December Happenings

We have made our fair share of sugar cookies, decorated beautiful bags to sell those cookies in, and Waffle Shop has come and gone. Thank you, Everyone, for your help this year.

We are also now approaching the second week of Advent. I hope, by Christmas or before, all the kids will know that Advent is for watching and waiting. It is for preparing for the birth of baby Jesus.

Christmas Schedule:

Book Club is POSTPONED until January.

Saturday, Dec. 17 @ 1pm-- ALL KIDS meet at DPC in the fellowship hall to assemble gift bags for the Homeless Breakfast (12/18). We really need your help for this. Come join the fun!

Sunday, Dec. 18 Homeless/Congregational Breakfast and bag hand-out. **The JuveNiles will also be singing**

After church (12/18)--CHRISTMAS ACTIVITY--William and Lenae will take ALL KIDS (ages 6+) to Plaza Art store for FREE ORIGAMI making. We will eat pizza in the fellowship hall directly following worship. **Parents please pick up your child at Plaza no later than 3:45pm.**

Sunday, Dec. 25-- NO SUNDAY SCHOOL for any age. Nursery care will still be provided during worship.

Wait, Wait, Wait

A couple photos from our last book club. The boys intrigued by Buddha.
Dorothy started The Scarlet Letter.

On Sunday I handed out (as many as I could remember) calendars for upcoming events. If you didn't get one, they will be available at the classrooms again.
The main points to note are the following:

Sugar cookie decorating (Sunday 11/27)
Pizza eating and Origami making (Sunday 12/18)
Book club is canceled until after Thanksgiving
Advent (11/27-12/18)

Here, I will expand what is on the Calendar for Advent. I believe all ages will enjoy this Advent season as we joyfully look forward to the coming birth of Baby Jesus.
The High School girls will be reading Watch for the Light with Jewly. Authors range from C.S. Lewis to Thomas Merton to T.S. Eliot.
Even the 2-5 year olds will begin to look forward to Christmas as we learning about the quiet, waiting colors of Advent. They will learn about the shepherds, farm animals, Mary, Joseph, and the little baby Jesus.

Their experience will only be enhanced through family participation. If you would like to participate, suggestions are on the calendar. You can find simple instructions online for making an Advent wreath or paper chain calendar together.
Luke 1:26-45 is the suggested reading because this is the "before story." It tells about Mary and Mary's pregnancy with Jesus.
I hope your families are able to embrace this church season of quiet and waiting while we wait, wait, wait for the birth of Jesus.

Oz, Buddha, Cookies, and Waffles

A photo from the archives. Sweet sisters.

There are some strange things a-brewin' for the kids at DPC.

Book Club this week will be at the Dark's House for boys and girls. There may or may not be Halloween snacks. There will definitely be the reading of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (manga version) for the girls, and probably some trading cards made by the boys. Costumes are definitely welcome.

Only two weeks remain for the Experiencing Homelessness Curriculum. We will then be moving into the Season of Advent.

Sugar Cookie making/decorating will be Saturday 11/26 and Sunday 11/27. These delectable morsels will be sold at Waffle Shop. Adult volunteers are needed for both. Please let Lenae know if you would like to help.

Gift tag crafting is also coming up for the middle school and high school students. The date is not set. What date works for you? Parents and other adults are welcome. These tags will also be sold at Waffle Shop.

Happy Halloween! (almost)

***Breaking News***

In Sunday School this week...
**We are right in the middle of the Experiencing Homelessness series**

In JuveNiles Choir practice...
**It's still going. 9am Sundays**

In book club this week...

**The boys are still reading Buddha**
**The girls are still reading folk/fairy tales, mythology, and, newly added, Oz: The manga, v.1**

Have a great week!

Experiencing Homelessness, Session 1

Open Table of Nashville has created an outstanding curriculum for the adults of DPC to discuss and learn more about the people in our community who are experiencing homelessness. As many of you know, the adult class started this curriculum this past Sunday and so did the elementary aged members of our community. We have tailored the adult curriculum to meet the needs and learning styles of the elementary aged students.

We explored the history of DPC: when our building opened, when we housed flood victims and soldiers, and when we provide food and support groups. We also explored the questions and observations they have about homelessness: how do people lose their homes? why don't we provide healthier food for them? Another activity explored where homelessness and poverty are mentioned in the Bible. One verse in Leviticus instructed the early Jews to leave the edges of their field or garden for the poor and immigrants. That seems like a lot of food they were supposed to give away!

Next week we will explore more about how someone loses his or her home.

Good News for our nursery! This week we hired Liz Streight to work in the nursery along side Beth. We are so so happy to have two lovely care givers for our youngest members. They are amazing. The middle school girls have also worked out a schedule to volunteer in the nursery about once a month.

Schedule this week:

Friday: NO BOOK CLUB (unless the kids and parents want to organize something)

Sunday: JuveNiles Choir practice
Elementary students in the atrium classroom for Experiencing Homelessness Session 2
Middle School and High School students in Parlor 1 with the adults for E.H. Session 2

Fall, Here You Are?

Well, it seems with the end of summer art at DPC came the end of summer weather (though I'm sure those two things are not really cause/effect and I'm sure we still have summer weather ahead of this rainy-cold-stuff). The art show was great--yummy food, friendly people, creative art, and fun projects. I also heard that Mary, Petra, and Jewly's work was requested for purchase by the Tennessee State Museum. Way to go, friends! If you weren't able to be there on Saturday, the art will remain up in the fellowship hall for a while longer, though the fun houses/secret agent headquarters/and such have been relocated to the kids' houses.

Art Show This SATURDAY

Well, Friends, this Saturday is it. We made it. We talked about ritual, created art based on ritual, and the art-making became a ritual. We have done it "over and over." We are finally hanging the art in the Fellowship Hall, and Saturday at 6pm the doors will open for all to see. We are so excited to present this fun show!

Friday book club will be at my house again (6-8pm). Girls, read to approximately page 200 in The Mysterious Benedict Society. Also, choose one fairy tale you want to read and discuss this week.
Boys, we are still meeting at my house this week. Bring your trading cards.

Sunday the middle school and high school kids will meet with the adults again to watch the second half of The Soloist. The Elementary kids will meet in the snack room as usual. They are also being introduced to the special curriculum on homelessness.

See you soon!