Kids Night Out is scheduled for June 25, July 23 and August 13.

Time: 5:30-9:00 PM.
Ages: fully potty trained(no pull ups) to 5th grade.
Cost: $15 for 1 child and $25 for 2 or more children from the same family.

Schedule:

5:30-6:15 – Sign in and outside play
6:15-6:30 – Wash hands for dinner
6:30-7:00 – Dinner (cheese pizza, veggie, fruit, drink)
7:00-8:00 – Free choice (arts & craft, games ,movie)
8:00-8:30 – Worship (Bible story, songs, or skit)
8:30-8:45 – Dessert
8:45-9:00 – Group activity or discussion

Please call the Church office at 858 490-3995 to reserve your child’s spot. Space is limited to 24 children.

Please join us Saturday June 5. Donate some mission service time to Community Christian Service Agency. Northminster congregation has volunteered to donate time to pack food bags which will be distributed to the needy during the following month – that’s a lot of food! This missional service lasts from 10-noon at CCSA locared at 4167 Rappahannock Ave. – south Clairemont. All you have to bring are your hands. If you have any plastic or paper bags, they would be appreciated. Thank you! By-the-way, Carol Denton, director of CCSA will be speaking in church May 23, sharing about the program and agency.

We will be having a family Christmas Craft Advent Workshop on Sunday, December 13 from 11:30am – 3:00pm.

It will take place in our Congdon Hall at Northminster. Participants will create ornaments, crafts and even a special parent gift for the Christmas Season!

Cost is $12 for single person and $18 for a family.

All funds collected will go to Urban Youth Collaborative.

Please call the church office if you have any questoins

Please save these dates and watch for details to come!

Tuesday, September 8
Faith Circle meets at 9:30 am at the home of Helen Melbourn at 4937 Mt. Antero Drive  (858) 279-4368.
Rebecca Circle meets at 7:00 pm at Olive Thompson’s home at 3334 Mt. Carol Drive  (858) 277-5174.
STUDY GUIDES  can be purchased for $7.  This year’s guide is entitled “Joshua – a Journey of Faith”.  Women are asked to try to read the book of Joshua before this meeting to make the first lesson more meaningful.

Saturday, September 19, 9:30-3:30 The Fall Gathering of the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii meet.  The speakers are  Rev. Margarita Reyes who will report on the impressions of the Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women in Louisville in July and  Rev, Edie Gause who will introduce the Joshua Bible Study.  There will be four workshops after lunch:  “We Have a Story to Tell”, “Clergywomen Concerns”, “Joshua – Bible Study in Spanish” and “Joshua – Bible Study in Korean”.  The cost is $15 including lunch and we will be carpooling from Northminster.  If anyone is interested call Sheila Mura at (619) 275-1748.  Please make checks payable to PWS and mail to Connie Fairbanks, 601 California Avenue #306, Santa Monica, Ca. 90403 by September 15th.

Friday, September 25, 9:30 am the Presbyterian Women in the Presbytery (PWP) will meet at the Fallbrook Church.  We will carpool from Northminster at 8:30 am.  If you need a ride, be sure to call either Winnie Hawkins at (858) 378-6788 or Sheila Mura at (619) 275-1748.

Saturday, October 10 will be the first of our four scheduled program meetings.  The first one is entitled “Getting to Know You” and it will be coupled with a potluck brunch.  Watch for details.  The following three programs will be a “Christmas Tea”, a “Mothers’ Day Luncheon” and our special retreat in June.
As you can see, there is a lot to look forward to with the Women’s Association!
Please do plan to join us at any or all of these events!

All our kids and our leaders had a fantastic time last week romping in the Crocodile Dock swamp. Some of the pictures from the Bayou themed event have been posted to our photo gallery

All that remains is the carnival which will take place following our worship service this Sunday.

Please note that our worship service starts this week at 10:30 AM. The VBS carnival will start immediately following the worship service.

Welcome to Summer Fun!

