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!

Picnics and New Classes

Friends,

Happy Thursday!

As you can see below, we had fun making candles with Pastor Ken last Saturday.

Book Club is underway again, and happening this Friday at my house, 6-8pm.
The girls are reading fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm and we will be discussing the first few chapters of The Mysterious Benedict Society. The boys are reading the Buddha comic/graphic novel and creating their very own trading cards based on characters from the book.

The annual church picnic at Dragon Park will be this Sunday after the morning gathering. We will have several fun yard games and, I'm sure, lots of great food.

With the end of summer :( comes the end of our summer arts program. This also means we will (soon) not be gathering to make art on Sundays. Instead, the middle school and high school kids will meet with the DPC adults for the new class series provided by Open Table of Nashville. These classes will provide resources and a safe space to discuss ways we can better interact with our homeless friends and neighbors. Several guest speakers will join us throughout the series. Folks, I am excited about this opportunity!
The elementary kids will be meeting in the snack room as usual, but will focus on the lessons taught using the curriculum Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

Our annual art show is coming up (Saturday, September 3)! The Ritual of Play, featuring local artists, namely, the youth of DPC.

That's all for now. I hope to see you Friday (book club) and Sunday (our last day of art).
Peace.

The Light of The World!

Making Candles with Pastor Ken. 

Routine and Ritual

Goodmorning, friends! Here is your weekly update for the DPC youth.

For most of our youth, school has begun! Back to routine, back to ritual.

This week we had 9 people show up for the JuveNiles choir practice. Way to wake up early!

We are searching for another "full-time" (3hr.s a week, paid) nursery worker to assist Beth with the little ones.

The elementary kids read a book, Pajama Light, about one girl's ritual of a night-time walk with her dad. Of course, the kids are too smart to be stumped by me, and they pointed out that this girl does the same thing "over and over and over." We call that ritual. So, we continued our "Ritual of Play" painting cardboard houses/police stations/secret agent headquarters (I think it was our third week working on them). You'll have the opportunity to explore their creations on September 3rd!

The middle school girls also continued work on their cardboard houses. They had some interesting discussion with David (though I didn't catch it all). We also decided on the next few books they want to read in book club. Which brings me to...

Book CLUB! The girls would like to continue book club on Friday evenings this Fall, beginning with The Mysterious Benedict Society. So, hopefully that will continue this week or next.

Now, for our high school girls. They are finishing a beautiful mixed media portrait of themselves that will (hopefully!) be done for September 3rd. They are working hard with Julie to finish on time.

That's all, folks.

JuveNiles Choir Camp 2011

Weekly update for the church:
"Jubilate, everybody, serve the Lord in all your ways..."

Last week was choir camp. If I am correct, the first ever youth choir camp at DPC.
We had several faithful and lovely volunteers who helped make it possible.
William Taylor also made it possible with his musical skills.
And without our wonderful kids who already had an ear and voice for music, it would not have been possible.

We started each day with voice warm ups..."eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two one," we sang to a descending scale.
We also played music theory games, like musical bingo, to help us learn the names of rests, notes, and other musical language.

On Saturday, we picnic-ed at Sevier Park with many other friends and SafeHaven Families.
Despite the rain, we had a great time eating, playing, and enjoying each other's company.

But now, choir camp is over.
Youth may still join the JuveNiles at any time.
We will sing one Sunday each month with practice (9am) preceding the service (11am).

This week and next week, many of our youth are starting the 2011-2012 school year.

For the kids:
Good luck with school!
Many of you said you would like to continue book club during the school year.
So, we need to decide what day will work best for all of us.
Also, be thinking of book ideas...I have a few ideas.

See you Sunday!
Peace and love.