The Parish of the Epiphany

Family Newsletter
May 10 2020
The Fifth Sunday of Easter

Dear Epiphany Families,

Happy Mother's Day!

I'm thinking of all you moms, and thanking God for you and your children. (I'm doing the same with all of you dads!)

This week I re-read some favorite Bible passages, which focus on mothers. Haggar, Rebekah, Moses's mother, Naomi, Hannah, Elizabeth, Mary. They did not have an easy road, did they? But wow, were they fierce. They fought for their children's lives, they were brave in the face of public censure, and they moved mountains in a world stacked against them. Of all the powerful kings, patriarchs, and warriors in the Bible, it is these women who are my Bible heroes.

The Song of Solomon talks of a romantic and passionate love, but the imagery used to express the strength and force of love always brings to mind parents.

Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one's house for love, it would be utterly scorned.

God's kingdom--in ancient times and now--is built through parenting. Your love is great, and you are fierce, strong, and brave. May God bless you, your children, and all the work you are doing.

Peace be with you, Bryn

bhollenbeck@3crowns.org

This Week's Pajama Church:

Sunday School

Hi children! Do you like tools? Do you like inventing? I sure do! Join me in our Sunday School lesson as we think about simple machines and the greatest tools we have.

Watch our lesson here!

Materials for our Inventor's Notebook activity are below!

And BIG NEWS: Watch the newsletters for information on our upcoming LIVE and INTERACTIVE special Sunday School time!

Church Worship Service

Please join us for the live stream of worship at 10am on Sunday. Here are some related materials children can use during the service to help them hear, listen, and understand.

Coloring Sheet: Because coloring helps us calm our body, listen, and worship.

Word Find: Did you hear these words during our Gospel reading? These words are in the Book of John, Chapter 14.

Inventor’s Notebook: Sunday School Activity

Hey parents! In our Sunday School video, we ask everyone to think of a need or a problem, and how they can help by using Jesus’s tools of loving God and loving our neighbors. Ask your child if he or she can think of any problems or needs. If they need some prompts, the following are ideas for areas where children can make an impact. Some deal with problems which have arisen because of the pandemic, and some do not. Some are very serious, and others are less so. The idea is not to suggest a new stress or fear at this time, but to provide opportunities that empower children; they have so much to give and they benefit from helping where they can. Remind them that even little steps and individual effort can make a big difference.

Click here for a template “inventor’s notebook” page and prompts to think about how to use our greatest tools to address it. (You can see how I filled one out here.) Help your children remember to pray about the problems they see, to empathize, and to brainstorm how, as Jesus told Peter, to “feed my sheep.”

People who live by themselves are lonely during isolation.
Our country produces a lot of waste that goes into landfills. Some of this waste pollutes the air, water, or land.
Parents work really hard and they’re a little tired!
It’s hard for some elderly neighbors to take care of their yards.
Food Banks are struggling to feed families who don’t have enough food.
Younger family members or friends need extra help to do their school lessons.
I or my family members feel bored on a rainy day.
A neighbor’s pet is lost.
The world needs more honey bees!

This Week's Family Devotions:

Monday: Did you make your inventor’s notebook? Have you found a need to help with? What progress can you make with this today?

Tuesday: Did you know that Jesus was a carpenter before he began his ministry? What does a carpenter do? What tools do you think he used? Take a look at these tools from the time Jesus was on earth. What do you think each tool could do?

Wednesday: What is the greatest commandment--and our greatest tool? Try this kinda tricky word puzzle to remember!

Thursday: Read Mark 12: 30-31 and look for these important words in today’s Bible word search!

Friday: How should we love the Lord God? With all our heart, and all our soul, and all our mind, and all our strength! Let’s color this beautiful reminder.

Do you love to invent? This free online 5-session MIT inventors program is meant to be done from home and is fun. My son really loved making his inventor’s notebook with Dr. Pascha and looking for things to fix. It gave us the idea to make inventor’s notebooks using our tools from God!

Youth: Genesis and YPF

Genesis

Genesis, we are meeting next Sunday, May 17, at 7pm. Last week we had a great time catching up and playing some games. The zoom link will be coming to your parents. We are back on our original bi-weekly schedule!

YPF

YPF will meet over Zoom this Sunday, May 10 from 6-8pm. Chris and Heather are looking forward to seeing you! You'll get the zoom link in an email from them. YPF will continue meeting bi-weekly.

Did you know

Every Monday Parish of the Epiphany sends out a parish-wide newsletter, called The Three Crowns. You can find issues here.

There is a Bible Study for grown-ups (and teens) at 9am each Sunday via Zoom. Click here to join.

Local Support for Parenting Children Through This Crisis: Health and Wellness

I'm thankful for this Covid-19 Prayer Book. There are prayers for children, families, homeschooling, and many other things. If you feel out of words, give it a read.

Sometimes adults need workbooks too. Here is a thorough Coronavirus Anxiety Workbook for adults.

Have you found Mind Yeti on YouTube? This calming and mindfulness series is good for younger kids (I enjoy it too).

Dr. Rachel Kramer’s excellent webinars; she is a local clinical child psychologist and she covers everything from anxiety to sleep issues.

Please excuse the saw dust. We just love to invent here.

A Welcoming Episcopal Community

70 Church Street, Winchester, MA 01890
781-729-1922
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