December Dates

Communion Sunday December 4
Don't forget to pick up your children from their reserved seats in the sanctuary after dropping off your offering. (And remember to keep all coats and belongings with you when dropping them off to the Fellowship Hall at 9:30am)

6 or 7 year olds helping to the Stewardesses serve communion should wear all white, or black and white clothing.

Birthday Party for Jesus is December 11
Our much anticipated annual event takes place in the Fellowship Hall during regular service.

Boys and girls can wear the party outfits of their choosing.

(Children under three years old are welcome to join us for storytime if they bring their own grownup.)

Parents, please quietly come into the Fellowship Hall at the end of the sanctuary worship and plan to stay a few minutes late so you can join us in singing a couple of Christmas carols.

King's Kidz Sing December 18
Bring your children to the Fellowship Hall IMMEDIATELY after the sermon ends (DURING altar call) for rehearsal. King's Kidz choir sings just before offering. They are singing the Bethel Chant, Away in a Manger, and Silent Night.

Children should wear holiday outfits, in Christmas colors of red and/or green.  They will also be given bee headbands to wear while they sing (parents, please continue to reinforce the "Me" attitude vs "Bee" attitude concept at home).

No Children's Worship on December 25 or January 1
Worship together as a family in the main sanctuary. Children's Worship resumes on January 8, 2012.

Volunteer for the Children's Ministry

Dear Bethel Parents,

We are happy to "Bee" starting off strong start in our Children's Worship ministry! We have about 34 on our attendance roster but not everyone is registered! So please make sure you stop by the registration table on Sunday and complete all forms so you children can continue to participate. Also we have attached the forms to this email.

This year's theme BEATITUDES: Me Attitudes vs "Bee" Attitudes, focuses on raising children's awareness of their own attitudes and how they impact others, and empowering children to make God-centered choices in their everyday interactions.

We are in need of parent volunteers and are asking parents to volunteer at least once every other month.
At this time we would like to send a shout out to the parents who have helped us so far!

• Abedilla "Abby" Campbell (Katyra's grandmother) - registration
• Alkia Powell - (Zoe's mother) - snack and pictures
• Rayna & Omar Simmons (Caden & Cole's parents) - snack 

Below are ways in which you can sign up to volunteer:

ASSISTANT TEACHER (1 person per Sunday) Come help our lead teacher as she/he teaches Sunday's lesson and help the kids stay on track in their Sunday routine (i.e. The Lord's Prayer, taking restroom breaks, listening/discussing the lesson, snack, offering, closing prayer, song rehearsal etc.). Time commitment is for the entire 9:30 am service. Must complete a CORI/SORI background check before serving in this capacity.

GUEST READER - (1 person a Sunday) - Come read Sunday's story from the Children's Bible or other biblically based picture book. Once the story is read and discussed feel free to stay for the lesson following the reading of the story or return to main sanctuary worship service. Time commitment approximately 15 minutes.

REGISTRATION - (2 people a Sunday) - Help greet new parents and get them and all parentsregistered and informed about Children's Church. This involves keeping track of received registration forms, parent covenant, parent contact information and etc. on our database. Also help keep the traffic in and out of the class room to a minimum. Time commitment is for the entire service.

ROOM HELPER - (1-2 people a Sunday) - Help our teaching staff with their Sunday routine (i.e. sit with the children as they listen to the lesson, enthusiastically participate in praise and worship, setting up snack and activities, joining in opening and closing prayer, make copies as needed, etc.). Time commitment is for the entire 9:30 am service. Must complete a CORI/SORI background check before serving in this capacity.

MORNING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR - (1-2 people a Sunday)
Share your talents with Bethel’s children. Lead a 15 minute creative activity during the children’s fellowship hour. Teach a song or dance. Make balloon animals. Let them try on your uniform. Make a no-cook snack. Build a mini-experiment. Bring in a show and tell object or picture. Show us your gifts and talents. Time commitment involves pre-planning, pre-approval of activity by the lead teacher, and set up and clean up after the activity on that Sunday.

SNACK - (1-2 people per Sunday) - Bring food for about 30 kids from our list of pre-approved snacks (due to allergies, we are nut free). If food for 30 does not fit within you budget feel free to split it with another parent. Non-perishable snacks may be donated in advance. We no long serve juice but serve water. Time commitment involves checking in with us about appropriate foods and making sure food get delivered/dropped off to us.

PICTURE/VIDEO DOCUMENTATION - (1 person a month) - Come take pictures or videotape the children during their Sunday routine and/or on Youth Impact Sunday when they sing and minister to the entire congregation. Time commitment is flexible and also includes posting of pictures and videos on our blog.

You sign up online at VolunteerSpot.com and easily keep track of your monthly volunteer shifts.

Thanks for helping us serve your children!

No Children's Worship Sunday, November 27, 2011

Hi Families,

Reminder, there is NO Children's Worship this Sunday.

Enjoy your family filled weekend.

Children's Worship will resume next Sunday.

Be sure to check the schedule page at http://www.bethelchildren.org/p/sunday-schedule.html

Blessings,

The Children's Ministry Team at Bethel AME Church, Boston

Communion Sunday Logistics

Hi Parents,

This Sunday, November 6, 2011, is Communion Sunday (first Sunday).

This month we will begin teaching children about Communion, and involving them in the main sanctuary's Communion Service.

The plan for Communion Sundays and the Children's Ministry:

• Drop off children to the Fellowship Hall at 9:30am
• Keep your children's belongings with you in the sanctuary (this includes ALL coats, stuffed animals, action figures, lipgloss and purses)
• Children will read THE LAST SUPPER and THE FIRST CHURCH and have a discussion (with a member of the Ministerial Staff) about the stories, and learn basic concepts of communion and its role in building our church community
• ACTIVITY TIME will be a mock serving of communion (empty cups and animal crackers)
• Snack (if time runs out, they will receive snack to go, as usual, in a ziplock bag for later)
• Children will be brought into the sanctuary at offering, seated in reserved seats
• When YOU get up to give YOUR offering, continue to the section where the children are seated and PICK UP YOUR CHILD and take him/her back to your seating area
• Partake in communion, as a family. Ministerial staff will look to you as a parent to give them a nod to serve your child communion (otherwise they will give your child a blessing as they continue around the circle serving the congregation)
• At the benediction, you and your children are free to go home or participate in the church's coffee hour in the sanctuary

We will repeat this same plan every First Sunday.

Be blessed,

~ Simone

PS A few of our worship leaders (our six and seven year olds) will be pre-selected to help with communion in the sanctuary (they'll be collecting cups for the Stewardesses). We will rotate these 4 positions throughout the year.

BEE-u-tiful Youth Impact Sunday Oct 30, 2011

Our Busy Bees rehearsing before singing

Ministering to the congregation about Me Attitudes vs Bee Attitudes (Mrs Jessica Huber conducting)

BEE sure to send us your video and pictures!