Hello Chapel Hill Families!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a restful break filled with friends and family time.  A New Year brings a new Unit, Faith Word, and Memory Verse. Our Faith Word for the month of January is BELIEVE which means “to know in your heart what is true about God”. Our Memory Verse is from John 6:14, “This is truly the prophet who is coming into the world.” Bible Stories include:

• January 1st “The Three Wise Men” (Matthew 2:1-12) NO SUNDAY SCHOOL
• January 8th “Jesus Baptism” (Mark 1:4-11)
• January 15th “Jesus Calls Levi” (Mark 2:13-17)
• January 22nd “Jesus Feeds 5000” (Luke 4:14-30)
• January 29th “Jesus Walks on Water” (Mark 6:45-52)

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”.

We all benefit—children especially—from affirmations of love. A kind word from a good friend, meaningful time spent with a mentor, a gift from a family member— affirmations of love like these help us see ourselves the way God sees us. This week’s session provides an opportunity for you to affirm and remind the children in your class how much God loves them.

John the Baptist was a relative of Jesus. When Jesus’ mother Mary went to visit her relative Elizabeth—John’s mother—she discovered that she too was pregnant. Elizabeth told her that her baby jumped for joy (Luke 1:44) at the sound of Mary’s voice. Many interpret this as John recognizing Jesus, even in the womb.

The story of Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of Mark begins with John the Baptist, now a grown man, already preaching and baptizing. Coming out of the wilderness with his wild hair and clothing and strange dietary choices, John encouraged people to be baptized to show that they had changed their hearts and lives. Jesus comes to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.

When Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descends on Jesus as he emerges from the water following his baptism. A voice from heaven declared, “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.” This heavenly declaration affirms God’s love for God’s Son. God’s blessing also serves as a model for those of us who work with children.

Baptism is a special act of love where we show our love for God by following Jesus’ example. God also shows us love in this act as well, as God happily claims us as beloved children. You can share your admiration and love for the children too. When we share love with another person—in whatever way we choose to express it—we can show that person how much God loves them and how special they are to God.

What makes you happy? What do you delight in? This week, look for ways your faith brings happiness. When you feel happy, know that God shares our joy. God is there in both the joy and the pain, and it’s important not to forget to feel the happiness all around us. Write down small moments of happiness you experience this week.