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Children's Ministry
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Age 3 - 5th Grade
​Sunday School 2023/24
Come JOURNEY with us!
Sundays at 9:45 am
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This year we’re streamlining your Sunday morning experience:
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Sunday School check-in will be at 9:45 am in the Celebration! Childcare atrium. (Enter at the Celebration! Childcare doorway or follow the rainbow footprints from the gathering space!)
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With Sunday School happening simultaneously alongside the 10 am worship service, we’ll open with Carrie Mack leading music and Deaconess Katie teaching the day’s lesson. Then our kids will break into small groups based on their age (3 - 5 year olds, Kindergarten - 2nd grade, 3rd - 5th grade) for crafts and games.
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Kids will rejoin their families in the Sanctuary during the worship service at the sharing of the peace, enabling families to be together for Holy Communion.
Register your kids ages 3 - 5th grade (age on September 10) for Sunday School at this link: bit.ly/sundayschool2324
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Sunday School Helpers
We need shepherds for the journey!
No one makes the journey of faith alone, help us walk with our youngest church members. Sunday school will start at 9:45 am in the Atrium, take place during the 10 am worship service, and kids will be returned to their families during the passing of the peace (after the sermon and before holy communion).
Carrie Mack will lead us in music and Deaconess Katie will lead the lesson of the day… Can you lead a craft or game? Available to man our check-in table?
We have three age groups in need of shepherding: 3 - 5 year olds, Kindergarten - 2nd grade, 3rd - 5th grade. Complete instructions and all supplies will be provided each week.
We’re excited for our Holy Cross community to share their time with God’s little ones. Come join us for a Sunday, or a few, or join us for the whole season!
View and sign up for this fall year’s schedule and shepherding opportunities online at bit.ly/shepherdsF23
There will also be a table for in-person sign-up available in the gathering space on Sundays, August 20 and 27 between worship services.
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Resources for Talking with Kids About War
by Deaconess Katie Freund
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Dear Holy Cross Families,
With the heartbreaking conflict in Ukraine dominating our news it can be hard to know how to talk about the world's brokenness with our kids.
There is tremendous value in having difficult conversations with our kids, especially when it comes to topics that have no easy answers. When left to make their own assumptions, kids can think that anxiety or confusion is something only they are experiencing. The feeling of being with these feelings isn't good for anyone, especially children. You do not need to have the "perfect" answer, or even any answer, to be a valuable resource to children. We often underestimate how much comfort simple, open, and honest communication can bring. Believe it or not, simply sharing this moment together does a world of good in showing your child that they are not alone.
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A few resources for families have been circulating this past week and I wanted to share them with you in case they may be of help.
The first is titled "A Kids Book About War" - it is written to be accessible for kids age 5 and older. It is provided as a free resource but if your family benefits from it please consider making a donation through the website to support Unicef or Doctors Without Borders. View the ebook at akidsco.com
The second is an article to help parents have faith-based conversations about this topic at home written by Charity Kauffman, the managing editor in Group's children's ministry department. It's an easy and short read that gives clear cut advice.
Read "Helping Children Process the Conflict in Ukraine" online at childrensministry.com
The third is a "30 Seconds" read from a clinical psychologist, Dr. Bethany Cook, titled "How to Talk to Kids About War". A big strength in this resource is how she quickly tells you how to assess where your child is at with what they may or may not already know of what is happening globally. Read it online at 30seconds.com
If there is anything we at Holy Cross can do to offer your family guidance or support (not just in this context, but amidst life's many challenges), please don't hesitate to reach out. DeaconessKatie@holycrosschurch.org
In the peace and love of Christ,
Deaconess Katie
Talking to Our Kids About Race
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Part of our call as people who follow Jesus is to love others as Jesus loved, which included seeking to change the ways culture can hurt others.
In Jesus’ time, he challenged the ways in which the culture as it was did not allow for fullness of life for those who found themselves widowed, orphaned, or in a strange land. In our time, following Jesus’ example of love can include challenging ways in which the culture as it is does not allow for fullness of life for those who are “othered” for any number of reasons. The following resources give ideas of how to equip your kids (and yourselves) for loving others as Jesus loves them. Here are some ideas and resources to begin the conversation:
· There are a lot of books you can read with your child(ren). Your local public children’s librarian will most likely be able to assist you in choosing some for your family to read. One book that my family has appreciated is Something Happened In Our Town by Marianne Celano, Marietta Collins and Ann Hazard. Age range 4-8 year olds). Another one is When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner.
· Sesame Workshop has some great resources for younger kids. As a parent, I’ve found the articles helpful. sesameworkshop.org/what-we-do/racial-justice
· Talk with your child(ren) about being an “upstander,” and maybe even practice how to be one. Here is a cute video that introduces how to be an upstander: youtu.be/eeqQCyQOCPg
· When you’re watching a show with your kids, pay attention to who the heroes and villains are portrayed to be. Talk about why that might be.
· For your own growth, join Holy Cross’ Antiracism Roundtable and Work Group, held monthly via Zoom.
Some of these ideas were collected from a three-session class called “Raising Anti-Racist Kids” led by First Presbyterian in Libertyville. View the recap resources on their website under Resources for Families at firstpreslibertyville.org/anti-racism/
An important take-away from Sesame Workshop: “As soon as children can ask questions, support their natural curiosity by answering them, even the most difficult ones (and it’s okay to say you want to think about their question for a while). Let them know that it’s okay to notice skin color and to talk about race. The idea is to make differences normal… and good!”
From a place of faith, we recognize that God has created these differences—and loves and celebrates them.
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