Children's Ministries Newsletter

Happy Sunday!

It's been such a beautiful, fun-filled weekend here at John Wesley. Thank you so much to all of our volunteers (children, youth and adults!) who joined me early yesterday morning to help set up, decorate, hide eggs, lead games and face painting, clean up and host our annual egg hunt. Thank you too to EVERYONE who came and brought friends and neighbors. It was a wonderful morning! Palm Sunday has also been beautiful and we thank the children choir and the choir helpers and parents for all the help this morning as the children sang and processed with palms.

Just a reminder that next Sunday, April 20th is EASTER SUNDAY! We will have 3 abbreviated, family-friendly services at 8:30, 9:45, and 11:00. There is NO SUNDAY SCHOOL and NO CHILDREN'S CHURCH on Easter Sunday.

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

There is no regular WNO meal or programming this week.

Adult Choirs will still rehearse.

WNO dinner and programming (choir/Bible studies/children & youth programs) will resume NEXT Wednesday, April 23rd.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:

just as I have loved you, you are to love one another.

The Maundy Thursday Service occurs on the Thursday of Holy Week as a remembrance of the day on which Jesus celebrated His final Passover with the disciples. During this time with His disciples, Jesus breaks bread and passes a glass of wine, signifying His sacrifice. He also washes the feet of His disciples, displaying humility and love, and commands them to do the same for one another. Later, the disciples go with Jesus to the Garden of Gethsemane so that He can pray. In Gethsemane, Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus, ultimately leading to the execution of Jesus.

These hours of friendship, love, loneliness, and betrayal are experienced in the Maundy Thursday worship service as we join together to remember Christ's last supper with His disciples and His greatest commandment for us...to love one another.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming

obedient to death--even death on the cross!

A requiem, at its core, is a prayer for rest--traditionally, for the deceased. The name comes from the first line of the first movement: "Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine." This line translates as, "Grant them eternal rest, Lord." The seven musical sections of Requiem form an arch-like meditation that consists of the theme of life and death, prayers on behalf of all humanity, personal prayers to Christ, and the affirmation of divine glory with Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.

Join the John Wesley Chancel Choir and instrumentalists at 7:00 pm on Good Friday for a worship service that includes Sir John Rutter's Requiem.

He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.

Come to worship next Sunday to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, His victory over sin and death. As a congregation, we participate in the Easter celebration signifying the fulfillment of God's plan for redemption and His promise of eternal life. A new day of joy and hope, we celebrate the victory of light over darkness, life over death...the triumph of God's love for all of humanity. Easter reminds us of the transformative power of faith and the enduring message of hope that Christ has brought to the world.

*No children's church during worship services on Easter Sunday; there is a nursery provided for children age 3 and younger.

Sunday, April 20, 2025

Bible Bearers: 8:30 Ally Mouthaan /9:45 Liza Ann Rhodes / 11:00 Kiki Smoak

Children's Sermon: Sarah Crowe

Children's Church: NO Children's Church on Easter Sunday

*And we still need your help NEXT month! Please check our available dates in May 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)

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

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!

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!