We've made it through another super speedy summer, regular school has started, and it's time to tuck Sunday school into the equation! 

Here's what you need to know about our first day of Sunday school for the 2023-'24 school year: 

• When: Sunday, September 10, 9-10am
• Who: Preschool-8th Grade
• Online Registration
  

But also...

• Back-to-School Breakfast: If your kiddo is up to being dropped off at 8:30am on this first day, we'll be sharing breakfast together before class! (Down in the Fellowship Hall)
• Blessing of the Backpacks: Kids, Teachers, and School Staff are invited to bring their backpacks and school bags for our annual blessing of the backpacks during the 10:15am service

As always, bring your Bible, if you have one, and you can take a trip to the Bible Basket! Bring a friend and you can peruse Ms. Becca's Treasure Chest! 

As of right now, we're looking at a single room class, but plan to operate with small group options as needed. 

Thank you for sharing your kiddos with us; we're looking forward to a wonderful year! 

Dear Families,
I can’t believe that we are already in the midst of back-to-school season! The summer flew by for us! Just as we were thrilled to be back in-person for VBS (in the park this year!), we are so excited for – what we’re hoping will be – a normal Sunday school year for 2021-’22!

I’m hoping to move away from the single Sunday school classroom experience that dominated last year and move back to a regular classroom environment. I’m anticipating grade-leveling to a greater degree than what we’re used to (Littles: Pre-2nd, Middles: 3rd-5th, and Bigs: 6th-8th). If we need to, we’ll combo package the Middles and Bigs, we’ll see where our numbers take us!

Important Dates:

• First day of Sunday school- September 12, 9-10am
• Blessing of the Backpacks- September 12, during the 10:15 Worship Service
  • Ice Cream Float Social to celebrate back-to-school, immediately following church
• Bible Sunday- September 26th (during the 10:15am Worship Service) 3rd Graders to receive their Bibles!
• Halloween Costume Contest- October 31

Notables:

• Chapel Time- Each Sunday, we’ll gather in the Sanctuary from 9-9:15am before dispersing to our classrooms.
• Bibles- Bring them if you have them!
• Bring a friend! (And take a trip to Ms. Becca’s treasure chest!)
• Please stay home if you’re not feeling well

​Thank you for sharing your kiddos with us, we so look forward to seeing them and getting back to our normal Sunday school groove!

Please return your registration form to the church (offering plate/church office) or to Sunday school.

Be well,

Becca

Good morning! Welcome to Laurel UMC's first virtual Sunday school class in the New Year! We decided to try something new for what is (hopefully) our final month of virtual-only Sunday schooling. Please check out the slideshow below! 

​Happy New Year! 

Dear ones, 

As you may or may not have heard, our Bishop made the call today asking churches in our conference to suspend in-person services and gatherings through January 2021. (You can see Pastor Dolly's note and the Bishop's letter, here). While our weekly Sunday school attendance hasn't necessarily been robust (understandably so), this is still a hard thing to once again experience in our Sunday school world. However, I'm determined that we'll find a more interactive experience than what we attempted in the spring. 

Here are my thoughts: 

• Recordings-
  • I will record a lesson each week (probably not starting until November 29, but I'll let you know if I get things figured out for this Sunday). 
  • Advent- I will also post a separate Advent video for us to do together each week. (Please let me know if you'd like an Advent wreath, we've still got a handful hanging around)
• But how best to engage...
  • If you could comment below and let me know which you would prefer for our virtual Sunday school interactions, I would greatly appreciate it: 
    • A Private Facebook group
    • A password protected page on our kid's website
  • In the back of my brain, I'm pondering the possibility of a take-and-make craft in December. Just know this is brewing, to be continued...
• The Christmas Program
  • Last Sunday I finally found a Christmas program that would work in the face of social distancing and the world we're living in that would also accommodate our smaller numbers, and now this... 
  • However, I am DETERMINED that we will find a way to get this done. The program is not like we're used to - it's simple, no memorization - it's meant to have 6 characters (Mary, Joseph, Innkeeper's Wife, Angel, Shepherd, and Wise Man) give their first-person accounts of their perspectives on the birth of Jesus and those stories would tie in with a congregational hymn. The hymns part is tricky, for sure, but like I said - determined. ;) 
  • Please let me know if I can pull your children into the mix and we'll iron out the details of how that will work as we go.   
  • The Christmas program was originally scheduled for December 20, so we've got time! 

Well, I think that's it for now. Please let me know how best we can engage with you during this time. Though my heart is heavy, this won't last forever and imagine how joyous it will be when we can fully be together again. 

Be well, 

Becc

If all of our ducks manage to get in a row (sanitization stations in each classroom, adequate supplies in order to avoid cross-contamination...), we are still a go for September 13 as our first day of Sunday school for the 2020-'21 school year! Ahead of our first day, we wanted to make sure that we had everyone looped in regarding how things will roll this year. 

Upon arrival, your child will check in with Ms. Becca (we'll sign them in similarly to how things have been operating for Worship services). 

• Completed Registration Forms are required (one time only)

For ages 5+ masks will be required, they will hand sanitize then head to the sanctuary for socially distanced Chapel Time (the first Sunday, after that, after they check in with Ms. Becca, they'll head straight to class)

• Every Sunday after the first Sunday, we will close our mornings in the Sanctuary - much like we do for VBS

We will be sanitizing our classrooms and supplies regularly. 

