Children's Ministries Blog

Dear Families,

On Christmas Eve, the children brought forward their Advent Project Heifer boxes, filled with $60. With the money 3 flocks of chickens were purchased to help families somewhere in the world live a better life. Here's what Heifer International says about the gift of chickens:

Chicks: A Good Choice

A flock of chicks can help families from Cameroon to the Caribbean add nourishing, life-sustaining eggs to their inadequate diets.

The protein in just one egg is a nutritious gift for a hungry child. Protein-packed eggs from even a single chicken can make a life-saving difference.

Heifer helps many hungry families with a starter flock of 10 to 50 chicks. A good hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year - plenty to eat, share or sell. With Heifer recipients' commitment to pass on the offspring and training, the exponential impact of adding chickens to communities in poverty is truly a model that helps end hunger and poverty.

Because chickens require little space and can thrive on readily available food scraps, families can make money from the birds without spending much. And chickens help control insects and fertilize gardens. (https://secure1.heifer.org/gift-catalog/chicks.html)

Thank you for participating in our Advent Project. May your gifts share God's love and end suffering around the world.  

Peace to you,

Michelle 

*To learn more about heifer or to purchase gifts in honor of someone, or just because, visit: http://www.heifer.org/give/give. 

Dear Families,

Advent greetings! I hope you are well and are finding time to rest and prepare for Christ as we approach Christmas. It was such a joy to be part of the Christmas pageant with so many of you last week. What a blessing of joy! For some of my thoughts on the pageant and for a link to the pageant pictures (over 100 of them!), click here: http://www.cgs-raleigh.org/stories/Children or visit the "Children's Stories" page on our website (under the "Children" tab).

Last Sunday at church, you may have noticed that the altar and vestments were rose, the candle lit during Godly Play was rose, but the Advent calendars that go along with the advent wreath instructed you to light the blue candle this Sunday and the rose one next Sunday. How confusing! Which one is correct? This provided a learning moment for me this week. Please bear with me through the explanation below. To those who brought this to my attention, thank you for being so observant!

Father Bill explained to me that neither one is wrong. An old Episcopal tradition was to observe the third Sunday of Advent as Rose Sunday. This is because lessons associated with Mary (her color is rose) such as the annunciation or other similar readings were traditionally read during Advent III before the 1960s. When the three year lectionary started being used in the 1960s (after Vatican II), some of the Advent lessons associated with Mary (and sometimes Joseph) have since been read on the fourth Sunday. You will notice that this coming Sunday, Advent IV, the lesson of Gabriel's announcement to Mary will be read. Anyhow, as a result of the changed readings, some choose to light the rose colored candle on the fourth Sunday; this change is reflected in your Advent Wreath Devotionals. On the other hand, Good Shepherd, some other Episcopal churches and Roman Catholic churches continue to observe Rose Sunday on Advent III. Hopefully that makes some sort of sense! Anyhow, to avoid confusion, we'll probably change the Advent Wreath Devotionals next year so that your families light the rose candle on the third Sunday rather than the fourth. 

Peace to you,

Michelle