Children

It’s hard to believe, but we’re beginning to wind up our program year and begin our summer activities already! Our 5th-6th grade Tween Fellowship Group will meet two times in May. Here’s the scoop:

Sunday, May 4 5:30-7:30 pm Topic – Family Appreciation Sunday,

May 18 5:30-7:30 pm CURRENT 4TH GRADERS WELCOME TONIGHT1 Topic – Tonight we say goodbye to the old and hello to the new as we prepare to send our 6th graders in to their new youth group, BUZZ, and welcome our current 4th graders, next year’s 5th graders, into our Fellowship Group.

Please bring $2 for pizza. As an option, kids may also bring chips, beverage, or dessert to share. Friends are always welcome!

Who: All kids ages 0-5years old (adult must accompany each child)
When: Saturday, April 26 9:30-11:30 am
Where: Samaritan Center (gym)
Why: Let’s gather with our friends to play games, sing songs, read stories, and do fun activities while we learn about Spring, nature, and growing. There is no cost and no pre-registration. Just mark your calendars to come for a morning of fun and friends!

Beginning Sunday June 8th:
The 9:00 worship service will be held outdoors in the Amphitheater. Following the Children’s Message, kids may either continue sitting with their families or may be excused to go to the Samaritan Center (gym) for songs, games, stories, and other structured activities.

The 10:30 service will be held in the Sanctuary. Following the Children’s Message, kids may either continue sitting with their families or may be excused to go to Summer Sunday School (10:50-11:30 am). We will offer three classes: PreK (ages 3-4), Kindergarten-Grade 2, and 3rd-6th grade. We will be continuing to use the Live B.I.G. Sunday School Curriculum throughout the summer. Summer Sunday School will be led by parents and other adults who haven’t taught during the regular program year. There are 13 Sundays this Summer with 3 classes per Sunday. That means we have 39 volunteer teaching opportunities to fill this summer. If 39 families volunteered to lead only one class, only one Sunday this summer, we would have our classes completely staffed. Please check your calendars and see which Sunday, 10:30 service only, would work for you. Please email deb@good.org to let her know which date you’d like to sign up for. She will provide you with easy and fun to use lesson guides for each Sunday and can get them to you in advance of when you sign up.

Mon., June 16-Thurs., June 19 5:45-8:45 pm

 Camp time is just around the corner and we’re preparing for a super fun week of jumping into fabulous sports and art activities, awesome friends, great music, and wonderful Bible stories. If you are in Kindergarten – 5th grade, consider joining the many kids who have already signed up for camp and register today! All who register by May 1 receive the Early Bird $10 discount! Contact Deb Johnson for questions or further information.

On Sunday, March 9 our church celebrated Camp Sunday where we promoted several camp opportunities for kids, youth, adults, and families. Some of the camps are sponsored by Good Samaritan and others are put on by our Minnesota Annual Conference. Be sure to check out the display tables in Fellowship Hall where you’ll find information on camps that suit your interests. There are horse camps, sports camps, mission camps, teddy bear camps, fishing and canoeing camps, grandparent camps, family camps, treehouse camps, day camps, adventure camps, music and drama camps and even a Cyber Game camp! There is something for everyone!

Did you know? Our Live B.I.G. Sunday School children PreK-Grade 6 collect weekly offerings during their weekly class worship time. All Sunday School offering monies collected during December, January, and February were designated to support UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief) and help purchase health kits which provide basic necessities to people who have been forced to leave their homes due to human conflict or natural disaster. Our Sunday School gifts totaling $204.50 helped purchase enough supplies to send 15 health kits to UMCOR. Thank you to all of our Sunday School kids for making a huge difference in the world!

The B.I.G.(Believe in God) idea in May is that we believe God’s presence in our lives can completely change us. Here’s our plan this month:
May 4 Kids will hear the Bible story of Zacchaeus meeting Jesus and having his life changed. We’ll discover ways that things and people can change.
May 11 Today we celebrate Pentecost and learn how Peter changed from a frightened disciple to a bold preacher after the coming of the Holy Spirit. We recognize that the Holy Spirit also empowers us to do good things in the name of Jesus.
May 18 The Bible story of Paul will show us that when God is present in our lives, everything about us can change for the better.
May 25 How can we share the gospel news with others? We’ll learn the story of Lydia and how she used her skills and resources to spread the gospel.

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We are happy to have the opportunity to provide your child/ren with care while you enjoy your worship experience at Good Samaritan UMC. Our Early Childhood Center Brochure will provide you with information about health and safety procedures, sign-in and pick-up procedures, and volunteer opportunities.