Hello Chapel Hill Families!

CH Kids had fun learning about how God can take what we have and multiply it from the Bible story, “Jesus Feeds 5000” this past Sunday. I hope you all are planning on joining us for our Sled-In Movie Night this Friday from 5:30-7:30PM. This is our annual VBS fundraiser. Give a monetary gift towards VBS at the door, and enjoy a movie, pizza and unlimited popcorn! Kids are invited to bring a sled or box filled with blankets, pillows and lovies to cuddle with during the movie. We will be laying on the floor in Fellowship Hall.

VBS 2023

Save the Date for VBS at Chapel Hill! Volunteer Registration is now OPEN! Child attendance will be limited to 250 children. To ensure your child gets a spot, join our team to receive a link for EARLY child registration. We will open child registration to the public on Palm Sunday, and will close once we fill all our spots.  We filled all 250 spots before Memorial Day last year, so do not delay!

Information for our new families:

• Our volunteers are supposed to arrive by 9:00, but life happens and sometimes they are running late. Please try to drop off kids between 9:15 and 9:30 AM to avoid waiting on them to arrive.
• Please walk your children back to their classrooms at drop off. We want our volunteers to see who goes with which kid to help speed up our pick up time.
• Don’t forget your pick-up ticket. You will show this to get back to the children’s wing and again to their teacher to pick them up.
• Remember that kids are now promoted to their next grade level so check that their name tags show they are in the right group. Please let Ryan know if it is incorrect.

We sponsor cousins, Neema & Kikwete, who live in the Angel House Orphanage in Tanzania, Africa. We have pledged to give $90/month in order to provide food, clothing and schooling to these children at Angel House. Each Sunday, kids have the opportunity to bring money to put into our offering for Neema and Kikwete. Would you help us meet our goal by sending your child with $1.00 each week? Our former Director of Children’s Ministries, Raegan Brane, has visited Angel House in the past. You can find out more information about the Grassroots Organization and Angel House by clicking HERE.

REMINDER:

If you have a 3rd, 4th or 5th grader that has a Deep Blue Bible, please help them remember to bring it with them to Sunday school each week! We don’t have many extras of that particular version at the church and they will be looking up and reading scripture every time they come to church from now on.

Don’t forget to check our Chapel Hill Kids Facebook Group regularly for the most up to date information. If you haven’t checked your child’s information on the birthday post, please make sure you do so as soon as possible. I have marked it as an announcement so you can easily find it. If you have moved in the last year, please contact the office so that we have your correct address on file so they can receive some birthday mail. The office number is (316) 684-1117.

Blessings to you and your children,

Allison

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.

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

This week, we will hear the story of Jesus walking on water. This miracle takes place at night on the Sea of Galilee. It immediately follows the story we heard last week of Jesus feeding a multitude of people with a boy’s lunch of two fish and five loaves. Jesus had been teaching on the shore when he makes his disciples get in the boat and set sail without him. He then dismisses the crowds and spends time in prayer.

Meanwhile, strong winds have come up on the lake and the boat the disciples are in is being battered by the waves. (Storms are common on the Sea of Galilee because it is surrounded on nearly every side by mountains.) While the disciples are in the boat surrounded by waves, Jesus walks across the water to them. The disciples are afraid when they first see him. They are awestruck by Jesus walking on the water.

As Jesus approaches the disciples, he identifies himself by saying, “It’s me.” Jesus also senses the disciples’ fear and reassures them, saying, “Do not be afraid.” The miracle ends abruptly as the disciples’ boat suddenly reaches shore. The next day, the crowds Jesus had been teaching on the shore are confused about how Jesus crossed the lake. It appears that only the disciples witnessed the miracle of Jesus walking on water.

There is so much mystery and wonder in this story. Allow children to be curious. The disciples had a fear response to Jesus. (Many of us probably would have too.) But what if there was more curiosity than fear evoked in the story? We might not always understand the miracles of Jesus, but we can be curious about what God is trying to teach us and be open to trusting Jesus.

The story of Jesus walking on water can be a strange one and hard to believe. But what’s more important than believing is seeing the wonder in the story. This week, spend some time reading the Bible story. Write down what makes the story wonderfilled. You might also write down questions children might have about the story. Consider your own questions about this story. Spend some time in prayer, asking God to help you remain open to all the mysteries of our faith and to help guide God’s children in faith.