August 4, 2023

This past Sunday, I met with some of our youth over ice cream to brainstorm for the next program year. I asked them if they desired a space where they could share about their lives with others. (Because that’s my hope!) One of our teens said yes, but that she would feel more open to doing that if she felt like she knew the group more. That was such an honest and real answer. 

Sometimes I can be quick to make an assumption that just because it’s church, people will naturally want to share their lives with another. But as our wise teen noted, it’s easier to do that with some built-up trust and relationship first! As beautiful as our Sunday worship is together, that is just one opportunity of many to grow in friendship with one another. Our staff have met throughout this summer with a desire to have more intentional offerings in this next program year for community building. Whether that is through joining a Faith Circle (small groups launching this fall), a book group with other parents (talk to Bryn!), group theological study (Education for Ministry), sharing a meal at Midweek, serving together (St. Luke’s, The Dwelling Place, or The Malden Warming Center), or demographic-specific gatherings (parents, young adults, youth), there’s something for everyone. 

Our hope is that you would consider sharing your life with this community in new ways this next year. Barbara Brown Taylor once said, “in our embodied life together, the words of our doctrines take on flesh.” We actually practice and grow in our faith in the ways we are in community together. And as Pauli Murray said, “The marks of a community of faith are communion, participation, mutual trust, sharing, and fellowship.” In our society which is getting more and more isolated, it is an act of resistance to build community and share life with one another. Jesus certainly modeled that in his life. 

Friends, let’s be church to one another this next year!

With gratitude,
Rev. Janelle

Raising children is full of both joy and challenge, the wonderful and the bewildering. Thankfully, we can take this journey in community. Over the coming months we'll combine the support of friends, the guidance of experts, and the loving presence of God in our new Parent Book Groups.*

The Book Choices

For parents and caregivers of infants through upper elementary children:

Aimed at those parenting children from infancy through age 12, this well-respected (and well-loved) book was written by a neuropsychiatrist and a parenting expert. It helps readers to "understand some basics about the young brain you are helping to develop and grow." Full of both big ideas and very practical day-to-day suggestions, this very readable book can help us to understand, support, and communicate well with our children. The authors hope to help us all "intentionally build a foundation for a lifetime of love and happiness" through the early years and beyond. 

For parents and caregivers of tweens and teens:

Aimed at those parenting tweens and teens (or those who are anxious to look ahead toward those phases), this new and much-talked about book is written by well-know adolescent psychologist Lisa Damour. In a very clear and accessible way, Damour explains teen brain development: emotions, judgment, anger, self-esteem, and independence. This book is full of reassuring statements and practical, valuable advice on how we can better communicate with our teenagers (how we can both listen and talk), and how we can help our teens express and manage emotions in healthy ways. 

When we can understand and communicate well with our children, we build fuller, healthier, and more loving relationships with them. These relationships are the soil in which our children--their bodies, hearts, minds, and faiths--can flourish.

For more information, or to express your interest in being part of either book group this fall, please email Bryn (Director of Children's Ministries and Chair of our 4th Soil Parenting Project). 

*There will also be cheese and chocolate.

Jeremy Bruns will perform at Methuen Memorial Music Hall on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at 7:30pm. The program is: 

• Allegro deciso from Évocation, Op. 37 by Marcel Dupré (1886-1971)
  
• Joies from Trois Danses, AWV 119 by Jehan Alain (1911-1940)
  
• Pastorale from First Sonata, Op. 42 by Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911)
  
• Passacaglia in C minor, BWV 582 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
  

Intermission

• There is a Happy Land and I Love Thee, My Lord by George Shearing (1919-2011)
  
• The 94th Psalm by Friedrich Julius Reubke (1834-1858)
  

Tickets can be purchased at the door, or also online at: https://mmmh.org. Methuen Memorial Music Hall is located at 192 Broadway, Methuen MA 01844. Doors open at 7:00pm. Tickets: Adults $15; Student ID $10; Children $5.

On the third Saturday of each month, Epiphany serves food at St. Luke’s in Chelsea for those experiencing food insecurity. Our next date is August 19. Kids and families are encouraged to volunteer! Sign up here. 

All of our wonderful caregivers will be traveling at various points over the next month and half, and we wish them all lovely vacations and times of rest. This will affect our summer nursery schedule, and some weeks our nursery will not offer drop-off care. 

• August 6: Full nursery care, including infants
  
• August 13: No drop-off care
  
• August 20: No drop-off care
  
• August 27: Drop-off care with reduced numbers, for ages 9+ months 
  

Infants Under 9 Months
In order to provide drop-off care for infants under 9 months of age,  two childcare providers must be present. Weeks when we have only one childcare provider on duty, infants must be 9 months old to be dropped off. This is because we want to be sure that infants can be tended and kept safe from the multiple toddlers in the room. Thank you for your understanding! 

The Summer Choir assists in leading the music at our 10am services, and anyone (entering 2nd grade or older) is invited to sing. Simply be in the choir loft at 9am on any Sunday you choose, and we will prepare the music for that day. Contact Jeremy at jbruns@3crowns.org with any questions.