CHILDREN & YOUTH

NEWS
2 0 1 0 A D V E N T E D I T I O N

LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION

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Family Devotion z

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the
promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
~Jeremiah 33:14
Inside this Issue: Advent is a special time of the year One: The prophet Jeremiah reminds
when we prepare to meet the baby us that God promised to send someone
Dates to Remember 3 Jesus. Using these weekly devotions, who would bring “Justice and
celebrate Advent and worship together righteousness in the land.”
Living Our Faith 3
as a family, using the traditional All: “Righteous” and “justice” both
Through Worship
Advent wreath as your table mean doing the right thing. Jesus came
Family Service 5 centerpiece. to show us how to be righteous and
Opportunities just.
Preparation Together Time: Share some of the
Fun Family Outings 5 ways we can “do the right thing.” How
On separate pieces of construction
Teen Devotion 6 can we be righteous and just as Jesus
paper, write the five “key words” that
was? When is it hard to act as Jesus
Wednesday Night 6 will be used at the end of each might ahve acted?
Youth News gathering. Each week, have the One: Who is coming?
appropriate word(s) ready. You may All: Jesus, Jesus.
Mark Your Calendars 7 want to put the word up somewhere
One: Who will come on Christmas
everyone can see it as a reminder of
Summer Preview 8 Day? Who is coming?
the week’s focus. The words are: 1) All: Jesus, Jesus. Righteousness will be
For More Info 8 Righteousness, 2) Light & Mercy, 3) our way.
Love & Gladness, 4) Strength & Peace,
5) Praise & Wonder Second Sunday: Light & Mercy
December 5
First Sunday: Righteousness
November 28 One: Today is the second week of
Advent, our special time to prepare for
One: Advent is a special time to Jesus’ birth.
prepare for Jesus’ birth.
All: As we look forward to Christmas,
All: As we look forward to Christmas,
we discover ways we can be like Jesus.
we discover ways we can be like Jesus. Light the candle from last week and the second
Light the first candle. Read Jeremiah candle. Read Luke 1:78-79.
33:14-16. One: Zechariah’s prophecy reminds us
of God’s tender mercy. Christmas Day: Praise & Wonder
All: Jesus came from God to “give light to those who sit in December 25
darkness.”
Together Time: Talk about ways to be merciful. Are One: Today is Christmas!
there people or situations we as individuals or as a group All: We celebrate both the birth of the tiny baby, Jesus,
can bring light to? and the life of the man he grew to be.
One: Who is coming? Light all of the candles, including the Christ candle in the middle.
All: Jesus, Jesus. Read Luke 2:10-20.
One: Who will come on Christmas Day? Who is coming? One: When Jesus was born, the angels sang, “Glory to
All: Jesus, Jesus. Light and Mercy will be our way. God in the highest heaven!”
All: When they saw baby Jesus, the shepherds were filled
Third Sunday: Love & Gladness with praise and wonder.
December 12 Together Time: Share some of the ways we give God
praise. How can we show our wonder at what God has
One: It is the third week of Advent, our special time to done and is doing in the world?
prepare for Jesus’ birth. One: Who has come?
All: As we look forward to Christmas, we discover ways we All: Jesus, Jesus.Praise and wonder all our days.
can be like Jesus.
Light the first two candles and the third candle. Read Zephaniah Note: Even after Christmas Day, the Christmas season continues until
3:16-20. Epiphany. Keep your Advent wreath out until then!
One: Zephaniah reminds us that God comes to us with
Epiphany
open, forgiving arms.
All: Jesus came from God to bring love and gladness into January 6
our hearts. One: Jesus is here!
Together Time: Share a time when you did something All: From far away, wise men traveled to see Jesus and
for which you needed forgiveness. How did it feel when bring him gifts.
another person accepted your “I’m sorry”? Light all of the candles. Read Matthew 2:1-12.
One: Who is coming? Together Time: Share some of your experiences these
All: Jesus, Jesus. past five weeks. Which words were hardest to live out? Is
One: Who will come on Christmas Day? Who has come? there a word you would like to take as a reminder of a way
All: Jesus, Jesus. Love and gladness will be our way. you want to be more like Jesus?
One: Who has come?
Fourth Sunday: Strength & Peace
December 19 All: Jesus, Jesus.
One: Who did come on Christmas Day? Who has come?
One: It is the fourth week of Advent, our special time to All: Jesus, Jesus. Righteousness will be our way. Light and
prepare for Jesus’ birth. mercy will be our way. Love and gladness will be our way.
All: As we look forward to Christmas, we discover ways we Praise and wonder all our days!
can be like Jesus.
Light all of the candles on the outside of the wreath. Read Micah THE ADVENT WREATH
Type to enter text
5:2-5a. You can buy an Advent wreath or make
One: Micah tells of someone special who would come your own by setting four candles in a circle
from Bethlehem. and surrounding them with greenery.
All: Jesus came from God to bring strength and peace to Advent wreathes usually have three purple
the world. candles and one pink candle, or four
purple candles. If your wreath has a pink
Together Time: Share some of the ways we can be
candle, light it on the third Sunday of
“strong in the Lord.” In daily life, how do we live God’s Advent. A taller, white candle (The “Christ
peace? candle”), representing Jesus, goes in the
One: Who is coming? center of the wreath.
All: Jesus, Jesus.
One: Who will come on Christmas Day? Who is coming? Taken from The Upper Room Pockets, December 2010 edition.
All: Jesus, Jesus. Strength and peace will be our way.
 Living Our Faith Through Worship
During this holy season of Advent, we will explore how we can live our faith through worship. We are
offering a variety of ways to help your families explore this faith practice together - both inside and
outside the walls of church!

