Bethlehem Lutheran Church :: Prekindergarten

September 27, 2020

Prekindergarten - grade 5

Faith Formation for prekindergartners through grade

Upcoming Events and Activities are currently suspended.

For more information, please contact Deaconess Ann (ann@bethlehem-lutheran.net).

Sunday School Wrap-Up (Preschool through 5th Grade)

The Sunday School year was scheduled to end May 3. The past few weeks while we are unable to physically gather, resources were sent to the participating families to help their children continue to grow in faith. I want to say thank you to the students for your willingness to participate and learn, to parents and grandparents for bringing your child(ren) regularly to classes, to the teachers and helpers, and to the BLC community for your support of this faith formation ministry! A special thank you to our dedicated weekly teachers: Trudi Boaz, Mary Boyer, Marisa Carlson, Laura Hoime, Matt James, and Sue Smith.

This year the students learned the following:

Moses and the Burning Bush, Parting of the Red Sea, The Plagues, Wandering in the Wilderness, David, and God as the Good Shepherd
Advent, Epiphany and Easter
Acolyting, Luther and the Reformation, and Why do we wo what we do in worship
As well as emailed/mailed lessons, devotions, activities

These COVID days, statistics are everywhere, so here are a few from this year's Sunday School: 1 Rally Day, 1 Christmas Program, 6 committed teachers plus 7 special/substitute teachers, 17 number of weekly attendance, 30 total students and $190.20 in offering.

Ministry is deeper than just numbers; it is hearing children pray from the heart, creating a place where they feel welcomed as they are and knowing they are loved by God each and every day.

What a Spirit-filled Sunday School year it has been.

~Deaconess Ann (sundayschool@bethlehem-lutheran.net)

Sky Ranch Summer Camp Registration

It is time to sign up for camp! Check out all the great offerings for camp at Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp (www.skyranchcolorado.org). Our Confirmation students will attend the Confirmation Intensive June 21–26, and our high school students will be there for a High Wilderness Adventure August 2–7. Elementary-aged students are invited to register individually for the week that accommodates your family schedule, but if you'd like to know who else from Bethlehem Lutheran is planning on being there, please contact Deaconess Kristen and she will help you coordinate. This year, Bethlehem Lutheran will give between $100 and $200 (depending on approval of budget at annual meeting and number of campers registered) towards the registration fee for each camper. Please let Deaconess Kristen (kristen@bethlehem-lutheran.net) know when you register so that she can make sure payments are sent to Sky Ranch.

Sunday School Offerings

This year, the Sunday School offering will again go to help children and adults in Nicaragua. Funds donated will help fund scholarships that allow children to attend school. They not only get an education but also receive meals and much more. The Nicaragua Project also helps provide materials and helps build homes and basic dental/health care. Thanks in advance for your support of this ministry!

20191220 155922 Thanks for your generosity with your offering. So far, the classes combined have donated $49.55 to help with the mission in Nicaragua! Yay! So keep bringing in your donation, and now we have a super cool new church "piggy bank"—thank you Chili!

If you would like to learn more about this ministry or want to help teach or assist with a class, please talk with Deaconess Ann Maki (ann@bethlehem-lutheran.net, text/call at 720-301-0104).

To Register for Sunday School

Please register your child online or with paper registration forms (available outside Deaconess Ann's office). For questions, contact Deaconess Ann (ann@bethlehem-lutheran.net, 720-301-0104 call or text).

Also, please fill in our Family Survey to help update our records for the Sunday School staff and volunteers: Birth to Grade 5 Family Survey link and our Image Release form.

Summer 2020 VBS Update

**We are moving forward with creating an awesome Camp VBS (Day Camp) experience for our kids this summer. However, all planning is subject to change in accordance with guidelines set by the CDC, WHO, the Rocky Mountain Synod ELCA, and Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp.**

Registration opens on May 1!

Peace Works: Aloha, Ubuntu, Shalom and Aloha!

Date: July 6–10, 2020

This summer, Bethlehem Lutheran Church is embarking on a partnership with First Lutheran Church and continuing our partnership with Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp. It is going to be a fantastic week of Bible stories, songs and dancing, high energy leadership from Sky Ranch, and a whole lot of fun! Our theme for the week is Peace Works, and each day we will learn a word of peace.

Our basic daily schedule is as follows:

9 a.m.–noon: Everyone comes to First Lutheran for "class-roomy" stuff. Bible stories, crafty things, etc. At noon we send the littles home (kindergarten and under). The 1st through 5th grade are invited to bring lunch and stay with us for the afternoon!
Noon–1:30 p.m.: Lunch at First Lutheran. Then we are planning bus transport with professional drivers of our church busses over to Bethlehem Lutheran. Once we get to Bethlehem, we will enjoy a little siesta to settle down.
1:30(ish) p.m.–4 p.m.: Activities at Bethlehem, including water day, special guests, obstacle courses, service projects and more!

To register, use this link: https://www.bethlehem-lutheran.net/gather/camp-vbs-registration.html

To volunteer to help with VBS, use this link:

https://www.bethlehem-lutheran.net/gather/volunteer-for-camp-vbs.html

While there is no fee for Camp VBS, there are costs incurred. If you would like to make a donation to offset these costs, we suggest a donation of $25 for the entire week of morning sessions only, or $40 for the entire week of morning and afternoon sessions. However, any amount is gratefully appreciated. Donations can be made online. (https://tinyurl.com/BLC2Donate). For more information or questions, contact Deaconess Kristen (faithformation@bethlehem-lutheran.net).

