Messages from the Children, Youth & Family Ministry

Children and Youth Faith Formation Fall 2020

​The Formation schedule for Children and EYC will get some separate advertising and embellishment in the days and weeks to come, but for now we’re hoping you’ll mark your calendars for these definite plans! 

Starting Homecoming Sunday, September 13th, we're going to offer regular EYC meetings for 6th-12th grade at 7pm on Sunday nights!

From October on, the second Sunday of each month we will also invite the Pre-YC 4th and 5th graders to that 7pm meeting which will be more fun or service oriented (different every time).

Godly Play will be released weekly as a short video on our YouTube channel, starting Sunday, September 20. Parents will be encouraged to watch these with their younger children and we’re working on getting crafts/activity supplies for families so that everyone is able to enjoy as much of the Godly Play experience as possible. Videos will stay up for three weeks after the Sunday they are posted.

Sunday School will also be in the form of recorded weekly video lessons, starting Sunday, September 20. These will be Bible stories told largely following the Episcopal Children’s Curriculum lesson plan but rewritten for the short video format. (Fr Sam’s got to do something with his playwriting degree!) These videos will stay up indefinitely, but we hope families will follow along with them each week.

Children’s Homilies - The first Sunday of each month will continue to have Children’s Homilies, but we’re also looking for more and better ways of incorporating our youngest members into worship. Children aren’t an occasionally considered secondary part of our mission and identity as a community—they are vital, vibrant, beloved members of our community. We want to make sure that even in this weird socially-distanced time they know that their church is doing things to support them.

Your Help Needed With the September 11th Evensong

The next evensong will feature some music from Godspell. We are looking to the Children, Youth, and Families of Immanuel for interpretive dances, pantomimes, or goofiness for the song "Day by Day." We're 'mostly' looking for contributions from our children and youth, since anyone with a TikTok is sort of already accustomed to recording themselves doing the exact thing we're envisioning, but we will also be happy to supplement with the young at heart.

A 15-45 second clip of any part of Day by Day (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekoHxB4idmg), interpreted in literally any way you can imagine, would go a long way to having a really fun piece for our Sept 11th Evensong. Please send to [email protected]
​🙂
p.s. file type doesn't really matter, I can convert almost anything you can record.

Socially-Distanced Mask-Wearing Belle Haven Marina Homecoming Adventure Time Bonanza September 12th:

•  For those who are willing and able to mask, social distance, and meet—the Episcopal Youth Community (EYC) is invited to help us turn our kayak / paddle board trip at the beginning of the program year into a tradition! This Homecoming weekend, we will go first to the Belle Haven Marina, then social-distance outdoor pizza. Be on the lookout for details and a sign up for our first in-person event of the year. 
• All the precautions in the world will not make in-person gatherings right for every family. If you're on the fence about whether or not to come (or send your child) Fr Sam would be thrilled to talk through it with you. AND if you know that this isn't right for your child and want help or support in explaining that decision to your EYC member he'd be thrilled to do that, too. It's very important that teenagers who can't attend, or even themselves don't feel comfortable attending, know that they are still loved, thought of, and very much a part of our EYC community.​

 

Immanuelites of all ages enjoyed Fellowship Night on February 16.