Hello,

Halfway through January and I am not sure about you, but I’ am finding joy in seeing the stretching daylight hours! 

Thank you to everyone who gave our Zoom options a go this week!  I was struck that we are still able to gather in worship and learning together no matter how far apart we are when we are online and although it’s not quite the same as being together in person, it is a different beautiful thing! 

Gillian shared with a group of us a lovely reflection entitled No Lockdown on the Holy Spirit that I would like to share with you as a bit of encouragement for your week.  

Our gatherings this week will have the same format, with the addition of Messy Church, which we will do similarly to what we did in April, May, and June, with the option of joining in together Friday from 4pm-5pm on Zoom.  The topic is What Do We Do with a Worry and our activities are designed to do with stuff you are likely to have at home or can get a hold of easily. We know that virtual time doesn’t work for all families, so if you cannot join us on Zoom, we hope to that you might find something in the activities that suits your family and helps you think about what we do with a worry as someone of faith.

Tuesday Toddler Songs  on Facebook 10:00am

On the church facebook page!

Wednesday Zoom Office Hour 2:00pm-3:00pm

Pop in to Say Hello, Tell me Something, Play a short game, or even ask me a question! This week I have a special story to share on Dr Martin Luther King Junior in the style of Godly Play. Attached are instruction for an origami dove you may wish to make afterward!

Open to parents as well as children and youth.

Zoom Link: Please email cassie.abousamak@gmail.com to receive

Friday Messy Church 4:00pm-5:00pm or at home in your own time 

Topic: What Do We Do with a Worry?

Activity ideas in this google doc

Zoom Link:  Please email cassie.abousamak@gmail.com to receive

Sunday Lighthouse 9:45am-10:15am

We welcome our nursery/pre-school friends in addition to our primary 1-6, but we ask that they have a grown up or older sibling with them!

Jesus’s first Miracle today you will need, paper, pencils, a cup of water and wee bit of juice

Zoom Link:  Please email cassie.abousamak@gmail.com to receive

In Case you Can’t Join Us, an At Home Resource from Together at Home will appear by end of Day this Tues.

Sunday Youth 11:45am-12:45pm 

We are looking at the Beautiful Discipline of Simplicity

Zoom Link: Please email cassie.abousamak@gmail.com to receive

A wee bit of a recap of this past session: We looked at fasting ‘self-denial of something to help us draw closer to God.’

 In the Bible this is often food. We looked at Luke 4:1-15 and the Holy Spirit’s role in all this. We agreed to try to fast for a week from things that are time consuming in order to make more space to spend time studying the Bible, praying, or meditating. Examples included giving up tick tock, snapchat or sleeping in! 

As always, let me know how I can be praying for you!

Cassie Abousamak

Newhaven Church Children and Youth Worker

Sunday- Thursday: 9am-5pm