Children's Ministries Newsletter

Happy Sunday!

We've had a great weekend here at JW! The MayDay PlayDay Lock-In was a blast this Friday - Saturday. We are so grateful for the extra time to rehearse and all the fun activities we had spread throughout the event! We are also so very thankful for all those who helped us make the lock-in possible: our choir parents who stayed to help with rehearsals and crafts and props, those who provided music and games, those who spent the night in the gym with us and the crew of guys who came in so early Saturday morning to cook a delicious breakfast for us all. Our sights are set on presenting a fabulous and favorite musical for worship on Sunday morning, May 4th! You won't want to miss this special Sunday!

We need your help in several ways in the next month and you'll see more information about these areas of need and links to sign up to help later in this newsletter:

1. We still need LOTS of items for the Easter Basket Project (there's a specific list of what is still needed later in this newsletter!

2. I need adult helpers to help with the Easter Baskets on March 26 and April 2 from 6 - 7 pm.

3. We need adult and older kids to help before, during, and after the egg hunt on April 12.

4. We need volunteers to send in treats and snacks for the egg hunt.

5. We are still signing up adult and youth volunteers for VBS and Sports Camp.

6. It's not too late to sponsor Sports Camp too!

Please look for these opportunities to help

Summer 2025 REGISTRATIONS ARE LIVE NOW! You will find the links you're looking for later in this newsletter. Encourage others who do not want to miss info and links for summer to subscribe to THIS NEWSLETTER which will always have all the latest ways to get involved and all the latest information about ministries for children and families.

There's a ton of information about upcoming ministries and events in this newsletter, so I encourage you to get out your calendars and make plans to be a part of all that JW has to offer! You'll also see some links to click that will enable you to sign up to serve with us in some of these ministries-----we need you and there are so many ways for you to use your gifts in the service of God and our church---take a look and join us! And if you have any questions about any of the information in this newsletter or about John Wesley UMC and how you can be involved or get your children involved, please reach out to me anytime at hmurphy_227@yahoo.com or 843-343-3314.

With Love,

Hope

This week's meal is provided by the Mulherin Sunday School Class.

Smoked BBQ Ribs

Trip's Famous Hashbrown Casserole

Baked Beans

Rolls

Garden Salad Bar

Dessert

Pricing:

$8 - Adults

$4 - Kids 4 - 12 years old

Under 3 years old - FREE

We have children's choirs for children ages 3 and up beginning at 6 p.m.

There is a nursery provided from 6 - 7 p.m. for children 3 and younger.

Please see more information about Adult Bible Studies offered this winter / spring later in this newsletter or reach out to our Director of Christian Education Missy Cario at missycario451@gmail.com.

All Choirs, Programming and Bible Studies will be held this Wednesday.

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Bible Bearers: 8:30 Liza Ann Rhodes / 11:00 Kiki Smoak

Children's Sermon: Dan Schwartz

Children's Church: 8:30 Caroline Thomas/ 11:00 Celia Jones

*And we still need your help this month! Please check our available dates and sign up here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094CA5AD2FA13-childrens1#/(Children's Church)

Our Children's Church & Bible Bearer Sign Up have now been extended through the end of May 2025 !! Take a look and claim some dates to serve in the next few months:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094CA5AD2FA13-childrens1#/(Children's Church)

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094CA5AD2FA13-bible#/ (BIBLE BEARERS)

We need more of the following items:

Baskets or buckets

chocolate bunnies

small toys and games

Help us help others!

Bring your items by Hope’s office by March 26, 2025.

The children will assemble the baskets for donation on March 26 & April 2 during WNO.

****WNO PARENTS, Will you please mark your calendars to be available to help with the Easter Basket Project on March 26 and April 2? We will need lots of hands and helpers to make things run smoothly!

Please take a look at the dates in March and April that we need covered and help us as you can!

March 30 at 8:30

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094CA5AD2FA13-childrens1#/(Children's Church).

We welcome any adults who would like to serve to join our rotation of Children's Church leaders at 8:30 and 11:00.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094CA5AD2FA13-bible#/ (BIBLE BEARERS)

Children in grades 1 - 5 are welcome to serve as Bible Bearers!

*If you're looking for a way to connect or serve, please contact me and I am happy to give you more information, support, and help you and your families get more involved in our ministries here at John Wesley!

Bring your camera and a basket and meet us in the gym at 10 for snacks and games and treats, and then we will head out to the front lawn to hunt over 2000 eggs! The Easter Bunny will be here for pictures, high fives, and hugs! We hope that you and your family will join us and that you'll invite some friends! *If you (adults, older kids, youth) are willing to help Hope with the Egg Hunt (before, during and after) that morning, please scroll back up and find the sign up and more information. We need you!

We are SO EXCITED for this musical - We are celebrating 40 - yes, FORTY - years of May Day Play Day at John Wesley! WE love this musical and are reprising it for this big anniversary year! (It was the first MDPD musical and we performed it for Kids Ways to Praise in 2003 and at MDPD 2010!) We can't wait for this generation to experience this amazing, fun, memorable musical!

Please mark your calendars and DON'T MISS THIS SUNDAY: May 4th! Our children will present "Down By The Creekbank" at both services and we will have a picnic lunch and games on the front lawn following the 11:00 service. Casual dress is encouraged and we hope you all will plan support our children and join the fun on May 4.

We are so excited to announce our VBS theme and dates for summer 2025! Click on the link below to see a promotion video about this year's theme. We will begin with our volunteer recruitment next week; we will be looking for adults and youth who can commit to serving with us that week. Our registration for campers for our summer program will not open until March 15th. (We need to have as many volunteers in place by then as possible to help us know how many campers we can safely accommodate this summer.)

So, volunteers, please go ahead and sign up below and spread the word in your classes, groups, Bible studies and circles and lets get our team together!

We are thrilled to offer our Summer Sports Camp again this summer at Lenevar Park from July 14 - 17, 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. We will offer soccer, basketball, flag football, and tennis as well as agility training for children age 4 - current 8th graders. Registration for this camp also begins March 15 and the cost for camp is $80 per camper.

Because of the generosity of our sponsors and coaches, ALL proceeds from Summer Sports Camp go to support mission projects for and by children. We will be reaching out to our wonderful sponsors from previous years soon to inquire about sponsorship this year; we also welcome any new sponsorships at $250, so if you have a business that may be willing to help, please reach out to me or use the link for Sports Camp Sponsorship below (there is even an option to pay and submit your logo for promotional materials within the link). We are so grateful for the sponsors who

Our camp director is Laban Chappell (laban@highseasproperties.com) and he will be lining up coaches for this year's camp. Adults and youth who are in high school (completing 9th grade this year) are welcome to help us coach at camp this year; if you'd like to help with Summer Sports Camp please sign up using the link below.

If you're new to JW and haven't found a class, it's a great time to start; if you've been away from Sunday School for a while and have been meaning to find your way back to a class, NOW is the time come back! We hope you and your whole family will join us in Sunday School this year. For years, I've said this to families about children and Sunday School and I believe and have seen with my own eyes and in my own family that it is true: JWUMC Sunday School is where our children meet their friends and their BEST friend. Sunday School begins at 9:45 and we have a class for EVERYONE! Please reach out to me or to our wonderful Director of Christian Education, Missy Cario (missycario451@gmail.com) if you have questions about Sunday School for any age!