Family Newsletter
March 29, 2020
The Fifth Sunday in Lent

Dear Epiphany Families,

My friends, I pray this second week of social distancing was gentle on you. For me this has been a week of reevaluating how I should walk through these months with my children. When the school closures were announced two weeks ago, I leapt into action. I gathered my flashcards, posted my colored-coded schedule and we were OFF! This gave us great structure as the world tilted all around, and it gave me a feeling of control in a situation of powerlessness.

But this week, as our new normal settled around us, it was time to take a deep breath and reconsider what our family really needs right now. It's not multiplication tables. I think what we really need is a holy surrender of our own goals and a time of building spirit, not achievements.

That's harder than running a homeschool, isn’t it?

So now I'm asking myself: What could it look like, to hold our own desires in an open hand and welcome God to do deep heart work within us during this season? What if we prioritize relationships and personal connections, which usually take second place to schedules? What if we look for ways to sacrificially love others? What if we actively cultivate joy in the midst of disappointments, and embrace the new lovely that God offers? This is a work in progress, but isn’t everything?

I pray that God will show us God's holy and perfect will for our hearts, and that we give ourselves permission to respond.

Love, Bryn

bhollenbeck@3crowns.org

This Week's Pajama Sunday School

Hello my friends! Thank you to everyone who emailed me pictures of your family at "church from home" last week. I loved seeing you!

This week you can join Epiphany's Sunday Worship in the big sanctuary via YouTube at 10am (wave to Sarah and Rich! shout "helloooooo Sarah and Rich!"), and you can do some special PJ Sunday School. Anytime you're ready, you can watch this week's Children's lesson on YouTube.

Epiphany's Children Chapel: YouTube Time!

In our video lesson, I ask you what you think Noah and his family did during their time on the ark. Storytelling, art, playing with the animals. What are your best ideas for ways to spend time at home? Can you share them with me? How are you staying patient? In what ways are you helping others right now?

I am SO proud of you all!

Don't forget the lesson in your Lenten Devotional bag, and have a wonderful Sunday!

Love, Bryn

Please continue to send me a photo from your Sunday worship at home. It is so wonderful to see and share how we worship as one body even when physically distancing. Creativity is welcome. Please email me your photos this Sunday!

Family Devotion Ideas for the Coming Week

Keep on the good march. I know how much is being thrown at you right now. Here I offer some easy ways to help your children connect with God each day. Take what is helpful, and leave the rest. I pray you will find delight in your children this week.

Monday: This week we had our Sunday School lesson on Noah and his great faithfulness and patience. Think about Noah's great love for others, and that great Ark full of the animals he cared for.

Here's a fun art project: take a piece of paper and draw a beautiful rainbow with crayons (it's gotta be crayons for this to work!). Then take some water color paints and paint a blue sky all over the paper--including on TOP of the rainbow. See how the watercolors and wax crayons react together.
Not up for an art project? Print these two sheets instead: all you need are scissors and tape or glue.
That still feeling too ambitious today? I getcha. Here are coloring sheets: one for younger kids and one for older.

Tuesday: Let's stick with the animals! Did you like Giglio's Indescribable? I love this book. (You can find your very own copy on Amazon.) Today, let's share "The Supreme Survivor," which is about tardigrades (raise your hand if you knew those are water bears) and how they are like YOU.

Wednesday: When I was young, our church leaders encouraged me to memorize Bible verses, and I'm so glad! It's wonderful to have the reassuring words from God right in my heart and mind, anytime I need them. Today, bigger kids can try this cursive memory verse worksheet. Younger kids, try tracing these words--I bet you'll memorize them!

Thursday: Let's be grateful today and everyday! I think it's time we all start Counting Our Blessings. Is your home full of things that help make you comfortable, and that make you happy and loved? Take this sheet around your home and let's do some counting!

Friday: It's New Prayer Friday! Print this finger labyrinth. Using your finger, "walk" from the entry point, through the pathways. As you do, lift your worries up to God. When you get to the center, leave those worries with God, who takes care of all things, and draw your finger back through the pathways and out.

A note to Genesis and YPF:

First of all, let's ZOOM!

Genesis: This Sunday, March 29, from 7:00-8:00pm. Your parents are receiving an email from me with the link.

YPF: This Sunday, March 29, from 6:00-8:00pm. Heather and Chris are sending you the link.

Second: I'm a big fan of these Nooma videos I've been linking you. So far, we've seen Rain and Kickball. What did you think? What do you think of this preacher, and his style of ministry?

This week, let's all watch "Breathe." Because how incredibly important it is, right now in this moment, to breathe? And have you ever wondered, why did God create us to breathe? Could our physical needs actually be more than we think they are? Does anything in this video challenge you to think differently, or act differently?

Please email me and let me know what you think!

Love, Bryn

Local Support for Parenting Children Through This Crisis

All of our children are processing these moments differently. While some are breezing through with nary an "I'm bored!" others are facing real anxiety and displacement. I've joined the quarantine webinar series of a local children's clinical psychologist (which you can find here on Dr. Kramer's website if you'd like to watch), and I will share a few tips that have helped me as I parent through this crisis:

Take things ONE week at a time. No one knows how this will play out, so when children ask about the future (will the soccer season start? what about our visit with Nana this summer?), try saying "I don't know, but here's what's happening this week."
Create a daily schedule, which gives children predictability, a sense of normality and safety. This doesn't have to be overly detailed or rigid, but helpful areas to consider are sleep parameters, meals, responsibilities, and screens.
Create a Worry Box. Give your child (or yourself!) 15-30 minutes a day to focus on worries, and when worries pop up at other times, place them in the "worry box" to save for Worry Box Time.

If you need more help, please peruse some of the helpful links our diocese and school districts have been sharing, or reach out to our clergy to schedule a talk. Whether it is you or your child who needs extra support, support is here for you! Email or call me anytime to talk and share resources.

Children's Ministry Committee 2020: Please Let Bryn Know if You Would Like to Serve

As we convene our 2020 Children's Ministry Committee, Bryn is looking for interested parishioners willing to serve. We very much want members who represent the diversity of Epiphany: young and old, parents, grandparents, and non-parents. Are you invested in the nurture and spiritual education of our youth? The commitment would include a monthly meeting (now virtual) through this calendar year, and various responsibilities as volunteered for and assigned.

Facebook's Spiritual Parenting at Epiphany Group

Please join the "Spiritual Parenting Group at Parish of the Epiphany" Facebook page. Head over and share your high and low from this past week.

This is a closed group, meaning the posts are kept private within the group, and membership requests are approved by the admin (Bryn). This is just to keep our page safe and free from scammers. If I don't find your name in the directory, I won't approve the request automatically; if this happens, please email me and I can fix it!

Please excuse the type-os. I made my kids 900,000 snacks while writing this newsletter.

A Welcoming Episcopal Community

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