lcr children & youth news winter 2010

8/14/2019 LCR Children & Youth News Winter 2010

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Inside this Issue:

Dates to Remember 2

Family ServiceOpportunities

Fun Family Outings

Teen Devotion

Wednesday NightYouth News

Self Defense Class

Akaloo News

Upcoming YouthEvents

Twelve Days ofChristmas

Summer Preview

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After youve unwrapped yourpresents on Christmas morning,spend some time to celebrateChristmas together as a family!

Youll need:* Container to serve as a manger.* Small baby doll or figurine to

represent Jesus.* Piece of wrapping paper.* Christmas ad from a newspaper,mail or magazine.* Christmas lights.* Map or picture of family.

Read Luke 2:1-21 and Matthew2:1-9. Put the baby and containerin the middle of your family. Thebaby in the container representsbaby Jesus.

ACTIVITY #1: Sing Away in aManger together - as many versesas youd like. Spend some timetalking together about the words inthe song.What do you think the phrase, away in

a manger means?The manger waslocated away from other people

and was not a normal place for ababy. Jesus was born in a place foranimals. Jesus was born inBethlehem away from his hometown of Nazareth. Jesus is Godsson who came from heaven andwas born on earth. As each persongives an answer ask them to move

the baby Jesus and set him downthree paces from the family. Witheach correct answer, the baby Jesuswill move farther and farther away.We need to get Jesus back here with us!

Who can name someone from the

Christmas story who knew Jesus was the

promised Son of God?Mary, Joseph,Shepherds, Angels, Wise Men,God, Elizabeth (Marys cousin),Simeon and Anna (prophet). Witheach correct answer invite them to

move baby Jesus three steps closeruntil he is back in the middle ofthe family.

ACTIVITY #2: During Christmaswe do things to push Jesus away.Jesus was away in a manger andsometimes he is away fromChristmas. (continued on page 2)

zFamily DevotionzWhen the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds

said to one another, Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing

that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us. Sothey went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child

lying in the manger. ~Luke 2:15-16

L U T H E R A N C H U R C H O F T H E R E S U R R E C T I O N

CHILDREN & YOUTHNEWS

2 0 1 0 W I N T E R E D I T I O N


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Lets talk about ways we push Jesus away fromChristmas.

Presents. Presents help us remember the very special giftthat God gave us on that first Christmas day, butsometimes presents push push Jesus away at Christmastime - how? Jealousy over what others receive. Greedover wanting more and more presents. Put the piece ofwrapping paper over baby Jesus.

Advertising. How can TV commercials, store displays,magazine and newspaper ads push Jesus away atChristmas time? The focus becomes buying forourselves or others without ever thinking about Jesus.Commercials make us want more and more stuff, whenwere supposed to celebrate Jesus birth. (With olderchildren you might put a value on the top three gifts

they are requesting. Then compare that to how muchthe family gives to food baskets, Angel Tree, OperationChristmas child, etc.) Put a Christmas ad from thenewspaper, mail or magazine over Jesus.

Christmas lights. How can the decorations, lights andSanta Claus push Jesus away at Christmas? A lot oftimes people display Santa Claus but not Jesus. Santareminds us of the spirit of giving, but without Jesus,Christmas means nothing! We love Santa, but we dontwant Santa to replaced Jesus. Put a string of Christmaslights over the baby Jesus.

Family. How could family push Jesus away atChristmastime? Complaining, arguing as we travel tosee relatives. Sometimes the stuff (good and bad)happening with family makes us forget to focus on Jesus.What would be different if we thought about Jesus as afamily when we went to visit family far away? Put a mapor picture of family members over the baby Jesus.

Now that weve thought about all the things that might

cover Jesus this Christmas season, how can we use eachof these items to uncover Jesus?

Family.We can read the Christmas story together, listen

UPCOMING DATES TOREMEMBER:

DEC 24Christmas Eve Worship

5:00 PM7:30 PM

10:00 PM

JAN 6Special Epiphany Worship

JAN 24Annual Congregational

Meeting

FEB 7Scout Sunday

FEB 14Intergenerational Sunday

School - EpiphanyCelebration

FEB 17Ash Wednesday

Worship at NOON &7PM

FEB 19-21SESLYO Assembly

MARCH 12-14All-Georgia

(for all 6th-12th graders)

to Christmas songs and/or watch Christmas DVDs while traveling. We could playChristmas Story charades with family members. Talk about how Jesus wasinvolved in your life during the past year. Remove the map or picture.