We have a lot of exciting and fun activities planned for your children.  I want to remind all parents that Thursday and Friday are our messy dirty water days. We will have water tables out, as well as water in the small sandbox by Room 3.  Please remember to bring an extra set of clothes, sox and shoes those days.  Please do NOT send your children in their best shoes or clothing those days.  If you have younger children, please always pack an extra set of clothing from shirts, shorts, underwear, sox and shoes.  You may put them in zip lock bag and write their name on the bag.  Make sure you check their bags daily for soiled clothing.  If your child is not potty trained, please provide diapers daily, and we will provide the wipes.  Please also remember to put sunscreen on your child daily.  We have extra in the office if you forget.  Due to possible allergies we are unaware of, we are not permitted to apply sunscreen to your child.

On July 7, 2009 and July 8, 2009 Whatever Little Pony will be here to take the children’s pictures on a real pony.  They take everyone’s picture and then before the summer program is over, you have the opportunity to buy the pictures.  There is no obligation to purchase the pictures, however, if you do purchase them, a portion of the money is returned to the preschool.

I would like to take this opportunity to explain our billing process if you drop-off early or pick-up after 12:00 p.m.  We bill per quarter hour.  If you drop-off at 8:00 until 8:55, we charge $1.35 per quarter hour.  If you pick-up after 12:05 p.m., again, we charge $1.35 per quarter hour.  We will have your total due at the end of Summer Fun.  Please also remember that extended care pick-up is at 2:00 p.m. The late fee starts at 2:01 p.m. and is $2.00 per minute. Since we bill off of your sign-in sheet, please make sure the time you write down is accurate and legible.  We have 120 different handwriting times to read at the end of the month!  Also, California Department of Social Services requires each child to be signed in and out every day they are in attendance at the preschool.  Please make sure you or your designated drop-off or pick-up person is signing in and out.  Also, please make sure if you send someone to pick-up your child that they are on the pick-up list.  Let them know they need to bring identification and show it in the office before we will release them.  Thank you!

We do all of our communication via email and notes home.  Please make sure the office has your correct email address.  Communication between the parents, the teachers, and the office staff is what makes the preschool work for everyone.  We are always here to answer any questions or concerns you may have.  Korin and I are available to help you in anyway we can to make your transition smooth.  Please feel free to call us or stop by anytime.

We hope all of the new parents and returning parents have a great summer and welcome to Northminster Preschool’s Summer Fun!

Shelli Harder, Director

We are looking forward to a wonderful romp in the swamp this year with our Bayou themed Crocodile Dock. As always, there are many, many ways you can help, and we need ALL the help we can get! This is a major outreach of Northminster and a MAJOR GROUP EFFORT! Young and not so young are encouraged to get involved!

Here are some ways you can help…and trust me when I say there will be more to come!

First off, we love having all of your wonderful encouraging faces join us during VBS week. Don’t be bashful…if you can spend an hour or the whole week, we would love to have you! You will be amazed at how spending time with this group of children will lift your spirits and renew your faith. Your heart cannot help but be filled to the brim…I PROMISE! Please contact me and I will give you ideas on how you can help.

If you cannot be on site during the week, we will be decorating Congdon Hall, the Sanctuary, Lindig Library, the Fireside Room, and the Sunday School classrooms to provide a Swamp Stomp atmosphere for our week! This will take place the Saturday and Sunday before VBS and we can use everyone…whether you think you are artistic or not! If I can decorate…EVERYONE can!

Elizabeth Zeigler and Bernie Kuchta have generously offered to head up this year’s Decorating Committee. Their minds are already cranking out wonderful ideas! If you have any ideas or would just like to help, please contact them via email at bkuchta1@san.rr.com. There will be much cutting out, gluing, sewing, etc. to do…maybe the Mariners would like to help with this one…hint, hint, hint!

And of course, we need a clean up crew! Something we ALL have LOTS of practice doing after this weekend’s Alley Cleanup…I am so proud of all of us, by the way!

