For five days last week PUMC hosted 50 children and youth, grades 3-8, for a week of music making and drama skill building. It was great fun. In Psalm 66, the ancient poet/musician/psalmist wrote: “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth” which in today’s language we might say, “Raise a ruckus for God.” That was certainly accomplished last week!

I talked with one parent this morning who thanked the church for the week of camp for her son. She said he has always been shy. And she was so proud of him as he stood and sang proudly and boldly. When I think about kids growing up today in our hyper competitive, fast paced, constantly changing world and I want to cringe. My wife and I have three young adult children. I give God thanks that all three have found (are finding) their voice (and their place) in this world.  Music, drama and art have been significant contributors for all three. The skills learned through music and drama (in particular those disciplines practiced in community) seem to have a reversal or equalizing affect on its participants. Shy kids find ways of expressing themselves with confidence, extraverted kids find ways of blending in.  Must be something like Jesus’ saying, “the last will be first and the first will be last” .

The week ended last Saturday with a grand performance in front of wildly appreciative families and church folks, topped off with a feast of hot dogs, chips, drinks and conversation. Smiles all around. What a success!!! And families are already talking about next year. 

We have a video produced by one of the families. In the coming days I’ll be rounding up photos and maybe a clip or two from the video just to give you some visuals.

Thanks to God for all who participated and helped. A special thanks to Lesley Bossert and Molly Fazio, PUMC worship/music leaders extraordinare.

“The potential possiblities of any child are the most intriguing and stimulating in all creation.”  R.L. Wilbur, third president of Stanford University.  

Peace, Bill

This is the hook our national advertising campaign RETHINKCHURCH  is using to invite today’s faith seekers from late teens through mid-thirties to connect with today’s church. It’s not just about Sunday! Church is about an applied faith that demonstrates a profound transformation of the personal and the community TODAY. I found the above excerpt in this week’s Newsweek Magazine inviting seekers to connect with thousands of job training programs through 10thousanddoors.org.

In this regard just  look at the convergence of applied faith experiences on June’s horizons here at PUMC. Here they are:

Music and Drama Camp – June 16-20. 33 children/youth from our neighborhoods have registered for this fabulous experience of team-building and gift-development led by Lesley Bossert and Molly Fazio, our highly acclaimed and talented (and extremely fun) music ministry staff. And you don’t want to miss the BBQ at noon Saturday, June 20 followed by music/drama presentations. Ya’ll come! Open to all.

Summer Reading Program – June 15-18, June 22-25, 9-11 a.m. This is our fifth year in partnership with Sacramento Elementary School hosting young readers during the first two weeks of summer, then finishing with one week at the end of summer just before school starts. Literacy is undoubtedly one of the components that allows families to break the cycle of poverty. We’re honored to be part of this program that has elevated participants’ reading skills over summer months that commonly see declines. This year will be Betty Keast’s first year as coordinator at PUMC. Way-to-go Betty!

Parkrose Heights Community Garden – scrambling to open in June. Water lines are set, building of raised beds is on the near horizon, and then we’ll be off and running. Hands-in-the-dirt spirituality just in time for summer. Katrina Kellmer, our first garden coordinator has a garage-full of seeds planted and they’ll be ready for transplanting any minute. (A community project of PUMC in partnership with Parkrose Heights Assoc. of Neighbors and Sacramento Elementary School).

What if… church wasn’t just a place to go on Sunday, but a place for neighborhood children to get some help reading, find their giftedness in music and drama? What if… church was a place of diverse ages and ethnicities and economic capacities working together to grow healthy food for their families and neighbors? What if…

Get Involved… Bill

Linda James

What inspires people to put time and energy into children’s ministries? Maybe fond memories of their own childhood experience. Maybe they find great joy working with little ones. Maybe the Holy Spirit gave them a nudge in that direction. . . or a shove! Serving in ministry specific to the youngest members of our congregation and community is a great place to be. Parkrose UMC membership can boast of a large number of teachers and retired teachers, so the three R’s should be very familiar; Relationship, Relationship, RELATIONSHIP! Not the three R’s you remember? We are blessed by the presence of children and youth ranging from infants to teens. What do you suppose they’ll remember most about Sunday School or Children’s Church when they hit an age where it’s their choice to continue attending church – PUMC, or any other. I hope they’ll remember Bible characters and the deeper lessons from those familiar stories. I hope they’ll have some songs they can at least sing the chorus of. Most of all, I hope they understand they are an important member of God’s family. That happens when we know their names, involve them in worship and in celebrations, and teach them what we’ve learned. Feel free to sit at the kids table during coffee hour – you can bring a big chair if you want.

If you have a childhood memory of church or Sunday School you’d like to share, we’d love to hear it whether it’s good or not so good. We learn through both! Log in. Click on “comments” and let us know. Thanks!

Ever hopeful!
Linda James
Children’s Ministry coordinator

The point of this is not to talk about food, necessarily, but to invite you to join us for a common gathering of prayer, music, fun with children (puppets and a skit), and food. Potluck. Bring something to share. In the middle of all this we will roll out our plans for our community garden. Hope you’ll join us.

Friday, February 27, 2009, 6-8 p.m. (or so), at Parkrose UMC, 11111 NE Knott St. (see About Us)

Peace, Bill   

Registrations are due by January 15, 2009

For information and registration forms click here.