Christian Education Full Article
THANK YOU to everyone who attended the spaghetti lunch fundraiser for the youth mission trip! We appreciate the continued financial support, encouragement, and prayers of this congregation.
Sunday School teacher recognition will take place during worship on May 18. Anyone who has taught in the Sunday School program during the 2013-2014 school year is invited to come forward during the children's message on May 18.
YOUTH NEWS
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH GROUP will meet May 1 from 11:15 AM-12:15 PM in the youth room with high school intern Jenn Burns. Lunch will be provided. THIS WILL BE THE LAST YOUTH GROUP MEETING FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH GROUP will meet May 10 from 11:15 AM-12:15 PM in the youth room with middle school interns Emily Goetz & Cassidy Venema. Lunch will be provided. THIS WILL BE THE LAST YOUTH GROUP MEETING FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR.
CONFIRMATION WILL BE HELD DURING WORSHIP ON MAY 11. The confirmands and their families are invited to the Confirmand breakfast at the Seminary at 8:45 AM on May 11.
MAY YOUTH OUTING is a trip to King's Island on Saturday, May 17. We will meet in the alley behind church at 9 AM and we will return to the alley at 7 PM. Tickets cost $43.99 online or you can use your gold pass. PLEASE PURCHASE YOUR TICKET/GOLD PASS BEFORE MAY 17. Youth will need to bring money for lunch and dinner plus any refreshments they wish to purchase at the park. FRIENDS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND! Please let Christine Garton know by Wednesday, May 14 if you can come so she can have enough transportation. Hope to see you there!
The Jamieson Award given to outstanding high school seniors will be presented during worship on June 1.
Recognition of our graduating high school seniors and presentation of their senior gift will take place during worship on June 1.
CHILDREN/FAMILY NEWS
Kirkmont Center's summer camp schedule is online! Go to www.kirkmontcenter.com to see the schedule and to register your child or youth for summer camp. Our church has scholarship money available to ANY camper from our church. Register your child or youth for camp, then contact Christine Garton so the church can pay HALF of your camper fees!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL will be held July 11-13 at Faith Lutheran Church. The theme is "Wilderness Escape: Where God Guides and Provides." All children ages 3 through entering 5th grade are invited. Youth entering 6th-12th grades are invited to be helpers. Adult volunteers are needed. If you would like more information, please contact Katie Saylor at KatieLynnSaylor@gmail.com.
VBS 2014 registration is online! You can register children at https://www.groupvbspro.com/vbs/hl/OxfordVBS2014/gpgs/home.aspx. ADULT VOLUNTEERS CAN GO TO THIS SITE TO SEE WHAT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE AND TO REGISTER AS A VOLUNTEER.
VBS Volunteer Positions that are currently needed*:
Tribe Leaders: (Need 4 for each level)
Lead small group of children (Pre-K, K-2nd, 3rd-5th) through activity rotations and teach provided lessons each day. Training session required prior to VBS. Dates TBA.
Tribe Leader assistants: (Will use what we get)
Assist tribe leaders with small groups.
Israelite Camp Station leaders: (Need 9)
Instruct and assist small group of students in a craft. Project will be planned and provided.
Registration and Check-in/out manager: (Need 2)
Manage check-in table and register new participants. Collect sign-out sheets from tribe leaders.
Game Leader: (Need 1)
Lead groups of children in games and activities provided.
Game Station Assistant:(Need 1-2)
Assist game leader with games and activities.
Service Project Station Manager: (Need 2)
Manage service project table, collect donations, inflate a balloon for each dollar given, and supervise placement of balloons in a playhouse.
Decorating Committee:(Need 3+)
Before VBS, help design and create desert-theme decorations, help set up Israelite camp tents. Available to meet in weeks before VBS.
Props Committee: (Need 1-2)
Gather and if needed create props for Moses skits.
Costume Committee: (Need 1)
Create costumes for two actors playing Moses and an Israelite. Sewing skills helpful.
Kitchen Help and Food Servers: (Need 4+ each meal)
Assist kitchen leaders in preparing and serving food. Also help with clean-up after meals. OPC SERVES DINNER AT FAITH LUTHERAN ON FRIDAY, JULY 11. WE NEED OPC DINNER VOLUNTEERS FOR FRIDAY ONLY.
Set-up Helpers: (More the better)
Assist in putting up decorations, tribe camp blankets, posters, Israelite camp tables/etc, and other needed tasks. Available during the day on Friday, July 11th.
Clean-up Committee: (More the better)
Assist in cleaning up after VBS is over. Available Sunday July 13th in the afternoon after lunch.
*IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING, PLEASE LET KATIE SAYLOR KNOW AND SIGN UP AT THE ABOVE WEBSITE FOR THE VOLUNTEER POSITION YOU WOULD LIKE.
ADULT NEWS
24 HOURS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD DVD study will start on Monday, April 28 and will run through May 19. Join us at the Knolls Country Kitchen from 2-3 PM these 4 Mondays to learn more about the dramatic last day of Jesus' life. No reading materials required. Please sign up on the sheet outside the secretary's office or by calling the church office. Christine Garton will lead this study.
CONFIRMAND SPOTLIGHT
Our church is blessed to have 8 wonderful 8th & 9th grade youth in our confirmation class this spring. Between now and May we will get to know some of our confirmands better through a written interview form they filled out. Please continue to pray for these young people and their adult sponsors throughout the confirmation process.
This month we cover the last 3 confirmands in this year's confirmation class. After completing the program, confirmands who wish to join our church will be confirmed during worship on May 11.
Name: Noah Curry (Noah did not finish his questionnaire)
How long have you lived in Oxford? My whole life: 14 years.
Do you have any siblings? If yes, how many and where do you fall in the birth order? Yes, Abbie-6, Me-14, Katie-16
Name: Tristan Gayhart
How long have you lived in Oxford? I don't live in Oxford, I live in Union County, Indiana, and have lived here my whole life.
Are you involved in any extra-curricular activities? If so, list please: Football, wrestling, track, Junior National Honor Society, and 4-H.
What do you like to do in your free time? I love to go to Hueston Woods to hike and fish.
What do you want to explore during confirmation class? I want to learn more about the Presbyterian culture.
Name: Valerie Green
How long have you lived in Oxford? All my life!
Do you have any siblings?
Norah Mae is 8 years old, 5 1/2 years younger than me
What school do you attend? Talawanda Middle School
Are you involved in any extra-curricular activities? I play volleyball for TMS and Cincy Classics and I high jump at TMS.
What are your favorite things to do in Oxford? I like to go to the Oxford Community Park with friends and my sister.
What do you like to do in your free time? I like movies and a good book every once in a while.
What's your favorite movie or TV show? Favorite movie is "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".
If you could have a free, all-expenses paid trip to anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? I would go back to Cabo San Lucas because I love the beach!
What do you want to explore during confirmation class? What it means to be a member of the church.
What would you like the congregation to know about you? I'm very excited to be an adult in the church!
KIDS CORNER
PETER What his name means: rock. Find him in Matthew 4:18
Peter was the leader of Jesus' disciples. Every time the Bible names the 12 disciples of Jesus, Peter's name comes first.
There's a reason for that. The people writing those lists thought Peter was the most important. So did the disciples. Whenever they had a tough question for Jesus, they got Peter to ask it. They considered Peter their leader.
He was a bold man. And when he was with Jesus, he didn't seem afraid of anything. One time the disciples got caught in a storm while sailing on the Sea of Galilee. At about three in the morning, they saw Jesus walking toward them-on top of the water. Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water to meet Jesus. When he started to sink, Jesus pulled him back up.
When the Jerusalem police came to arrest Jesus, Peter grabbed a sword and cut off a policeman's ear. Jesus healed it. Peter was a fisherman who lived in Capernaum (kuh PURR nay um). That was a village beside a huge lake called the Sea of Galilee. Back in his fishing days, people called him Simon. But after Jesus invited him to become a disciple, Jesus gave him a new name: Peter.
Jesus was making a point. "Peter" means rock. Jesus said, "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). Jesus was promising that Peter would lead the church.
It sure didn't look like that after Jesus got arrested. This was late at night, while Peter waited outside with a small crowd. "You're one of his followers," someone said to Peter. "You're crazy," Peter answered. He was afraid he might get arrested, too.
Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross the next morning. But he rose from the dead. Then he spent several weeks with his disciples before returning to heaven.
With Jesus gone, Peter was in charge. He was no longer afraid of dying because he knew Jesus had risen from the dead. Peter even preached about Jesus in Jerusalem, the place where Jesus died.
The church grew with Peter in charge. Christian writers said Peter worked as a church leader for about 30 years. Then they say Roman soldiers arrested him and nailed him to a cross-just like they had done to Jesus.
Why Peter is famous: He was leader of Jesus' disciples.
*Taken from Who's Who & Where's Where in the Bible for Kids by Stephen Miller.
*Taken from Who's Who & Where's Where in the Bible for Kids by Stephen Miller.
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who would like to rotate planting the flower pots on the church steps and helping Scott keep them watered. We'll probably change plantings in spring, summer, fall, and add greens over the holidays. Will work out a schedule to fit your busy life! Please contact Pat Gifford by May 15th if interested,