Welcome to Fayetteville First UMC’s Ministry to Families with Children!  Our prayer is that we will embody Christ’s love, reaching out to the families of our community, embracing them in a caring fellowship and empowering them to share God’s grace in the world.  We strive to provide all family members with solid theological formation, fun and engaging fellowship, holy worship, and a variety of opportunities to serve God as we serve one another.  Through our various ministry programs, we hope that all persons will encounter the love of God in truly transformative ways.

If you are interested in anything you see here or would like further information, please contact Kristin Heiden, Minister of Christian Formation (kheiden@fayettevillefirst.com, 770-461-4313, ex. 17).

Family Ministries

From family picnics to the Fall Festival to the Easter Egg Hunt, we offer various events throughout the year to bring families together for fellowship and fun.  Here are some of the events coming up:

Upcoming Events:

• Promotion Sunday
  All children will be promoted to their new Sunday School class on Sunday, August 15.  Preschool meets in room C-100; Kindergarten meets in room C-120; 1st grade meets in room C-130; 2nd grade meets in room C-110; 3rd - 5th grades meet in the Youth Lounge before traveling to their classrooms (C-160, C-140, C-170)

• Blessing Our Schools
  On Sunday, August 15, we will offer a Blessing the Teachers and Blessing of the Backpacks service at 11 a.m. in the Sanctuary.  All students are invited to bring their backpacks to church that morning to receive a special prayer as they enter a new school year.  Teachers from our congregation and our community are invited to come as we celebrate them with a time of prayer and a gift to help them with their classroom supply needs.  We will gather together after the service in the courtyard for a time of fellowship.

• Wednesday Night Dinner and Activities
  Regular Wednesday night dinners will resume on August 18.  Following dinner on August 18 and 25, we will have special activities for children and adults that explore the health and wellness aspects of our August theme, "A Faith of Flesh and Blood."  For children, we will have presentations and drills with representatives from Fellowship of Christian Athletes as well as Gym South.
  
  Regular programs will begin Wednesday, September 1.

• Braves Game
  Join FFUMC for an afternoon at the ballpark on Sunday, August 29.  The game begins at 1:30 p.m., so we will leave following the 11 a.m. service.  Cost is $22, and $2 to ride the church bus.  Please sign up with Pastor Kristin (kheiden@fayettevillefirst.com).
  

Children's Ministries

Sunday Morning
On Sunday mornings, children are invited to take part in times of fellowship, formation, and worship.

Rock Solid
Seeking to build a solid foundation in their journey of faith, preschool-aged and kindergarten children meet every week to study the biblical stories and explore the Christian faith.  Children ages three and four meet in room C-100. Children in Kindergarten meet in room C-120.  (9:40-10:40 am)

Jubilation Nation
Sunday School for 1st through 5th grade follows the rotation model, allowing children the opportunity to experience God through various workshop stations such as cooking, science, games, and more.  Children in 1st grade meet in room C-130.  Children in 2nd grade meet in room C-110.  Children in 3rd-5th grades will meet in the Youth Lounge before traveling to The Studio for an opening gathering and then begin their rotational workshop.       (9:40-10:40 am)

• Current Rotation Schedule

Wonders of Worship
While bringing children to worship may not always be an easy task, we need to remember that attending worship is an extremely important part of a child’s spiritual growth. Children learn what it means to worship God by observing the examples of adults. The presence of children in the life and mission of the faith community is an opportunity that should be taken seriously as we respond to the call of raising the next generation of God’s people! Fayetteville First UMC is responding to this mission in two ways.  First, we are beginning our new Wonders of Worship program.  Following the children’s moment in both the 8:30 and 11:00 am services, the children will gather to learn about the different aspects of worship.  They will discover exactly why we do what we do and what it means.  They will also begin to learn the common prayers, creeds and hymns of the church.

Second, we want to help parents guide their children before, during, and after worship so that all members of the family are able to be a part of the worship experience.  Yes, there will be squirming.  Yes, there will be some whining, but the church wants to partner with parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles in caring for our children and helping them to discover the wonders of worship. As part of this effort, every few months we will publish various tips for helping prepare your children for worship as well as ways to lead them during the worship service.

"Parenting in the Pew" tip sheets:

• Prepare and Participate in Worship
• Call to Worship
• Welcoming into Worship

Discovery Club
While the older elementary children take part in chimes and bells, the 4 year olds through 1st Grade will enjoy a time of stories, crafts and games at Discovery Club.  This Fall we focused on some of the foundational stories of our faith: Creation, The Flood, Tower of Babel, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus.  Beginning in January, we will study John Wesley's "Three Simple Rules" for Christian living: Do No Harm, Do Good, and Stay in Love with God.  This study will last for six weeks.  Following Winter Break, we will begin a special study for Lent. (6:30-7 pm, Room C-160)

Kids FLIP
From 7-7:30 p.m., children of all ages are invited for a time of Fellowship, Learning, Imagination and, most of all, Play!  While so much of children’s time is scheduled and structured, Kids FLIP is designed to give the children a safe and open environment to experience true fun and fellowship with one another.  Children in Preschool through 1st grade meet in C-160.  Children in 2nd through 5th grade meet in C-280.As a new program, we are excited                                                   about the things we have experienced so far:

Pajama Party – Kids wore their pajamas for a movie night and brought a new pair of pajamas to donate to Gracie’s Closet, a clothing project for Fayette County Foster children. Wrapping Party– The children gathered to help wrap presents for the DFCS Christmas party

Freeze Dance, Relay Races, Limbo, and more!!

Children's Music

Strong Tower: Knowing My King

Join us on Wednesday nights for music, games and fun as we learn about Jesus, our King. Our music this year will broaden our understanding of God's role in our lives and how to connect to him. His many names will help us learn more about his relationship with us.

Choirs (ages 4 through 5th grade) - 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Discovery Club, Chimes, Handbells - 6:30 to 7 p.m.
Kid's FLIP and Ensemble - 7 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Sonshine Singers 4 Year Olds-K, 6-6:30 pm (C-270) Melody Choir 1st-2nd Grade, 6-6:30 pm (B-225) Joyful Noise Choir 3rd-5th Grade, 6-6:30 pm (B-125)

Children’s Chimes 2nd-3rd Grade, 6:30-7 pm (B-320) Handbells 4th-5th Grade, 6:30-7 pm (B-140)

Summer Activities

Vacation Bible School
We had a great time at VBS this year!  Thank you to everyone who participated.  We look forward to seeing you next year, June 27-July 1.

Marching with Moses Day Camp
This year, we marched beside the river where Moses floated as a baby, marched to the burning bush and into the Pharaoh's palace; we marched through the Red Sea and to the top of Mt. Sinai.  We hope you had a great time marching with us!  Click here for pictures from the event.  We hope to see you next summer for Dreaming with Joseph on July 7, 14, 21, and 28.

Summer Fun Days
Summer Fun Days will return next summer - look for information in the Spring!

Dance Group                                                                                                                                  
We had so much fun moving and grooving together!  Hope to see you next year in June!

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