Please be sure to keep your kiddo at home should they be experiencing any symptoms or aren't feeling well, in general. 

We are SO excited to be back together in person! We know things will look different this year, but we won't take for granted this time we have together. 

​See you soon! 

Dear Families,

I hope this letter finds you all doing well! We have certainly missed our kiddos and are excited to share that we will be returning to in-person Sunday school for the 2020-’21 school year! Our first day of Sunday school is looking to be September 13 (we’ll be in touch should anything cause us to push that date back). We know that, for some of you, meeting in person is not an option, so we’re trying to game plan for that as well. On this year’s registration forms there will be a section about your preferences, but know that we’re here to be flexible in this strange year of 2020.

Following are a few housekeeping items that we’ll need you to be aware of prior to our first day:

1. Following the Governor’s mandate and recommendations of local health officials, we’ll be requiring masks for everyone ages 5 and older.
2. Upon arrival, we’ll be signing each of the kids in, just like we do for church service
3. We’ll be staying on top of hand sanitizing and utilizing social distancing, therefore…
4. We’ll be moving “Chapel” Time into the sanctuary so we can give ourselves more space before moving into our classrooms.
5. Depending on class sizes, we might find ourselves utilizing the fellowship hall for certain classes, so that we can maintain social distancing.
6. If your kiddo is feeling at all sick, please keep them home.

Notables:

1. First day of Sunday school: September 13, 9-10am
2. Meet in the sanctuary for Chapel Time from 9-9:15am
3. Bring your Bible, if you’ve got it!
4. Don’t forget your mask!
5. As you arrive, be sure to hand sanitize!
6. Stay home if you’re not feeling well

​Please return your registration form to the church office ASAP (or reach out via email to becca.lumc@gmail.com). 

​You can also register online! 
 
Be well,
Becca 

Hello dear ones,

Back for another check in as we prepare to approach Palm Sunday from a distance. Hopefully you've heard that we're on hold for in-person Worship through May 1 (at least), per our Bishop. That said, Pastor Dolly has officially figured out Facebook Live, so you can check LUMC's page for updates on sermon times!

As I'm sure you're all missing your routines, we are surely missing our time with the kiddos. Palm Sunday is always one of my favorites as the kids line up, ready to enter the sanctuary, joyfully waving their palms. The church did order our palms before this all began (see attachment for how you can snag some to take home for Sunday). 

UMC.org has a great resource for taking kids through Holy Week (there's a lot going on between the celebrations that are Palm Sunday and Easter, and though the in-between is sad and hard, it's important to talk about). You can check that out here: https://www.umc.org/en/content/teaching-children-about-holy-week-telling-the-whole-story

Our Bible verses (4th-8th+) for this week's Sunday school lesson are Matthew 26:31-56. 

Some discussion points from the lesson (most appropriate for our middle >> bigs): 
• Jesus asked his disciples to stay awake with him because he was feeling sad and anxious and needed their support. But they kept falling asleep. 
     • How do you think Jesus felt when he found his friends sleeping? 
     • Have you ever really needed the support of your friends? Did you receive it? How does it feel to receive support from your friends? How does it feel when they're not able to give you the support you need? 
     • How can you be a supportive friend to others? 

For the younger kiddos, check out this resource: 

https://ministry-to-children.com/palm-sunday-bible-study-for-kids/ 

• Verses - John 12:12-19

I hope you're doing well and finding ways to thrive in this new normal - hopefully we'll be back together sooner rather than later. 

​Miss Becca

Dear Families, 

I'm hoping that everyone is hanging in there with health and sanity in tact. Please reach out if you need anything, we'll do our best to help as we can or connect you with other resources.  

Now, besides just checking in, I thought I'd also put a few things out there for you while we're apart. Below, find a few things from March 22 (and March 29), as well as an overview of what's to come in April...Just in case. And, a little bit of this and that: 

• For our littles:  https://www.deepbluekids.com/free-stuff/free-preschool-activities
• For our bigs Jr High): https://www.deepbluekids.com/free-stuff/tweens
  • A meditation for our middle-little/bigs: 
  • Read aloud (together) John 14: 1-4
  • Meditation focus: connect with this scripture and think about what it means to enter God's home.
  • Prepare: find a comfy position and close eyes. Take a few deep breaths (in through the nose, out through the mouth)
  • Say: "Jesus said he was going ahead of us to prepare a place for us. We are Jesus' followers. Imagine Jesus is with you right now. He says to you, 'Don't be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me. My Father's house has room to spare. You know the way to the place I'm going.' Then Jesus turns and begins walking away. You start to follow him. He is leading you to God's house. [pause] You've arrived. Jesus has brought you to the place where you can feel completely at home with God. It's easy to feel God's presence in this place. There are no distractions from God's love. You can relax here. Take a look around the place Jesus has led you. [pause] In this place you can tell God whatever is on your heart. Take a moment to tell God what is on your heart today. [pause] This place is always here for you. You can come back here whenever you like. For now, you turn to leave and go back the way you came. You come back to the room, hearing the sounds around you and wiggling your fingers and toes. When you're ready, open your eyes." (via Submerge, Spring 2020 session 4)
• All ages:  https://www.deepbluekids.com/free-stuff

A few weeks ago, the kids and I went on a deep dive into verses about love during Chapel Time, I invite you to carry on that search in finding verses of hope, love, and faith. 

Please send the kiddos my love. I miss seeing their faces and hearing about their week and singing our songs. Looking forward to when we meet again! 

Miss Becca