We are mixing things up a little bit this year…seems to go with the theme of the church. Every year we have a lunch and carnival on the last day of VBS. This year we have decided to have the lunch and carnival after church the Sunday after VBS. The church service will start at 10:30 instead of our usual 9:30, and the lunch and carnival will follow directly after. Denise Crow has graciously offered to run the carnival this year, and there are a few things she needs:

• 4 to 6 portable shade canopies.
• Lots of candy for booth prizes…individually wrapped please, probably should stay away from chocolate so we don’t have to worry about them melting.
• Lots of McDonald’s toys any toy prize….
• NEW Face paints – this is the most popular booth and we need a lot. A Michael’s gift certificate would be great!

For lunch items we need people who are willing to take donation letters to local grocery stores asking for hot dogs, watermelon, etc. JoAn Johnson is in charge of lunch and would be happy to fill you in on what is needed.

We have several local businesses that have been kind enough to offer us fundraising opportunities:

• Monday, July 6 and Tuesday, July 7 — Applebee’s on Balboa ALL DAY—Dine in and Carry out—15% of purchases donated back to VBS
• Monday, July 13 through Friday, July 17 — Coldstone in Clairemont Square ALL DAY—25% of purchases donated back to VBS
• Tuesday, July 21 — Mountain Mike’s, ALL DAY—Dine in, Delivery and Carry-Out—UP to 30% of purchases donated back to VBS

In order for us to get credit for your purchases, you MUST present a flyer. The flyers are downloadable below or available in the church office. I will, of course, be reminding you all relentlessly. Also, you are encouraged to send fliers to anyone and everyone you know!

• Applebee’s Flyer
• Coldstone Flyer
• Mountain Mike’s Pizza Flyer

We also have ways you can sponsor a child’s VBS experience. Our goal is to have 140 children registered. Here are a few ideas:

• $1 covers the cost of a preschool child’s bible point sticker sheet
• $1 covers the cost of a child’s God Sight Light
• $2 covers the cost of a child’s mission project
• $4 covers the cost of a child’s workbook for the week
• $5 covers the cost of a child’s VBS t-shirt
• $15 (approximately) covers the cost of 1 child’s snacks for the week

Thank you all very much for your support! I can’t wait to get started!

Korin McCoy
VBS Director 2009
northminstervbs@northminstersandiego.com

Please join us on Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 9 am for an “All Ladies Day” at Northminster.  The day will start off with coffee, juice and greeting.  Alice Niederost will lead us in the first activity entitled GUIDED IMAGERY.

Peggy Brown will be our our music facilitator, keeping us in the spirit of the activities and devotions.

Rev. Sonja Wieland, Hospice Chaplin, will deliver a presentation called “Women Taking Care of Themselves”, which she will illustrate using scripture.

Reservations for participation and childcare can be made by calling the church office by June 10th at (858) 490-3995.

We look forward to growing and fellowshipping with you on this lovely day!

The Northminster Women’s association would like to invite “everyone and their mothers” to join us in Celebration at their Annual Mothers Day Luncheon on May 9th at 12:00 pm.  It is their desire to make this a most important affair for all who come.  This year they have invited the “Heritage Dancers” to perform at this event.  This is a dance team that is very entertaining and is based on historic American dancing!  Tickets are on sale now through the Northminster Church Office (858) 490-3995.  Tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for children ages 6 to 12.  Please call and make your reservations early!

Northminster would like to invite you to  join us as we journey with Jesus through his final week before Easter.

Thursday Communion Service, 7:00 p.m.:  This is traditionally known as Maundy Thursday—the night Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples.  In this service, we will experience the passion of Jesus through the use of our senses:  taste, touch, seeing, hearing, and smelling.

Good Friday Service, 7:00 p.m.:  In this service, we will journey through the suffering of Jesus toward the cross.  It will be a service of darkness, as we begin the service in full brightness and leave the service in total darkness, representing the darkness of the death of the Son of God.

Please don’t miss these opportunities to reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus this week.  Make it a priority—as a follower of Jesus—to walk with Jesus through his suffering and crucifixion.

And then on Easter morning let’s celebrate the resurrection with passion, with eagerness, and with deep love for our wonderful Savior!!