Hi Friends,
It's hard to believe that we are two weeks away from Palm Sunday and Holy Week! Our kids began learning a song for Palm Sunday last week, and they will sing it with the adult choir as they process into the sanctuary with palm leaves on April 10th. We love this moment for intergenerational worship! Cynthia will be practicing the song each week with the kids, and they can practice with this song sheet at home. Stay tuned for more information about when kids should plan to arrive on April 10th for this special service.
As we continue to pray for the people of Ukraine, some of your kids may have questions about the conflict and what is happening. If you are looking for a resource to help you talk about war in an age-appropriate way with your kids, you might find this book helpful. It's written by a journalist who has covered many wars, and it is designed specifically for young people. Your kids have an opportunity to donate to Ukraine relief efforts, so be sure to ask them about what they might want to contribute to the special offering bucket that is out each Sunday in our kid space.
Join Our Team
Our ministry is growing, which is such great news! In order to love and serve our kids well, we need more caring adults to hang out with kids and teach on Sunday mornings. If you have wondered what it means to be part of our kid ministry team, please join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM for an informational meeting and training. Current volunteers are also invited to attend so they can get acclimated to our indoor spaces before we bring the kids inside on April 10th. We need a variety of personalities, gifts, and interests; if you aren't sure whether Family Ministry is a good fit, come and find out! Email us if you are interested.
Marriage Class
This Sunday is also another marriage class from 5-6:30 pm. You are welcome to join even if you didn't attend the last one! This month's topic is intimacy, so it's sure to be fun. Text "couples" to (626) 727-9498 to sign up and receive updates. If you plan to attend and need childcare, please email lindsay@fbcpasadena.com so we can be sure to have enough food and qualified adults.
Sunday
KIDS
Our nursery room is open this Sunday for babies and toddlers four years old and under. Childcare will be open starting at 10:15 AM so you can drop your child off and head to the sanctuary for worship.
Our kids five to ten years old can join us in the park for a time of learning and playing together. Parents can enter from the Union Street gate to sign their kids in. Our team will be ready for a fun morning together with your kids! This week we will continue to reflect on the season of Lent and create a tool to help us draw nearer to God in prayer and meditation (and it involves glitter!). We hope that you feel inspired as a family to move through Lent with intention and open hearts.
Discussion Questions for the Table at Home:
If you were able to do any of the Lenten practices from your kit, how did it go?
How could you be helpful to someone in your life like the angels were helpful to Jesus?
Lenten Kit
You'll notice that there is a lot of optional information in the Lenten kit we sent home (we have more if you didn't get one!). There are cards with simple practices to do at home every day and some supplemental explanations about the church and various traditions for this season. Please just use what's helpful and ignore the rest! We hope that your families experience nearness to God and discover new spiritual insights by choosing small practices to do at home together this Lenten season.
Please note that early childcare at 9:00 am will resume after Easter. In the meantime, we will open our nursery spaces for any parent who wants to play with their kids while the other parent is in early choir practice on Sunday.
YOUTH
We had a blast last Sunday at the Pasadena Youth Coalition gathering! This week we are back on track for our regular youth gathering after service. We'll gather in the park for lunch and a time of discussion as we continue to look at the book of Matthew together.
Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope to see you Sunday!
With love and gratitude for you,
Pastor Lindsay
P.S. In case you missed my previous emails, below are our plans for moving kids indoors.
Starting April 3rd, kids who are not in the nursery will join us for worship in the sanctuary every first Sunday of the month. If your child has a hard time sitting in service, that's okay! We don't need your kids to be still and silent; we understand that they bring a different kind of energy and focus. If you are struggling with how to make first Sundays work for you and your family, we can help—so let us know! We believe in intergenerational worship and want to support our families as we nurture these moments we have together as a whole church.
On April 10th, our programming for kids will return to our indoor classrooms. Masks will become optional, and we will emphasize compassion and respect for one another knowing that our kids will experience varying levels of comfort in this transition. As we get closer to April 10th, I'll send a reminder about which classrooms are for which age groups.
April 10th is also Palm Sunday, and our kids will join the adult choir as they process into the sanctuary with palm leaves. It will also mark the start of our regular routine for kids to join the worship service for the first part before being dismissed to their classrooms.
We are so excited to welcome kids back into their spaces and to have more opportunities for them to join the church at large! Keep an eye out for more information in the coming weeks.