 With the new surges of COVID cases, I understand how this new year can feel different. Our family started off the first week of 2022 with remote schooling and some worrying symptoms. Between the limited availability of COVID tests and ever changing guidelines, the next few weeks can be challenging and disruptive for many....However we can be hopeful. I am hopeful, as I am reminded: "...those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31) And while the spread of the virus in its many forms seems uncontrollable, we are not seeing the levels of mortality and disorder we experienced a year ago. The fact that many of us have taken the step to get vaccinated, get tested, stay masked, and stay home when sick, has helped all of us individually and as a community. So in order to continue to prioritize the health of our community and to make room for the various implications, we are making some adjustments:
Thank you for your continued support and understanding. Amelia Cunard | RiverKids Director Missed out on our Christmas Service?
We had a wonderful Christmas celebration on Dec 19. Thank you for all the children who participated in the reading. For our families who missed the service, please contact me for the link to our RiverKids/Youth Video presentation. This video summarizes what we have been doing in our classrooms since the beginning of the semester. Also, if you miss a Sunday or two, you can always check out our Sunday Worship videos on our YouTube channel.
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Dear River Families,
It's always wonderful to spend time with your kids and youth. Below are our plans for past Sundays. 11/7/21 For Elementary | Falling Apart For Youth | Reading of Genesis 2:5-24 11/7/21 For Elementary | Abraham (The Promise) For Youth | Reading of Genesis (Abraham) 11/14/17 For Elementary | Moses For Youth | Reading of Exodus 3, 4 (Moses) Dear River Families,
It's always wonderful to spend time with your kids and youth. Below are our plans for this Sunday. For Elementary | Garden of Eden For Youth | Reading of Genesis 2:5-24 Dear River Families,
It's always wonderful to spend time with your kids and youth. Below are our plans for this Sunday. For Elementary | The Creation Story For Youth | Reading of Genesis 1 - 2:1-4  I have really enjoyed getting reconnected with the families and meeting some of the new people in the last couple of Sundays. It has been about 19 months since our last service, so I am excited to be back at church and to announce that RiverKids/Youth is resuming next Sunday, Oct 17. Recently, someone asked me “How do I feel about the Bible?”. I wish I could have given a short answer “Good”, but the truth is my relationship with the Bible has been a journey and it is ongoing. Growing up as a minority in Indonesia, my religious identity was distinguishable and complex. Owning my identity also meant defending my beliefs, and the Bible. So even though I have always enjoyed the Bible stories as a child, they came with a burden to defend them and to be certain about its truth. It is not until much later that I found God and discovered that God was very much alive outside the Bible. When I began to observe God’s movements in my life and others’, I realized that our stories are not much different than those in the Bible. When I began to read the Bible as narratives, as our (humankind’s) attempts to make sense of life and the world at large, my relationship with the Bible became more comfortable. In fact, over the last several years I have come to enjoy the Bible again, especially when reading it with others (and of course, with your children too!). Many parents can probably relate with my experience, but our children grow up with different sets of context, so the challenge at church is no longer about defending the Bible, but how is the Bible relevant to our kids and their everyday lives? How can the stories of the Bible be helpful for them? So I would like to take the opportunity to introduce (or re-introduce) our overarching narrative and invite you to read this beautiful short story by Caroline Park. This year, we are going to explore the stories of the Bible from Creation to the Early Church with an overarching theme that God loves us and wants to be close to us, more than anything (more than us being perfect, good, kind, or happy all the time). To make the most out of this series and this season, I would like to invite you to:
RiverKids/Youth Resumes Next Sunday, Oct 17 We will begin with opening two big groups in the basement lounge: Elementary (K - Grade 5) Youth (Grade 6 - 12) Each group will have at least two leaders and may split into smaller groups as needed or as we are able. To manage traffic flow we encourage parents to drop their children off @10.15 AM and utilize the two staircases to the basement: For DROP-OFF, please use the staircase at the lobby. For PICK-UP, please use the staircase at the back of the sanctuary. It has more landing space for parents to congregate and wait for the classrooms to end. Be on the lookout for signs. Due to our limited volunteers, we may require parents to attend to their babies and young children in the Nursery/Preschool (0 - 4 yrs old) room on the 2nd floor (Live Streaming of the sermon available). This is currently our smallest group. We hope to provide a drop-off nursery and expand our program as soon as our volunteer team grows. To volunteer, please fill out this form. Reopening of the RiverKids/Youth is going to be a process, but I trust that we can do this together. If you have any question or concerns, or just want to chat, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Looking forward to welcoming and connecting with your children again in our classrooms. Amelia Cunard | RiverKids Director |
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