EASTER, April 8

HAPPY EASTER! JESUS IS RISEN!

Today, we will celebrate together in the Sanctuary at 11am.
There is NO SUNDAY SCHOOL.
The nursery will still be open at 9:30am until the end of service.

BOOK CLUB will be canceled due to Easter and Spring Break. We will resume
next week as usual.

THE VILLAGE DAY
"It takes a village to raise a child."
Thursday, April 12, begins the first of a bi-weekly event
for all nursery-aged kids (6weeks to 5 years) and their parents.
Please join us in the nursery from 10am-noon for time to play,
talk, and be together. A light snack will be provided.

Palm Sunday, April 1

Nursery

If you want to discuss this week's lesson with your child at home, here are some ideas.

• Matthew 21:1-11, Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey

• Why did the people celebrate Jesus entering the city?
• Do you know these same people killed Jesus? They decided they didn' t like some of the things he taught them.
  
• Before he died, Jesus asked God to forgive them because he loved the people very much.
  He loved them so much, he came back to life. We celebrate this coming back to life next Sunday--Easter!

NEWS: "The Village Day" coming Thursday, April 12, 10am-Noon in the DPC nursery. Parents and their nursery-aged children are invited to spend a couple hours together playing, talking, and enjoying a snack together. This will be a bi-weekly event.

Elementary

If you want to discuss this week's lesson with your child at home, here are some ideas.

• Mark 14:12-26, "The Last Supper"
• What do you think the disciples were thinking when they heard Jesus say, "This is my body, this is my blood?" They had never heard these words before.
  
• Do you think they knew Jesus would be with them always in the bread and wine?

*No Book Club this Sunday due to Spring Break.

Middle School

Sunday School with David and Lotus Productions.

*No Book Club this Sunday due to Spring Break.

March 25, Lent Sunday #5

Photo:
The elementary students learned to knit with sheep's wool. Knitting with sheep's wool is a reminder of the Good Shepherd and the 23rd Psalm. It also teaches us how to use the earth's renewable resources responsibly.

Wisdom From the Children:

During the children's sermon, Pastor Ken asked, "What does 'In God We Trust' mean?"
Three year old Dylan responded, "God loves everybody."

Nursery

Sunday School Lesson
"The Mystery of Life and Death"

• John 12:24 "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."
• What happens when we plant a seed? Does it die? Does it rise to life?
  
• Did you know that a single seed produces many, many more seeds from the plant it grows?
• Like Jesus, seeds die and are buried, but they come to life after just a few days in the ground. This risen life--a big plant-- is even more beautiful than the seed life before.
  

Elementary

Book Club with David and Ben this Sunday 6-7:30pm.

Sunday School Lesson
"The Mystery of Life and Death"

• John 12:24 "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."
• Risen life comes only after death. Think about this short parable. What does it mean for a seed? What does it mean for us? What does it tell us about life? About death?
  

Middle School

Book Club with Lenae this Sunday 6-7:30pm. Let's finish that book!

Check out this website for a daily devotional produced by a cooperative including the Presbyterian Church (USA). These are relatively short thoughts and readings for the day. They even include music.
http://www.d365.org/journeytothecross/

High School

Check out this website for a daily devotional produced by a cooperative including the Presbyterian Church (USA). These are relatively short thoughts and readings for the day. They even include music.
http://www.d365.org/journeytothecross/

March 18, Lent Sunday #4

Book Club is back. After a half-Lent break, we will be meeting again. Sundays, 6-7:30pm.

Nursery and Elementary

• Psalm 23
• How does the Good Shepherd take care of his sheep?
  
• How does the Good Shepherd take care of us?
  
• How can we be like the Good Shepherd and care for Creation?

Thought:

Let us consider what inspires us, uplifts us, and is humorous to us. Let us be aware that our honest discussion of problems does not turn into only negativity.* Let us remember how the Good Shepherd cares for us.

*Idea inspired by Sarah Naphtali in her book, Becoming a Mindful Parent.