Advent Calendars
This calendar includes daily activities to help us prepare
for the arrival of Jesus. Calendars are available at the
UPCOMING DATES TO Sunday School Welcome Center or on the Welcome Table
REMEMBER:
in the Sanctuary Lobby.
DEC 1
Wednesday Night Dinner
6:00 PM
Advent Devotions
Advent Worship Written by people in our
7:00 PM own church community, this devotion explores Christmas
DEC 5 symbols and their special meanings to us during the
Youth-Led Worship Christmas season. This year’s devotion includes a
8:30 AM
11:00 AM suggested hymn, brief meditation, prayer and question
DEC 5
for reflection so you can
International Food Festival & worship together as a
Advent Celebration
5:30 PM family daily!

DEC 8
Wednesday Night Dinner
Children’s Bulletins
6:00 PM Check out our new children’s bulletins! Beginning
Advent Worship November 28, we will be handing out Spark children’s
7:00 PM
bulletins. The bulletins are
DEC 12 available for pre-readers as well as readers! These bulletins
Christmas Pageant
10:00 AM correspond with the lessons our children are exploring in
DEC 15
Sunday school and are a great new way to engage kids in
Wednesday Night Dinner worship.
6:00 PM
Advent Worship
7:00 PM Advent Festival
On December 5 beginning at 5:30pm, we’ll gather in the
DEC 24
Christmas Eve Worship Gathering Room for the 32nd annual Advent Festival.
5:00 PM Featuring a potluck dinner of traditional ethnic foods from
7:30 PM
10:00 PM around the world, the dinner is followed by the singing of
carols in the Sanctuary. Children’s activities will be a part of the event! Sign up in the
Sanctuary Lobby to bring your favorite dish.

Youth-Led Worship Services

Middle and high school youth have been working hard to prepare for leading worship on
December 5. This year, the youth have planned an Advent service using the theme
Different People: One in Christ. Come to either the 8:30am or 11:00am service to
celebrate Advent in a new and exciting way!

Christmas Pageant
On December 12, join us for Miracle on Bethlehem
Street! Performed by none other than the children of Resurrection, this year’s
Christmas Pageant will be a fun and touching re-telling of the Nativity in word
and song. The pageant will begin at 10:00 am in the Sanctuary. All children who
have a part in the pageant should report at 9:45 am. There will be a rehearsal
for all participants on Sunday, December 11 from 3-5pm. For more information
about the Christmas Pageant, contact our Director of Worship and Music,
Helen Phelps at [email protected].

Christmas Eve Worship

What better way to celebrate the heart of Christmas than by worshiping on
Christmas Eve? With three different services, your family is sure to
experience the wonder of baby Jesus! There will be a cookie reception in the
Sanctuary Lobby between services.

JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM: 5:00PM

Specifically geared towards families with small children, the story of
Christmas comes to life to readings of prophesy and gospel. Members of the
Praise Team will lead us in singing many of our favorite carols of Christmas.
Holy Communion will be celebrated.

FESTIVE SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION: 7:30PM

Celebrate Christmas as a family with this traditional festival service. There will be special choral and instrumental
music and the Congregation will sing many favorite carols.

