Support a member of our Nursery Family

Sometimes God moves me in quiet ways.  Today, it was an email from one of our 2nd service volunteers, Mandy Bledsoe.  The email was typical, talking about schedules...what caught me attention was her pinned signature:

I'm raising money to help eliminate blood cancers like Leukemia and Lymphoma.  For more information about why this is important to me or to help by making a donation, please go to http://bledsoebattle.com

I followed the link and discovered that Mandy is walking to raise fund to cure leukemia...after losing her husband to it last year.


I am asking all of our Nursery family to join me in supporting Mandy in her walk.  Donate if you can, and support Mandy with prayer.

In Uganda, a sign at the Kiwoko hospital read: "Doctors treat, God heals."

Thank you for helping me support Mandy and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.


But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Happy Summer!

Summer in the Northwest!  Every day is a surprise, and a blessing in it's own way. The HOPE Mission Team has had a taste of every kind of weather God has to offer in Washington: sun, rain, wind, even thunder and lightning!

We feel greatly blessed to have been in service to the Lord on the other side of the world, but just as blessed to be safely home again.

If you have questions about the Uganda mission, would like to hear stories and see pictures, please join us TONIGHT (Sunday, July 15th) at NCPC, 7:00pm. We are hosting a dessert potluck, and hope to see you there.

If you can't come tonight, you have a second opportunity, at Second Saturday!  This coming Saturday, July 21st, from 10:00am to noon, I will be at the Village Bean in Country Village, Bothell.  I will bring pictures, stories, and a free coffee if you mention this blog post!

The 2's room has been super busy, learning about the parable of the Lost Sheep, how God has blessed our country on the 4th of July, and in July we have begun the story of the Good Samaritan.

You may have noticed, the Children's Ministry has been very active in our community as part of the Summer of Service:  making care packages for our military overseas, sponsoring a work party to clean up our church, setting up charity lemonade stands, and lots more. 

Our 2's class is learning ways to help and love their neighbor, with the Good Samaritan story as a starting point.  Summer of Service is a great way to connect with YOUR neighbors, and expand your child's understanding of Jesus's message of service.

Want to know more?  Read the SOS blog here: http://ncpcsummerofservice.blogspot.com/

Or sign up for upcoming events here:  http://www.northcreekpres.org/690430.ihtml

Coming soon:  2's class graduation party!  Watch for details in the August Current.

June Bible Story: The Good Samaritan

...so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Luke 10: 29-37

Where's Molly?

In about two months, I expect that some of you will walk into the Nursery on Sunday and ask, "Where's Molly?"  As commited as I am to being at the desk every Sunday, I am taking an extended break this summer.

I am going to Uganda with my daughter Kylara and the HOPE Mission Team.  We will be leaving on June 22nd, and returning on July 10th.  With commisioning of the team at both services on June 17th, I will be missing my Nursery kids for four Sundays in a row! 

I have a great team of volunteers who will be staffing the desk for me while I am gone, please thank then when you see them in my usual spot!

If you are curious to learn more about our mission, please feel free to ask anytime!  You can also go to the following websites for more information:

http://www.northcreekpres.org/hopemission

http://newhopeuganda.org/

I would appreciate if you would keep our team, the Anderson family and New Hope Uganda in your prayers.

Also, if you would be interested in helping support our team, we will be having a rummage sale on May 5th.  We are accepting donations of any gently used items in the Youth room between now and noon on May 4th.

Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.


2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

New Life in Jesus

It's the Sunday after Easter, and we still have two weeks of April left.  Most years, April in the two's room is ALL about the Easter story, Easter crafts, eggs, crosses, tombs, more crosses, lilies...but this year, I thought we'd try something different.

For the first two weeks of March, the two's class learned about St Patrick, and how he used the shamrock to illustrate the idea of the trinity to the Irish people.

The second two weeks of March, and the first two weeks of April were devoted to the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.

Last Sunday was a glorious, beautiful Easter, and we had over 30 children in the Nursery and 2's room!

For the next two weeks, our children will be reading a story called, "New Life in Jesus", which uses a butterfly to illustrate the resurrection. 

So, be looking for butterfly crafts and coloring pages, and remember, if you see a butterfly, remind your child that butterflies remind us of Jesus!

In May, our two year olds will be learning about prayer, with a special craft celebrating mother's on May 13th, Mother's Day!

"Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation.  The old way of living has disappeared.  A new way of living has come into existence."  2 Corinthians 5:17

Happy Easter!

We've had a busy year so far!  Our 2's class has learned about Jonah in January, God's Love in February, and they've spent the last two Sundays learning the true story of St Patrick.  Our kids heard how St Patrick tought the Irish people about Christianity'   They did crafts with shamrocks, showing how St Patrick used the shamrock to demonstrate the idea of Trinity, with the three leaves representing God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Now, although it's only March, Easter is right around the corner!  Easter is the second Sunday of April this year, so our two's room is starting their Easter crafts this Sunday, March 18th.

Easter can be a tricky story to teach to 2 and 3 year olds.  Most of what they are exposed to publicly is eggs, bunnys, chicks and chocolate.

Our focus at NCPC is, of course, that Christ died and rose again, to give all people eternal life in Heaven. 

With the preschool kids, I find it helps to relate the secular images of bunnies and eggs to the Resurrection, teaching them that when they see baby bunnies in the store, it can remind them of the new life in Jesus Christ, and that eggs can remind them of Jesus bursting from the tomb...even if the eggs are filled with candy.

In other news, have you been wanting to form a small group, but worried about childcare availability and cost?  Then I have great news for you!  Drop-in, on site childcare is currently available at NCPC, on Tuesday and Weds. evenings, from 7-9pm.  Email me at molly@northcreekpres.org, or call me at 425-743-2386 x 11, if you would like to sign up, or for more information.

Happy Easter!

Molly Pankow
Nursery and Childcare Coordinator
North Creek Presbyterian Church

Advent is upon us!



Instructions for ornaments found here

 Merry Christmas!

Hard to believe the season is here already, but next Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent.

This year, I thought I would try something different for our craft in the 2's class. 

I was inspired by our church's theme for advent:

HOPE
PEACE
JOY
LOVE
REJOICE

Each week, our two's class will be making ornaments to take home, that tell part of the Christmas story.


Week One: HOPE

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night..." Luke 2:8

Week Two: PEACE

"...the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was." Matthew 2:9

Week Three: JOY

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of Lord shone around them..." Luke 2:9

Week Four: LOVE

"There was no room for them in the inn."  Luke 2:7b

Week Five: Rejoice

"She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger..." Luke 2:7a

If you miss a week, stop by the desk and I would be happy to give you the craft kit for the week you need.

May God bless you and your family in this holiday season!

October: Noah's Ark

Happy October, and welcome to fall!  The leaves are changing, the air is cooler, and our two year olds are getting smarter by the minute.

The lesson for October is Noah's Ark.  It's a fun story for the little kids, with lots of animals and action, but it also teaches an important lesson, that God loves us, and he promised to take care of us.


Here is the break down of the lessons each week:

Week 1: Build the ark!

Week 2: Bring the animals on the ark

Week 3: Send the dove

Week 4: Rainbow


Watch for fun crafts that relate to each weeks story, and a coloring page too.

Don't forget: Second Saturday at the Village Bean in Country Village, Bothell.

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”   Genesis 9 12-16