It's going to be cold outside this weekend, but it's warm and welcoming at Hosanna! Come join us for some comfort and cheer during these cold winter days!

Congregational Meeting and Potluck, January 26.

• We will have Faith Formation - no opening, and we will have a larger group activity for the elementary-aged kids.
• Please plan to stay for the meeting and the potluck!

Parent Study group in February - see information below!

Ash Wednesday is Wednesday, March 5.

No Faith Formation on March 23 (Spring Break).

Palm Sunday is April 13. The kids will bring the palms into worship.

No Faith Formation on April 20, Easter.

Last day of Faith Formation is May 4.

April 17: First Communion (3rd graders) during Maundy Thursday Service

• First Communion Classes will begin in March. Details to come later:)

Managing screens is one of the hardest parenting tasks we face in today's world. How do we protect our kids from both the content and the possible side-effects of too much screen time without isolating them socially?

This 4-part video series is short and to the point, yet packed with great information and ideas to help parents navigate the world of media in their homes and with their kids. The series offers tools to develop boundaries and expectations with media use and your family.

This study will be led by Stacy and Jacque Eide. The Eide's are Hosanna members who have successfully raised their own kids with their sanity and sense of humor intact.

Raising godly kids in a post-Christian world isn't easy, so let's navigate this together! Grandparents are welcome to join, too.

Meet in the chapel from 10:30-11:30 a.m. (during Faith Formation) on February 2, 9, 16, and 23.

There is no book and no fee to participate. Kids under 3 are invited to play in the nursery with our preschoolers. We appreciate your sign-up as an RSVP so we have an idea of how many to plan for.

Use the guide below for today's Faith Formation Bible study!

If you missed Faith Formation, you can study the story at home together! Use the guide below.

January either brings a flurry of activity (sports tournaments, late Christmas celebrations, catching up with all the things you didn't get done in December!) or it brings a sense of the blahs - it's cold, it's dark, and who wants to leave the house when you don't have to?

Getting to church can be challenging either way. And wrangling your kids through a church service doesn't always sound that appealing either. Seems a lot easier to stay home and watch church online, right? Everyone keeps saying church is not a building and you can worship anywhere.

I've been where you are . . . there's a lot of demands on your time. You're tired. And it feels like you don't get to listen to the sermon anyway. Sitting where I am now, I don't regret all those Sunday mornings of getting everyone out the door. I see how God is working on my grown children - helping them discover their own churches in new communities, guiding their spiritual growth, and walking through the challenges of life with them. Building a habit of church is part of our job as parents and spiritual leaders of our families. Interacting with our church family fills our spiritual and emotional cups in a way that watching online doesn't match.

The article linked below shares 10 reasons taking your kids to church is worth it. I will sum up the first three here, but I encourage you to click the link to read the full article.

• Reason 1: God Commands It.
• Hard to argue with this one, despite what we see on social media. Church is more than a building - it is a community of believers. You have to be present to be part of the community. Check out Hebrews 10:24-25.
• Reason 2: Church Teaches the Word of God.
• We live in a post-Christian world. The messages our children (and all of us, really) hear from the world are not based in Biblical truths. The idea that God just wants you to be happy is NOT what the Bible tells us. It's important to spend time learning the Bible so we can recognize the Serpent telling us God doesn't really mind if we sin a little bit.
• Reason 3: Church Provides a Loving, Supportive Community.
• My own children benefitted greatly from the number of adults in the church who took the time to know them, care for them, and pray for them. Some of their closest friendships (that have lasted into adulthood) were formed in church. Showing up and actively participating is the only way to nurture these bonds.

The phrase - It's not easy, but it's worth it - comes to mind here. Getting your family to church regularly may not be easy, but it will pay off in ways you can't even imagine. You are not alone in this journey - please reach out with your ideas, questions, concerns, and needs.

See you in church!

Jenn

Please watch this newsletter and your Remind feed for opportunities to fill in as a substitute teacher!

• Faith Formation: Substitute teachers and occasional leader for opening - let me know if you are willing to on the list when we are in need:)
• Youth Group: We are also in need of volunteers for the Youth Group - particularly to add more opportunities for small group Bible studies for teens. We could really use more men to share their faith with our teen boys!
• Mentoring: KidsHope is a mentoring partnership between Hosanna and Lincoln Elementary. If you are interested in committing an hour a week to meet with one student during the school day, please let me know! We have a need for additional mentors.

In an effort to keep things clean and tidy, you can return Worship Activity bags to the posts and the Activity boards to the carts instead of piling them up. Each one gets checked and refilled every week!

What do you love about Hosanna?

What do you wish for?

Share your ideas so we keep doing the things that are working, and keep growing with positive changes.

This link will remain open all year, so drop by anytime with your feedback.

Click the picture to share your ideas!

Third-Sixth Graders - have you memorized the entire Apostles' Creed? Say it to a teacher and you can sign the poster in the Education Hallway! Younger kids can take on this challenge, too!

The Apostles' Creed is like a faith statement - it sums up what we believe as Christians!

Your kids can pick up cards to practice memory verses, the Apostles' Creed, or the Books of the Bible from Jenn. Tucking God's word in our hearts helps our faith have deeper roots!

Faith Formation: 10:30-11:30

Preschool and Kindergarten: Ella Olson, Rylle Olson, Claire Mohr, Jersey Peery

1st and 2nd Grade: Halle Olson

3rd and 4th Grade: Melissa Gross

5th and 6th Grade: Stuart Olson

Music and AV: Angie and Dave Eickmeyer

Education Director & Opening: Jenn Brist

Have you checked out RightNow Media lately? Every one who attends Hosanna can access all the online resources at no cost to you. If you don't have an account, just text HLW to 49775.

Access content at rightnowmedia.org or download the app!

The best way to keep up with all the happenings at Hosanna is the weekly ENewsletter!

If you do not receive the ENews, please send your current email address to Anna at watertownhosannalutheran@gmail.com

You can also find the ENews posted on Facebook.