Sunday School Registration
We are looking forward toward the fall and the starting of our program year! To assist with planning for the upcoming year, we are asking families to register for Sunday School early. Click the link below to get started. We have some exciting ideas and can’t wait to see everyone in the fall!
https://forms.gle/B3TM7ctKYq4Dd6NbA
Confirmation Registration
Confirmation classes are right around the corner! To help us with planning, we have an online registration form. There will be a meeting on Wednesday September 13 at 6:30pm for students and their Parents/Guardians to hear about what to expect for the coming program year. If you can not make it, please let us know and we will reach out to you with information starting on Thursday the 14. To help you save time, please preregister your student before the meeting. The link can also be found on the church website, or scan the QR code. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact Pastor Loren, Pastor Eliza, or Ken Dessellier
https://forms.gle/u5AojyEvii5rQXGq5
Itty Bitty Book Club
Bethlehem will offer a new experience for our Birth-3 year old age group this fall. For little minds, learning happens from your lap, so we pray that this Itty Bitty Book Club will give you the tools to bring our faith story to life in a developmentally appropriate way. Each month a book will be selected and an activity and spiritual practice will be designed based on the book’s theme. There are two ways to participate. You can choose one or both!
- Monthly Gatherings – The Itty Bitty Book Club will meet at Bethlehem three Sundays to start out, October 15, November 19, and December 17 from 9:45-10:15. For these gatherings, little ones and their grown ups are invited to join Pastor Eliza to read the book together and play through a guided activity- maybe a game, a song, or something else! There is no cost to these monthly gatherings.
- Subscription Pack – The Itty Bitty Book Club subscription pack is available if you want to bring these stories and practices into your home! For $27 you will receive the three books (one per month) and a curated activity and spiritual practice for you to engage with your child at home. If you choose this option, you can pick up your pack at the monthly gatherings or they will be mailed to your home that week. You do not have to be a member of Bethlehem to sign up for a Subscription Pack! This could be an awesome gift for a godchild, grandchild or friend.
Registration is required for the Subscription Pack. Cost is $27. Registration for this 3-month option will close on October 8th. You can register using this form: https://forms.gle/uNUoq34W9zQpn2MC9
Sunday School
Jesus shares with us with the importance of knowing the story, loving the story, and recognizing that it is our story. In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus says “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth. Instead, store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It is our commitment that our children grow up loving the Bible story as their own. It does take a village and, most importantly, God’s faithfulness to us all. Our treasure is in Christ our Lord, and our joy is in sharing the good news of the gospel with those who are most dear to us. We are excited to journey this path with you all.
We welcome all children to our Sunday school program 3 yr. old – 5th grade. We strive to offer children a positive learning environment where their faith is nurtured and strengthened. We seek to model Christian community through safe, caring relationships and shared experiences among students, teachers, parents, pastors, and others in the congregation. Sunday school meets upstairs in the My Place room at 9:30am for large group opening with songs. After the large group opening, all students are dismissed to their classrooms. We offer a rotation style Sunday School where students will learn the same story for 3-4 weeks from different aspects. Groups are divided by the student’s grade and classes include Kitchen, Arts & Crafts, Movie, and others.
Children are invited to participate in worship services and encourage their sense of belonging within our worshipping community. We know that the way we welcome children in church directly affects the way they respond to the Church, to God, and to one another. Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.” Let them know they are home here, and that this is just as much their house as it is ours. If you have young kids in worship, bring them to the PrayGround! Located at the front of the sanctuary. We want our children to be able to engage in worship – just like they do during the children’s sermon; we all love that, right? – and in order for them to be engaged, they need to be able to see. In the PrayGround kids are able to see and free to wiggle!
Sunday morning childcare – We have a spacious Mother’s Room equipped with a changing table and comfortable seating to use while nursing your child. The Mother’s Room is located in the northeast corner, behind the sanctuary. We also have a self–use Play Room that is downstairs behind the kitchen.
VBS – Family Vacation Bible School is held for one week during the summer. Our children have a great time learning about Jesus through story, craft, music, snack, and outdoor activities.
Milestone Ministry
Milestones are significant cultural, developmental and spiritual markers we all experience throughout our lifetimes. We believe the promises we make at baptism point to the spiritual milestones in our children’s lives. Bethlehem is committed to remembering, celebrating and upholding the baptismal promises. Most milestones will take place on Sunday morning during Sunday School.
The milestones we will celebrate this year include:
– 3-year-old, entry into Sunday School and first bible
– 3rd grade, bibles
– 5th grade, 1st Communion
– 7th grade, Start of Confirmation
– 9th grade, Affirmation of Baptism
– 12th grade, Senior Recognition Sunday
