What’s Happening Sundays at 11 AM?
Perhaps the most asked question about the new schedule change (effective Sept. 17), asked from a variety of perspectives, is what happens during the 11 AM Sunday School time? The answer contains the most exciting parts of the new schedule!
Having children’s Sunday School after worship affords opportunities for our children’s ministry. During the Sunday School time, children will engage the scripture story they heard earlier in Children’s Worship (10 - 10:30 AM). Through hands-on activities like cooking, science experiments, arts and crafts, drama, etc., children engage creatively with the story. Since Sunday School happens after worship, we hope that more adults will answer to the call to serve as teachers and shepherds in the children's program. Rachel Casper will invite you to partner with others to provide an engaging and faith-shaping experience in Sunday School. Feel free to reach out to Rachel and offer your help.
At 11 AM there will also be a youth component with adults to mentor their lives. Options for youth include participate in the Youth Sunday conversation, be a helper in Children’s Sunday School, or serve in the nursery. Post-confirmation youth may also choose to join one of two Adult Sunday School classes. Hannah Walker will invite partners (or feel free to reach out to offer your help) to engage youth in devotion, conversation and connection that helps build their relationship with the faith community and with God.
We value children and youth growing in their faith and building deep connections at EPUMC.
We value the same for adults.
We want to make it easy and convenient for you to grow in your love of God and neighbor. To that end, we will offer two drop-in opportunities for adults to grow in faith every Sunday morning at 11 AM. "Drop-in" means that you don’t need to prepare in any way to participate. You can spend 30 minutes each week letting God shape and reshape you, while building deeper connections with others in our faith community. We have two possibilities for you:
· Extend the Message will seek to further the conversation on the message shared in worship that morning. Anyone present on Sunday morning is prepared for this drop-in option.
· Challenge Group will be a discussion on current events, social justice topics, etc. Each week the group will tackle a specific topic, learning about and discussing it with the goal of applying what we learn to our lives. Again, no preparation is necessary to participate.
We also value building organic connections with others in the EPUMC faith community. You will have the opportunity from 11 - 11:30 AM for fellowship, which begins after worship. It will continue for those who desire to sit / stand around tables for conversation and connection. Other Sundays, something from the message will draw you to explore further in the Extend the Message class. Some Sundays you’ll want to be challenged to live out your faith in new ways and be part of the Challenge Group. Sometimes you will have committed to hold babies in the nursery, teach children through hands-on learning, or talk with youth in their group.
Whatever each week brings for you and your family, you make the choice of how to engage in the Sunday School time from 11:00 -11:30 AM. You'll know that the whole family will be ready by 11:30 AM for whatever else your busy lives demand that day.
I want to encourage you now to think about how you will engage the Sunday School time at 11 AM. Pray and listen to how God is calling you and your family to participate Sunday mornings. Soon you will find a way to “sign-up” for these Sunday School hour opportunities, so that we can plan numbers and have the right space available.
It is our goal to have each of you choose, in some way, to involve yourself in the full 90 minutes of Worship and Learning on Sundays at Eden Prairie United Methodist Church, beginning Sept. 17. How you join in that 30 minute Sunday School time? Make your plans now. What you commit to now will deeply bless you and your family.
Blessings,
Pastor Becky Jo