Santa Claus and decorations. We could drive around the neighborhood looking formanger scenes and stars. How can some Christmas decorations remind us of Jesus?Lights represent Jesus as light of the world, evergreen tree represents eternal life

Brainstorm ideas on how to include Santa Clause in the fun without ignoring Jesus.Remove the Christmas lights.

Sale advertisements. Toys are usually not as cool as they appear in the ads. Being awareand being thoughtful about what we see will keep us from being fooled about thereal meaning of the ad and the real meaning of Christmas. Try to think more aboutgiving than getting. Remove the advertisement.

Wrapping paper. Angel Tree, Operation Christmas Child and other programs are wayswe can use wrapping paper to make a gift to Jesus. Be thankful for the gifts we get.Put more thought into what I can give others rather than my own wish list. Removethe wrapping paper.

Lets work hard to eliminate the distractions of the holiday so we can see Jesus thisChristmas!

Close in prayer and by singing Away in A Manger together again.

Adapted from www.famtime.com.
http://www.famtime.com/http://www.famtime.com/


3/8

Family Service Opportunities

CHRISTMAS at MUSTEvery Christmas, MUST Ministries has a Toy

Shop. This year, they are especially in need of

Secret Santa Shop gifts. In the Secret Santa Shop,

children select gifts for their parents - take your

family shopping and pick out perfumes/colognes,

wallets, candles, gift stationary, small tools kits and

knick-knacks. Their second biggest need is items

for middle and high school youth, including new,

unwrapped hoodies, makeup, electronics, games,jewelry, belts, etc!

Donations are needed ASAP, but no later than

December 20. If you would like to donate or for

more information about the Toyshop pleasecontact Paula Rigsby at

[email protected] call 678-218-4488.

MUST FAMILY MEALSThe MUST Shelter needs your help preparing and

serving meals this winter. Your family can prepare

the meal on Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. Specific

instructions are available on the fridge in the

kitchen! You can see available dates and sign up

on the bulletin board just outside the Gathering

Room.

THE BIGAPPLECIRCUS IS BACK!

STONE MTN PARKFEB.12-FEB.28

The Big Apple Circus brings you an

all-new show every year featuring

renowned circus artists from around

the world. This year's performers

come from America, Armenia, Brazil,

Bulgaria, China, England, France,

Germany, Italy and Russia! Theperformance lasts 2 hours and 5

minutes, including intermission.

Children under 3 are free when

then sit on the lap of a paid adult

(one child per lap). For more

information or to buy tickets, go to

http://www.bigapplecircus.org/.

SNOW MOUNTAINAT

STONE MOUNTAIN PARKDEC.26-MAR.7

Atlantas only snow park, Snow

Mountain has a 400 tubing hill and a

SnowZone filled with activities for the

whole family. For more information,

or to watch a video of all the fun,

check out http://

www.snowmountainpark.com!

NOON YEARSEVE

SMYRNACOMMUNITY

CENTER10:30AM -12:00PM,DEC.31

It's Noon Year's Eve and Radio

Disney AM590 is ready to celebrate.Noon Year's Eve is a giant party in

the City of Smyrna. The RadioDisney AM590 road crew will be

there with dancing, dancing and

more dancing!And that's not all;there will be a giant balloon drop at

noon!We hope you can celebrate theNew Year with Radio Disney AM590

at Noon Year's Eve! The best thing is

- its FREE!

Fun Family Outings
http://www.bigapplecircus.org/http://www.bigapplecircus.org/http://tinyurl.com/snowmtnhttp://tinyurl.com/snowmtnhttp://tinyurl.com/snowmtnhttp://tinyurl.com/snowmtnhttp://www.bigapplecircus.org/http://www.bigapplecircus.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


4/8

Teen Devotion

Let's face it ... it's easy to

treat people that "look

the part" better than it is

to treat those that look

out of place the same

way. Jesus himself told

us to love our neighbors

as ourselves and that

includes those who live

in the good

neighborhoods, those

who live in the wrong

side of town and even

those who have nowhere

to call home. Christmas

is supposed to be a

joyous time that is spent

celebrating Christ. But

for someone who has

nothing, often it's

difficult to feel like

celebrating anything.

This holiday season,

take some time to think

about how you can

spread the love for your

neighbor that Jesus gave

each and every one of

us. How can you step

out of your comfort

zone and reach out a

hand to someone who

needs much, much more

than just a bland and

blank look?

Close your devotion

time in prayer, thanking

God for the love that he

gives us and asking God

to help you share that

love to others.

