Hello Chapel Hill Families!

Celebrate Wonder is a Sunday school curriculum that engages children’s natural sense of curiosity to help them understand God’s love. It creates a safe environment for kids to ask big questions — helping them explore the Bible in ways that feed their imagination and encourages creativity. Through carefully-selected Bible stories, songs, videos, and hands-on activities, Celebrate Wonder gives children the tools to explore their faith while incorporating it into their daily lives.

Since we are not able to meet in person, I have been mailing Sunday School Kits to families each month with printed lesson plans, activity sheets and craft supplies. If you would like to be added to our mailing list for January, please sign up by clicking the button below.  I will also continue to attach digital copies of the material to our weekly e- news for you to print at home if you prefer that option.

Each month, our weekly stories will align with a Faith Word. The Faith Word for the month of December is, “Joy”.

In this week’s Bible story, we find Joseph in a tough position. His soon-to-be wife is unexpectedly pregnant. Now Joseph must make a decision to marry her or to call off the engagement. While Joseph is contemplating this hard choice, an angel appears to him in a dream. The angel gives Joseph instructions to stay with Mary and to help raise God’s Son. Joseph listens to God’s messenger and does just as he was asked.

Like Joseph, we all have been in difficult situations, and sometimes we do not know what to do. But even in those hard and confusing times, God is there. God always shows up in unexpected ways. This story helps us see that God can help us when we don’t know what to do.

Sometimes we have to try to accept our circumstances and begin to move forward, even when it’s hard. We might not always understand or like what we are being asked to do. But when we follow God, we might find joy is coming. While none of this is easy, acceptance sometimes can lead us to gratitude. There is goodness in knowing God is there, and there is joy in knowing that we do not go it alone.

Even though we might be going through a difficult time or situation, the Advent season invites us to slow down, accept, and see there is joy coming. If we can pause and see there is God’s joy and understanding, even in the midst of confusion, we can begin to accept what is in front of us and have a clearer sense of what is to come. This week pause, go to God, and look for the joy God already has provided.

Check out the Wilson Kids in last week’s video, Session 1- “Mary’s Joy” (Luke 1:26-38, 46-56)