Something New is coming to Day Camp 2020!

Bethlehem Lutheran Church is embarking on a partnership with First Lutheran Church and continuing our partnership with Sky Ranch Lutheran in the summer of 2020! It is going to be a fantastic week of Bible stories, songs and dancing, high energy leadership from Sky Ranch, and a whole lot of fun! Read on to learn a little more and look for more details as we finish up our planning in the next few months.

Date: July 6–10, 2020.

One of the challenges we needed to overcome was finding a time that worked on all three organizational calendars, and the first week in July was the best fit. This is the same week we have had at Bethlehem Lutheran for the last couple of years.

Two Churches and a Camp?

Yup! We have been talking with First Lutheran for several years about this—dreaming about what it could look like and how we could best use our resources to create a unique and exciting week that neither church could do on their own. Having Sky Ranch help is the icing on the cupcake!

Here's the breakdown. First Lutheran has a great building for hosting a traditional "Vacation Bible School" model. They have a big sanctuary, a huge fellowship hall, and a bunch of classrooms ideal for workshops and VBS stations. Bethlehem Lutheran has an amazing back yard for playing games and getting soaked! Sky Ranch has decades of experience bringing the joy and wonder of sleep-away camp to congregations all over the front range and beyond with their Day Camp program. We found a way to use all three.

How this is going to work . . .

We are still working on the details but here is the idea:

9:00 a.m. to noon—everyone comes to First Lutheran for "class-room" stuff. Bible stories, crafts, etc. At noon, we send the little ones home (kindergarten and under). The 1st through 5th graders are invited to bring a lunch and stay with us for the afternoon!

Noon to 1:30 p.m.—lunch at First Lutheran. Then we are hoping for bus transport over to Bethlehem Lutheran! (We are working on this part of the plan and hoping to partner with local bus companies to provide safe bus transport on school busses or the like. More to come!) Following transport, there will be a little siesta to settle down.

1:30 (ish) to 4:00 p.m.—activities at Bethlehem! We have been talking about specific ideas including water day, special guests, obstacle courses, service projects and more!

This is going to be great!

We already have a lot on the board in the planning process, and we have more ideas coming! If you are interested in being part of the Framing-Team (help us figure it all out), please contact Deaconess Kristen (kristen@bethlehem-lutheran.net). If you would like to volunteer in some way the week of camp, there will certainly be many opportunities! Registration and Volunteer sign-ups will open the end of February or the beginning of March. This is going to be the best VBS, Day Camp, summer Bible School party that we have ever had!

Past Events:

Annual Sunday School Christmas Program

The annual Sunday School Christmas program will be during the 10:15 a.m. worship service on Sunday, December 15. The children will present the program entitled "The Twelve Days of Christmas" written by Gail Graymer Martin. They will conclude the program by singing a version of The 12 days of Christmas—with each day representing a part of our Christian faith. Hope you will be present in worship to support them as they get to be leaders and witnesses in faith.

Rally Day September 15

Let's Rally! George Will once said, "It is an old baseball joke that big-inning baseball is affirmed in the Bible, in Genesis: 'In the big inning God created...'" With that spirit, the congregation is invited to this year's Rally Day celebration, Sunday, September 15, at 9:15 a.m. in the fellowship hall. To celebrate the start of the programmatic year at Bethlehem, we'll rally around a baseball theme time together. Hot dogs, popcorn and drinks will be provided, and peanuts will be available for $5/bag as part of a fundraiser for our Sunday School. We are planning an interactive way to get familiar with the teachers, curriculum and more. This fall kids will be studying stories from Genesis and Exodus to know God through these stories of faith. This isn't just for the kids—adults get to be a part of the rally too! Everyone is invited to wear their favorite team's jersey (does not have to be baseball team) and no RSVP needed. Take me out to Sunday School...

Sunday School: September 22 First Classes

Sunday School starts September 15 with a Rally Day celebration between services and regular Sunday School classes start Sunday, September 22, 9:15–10:05 a.m.

SHINE! BLC Summer Day Camp 2019

SHINE! Isaiah 9:2 says “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined.” God’s light shines on us and all creation. God’s light gives light to the world and works for justice. Through Christ, the light of God gives hope to the world. And because of God’s call for hope, and justice, we can celebrate and embrace the diversity of this world. Even though the world is often filled with pain and suffering, God calls us to shine God’s light in our lives! Register now! We will be hosting another Day Camp with the partnership of Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp on July 8–12 for ages preschool through entering 5th grade. The daily schedule for campers entering grades 1–5 will be Monday, July 8–Thursday, July 11 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. On Friday, July 12, the program will run from 9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon. The daily schedule for campers age 3 to entering Kindergarten will be Monday, July 8–Thursday, July 11 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. We will close Thursday evening with a potluck from 6:00 p.m.–7:00p.m. During this time, the campers will present a short program with highlights from their week. Click here to register.

Day Camp Volunteers Needed

Day Camp needs your help! If you have some time and love passing on the faith to children, we could use your help with Day Camp! There are a variety of needs and helpers aged 6th grade through adult are welcome to help! Please sign up to help at https://bethlehem-lutheran.net/gather/bible-day-camp-volunteers.html