For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly,

and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one

wearing the fine clothes and say, Have a seat here, please, while to the one who is

poor you say, Stand there, or, Sit at my feet, have you not made distinctions

among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? ~James 2:2-4

Wednesday Night YouthGroup News

6th-12th grade youth6:30pm - 8:00pm

All youth in 6th-12th grade are invited to this 5-week series on discovering how God created us asunique individuals with different talents, gifts, andpassions. Well meet in the Youth Pavilion eachweek from 6:30pm - 8:00pm.

JANUARY 13:UNWRAPPING YOU!

JANUARY 20:WHAT ARE YOU GOOD AT?JANUARY 27:UNLOCKING YOUR PURPOSEFEBRUARY 3:WHERE DO YOU FIT?FEBRUARY 10:WHAT ARE YOUR PASSIONS &PRIORITIES?

We need 6-8 faithful adults to serve as small groupleaders for this series. If you are interested, pleasecontact Crystal!

All middle and high school girls and their momsare invited to sign up for this incredibleopportunity. Come get an introduction of selfdefense and learn how you can proactively protectyourselves in a safe environment! The class willbe taught by Trinity Fitness, a health & fitnesscenter in Atlanta for women, and the cost is $30/person.

There will be a follow-up session a week or solater that will allow all participants to casuallytalk, mother/daughter like, about what welearned, what was scary, what well do differentlyif ever faced with a situation where the techniqueswill need to be used.We are hopeful that theconversations will open up additionalcommunication between mother/daughter. Formore information about this opportunity, pleasecontact Karen Boda at [email protected].

Find Your Fit:Dare to Act on Gods

Design For You!

Mother/DaughterSelf Defense Class

January 246:00pm - 8:00pm
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


5/8

Akaloo NewsOur children and youth

continue their Akaloo

journey beginning

January 10, 2010. This

Spring, well be

exploring what it meansto be a Disciple of Jesus,

celebrating what it

means to be the Church

of Christ, and

embracing the World

that we live in!

Please remember that all

children through 2nd

grade go to music in the

Choir Room downstairs

from 9:45-10:00am each

Sunday morning. All

children and youth 3rd

grade - 12th gradeshould go straight to

their classrooms at

9:45am. Sunday school

ends at 10:45am - please

pick your children up in

their Sunday school

rooms each Sunday!

We have been

participating in a new

program called Akaloo.

We are reading a story

about 3 kids and a dog

that are going back to

historical moments in

the Bible.

They are using a time

machine called "Travel

Fish" that transports

them. Through the

adventures of

Johnny, Molly, Ginny,

and Stripe, we have

learned about the

Old Testament and

the New Testament.

We learned stories

about:

* David & Goliath

* The first 4 books ofthe Bible, called the

Pentateuch

* The prophets

* John the Baptist

* Paul's letters

* Onesimus (slave) and

Philemon

* How to make a

peanut and jelly

sandwich relates to

how to make a

disciple

* The Holy Spirit

* We are all disciples

But most importantly,

we have learned that

"God is always with

us."

What are your children

learning from Akaloo?

Send stories to Crystal

at

[email protected]!

What Weve Learned in Akaloo (so far)written by the 3rd & 4th grade Sunday School class


6/8

TEENS ENCOUNTER CHRIST

JANUARY 15-18,2010Over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, 8 high school youth and 2adults will head to Carson Springs Retreat Center in the mountainsof Tennessee for Teens Encounter Christ (TEC). TEC is aLutheran youth retreat ministry that unfolds over three days,beginning Saturday at 8:30 am and wrapping up Monday around2:00 pm. The weekend is completely led by youth (with some

faithful adults right by their sides)! TEC is similar to the adult Via de Cristo, but is created for youth andled by youth. Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for this potentially life-changing experience!

SESLYOASSEMBLYFEBRUARY 19-21,2010We are looking for two senior high youth to representLCR as voting members at the 2010 SESLYOAssembly and one adult chaperone. SESLYO standsfor Southeastern Synod Lutheran YouthOrganization and is the primary youth voice in oursynod. LCRs very own Hillary Nelson serves asSecretary for the SESLYO youth board! Modeled after the Southeastern Synod Assembly (only waymore fun), the assembly will be held at Cherokee Retreat Center on Lake Allatoona in White, GA the

weekend of February 19-21, 2010. This years theme is I am Glorious! Fearfully and WonderfullyMade! If you are interested in representing the voice of youth in our synod, this is the event for you.Leadership positions are available! If you are interested or would like more info, contact Crystal [email protected]. Middle schoolers, you are more than welcome to attend the Assembly as avisitor - contact Crystal if you are interested!

