ORUCC Children and Youth

Faith Formation Update

Sunday, April 13, 2025

*Palm Sunday*

Dear Families,

We look forward to seeing you this Sunday. Read on below for details about this week. This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, which begins Holy Week leading up to Easter. There will be a special all-ages faith formation event at 9:00 a.m. At the bottom of the email, you will find some important dates for some fun events, photos of recent events, and a prayer to try as a family this week.

~Pastor Kate and Julie M.

Nursery Care is available 8:30-11:30. Abby and Najma are ready to play with your little one.

Intergenerational Faith Formation 9:00 a.m.: All are welcome to attend an all-ages faith formation event for Palm Sunday. Together, we will travel through Holy Week by story-telling, tangram creation, and a faith reflection led by Julie Mazer. What is a Tangram? A Tangram is a geometric puzzle consisting of a square cut into seven pieces. The pieces can be arranged to make various other shapes. This will be in place of regular children, youth, and adult faith formation for this Sunday.

After worship, middle and high school youth are invited to help stuff Easter eggs for our egg hunt on Easter Sunday! Pizza lunch will be provided.

No Faith Formation on Sunday, April 20 due to Easter Sunday.

Music Opportunities for Children and Youth

Music Connections resumes this week. Following the children’s moment, children in grades 2-6 are invited to the downstairs Bonhoeffer room. This week, we’ll further develop the Creation story with the help of some of our caregivers. Save the date: On May 4, the children and caregivers will share this music during worship.

Older youth are invited to stay in worship or participate in Music Connections as a helper. If your child wishes to be a helper, please connect with Julie to chat about expectations. In agreement with our church’s Safe Sanctuary policy, two adults must be present in a room when working with children. Sign up to volunteer. 

TRU Function: TRU Function will practice from 10:00-12:00 in the Haynes Music Room.

Upcoming Events

• Holy Week Services include Maundy Thursday meals April 17, Good Friday Service April 18 at 7:00 p.m.
• Easter Sunday April 20: Sunrise service begins at 6:00 a.m. followed by a brunch. 10:00 Worship, followed by an Easter Egg hunt for children and youth.

In the Community

• “Resilient Families” Conversation, April 13, 5:00-7:30 p.m.: Madison Friends Meetinghouse (Quaker) invites the community to participate in monthly conversations about challenges facing families today. April 13 will feature teen voices in a discussion about coping with climate change realities. Free dinner and childcare provided! See this document for more information.

At Orchard Ridge, we are Spiritually Alive!

Home Prayer for the Week:

You are invited to use this prayer with your family to help deepen your faith together. Times you might consider sharing this prayer include before bedtime, at mealtime, or any other regular connecting moment you share with your child(ren). Does your family have a prayer practice or a favorite prayer? If you are comfortable sharing, please EMAIL JULIE, and your family’s prayer will be featured here.

The next time you are at the grocery store, consider picking up a bag of Jelly Beans and sharing this prayer with your family as you munch:

RED is the robin; we see her in spring. She feeds her babies, sheltered under her wing.

BLACK is the soil where seeds sprout and grow. Look closely and see so much life down below.

GREEN are the leaves on the flowers and trees. They shelter the animals, insects, and bees.

WHITE is the color of the clouds way up high. What interesting shapes do you see in the sky?

PINK, YELLOW, AND ORANGE make a beautiful sunrise. It reminds us of hope. It’s a daily surprise.

All of these colors are the colors of spring. They show us God’s love and the new life God can bring.

From: Faithful Families for Lent, Easter, and Resurrection by Traci Smith