/20	No Workshop. Worship with your family.
10/27	Video Workshop

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credit: Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).

Cool Disciples Schedule: September 2012

Posted on September 6, 2012September 14, 2016 by Carol Hulbert

New here? Easily read future posts by subscribing over on the right. Enter your e-mail address to have posts sent directly to your inbox. (Don’t worry. You won’t be overwhelmed. There is one, maybe two posts a week.) Or click on the orange RSS icon to subscribe in a reader.

For kids, repetition is good. This is one of the primary reasons why we use the Workshop Rotation Model for Christian education on Saturday nights and on Sunday mornings at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI. The kids hear about the same Bible story all month long. It’s not boring because each week they explore the story using a different style of learning – visual, auditory, or kinesthetic – to name a few.

In September, we are studying “The Woman at the Well.” Read about our story in the New Testament Gospel of John at John 4:4-42. For those of you with younger children, don’t look too hard for this story in your children’s story Bible. It likely won’t be there! Instead, tell the story; tell it multiple times. (Repetition!) Download a story version suitable for younger kids. (<–Click on those words to access the file on a Google doc.) Perhaps older kids would enjoy it as well!

For Saturdays at the Green Wood location, here is the schedule for September:

Date	Workshop	Activity
9/1	No workshop this Saturday	Enjoy worship with your family.
9/8	Games Workshop	Play an interesting game or two.
9/15	Art Workshop	Create water color paintings.
9/22	Video Workshop	Watch the live-action video The Gospel of John.
9/29	Storytelling Workshop	Hear the story as told by the woman who met Jesus at a well.

For Sundays at the downtown location, here is the schedule of workshops…

Date	Cooking	Art 2	Video	Games	Storytelling	Art 1
	Social Hall	Pine Room	Room 215	Room 211	Room 204	Room 212
9/9	2nd grade	5th grade	3rd grade	6th grade	4th grade	1st grade
9/16	1st grade	4th grade	2nd grade	5th grade	6th grade	3rd grade
9/23	3rd grade	6th grade	1st grade	4th grade	5th grade	2nd grade

9/30	This week we’ll start our October workshops. Stay tuned for that schedule.

What’s happening in each workshop?

In the Art Workshop students will explore art works that depict this story and then create a watercolor painting. We’ll have two Art Workshops so that all of the grades will visit Art this month.
In the Cooking Workshop students will discuss changes that occur – both that we can see and those we can’t see. Change ordinary ingredients into a tasty snack
In the Games Workshop students will play a game that illustrates compassion and learn story details about the Woman at the Well.
In the Storytelling Workshop students will hear the story from the woman who was at the well.
In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the live-action video The Gospel of John.(can’t have a movie without popcorn!)

If you are in the area please join us for the fun learning at First United Methodist Church in Ann Arbor, MI

Photo credits:
Click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email).
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman by tribalicious, who licensed this photo on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.