by Dianne Ross, Director for Children's Ministries

As we move closer to Easter, there are several opportunities for children at Bethany to learn, serve, worship and celebrate!

Palm Sunday (April 5 this year)

All children, from infants to 5th graders, are invited to lead in both morning services in the “Palm Processional.” Please meet in FH #2 at 8:45 am or 10:30 am to receive your palm and instructions. Parents are welcome to join their pre-school and under children in this processional. Children will then go to their classes as normal, after the Children’s Time.

Holy Week Calendar

Families are invited to pick up a “Holy Week” calendar (with little “doors” to open each day) to help focus on the events of the last days of Jesus’ life, and then his death and resurrection. These will be on the welcome table in early April. Please only take one per family so all may enjoy one.

Maundy Thursday (April 9)

There will be a nursery for children 3 and under for those who sign up in the nurseries,/ email Sara McMahon (ksa-mcmahon@
comcast.net. We highly recommend this service for older elementary children and above as it is very visual and symbolic. They will be able to appreciate the stark contrasts between Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday

We will have our traditional “Easter Celebration” for all children in the 2’s class through 5 th grade at 9 & 10:45 am. Children begin in worship and go to their Sunday School rooms after the Children’s Time. Their teachers will later bring them to Fellowship Hall where they’ll enjoy music, a fabulous puppet show by the Greider family, and the building of a flower cross.

All children are reminded to bring a fresh cut flower or two. (Hopefully we’ll have lots of those by April 12!) The children then “share the good news” with the whole community by drawing and writing with chalk on the sidewalks. Children may be picked up in their normal classrooms at the end of the worship service.

(There is no 5 pm service on Easter Sunday, but there is a 7:15 am service. There is childcare at that service in the toddler room
for children 3 and under. Please sign up in the toddler room.)

Since we tend to have even more children than normal on Easter Sunday, we’d love to have some more “assistants” helping in the nurseries and children’s classes. No preparation is needed, and you will be assisting a few veteran teachers/leaders. Please let Dianne Ross (dianner@bethanypc.org) know if you could help at either the 9 or 10:45 am services.

Come share the joy of Easter with children – it’s a great way to experience Christ’s joy!