Upcoming Events...

There will be NO Wednesday night activities today October 31, so your family can enjoy fellowship within your communities. This is a good night to be intentional about building friendships with your neighbors!

MDO Holiday Bazaar this Friday, November 2 from 9:00 - 1:00 in the Fellowship Hall! Awesome way to start Christmas shopping or buy some goodies for yourself!

Covenant's Day School and Mother's Day Out programs are amazing ministries to children and families. They both give such a strong Biblical foundation to so many children. Please tell your friends and neighbors to place their children on the Day School and Mother's Day Out waiting list. For more information visit the CDS/MDO web page. You can download a registration form from the web page.

Christmas in the City is a great way to teach your children the joy of giving! We have 57 children left to  show the love of Christ to through gifts! Stop by the foyer of the sanctuary to pick your child to sponsor or contact Karen Yendle at kyendle@covpres.com or 871-7002 x 139.

Movie Nights... Friday, November 9 from 6-8 pm for 1st - 3rd grades & Friday, November 16 from 6-8 pm for 4th-6th grades. $2 per child for drinks, candy, & popcorn!

Communicant's Class is going great! Lessons are available on the blog if you have missed a Sunday - click here.

Fall Festival & Holiday Bazaar

Covenant Day School's Fall Festival is this Friday, October 26 from 11:00 -1:00! It will be a fun time for kids and parents...with games, prizes, and an AMAZING silent auction. Armbands for all the fun you can have are $10 and meal tickets are $4. The festival will take place in the parking area by the Day School. For more information contact Casey Worrell at cworrell@att.net.

Mother's Day Out Holiday Bazaar will take place Friday, November 2 from 9:00 -1:00 in the fellowship hall. Dory's Cafe will open at 11:00. This is a fabulous way to support our Mother's Day Out ministry and make some fabulous purchases for gifts or for yourself! There will be everything from pottery to children's clothing. For information on participating in the Holiday Bazaar, please contact Jami Bennett at 205-871-7004 or jbennett@covpres.com.

*** Speaking of the Day School and Mother's Day Out....we are very blessed to have such amazing childcare at Covenant, so if you or a friend are interested in attending one of these programs have them go to www.covpres.com/dayschool to download a wait list form...the earlier the better...registration begins in January. For more information please contact Brooke Stewart (Day School) at 871-8470 or bstewart@covpres.com or Jami Bennett (MDO) at 871-7004 or jbennett@covpres.com***

Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing by Sally Lloyd Jones

Sally Lloyd Jones has a new book out called Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing. Here is a little video from her website that gives you a glimpse into the book.

Dr. Timothy Keller says, "Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing may be the best, first introduction for children to have their own time with God." You can read more about the book and Sally Lloyd Jones by clicking here. 

Here is a description of the book from Amazon.com:
From Jago and Sally Lloyd-Jones, the creators of the bestselling Jesus Storybook Bible, comes this gorgeous and innovative collection of 101 simple-yet- profound thoughts on faith. Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing shares profound spiritual truths from the Bible told in a conversational tone---drawing insights from creation, history, science, the writings of great thinkers and preachers and writers, and more---to turn the reader's eyes toward the God who loves them with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love. Perfect for family devotions, bedtime, story time, or even as a companion to The Jesus Storybook Bible, this accessible yet theologically rich book reveals biblical truth in word and image-all working together and designed to do one thing: to make the reader's heart sing.

What I learned today...(Curriculum Overview)

When I was younger my dad always asked my brother and me, "What did you learn today?" Unfortunately I think we often frustrated him when our answer was, "Nothing." He always followed up with a mini lecture on its important to learn something everyday. You can never stop learning!

We want to help you engage your children in the "what did you learn today" conversation by giving you a heads up on what they were taught in Sunday School, Children's Church, and KidzClub! We hope conversations about how much God loves them continue in the car, at the dinner table, and during bedtime stories.

So here is a little overview of what our Pre-School age children are being taught during Sunday School, Children's Worship, & KidzClub. (Don't worry 1st - 6th grades...we'll have your overview up next!)