MEDITATIVE SERVICE OF HOLY COMMUNION: 10:00PM

Prepare for the baby Jesus with this meditative service, featuring more meditative special choral and instrumental music
and the congregational singing of many favorite carols.
 Family Service Opportunities
BRUMBY BEARS CHRISTMAS AT MUST
Pick up a Bear from Every Christmas, MUST
the Sanctuary Lobby Ministries has a Toy Shop. This year, they are
and help especially in need of Secret Santa Shop gifts. In
make Christmas special the Secret Santa Shop, children select gifts for their
for students at Brumby parents. Take your family shopping and pick out
Elementary. This is a perfumes/colognes, wallets, candles, gift stationary,
great way for your small tools kits and knick-knacks and donate them
family to spend time to MUST! Their second biggest need is items for
shopping together for those most in need during middle and high school youth, including new,
this holiday season. The unwrapped toys should be unwrapped hoodies, makeup, electronics, games,
returned to the church by December 12. jewelry, belts, etc. Donations are needed by
December 20.

Fun Family Outings

CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS
PARADE
CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC PARK
DECEMBER 4, 10:30AM
Benefiting Children’s Healthcare of
STONE MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS
Atlanta, this Christmas parade is the
NOV. 24-28; DEC. 3-5; DEC.
largest in the Southeast! The parade
10-12; DEC. 17-23; DEC. 26-30 ICE SKATING
Celebrate Christmas with the Polar begins at peachtree Street near Baker
CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC PARK
Express 4D, snow & fireworks by the Street in downtown Atlanta and NOV. 18 - JAN. 30
Snow Angel, the Scenic Railroad, and follows Peachtree Street, finishing at Celebrating its 13th anniversary
more than two million twinkling Centennial Olympic Park. The event season, Atlanta’s only outdoor ice
lights! For more information and a is free - but fir $12 you can get front- skating rink is an annual holiday
family value pass discount, visit row access, reserved bleacher seats! If tradition. Enjoy covered observation
http://www.stonemoutainpark.com! you can’t go in person, you can watch seating, theatrical lighting on the real
the parade on WSB- ice, and holiday music! Admission is
TV Channel 2 $7/person and skate rental is $2 for
(ABC). For more 90 minutes of skate time. For more
information, visit information, visit
http:// http://www.centennialpark.com.
www.choa.org.
 Teen Devotion
Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above
politics, above everything.

~Psalm 46:10, The Message

Today we live in a world busy on what we call that God is our hiding make our way through
that is so complex. The vacations that we come place and refuge, life? We feel as if we
hustle and bustle of our back more tired than the place where we can must keep up with the
society tends to drown when we left. We return find rest and peace. We flow around us, and at
out the inner voice to work tired and more try to find peace in a lot times the pace is more
inside us that is trying so drained instead of of things: our friends, that we can take. We
hard to be heard. We all refreshed and relaxed. school activities, look back at our lives
long to be free - not just How do we fix this habit jobs, bank and the pace we have
free of our worries and of busyness? accounts, church, and been traveling only to
cares, but to be totally more; but God is our realize we have missed
God calls us to be still
free, the way God true source of peace. We some of the most
and know that He is
intended us to be. So must seek time to be beautiful sights along the
God. This may seem like
how do we get there? silent and be alone with journey. God wants us to
a strange phrase, but it is
How do we navigate our Him to know truly who step out traffic and rest
very profound. David
way through this maze He is. Then and only in Him for awhile.
knew all too well the
called life? then will we find true
busyness of life. As he So during the busyness
peace.
In Psalm 46, God calls wrote in Psalm 46, he of this holiday season,
us to be still. For some of was busy fleeing for his I like the way The take some time to “step
us that is hard. In our life. Saul was chasing Message uses the phrase out of the traffic” and
society, we have been after him and David "Step out of listen for God.
conditioned to be busy spent most of this time traffic." Doesn't it seem Adapted from Be Still by Randy
with our work, as well as in hiding. He begins this like we are in this never- Brown, published at
our free time. We are so Psalm by acknowledging ending rush hour as we www.youthworker.com, November
2010

Wednesday Night Youth News

During Advent, We invite all Regular
there will be no youth to Wednesday
regular participate in night activities
Wednesday Wednesday will resume
night night dinner Wednesday,
programming and Advent January 5,
for worship services 2011.
Confirmation during the
or Senior High Advent season.
youth.
 Mark Your Calendars!
TEENS ENCOUNTER CHRIST
JANUARY 14-17, 2011
Over Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, consider participating in
Teens Encounter Christ (TEC). Held at Carson Springs Retreat
Center in the mountains of Tennessee, TEC is a Lutheran youth
retreat ministry that unfolds over three days, beginning Saturday at
8:30 am and wrapping up Monday around 2:00 pm. The weekend is completely led by youth (with some
faithful adults right by their sides) - some of our very own Resurrection Youth will be a part of the TEC
staff ! TEC is similar to the adult Via de Cristo, but is created for youth and led by youth. For more
information, contact Leah Kelm ([email protected]).