ALL GEORGIAMARCH 12-14,2010Lutheran Youth from around the state gather at the FFA RetreatCenter in Covington once again for a weekend of fun, learning,

music, and meeting old friends. This year, David Scherer, alsoknown as Agape, will be our keynote speaker and musician. Agape

is a well-known hip-hop artist and we are excited to have him with us for the weekend. The theme forthe weekend is Keep it Tov - What does it mean to be created good and how do we use that good toimpact the world? Registration is $75 and covers all lodging, meals, programming and a t-shirt. Allforms and money are due to Crystal NO LATER THAN January 31. Registration for any forms turnedin after that date is $85. All-Georgia is open to all youth in 6th-12th grade. Adult chaperones are alsoneeded!

Upcoming Youth Events


7/8

Epiphany ServiceOn Wednesday, January 6 we will gather together to celebrate

Epiphany with a special worship experience. Join us for dinner and

your last chance to sing Christmas carols! The story of the wisemen

will be dramatized, there will be scripture readings, and wellcelebrate Jesus birth as a light to the nations. You wont want to

miss it!

Epiphany ProjectEach year we use the season of Epiphany to focus on a Lutheran

outreach ministry that we are not already involved in. By

choosing a ministry connected with the ELCA, we begin to see

how our connection to and financial support of the ELCA

allows us to reveal the good news of Christ in ways that we arenteven aware of ! This year, our Epiphany emphasis is the Navajo

Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, Arizona.

Epiphany CelebrationWe will conclude our 2010 Epiphany Celebration with an Intergenerational Sunday school experience

on February 14 at 9:45am in the Gathering Room. You wont want to miss this opportunity to

experience Navajo music, crafts, food and fun!

The Twelve Days of ChristmasDont stop celebrating Christmas on Christmas day! The Christmas season begins at sundown on

Christmas Eve and lasts through sundown on January 5. This is why the Christmas season is often

referred to as the Twelve Days of Christmas! On January 6, we begin our Epiphany celebration. The term

epiphany means "to show" or "to make known" or even "to reveal." On this special day, we rememberthe wise men who brought gifts to visit the Christ child, who by so doing "reveal" Jesus to the world as

Lord and King.


8/8

AffirmJune 20 - 25, 2010

6th-12th gradeBerry College

Rome, GA

If you are in 6th-12thgrade you dont want tomiss Affirm 2010. Youthfrom Alabama, Georgia,Mississippi, andTennessee come togetherfor this five-day youthevent of faith, fellowship,and leadershipdevelopment sponsoredby the ELCASoutheastern Synod.Grounded in Scripture,Affirm may be one of themost life-changing eventsaround. You get to pickyour unit - there are tento choose from!Each unit

has a different focus, butno matter which unit youchoose you are sure todeepen your relationshipwith Jesus! New this year

is a special unit just for6th graders! Registrationfor Affirm 2010 will be$375.

WOW Mission TripJuly 11 - 16, 2010

6th - 12th gradeKnoxville, TN

This summer we areheaded back toKnoxville for anotherawesome urbanministry experience atWOW. WOW stands forWin Our World and is in

the heart of downtownKnoxville. Its a missiontrip - but so much more!Its 5 days of faithformation, leadershipdevelopment activities,and lots of hands-onmission work with thehomeless and lessfortunate folks inKnoxville. This week willbe an incredibleopportunity for us togrow in our faith, ourleadership, our service toothers - and have a ton of

fun while doing it! Youthwho have completed 6thgrade - 12th grade canparticipate. Theregistration fee is $185/person. There may beadditional cost fortransportation. TheFIRST DEPOSIT of$50 is due to Crystal NO

LATER THAN January31!!

Vacation Bible School

Journey to EgyptDates Coming Soon!Two years ago we wentto Jerusalem, last yearto Rome, this summerwell take a trip toancient Egypt! Wellgo back in time andexperience hands onthe story of Joseph andPharaoh. Watch the

Weekly closely formore info coming soon!

FOR MORE INFO ABOUT

CHILDREN & YOUTH

MINISTRIES AT LCR,CHECK OUT THE

BULLETIN BOARD IN THE

GATHERING ROOM, THE

YOUTH BLOG ATLCRYOUTH.WORDPRESS.COM

OR CONTACT CRYSTAL!

Lutheran Church of

the Resurrection

4814 Paper Mill RoadMarietta, GA 30067

Crystal Oxner Director ofChildren & Youth Ministries

Phone: 770-953-3193Fax: 770-953-9433

E-mail:[email protected]

ARE YOU ALREADY MAKING

SUMMER PLANS?

If you are interested in any of these activities, more information will beavailable in the Spring issue of Children & Youth News.

Contact Crystal Oxner with questions!
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://lcryouth.wordpress.com/http://lcryouth.wordpress.com/

lcr children & youth news winter 2010

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