those have been in focus during Sunday School in the month of January.

Fifteen kids enjoyed the Three Kings Day celebration on January 6. Thanks to several parent volunteers, who got all the kids to sit still for a reading of "Hurray! It's Three Kings Day.” The children in the story travel house to house to find the baby, as is the custom. The main character proudly exclaims that she is the reina, not the rey, for finding the doll in the cake. Then we all got to eat cake! Kelly Nash really outdid herself with preparing the cake and toppings, including hiding the "baby dolls" (candy kisses) in the cake. Our children were making the association between the celebration and concepts like epiphany; the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh; and travellers looking for the baby.

What a wonderful baptism of Julia Lesnak and Brittney Love on January 13! After worship and the baptism, eighteen children gathered around the Daily Bread Table, along with Julia and Brittney’s families and adult helpers, for fruit and cake provided by Julia and her grandmother. It made for a fine celebration.

The kids continued to learn about prayer in their classes. The older group is making prayer care bears, small stuffed animals with a little pocket for holding a written prayer as a bedtime reminder to pray. Isn’t teacher Chris McGovern so crafty for coming up with that marvelous idea? The middle group fingered beads as they prayed and passed them around. Everyone came up with thoughtful prayers for family members and/or pets. They also worked on prayer bears admist cheering Kelly on during her marathon in Arizona. And children in the youngest group decorated prayer boxes to hold their written prayer words on slips of paper.  One little boy said he learned not to worry and to pray today. That's amazing lesson retention for a preschooler! Good goin’ to our preschool teacher, Tami Graham, and helper, Jolene Leisten.

Thank you to all the teachers and helpers who make this Sunday School ministry possible for our children.