KidzClub Curriculum for October
"I Praise God" Children will learn to praise God in song & prayer through Bible stories, making instruments to enjoy while singing and enjoying a special snack that helps them think about praising God.

Sunday School Curriculum
3's have just learned that God creates everything. Now they will be learning that God keeps His promises and cares for His people. They are seeing God's sovereignty in caring for Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & Joseph.

4's & 5's are walking though Exodus to see how God prepares, protects and provides for His people.

Children's Church Curriculum
3's, 4's, & 5's are going through Genesis for the entire year. Mrs. Katie tells the Bible story and they enjoy singing hymns together. So far, we have sung "This is My Father's World" and "For the Beauty of the Earth".

We hope this helps you start conversations with your little ones about what they are learning. Maybe you'll get a better answer than "Nothing" like I gave my dad!

A word of encouragement....
Deuteronomy 11:18-19 says, “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."

Thanks for letting us teach your children weekly! It is a joy and privilege to see their knowledge of our Great God grow!

Couple of Important Reminders

This has started off to be such a fabulous year. We are so excited to see plans unfold and see what the Lord is going to do in the lives of our Children! Thank you parents for coming along side us to volunteer and make everything possible!

Couple of things to note regarding Children's Ministry activities:

• This Sunday, September 23 1st-5th grades will engage in Praise & Worship starting 9:30 a.m. in C316. Then will move to large group gathering for teaching by grade at 9:45 a.m. Look for signs pointing you in the right direction. There will be a transition time at 9:15 a.m. in C316 too. 
• The 6th graders will start the Communicant's Class on Sunday, September 30 during the Sunday School hour. This is earlier in the year than previous years. For more information on the Communicant's Class click here. 
• Kidz Club has been great! Please REGISTER them if you have not! Click here for registration form and here for release form.  Just send it with them Wednesday...or pick one up on the 2nd floor Welcome Desk. Your children have been learning the Word of God through a lot of great hands on activities! Thanks for sharing them with us!
• 3K Children's Worship VOLUNTEERS...still needed for Children's Worship at 10:45 a.m... Katie Flores has everything ready for you...just need willing people! She has lots of different ways to serve... once a month or even a month at a time...we can work with your schedule! Thank you for volunteering! Contact Katie Flores at kflores@covpres.com or 205-243-4279.

Please feel free to contact the Children's Ministry Team at anytime! We take joy in serving with you to point your children to Christ! Contact Laura Tucker at ltucker@covpres.com or 871-7002 x 141, if you need assistance.

Familiar Face...New Position

The Children's Ministry is so very excited to announce that Katie Flores is now the Pre-School Director! Many of you know Katie and have had the joy of working with her while she has served Covenant for over 10 years.

Please help us welcome her to the Children's Ministry team. You and your children have much to look forward to on Sundays and Wednesdays with Katie. She cannot wait to serve you and your families!

Great Start

It was a great first Sunday of the fall semester!! THANK YOU to all the fabulous teachers and volunteers who made Sunday School and Children’s Worship possible.

What glory and joy it brings to the Lord to see His house filled with those He calls to Him and loves so deeply. He takes such delight in them learning about Him and drawing near to Him!

We hope they continue to draw near to Him throughout the week. We will update you on what your children are learning in Sunday School and Children’s Worship, so you can continue the conversation in the car, in the kitchen, and at bedtime. (Check back for some curriculum details…coming soon!)

Announcement for 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd graders…We would love for your children to experience the gathered Worship Service with you at 8:00 or 10:45 and then be dismissed from the service to experience Children’s Worship with us! So please pick your 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd graders up from Sunday School and take them to the Worship service. Then they will leave with a Children’s Ministry Staff member who will escort them to Children’s Worship in room C316. You can pick your child up in room C316 on the 3rd floor- Glory Mountain- after Worship. 

Starting September 23, we will be offering a new time of praise & worship in room C316 at 9:15 a.m. for 1^st-5^th graders. They will then head to their classrooms for Sunday School.

We are so glad you and your family worshipped with us! We sure do love hearing your children’s voices singing and laughing and their little feet walking running down the halls! 

*** Also anytime you see a C in front of a room number that means Children's building...we hope this helps you navigate through the building ***