Zion Sunday School Parent's Letter

December 2012

Superintendent's Corner
One of the responsibilities of the Sunday School Superintendent is to maintain a relationship with parents to the extent possible given the size of our church. Fortunately, modern communication methods help, but it's always great to be able to attach a face to a name. This is especially important if a parent has a concern regarding Sunday School that they want to express. Of course, it's always important to get to know your child's teacher(s) so please be sure to do that. But, if you don't already know me, I would also appreciate it if you introduced yourself to me some time. I'm the tall, thin, "mature" guy who is usually walking the school halls before and after classes and I'd like to make your acquaintance. So, please stop and introduce yourself to me some time and let me know how I can help make your child's Sunday School experience the best it can be! Bruce Dorris, Superintendent

Our Staff
Pre-Kindergarten Jennifer Weber Joey Zimmer Christy Dorris Tiffany Lubinski Kindergarten/1st Grade Kelli Lane Shirley Schmidt Heather Johnson 2nd / 3rd Grades Debbie Sivia Sandy Wilson 4th / 5th Grades Angie Hayes Mary Rakoski Sandy Wilson 6th/7th/8th Grades Dan Wieseman Angie Hayes Superintendent Bruce Dorris DCE Intern Carlea Mavros

Registration and Parent Information

If you have not registered your child/children for Sunday School please see their teacher who will provide the one-page form. Or you can download the form from Zion's Facebook page. The form provides our staff important information such as allergies the child may have, birthdays (so we can celebrate them), parental contact information, and the parent's preference for use of photos in this newsletter and similar. This information is very important to us so we ask for your cooperation in providing it. Thanks!

"What Did We Learn this Fall?"

Our Sunday School lessons this fall focused on several of the many Old Testament leaders whom God raised to further His kingdom: Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel, and David come quickly to mind. We also saw how God's people, the Israelites, grew into a nation, from their preparation in the desert, to their entry into the Promised Land, and their many struggles as they formed a governing body. As with God's children today, the majority of problems that Israel faced were the result of their own sin, most notably a stubborn desire to do things "my way" instead of God's way. If you haven't done so yet, I would encourage you to go to Zion's Facebook page where you'll find summaries of each week's lesson. (As soon as Zion's new website is upand-running, the lessons will be placed there where they will be easier to find.) Or, if you prefer I can email them to you each week. (brucedorris1954@gmail.com) Either way, these summaries can help refresh your memory of these important and beloved stories and provide information you can use to talk to your children about the lessons.

Save the Date: Children's Christmas Program December 16 at 7pm

Sunday School Parent's Letter

December Lessons
All December lessons are from the Gospel of Luke. Luke covers the whole span of Jesus' life from his birth to his ascension. It provides a valuable resource for showing the way of salvation. Dec. 2 Birth of John Foretold Luke 1:5-25 Dec. 9 Birth of Jesus Foretold Luke 1:26-38 Dec. 16 The Birth of John Luke 1:57-80 Dec. 23 The Birth of Jesus Luke 2:1-20 Dec. 30 The Presentation of Jesus Luke 2:22-40 Remember, you can see details of each week's lesson on Facebook.

All Saints Day Activities Update

On November 4, All Saints Day, Sunday School children through 5th grade dressed as their favorite Bible character and visited the adult Bible Study classes. There, they collected coins from the adults to be used for a mission. This year the children collected quite a bucket of coins totaling $288! The Board of Education added $12 so that we could present the Otis Woodard Ministries a check for $300. The people who come to Otis have a wide variety of needs from basic survival items such as food to smaller but important items such as bus fare to get to a doctor's appointment.

Our children enjoyed their day and felt proud to be a part of one of the missions of our church, helping others. Thanks to all of the adults and children who participated in serving the Lord through serving His children!

You Say It's Your Birthday!

The birthdays listed below are obtained from the registration forms completed by parents. If you don't see your child's name below please let his/her teacher know so we can get them registered.

December Birthdays Megan Griffith (Dec. 11 - Birthday)

Lesson Podcast
Did you know that you can listen to a discussion of each week's Sunday School lesson any time you want? Just go to the following website and download the MP3 podcast: http://cphconnect. org/seeds/

Please, Stay for Bible Study

While your child is in Sunday School, please consider attending one of our five Adult Bible Study classes. A short description of each class - and its location - is included in each week's bulletin. All classes meet during the Sunday School hour, including the following:

"On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision"

This discussion-centered class is reviewing the "On Guard" book which covers such topics as: offering arguments for Gods existence, defending the historicity of Jesus personal claims and resurrection, addressing the problem of suffering, and showing why religious relativism doesnt work. This class provides a great opportunity to dig deeply into what we believe. The group meets in the old church council room on the north-west side of the church basement.