Fwd: Sharing Good Friday and Easter with children

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From: Shine curriculum published by Brethren Press and MennoMedia <contact@shinecurriculum.com>
Date: Fri, Mar 31, 2017 at 10:04 AM
Subject: Sharing Good Friday and Easter with children
To: info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org

Stay with me. Remain here with me.              Watch and pray. Watch and pray. Years ago, I attended a Good Friday service in the home of a friend. The room was lit only with candles. We read the account of Jesus' suffering and death. After each passage, we extinguished a candle and sang a song with these words: "Stay with me. Remain here with me. Watch and pray. Watch and pray." The repetition of those words challenged me not to shy away from the suffering, but to remain close to Jesus, to imagine myself next to him, to feel the pain he felt. Eventually, all the candles were extinguished and we left in silence. That Easter Sunday, I found myself deeply moved by the resurrection story, in a way I hadn't been before. I was reminded that we serve a God who desires to wipe away all tears, pain, and suffering. A God who desires that death would be no more! (Revelation 21:4).                    Chrissie Walls, Curriculum Editor Sharing Good Friday and Easter with children The death and resurrection of Jesus are central stories of the Christian faith and we want to tell them wisely. But how do we share a story of torture and execution with children? Wouldn't it be easier just to dye Easter eggs and hand out chocolate bunnies? In Shine, we seek to tell both the Good Friday and Easter stories in age-appropriate ways. They are told in two different sessions, however, and this can pose some challenges. Attendance is often irregular and many churches do not have Sunday school on Easter Sunday. This means that some children might only hear about Jesus' death. Younger children may feel scared or deeply saddened at the idea that Jesus died, and may not know that he was raised from the dead. Plan ahead to address these challenges. If you won't have Sunday school on Easter, combine elements of sessions 6 and 7 the previous week so as to tell the whole story. There are free combination sessions for Early Childhood, Primary, Middler, and Junior Youth to download from our website at www.ShineCurriculum.com/Extras. Even if you will be meeting on Easter, give a preview of the resurrection story for younger children by showing the Early Childhood story picture for session 7 or the picture on page 271 in Shine On. The idea is not to "hide" the resurrection from children; rather we want to give adequate time and attention to the events preceding the resurrection. As always, whenever you see a child having a strong emotional reaction to a Bible story, pause to attend to that child's needs. It's likely that other children are having a similar reaction, even if they aren't expressing it. Offer compassion and empathy. Do not brush off children's concerns or make light of them by giving "pat" answers. Reaffirm God's constant love and presence with us, no matter the circumstances.      All of us at Shine wish for you and for all those you teach a blessed Holy Week and a joyous Easter!   Copyright © 2017 Shine: Living in God's Light, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you viewed Shine samples on our website or requested to receive Shine email updates. Our mailing address is: Shine: Living in God's Light 1251 Virginia Avenue Harrisonburg, VA 22802 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Fwd: Please Announce this Sunday!

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From: Piercing Word <aaron@piercingword.org>
Date: Mon, Apr 3, 2017 at 6:00 AM
Subject: Please Announce this Sunday!
To: philandkelly@gmail.com

FREE public performance of Passion: The Musical by Piercing Word. Please announce this Sunday! View this email in your browser Dear Pastors and friends of Piercing Word, We are excited to announce two free public performances of Passion: The Musical at Calvary Church Lower Auditorium - 1051 Landis Valley Rd. Lancaster, PA 17601 - on Sunday, April 23rd at 3pm and 6pm. Will you please let your congregation know about this upcoming event at your next service with an announcement? We have included a program insert and projection slide with this email to aid you in this announcement. We pray that this event will be a blessing and encouragement to the spiritual walk of many in  your congregation and to all who are able to come! Thank you so much for your support of Piercing Word ministry. We hope to see you and others from your church on April 23rd!  Program Insert Program Insert (Half page flier 2up)   SLIDES Projection Slide 16x9 Projection Slide 3x4 Reserve FREE tickets! Copyright © 2017 Piercing Word, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive it at our table or because you donated either time or money to Piercing Word. Our mailing address is: Piercing Word 1821 Oregon Pike Suite 210 Lancaster, PA 17601 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Fwd: April is Child Abuse Prevention Month

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From: Dove's Nest <Info@dovesnest.net>
Date: Mon, Apr 3, 2017 at 10:08 AM
Subject: April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
To: info@gehmanmennonitechurch.org

Dove's Nest: April 2017 Newsletter  Facebook Website Email Donate Today! Children's Books on Safety for April  Contributed by Jennie Wintermote, MLS, Director of the Western District Resource Library Talking about abuse prevention with young children is essential but often difficult, and even more so during a church worship service! Click below for eight books that could serve as a children's feature (or be adapted for use) at church. Read more Download Free Church Bulletin Insert for April  This 2017 Bulletin Insert by David Orr includes information about child abuse prevention, offers a prayer for congregations or a responsive reading, and includes information on Dove's Nest. Bulletin download and other April resources Children's Dove Award for Orlando 2017 Nominate an individual or church from Mennonite Church USA that did something courageous to keep children safe! The deadline is Monday, May 8, 2017. Send the name of the individual and/or church and its address to kathy@dovesnest.net with a short paragraph describing what this individual or church has done to keep children safe. Select nominees we will honored at our reception on Wednesday, July 5, at 3:00 PM at Orlando 2017. More information on the award Glen Guyton New Addition to Speaker's Bureau Glen Guyton, COO of Mennonite Church USA, is the newest member of our Speaker's Bureau. He specializes in the following training opportunities for youth, young adults, and youth workers. If you are interested in one of the following topics at your church or organization, contact kathy@dovesnest.net. Cultural competency and children Men's roles in preventing abuse Policies and practices Preparing youth for working in nursery or teaching classes Cultural awareness in discipling children and youth Read more Honor a Child in April  For the month of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month, we invite you to make a gift to Dove's Nest to honor a special child in your life and support our work of keeping children safe. Mail a check to 5723 N. 99th St, Omaha, NE 68134 or donate online. If you desire, send an e-mail to anna@dovesnest.net with the name (first, last, or both) of the child or children you are honoring. As a way to thank our supporters and remember all the wonderful children in our lives, this list of donors and honorees will be available in our June newsletter. Dove's Nest Upcoming Events Email kathy@dovesnest.net to schedule an event. Susquehanna Conference Annual Meeting Carlisle, PA April 8, 2017 Southwood Lutheran MOPS Lincoln, NE April 19, 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference Gettysburg, PA April 22, 2017 Mennonite Mission Network Tucson, AZ May 5, 2017 Summit Mennonite Church Barberton, OH May 7, 2017 NYS Office of Children and Family Services Watertown, NY May 9, 2017 NYS Office of Children and Family Services Franklin County DSS  Malone, NY May 11, 2017 NYS Office of Children and Family Services SUNY Canton St. Lawrence County, NY May 12, 2017 Camp Friedenswald Cassopolis, MI  June 7, 2017 Mennonite Church USA Convention Orlando, FL July 4-8, 2017   Dove's Nest 5723 N. 99th St Omaha, NE 68134 www.DovesNest.net

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