Children, Teen and Family Ministries at OUMC

The next MeSsY ChUrCh is

• DATE:    FEBRUARY 10th

• THEME:  VALENTINES

• Following FREE supper and an interactive bible story and music.  

• • After a wonderful supper we will enjoy a Biblical story and then create dozens of wonderful homemade Valentines for all our shut-ins and other folks who could use some of God’s love. Last year Pat Marsh directed the creation of wonderful homemade valentines that were exceptionally appreciated by those who cannot attend OUMC regularly. PLEASE JOIN PAT THIS YEAR AND HELP while you also enjoy time with the children, youth and adults of our congregation. EVERYONE IS WELCOME: Let’s have a great turnout!

  • UPDATE Don’t miss the February MeSsY ChUrCh as it will be the last session of the winter! Due to Pastor Bonnie Draeger’s absence, MeSsY ChUrCh will take a brief hiatus during March and April.

  • We will resume MeSsY ChUrCh in May when she returns. Exciting  MeSsY ChUrCh sessions are planned for later this Spring. Stay tuned!

• EVERYONE IS WELCOME! Bring your friends.  

• Since MeSsY ChUrCh is growing, we appreciate reservatons.  

• email Barbara Elliott or call the church office 508-255-0622 to let us know how many will be with you.

SAVE YOUR CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR MeSsY ChUrCh

Don’t toss those 2011 Christmas cards; MeSsY ChUrCh needs them. We will create our own cards next year using pictures from your used cards. We also need any extra unused Christmas cards with envelopes to send to soldiers in Afghanistan next Christmas. Please place your cards in the MeSsY ChUrCh Box in the office.

PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS: STORYTELLERS WANTED

Have you enjoyed the biblical stories that Pastor Bonnie shares with our children using wooden storytelling figures? If so, WE NEED YOU!

Bonnie has purchased over twenty biblical stories to share with our children this year. Biblical stories are completely scripted and easy to learn. You practice with the wooden figures at home until you “make the story your own.” Stories are then told at MeSsY ChUrCh or used as children’s sermons. You will find Biblical storytelling as meaningful for you, as it is for our children!

If you enjoy telling stories to your children or grandchildren, please sign up

to be a storyteller one time this year. Contact Bonnie at  . She will offer several practice workshops this Spring to prepare new storytellers.

MeSsY  ChUrCh  News:

• In January MeSsY ChUrCh Participants in enjoyed a delicious meatloaf dinner courtesy of Barley Neck Inn, and shared stories, crafts and music about the importance of peace in our world.
• In December over 40 people painted hundreds of Christmas cookies under CeCe’s direction, worshipped together, sang, heard the Christmas story and enjoyed supper. Participants included toddlers, teens, elders and all ages in between.  
• MeSsY ChUrCh families and friends also prepared over fifty letters for our troops in Afghanistan. Messy Church has invited soldiers to add their prayer requests to special postcards included with our letters, and to mail them back to OUMC. MeSsY ChUrCh, Sunday School and the Prayer Committee will pray the soldiers’ requests. Over 100 letters from OUMC have already reached Afghanistan.

Children-in-Church 

Have you noticed our children in church the first Sunday of each month? Children receive special worship work during the children’s sermon. They then accompany an adult to the new “children and teen section” near the back of the sanctuary to complete this work. They are learning about the liturgical year, hymnal, bible and worship. You’ll also notice they are respectful and as quiet as “church mice.”

Youth-in-Worship 

Our youth fifth grade and older, are dividing their time this autumn between Sunday School classes and worship attendance.  Each teen receives a clipboard upon arriving in the sanctuary.  Throughout the service they are asked to complete questions about the lectionary readings, hymns, liturgical year, and the sermon. If you have a teen, please encourage him or her to be faithful in completing this work.  We hope our youth will become knowledgeable worship participants through this program.

 Contact Pastor Bonnie Draeger if you have questions: 

Safe Sanctuaries

26 Adults, in our congregation, give up two Sunday services per year to be that second pair of “helping hands” in our nursery. Additionally, our Sunday School classes have been moved to adjacent classrooms that will have an open door between them if two we do not have two adults per classroom. Seminars on the latest updates to the Safe Sanctuaries program have been attended. It is our aim to make Orleans United Methodist a truly “safe sanctuary” for children, youth and adults.