March 11, Lent Sunday #3

General News

The Change Bandits collected...drumroll please...$360.67 for The Children's Hospital! Thank you, friends, for contributing to this cause.

Don't forget about the TIME CHANGE this Sunday. Spring forward.

The kids have shown some interest in practicing origami again at Plaza. The next scheduled meeting is Sunday, March 18, 1-4pm. If you or your child is interested, please contact Lenae. We will gather a group to go. Appropriate for ages 6+.

Nursery

As you can see from the photos, our nursery was booming with babies last Sunday.

The Lenten Lessons continue, this week we will talk about the Lost Sheep.

• Luke 15:3-7; Matthew 18:12-14
• Why does the shepherd look for just one lost sheep and leave all the rest for a while?
• God is like the shepherd. We are like the sheep. What do you think about that?
  
• Do you think the shepherd made sure the 99 sheep were safe while he was away?

Elementary

This week we will continue talking about the Good Shepherd and the Lost Sheep.

• Luke 15:3-7; Matthew 18:12-14
• What happened in the story?
  
• How would it feel to be the found sheep?
• Remember, this is a parable. Who is the shepherd? Who are the sheep? Who are you in the story?

Talk to David to find out if book club is happening this week.

Middle School

Continuing the reading and acting of the Lectionary.

No Book Club this week. Shall we dance? Sunday, 6pm in the fellowship hall.

High School

Continuing the series on women in the Bible.

Sunday, 6pm, dancing in the fellowship hall.

Lent, Sunday #2, March 4

The Change Bandits have left the building. We will be going to the Children's Hospital Friday (3/2/12) afternoon to turn in our loot. If you would like to join us, please contact Lenae.

This past week our classes (ages 2-12) discussed the season of Lent. We discovered Lent is a sad time in which we remember and prepare for the death of Jesus. We also discussed that this time is not meant to remain sad. We will rejoice together on Easter because Jesus is alive! The Elementary students also discussed Lent as a time to give up something or to start doing something good. This will create a space where we can remember what Lent is about while forming a new, good habit.


Nursery
*This week we will talk about Jesus as the Good Shepherd (John 10).
*Ask your child what shepherds do.
*Why do sheep follow the shepherd?
*Talk about how we can know and follow the Good Shepherd's voice.


Elementary
*This week we will discuss Jesus, the Good Shepherd (John 10).
*Ask your child about parables. What are they? Is this a parable?
*What hidden meaning can we find in the parable of the Good Shepherd?


Middle School
*Ask your child what story was read and what skit was performed (hint: the Golden Calf).
*How do they understand this story?
*NO BOOK CLUB--let's dance at 6pm in the fellowship hall!


High School
*Shall we dance? Sunday, 6pm in the fellowship hall

The Season of Lent

Nursery

• We will begin the Season of Lent by reading part of the book Lent Is For Remembering.
• We will also discuss the Liturgical Calendar, pointing out that Lent is a season the church observes, just like Advent.
• You may want to continue this discussion at home. This is a time where we use the color purple. This is a period of 40 days (excluding Sundays). This is a time to consider death as well as life. This is also a time we will be continuing our discussion on the life of Jesus as The Good Shepherd.
  

Elementary

• We will begin the Season of Lent by reading part of the book Lent Is For Remembering.
  
• We will also discuss the Liturgical Calendar, pointing out that Lent is a season the church observes, just like Advent.
• We will prepare the Atrium for Lent.
  
• You may want to continue this discussion at home. This is a time where we use the color purple. This is a period of 40 days (excluding Sundays). This is a time to consider death as well as life. This is also a time we will be continuing our discussion on the life of Jesus as The Good Shepherd.
• BOOK CLUB will be canceled. Enjoy the DANCE at DPC.
  

Middle School

• Continuing Bible reading and skit-creating with David.
  
• Book Club is canceled until after Easter. Let's DANCE together at DPC, Sundays at 7pm.
  

High School

• Continuing the series on women in the Bible with Jewly, using the Sunland music.
• Shall we DANCE? at DPC on Sundays, 7pm.