12/04/2018
FIRST BITS AND BYTES
Volume 1 – Number 1
December 3, 2018
Some Random Thoughts:
It has been my hope since I came on staff here at First Presbyterian to have a regular newsletter to go to
our Church Families, of all shapes and sizes, of about what is happening here that involve our children
and families. And now with the new oversight of the website, the new app – I feel we have the tools
needed to make this happen. It will be used to share thoughts, events, topics and anything we want to
be sure you know about. My goal is to try to get information to you about every other week – holidays
and other events may alter this slightly.
If you ever have any questions about anything in the articles, please do not hesitate to let me know. I
will try not to try to share everything at one time!!
Blessings,
Renda R. Brinson
Director of Christian Education
rendabrinson@fpcmonroe.org
704-458-0366
Announcements:
Our ‘Breakfast with Mary and Joseph’ will be this Sunday. It will be our Sunday School Program for this
week. If you have not signed up – please do so by Thursday. We want to be sure we have enough for
our light breakfast and enough craft supplies have been prepped for the activity following the visit from
Mary and Joseph. We hope to see you there! We are planning on one craft activity for each family unit.
There is no charge for this event, there will be a donation basket to help us offset the cost of the
program.
Our Christmas Pageants will be presented on Sunday, December 16, 2018. We will begin with a covered
dish dinner at 5:00. Please know that we will be allowing our children (and families) that are in the
pageants to eat first, so they may be dismissed to costuming following dinner. Our plays should start
between 6 and 6:15 p.m. This is a gift from the children to their Church family. I hope you will be with
us as the children unwrap and present their gift to you.
Preschool and Elementary Sunday School
December 16 and December 23 both age groups will be doing two weeks of learning and activities for
Advent and preparing for the coming of the Christ Child.
On December 30 – there is NO Sunday School. This will allow our Sunday School teachers a break in
the busy days of the season.
On January 6 – regular Sunday Classes will resume.
Save the Dates – Vacation Bible School June 17-21 with our CHILDREN’s SUNDAY
Worship on Sunday June 23 at 11:00.
Book Stack
I have a great love for books – which means I have a HUGE to read stack. I especially
thing that we are blessed to have wonderful children’s books available to us today – the
choice seems endless. I will share with you some of my favorites through this
newsletter. I believe that there are few books that we cannot read and then think about
what we can learn from it about faith. So with each book, I will give you some
questions that you can use to guide a discussion with your children about what they
believe. I hope you enjoy these and maybe you can find a new favorite to share with
others.
Two books came to mind today. One that is good for the season of Advent and as we
prepare for Christmas and all the ‘wants’ that we hear from our children. The second is came to mind this
morning, as the decision was made for one of my grandson’s dog to be put to sleep due to growing
cancer. This book is one to read to your child or grandchild before they suffer a loss and often during
their life.
Snow Bunny’s Christmas Wish, by Rebecca Henry, is a great holiday book to share with
children of all ages.
Snow Bunny has a serious Christmas wish! She wants a
friend!
But her letter to Santa with her wish is too late for the
mail, so she must deliver it herself. So she packs for the
trip and sets off for Santa’s house at the North Pole.
Several adventures await Bunny as she travels. She
finally gets a ride home with no other than Santa, all the
time wondering if her Christmas wish will be fulfilled.
Faith Talk:
1. What would you have packed if you had been Bunny?
2. Do you like to look at stars? Can you pick out the brightest?
3. Who does Snow Bunny help? How did she help?
4. What happened to Snow Bunny’s wish?
5. How was Snow Bunny a good friend? How can you be a good friend?
Snowflakes Fall
Snowflakes Fall by Patricia MacLachlan and Steven Kellogg is a book for a winter’s evening
read.
Life’s natural cycle is shown in all its beauty, joy and
even sorrow. This book is a tribute to the qualities that
make each individual unique. The book deals with the
impact of loss and the healing power of memory.
Read this book with your children before they suffer a
loss, for it is inevitable that they will someday face the
loss of someone dear to them.
Snowflakes come and go quickly, disappearing soon and leaving us with only memories of fun
filled days. But even in the melting of the snow, they leave behind more than just memories of
childhood and the way things used to be.
Faith Talk –
1. What is the best part of a snowy day?
2. What is the best part of spring?
3. Are you sad when the snow melts?
4. What do you like to remember from a snowy day?