SESLYO ASSEMBLY
FEBRUARY 25-27, 2011
We are looking for two senior high youth to represent LCR as voting
members at the 2010 SESLYO Assembly and one adult chaperone.
SESLYO stands for Southeastern Synod Lutheran Youth Organization and
is the primary youth voice in our synod. Modeled after the Southeastern Synod Assembly (only way more
fun), the assembly will be held at Cherokee Retreat Center on Lake Allatoona in White, GA the weekend of
February 25-27, 2010. This year’s theme is “One” If you are interested in representing the voice of youth
in our synod, this is the event for you. Leadership positions are available! If you are interested or would like
more info, contact Crystal at [email protected]. Middle schoolers, you are more than welcome to
attend the Assembly as well - contact Crystal if you are interested!

ALL GEORGIA
MARCH 11-13, 2011
All-Ga has a new location this year! Lutheran Youth from around the state will gather at New Ebeneezer
Retreat Center just outside if Savannah a weekend of fun, learning, music, and meeting old friends. This
year, Jay Gamelin will be our keynote speaker and musician. The theme for the weekend is “By Faith”
Registration is $85 and covers all lodging, meals, programming and a t-shirt. All forms and money are due
to Crystal NO LATER THAN January 31. Registration for any forms turned in after that date is $95. All-
Georgia is open to all youth in 6th-12th grade. Adult chaperones are also needed!

SENIOR HIGH RETREAT

MARCH 25-27, 2011
Open to all students in 9th-12th grade, we’ll pack up and get away for
the weekend. The retreat will be held at Cherokee Retreat Center on
Lake Allatoona in White, GA and our theme for the weekend will be
“Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.” If you’re interested in helping to
plan the retreat or serving in a leadership role, contact Crystal!
 SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES
Affirm WOW Mission Trip can be good stewards of God’s
June 19 - 24, 2010 June 5 - 10, 2011 creation!
6th-12th grade 6th - 12th grade This year’s schedule will be a little
Berry College Knoxville, TN different from previous VBS years
Rome, GA - we’ll have programming from
1-4pm Monday - Thursday, and
will close VBS with a family
picnic on Thursday evening, June
30.
More information will be coming
soon - but you won’t want to miss
This summer we are headed back to this year’s VBS!
Knoxville for another awesome
If you are in 6th-12th grade you urban ministry experience at WOW.
don’t want to miss Affirm 2010. WOW stands for Win Our World
Youth from Alabama, Georgia, and is in the heart of downtown
Mississippi, and Tennessee come Knoxville. It’s a mission trip - but so
together for this five-day youth event much more! It’s 5 days of faith
of faith, fellowship, and leadership formation, leadership development
development sponsored by the activities, and lots of hands-on
mission work with the homeless and
ELCA Southeastern Synod.
less fortunate folks in Knoxville. This
Lutheridge & Lutherock
Grounded in Scripture, Affirm may
be one of the most life-changing week will be an incredible All Summer Long!
events around. You get to pick your opportunity for us to grow in our Lutheridge and Lutherock have
unit - there are ten to choose from! faith, our leadership, our service to camp all summer long for
Each unit has a different focus, but others - and have a ton of fun while children & youth of all ages. You
no matter which unit you choose you doing it! Youth who have completed don’t have to wait until you’re in
are sure to deepen your relationship 6th grade - 12th grade can middle school to go to summer
with Jesus! Registration for Affirm participate. The registration fee is camp - there are camps for all
2010 will be $375. Scholarship $250/person. The FIRST
children & youth who have
assistance is available. DEPOSIT of $35 is due to Crystal
completed 1st grade! There are
by January 16!!
even some half week sessions for
For more info about children Vacation Bible those children who aren’t quite
& youth ministries at Resurrection, School ready to be away from home for a
check out the Youth Blog at whole week.
ReNew
lcryouth.wordpress.com or contact:
June 27 - 30, 2011 Half week registration fees begin
Plans for VBS 2011 at $208, full week registration fees
Crystal Rowe, Director of
are underway! begin at $392. Scholarship
Children & Youth Ministries
Mark your assistance is available!
Phone: 770-953-3193 calendars - this year For more information about the
we’ll learn all about Lutheridge or Lutherock
Email: [email protected] the Parable of the calendars, check out http://
Sower and how we www.llmi.net or contact Crystal!