Wednesday Night Alive!
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord...
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Communities grow
strong by spending quality time together:
learning, laughing,
listening
together and to each other.
This weekly congregational event spans all generations
and walks of life: infants, kids, youth, singers, musicians,
life-long learners, writers of life stories, those who study,
those who pray, those who cook, those who clean and those
who serve. All meet together in one place to enjoy a night
of fellowship.
Programs by Age Groups
Opening devotion for all ages
5:45 - 5:55 p.m. in the narthex. Parents take their children to the classrooms by 6:00 p.m.
Adults
- Volunteer opportunities with the children’s
programs, in the kitchen, as a greeter
- Choir, Chorus and Brass Choir
- Writing Life Stories
- Book of Faith: Open the book, Begin the conversation. Bible Study with Pr. Moore
High School and Middle School Youth
- Homework
- Volunteer opportunities with the
children’s programs, in the nursery, in the kitchen
- Confirmation class
- Choristers is open to 6th grade kids.
Upper Elementary School (Grades 4-6)
- Choristers
- Godly Play
- Homework
- Kids Club
- World Explorers
Lower Elementary School (Grades 1-3)
- Jr. Choristers
- Godly Play
- World Explorers
- Movies or nursery time (after end of programs)
Kindergarten & Preschoolers (4-6 yrs.)
- Music Explorers
- Godly Play
- Nursery for movies (after end of programs)
Toddlers (2-3 yrs.)
- Jr. Music Explorers
- Story time
- Nursery for movies
Infants (0-1 yr.)
- Infant Music Explorers, parent/child time, nursery
Registration is $25 per child with a limit of $50 per family. Scholarships are available.
Dinner is $ 5.00 per adult, $ 3.00 per child. Pizza is $1.50 a slice.
We invite you to consider helping to support our scholarships by donating an additional amount during registration. Please mark "WNA scholarship fund" in the memo line on your check and write a separate check to your registration fee. Thank you for considering this contribution.
Description of Programs Back
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Food
Meal Time – All Ages/5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Homemade dinners are lovingly prepared by our food service ministry team. Instead of cooking on Wednesday evenings, swing by the parish hall and eat-in with friends and family, or take-out a delicious and inexpensive meal. The kitchen window closes at 7:00 p.m.
Adult plates are $5.00; children's plates are $3.00. Meals will usually include an entrée, side dish or salad, bread and beverage. We will continue to provide pizza for $ 1.50 a slice.
For those interested in volunteering with meal preparation, serving or clean up (no experience necessary), the food team will be happy to give you a kitchen tour and to share with you all the fun they've had developing this ministry. Contact Beverly Davis for more information.
Music
Infant Music Explorers – 0 months to 24 months/5:45 - 6:15 p.m.
Jr. Music Explorers – 2 to 3 year olds/ 6:15 – 6:45 p.m.
Music Explorers – 4 to 6 year olds/7:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Debbie Whitmire leads our Explorers program, based on Baby Dance and Musikgarten, nationally recognized early childhood music and movement curricula. The primary goal of Musikgarten is for children to experience the joy of making music with others by singing, dancing and playing simple instruments. These activities help the child fulfill his or her music potential and provide a foundation for future musical learning. Parents are expected to attend class with the child.
Jr. Choristers – Grades 1-3 / 6:45 - 7:30 p.m.
Children praise God through music and song, including age-appropriate instruments and movement activities. The children will participate in leading worship services a few times during the year at early and late services and will be part of Lessons and Carols during Advent. The playing on Orff instruments and music theory is taught as appropriate. Mark Mummert is the instructor in the fall, Kirsten Jordon in the spring
Choristers – Grades 3-6/ 6:00 - 6:45 p.m.
Choristers praise God through music and song, including recorder and Orff instruments. They continue to learn basic music theory and choral technique. The children will participate in leading worship services a few times during the year at early and late services and will be part of Lessons and Carols during Advent. The playing on Orff instruments and music theory is taught as appropriate. Mark Mummert is the instructor in the fall, Kirsten Jordon in the spring
Chorus – Adults/ 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Chorus enjoys all varieties of music, from classical to international, and sings weekly at the 8:30 a.m. Sunday liturgy. All singers are welcome; there are no auditions. Mark Mummert is the director.
Church Choir – Adults/ 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Choir prepares music from the traditional/classical repertoire and sings weekly at the 10:50 a.m. Sunday liturgy. All singers are welcome; there are no auditions. Albert LeDoux is the director..
Brass Choir – Adults/ 6:15 – 7:30 p.m.
Brass Choir prepares festive music that is often performed from the bell tower. The Brass Choir also joins Church Choir on certain occasions. Robert Walp is the director.
Bible Study, Confirmation Class, Stories, and Godly Play
Opening Devotion – all ages/ 5:45 – 5:55 p.m. in the narthex
All children and adults who have finished eating are invited to a 10-minute Opening Devotion. At 5:55, parents should meet their children and take them to class. Parents and other adults are welcome to attend.
Writing Life Stories - Adults/ 5:00 - 6:45 p.m.
Fall: The Writing group will meet this semester in a less formal ways. There is interest in capturing the history of the congregation by interviewing members who have been there from very early on. This can be done in various ways.
Spring: The group will continue weekly meetings learning to write memoirs and life stories. All those interested in writing or in having an opportunity to explore various forms of storytelling and writing are invited to join us. We are a very informal and sharing group. For more information contact Anna Fay Williams.
Book of Faith – Adults/ 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
This Bible Study class follows the invitation of the general assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to recommit on a broad basis to the study of the Word of God in Holy Scripture in order to become fluent again in the first language of our faith, the Biblical language. Study materials put out by Augsburg Fortress will be available for purchase. The class is taught by Pr. Moore and open to all.
Godly Play – Pre-K - 6th grade/6:00 - 6:45 p.m.
Children meet to explore the stories of our faith using Godly Play resources. Godly Play always concludes with the feast, the simple sharing of prayer, snack and beverage. Contact Marie Monroe or Pr. Liebster to help.
Confirmation Class – Grade 7/ 6:00 – 7:15 p.m.
The format of Confirmation instruction is a two year curriculum. The first year focuses on Bible study and the second year on Luther’s Small Catechism and related themes. The Catechism is memorized and put in the context of faith and ethics as it applies to our time. 2007-2008 is “catechism year.” The class is taught by Pr. Liebster and Tim Lenz.
Active Play, Exploration, Fellowship Back
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World Explorers - Grades 1-6/ 6:00 - 645 p.m.
Children are invited to explore God's world through science, crafts, photography, history and other adventures. In past classes, the group has made a quilt, learned about rocks and dinosaurs with real geologists, made Christmas ornaments and conducted science experiments. Coordinator and leader is Irmi Willcockson.
Kids Club – Grades 3-6/ 6:45 – 7:30 p.m. & 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Our Kids Club is a place for upper elementary age children and sixth graders to have fellowship, play games and talk. Leader is Tim Lenz.
Luther League – Middle and High School/7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Youth are encouraged to volunteer to assist with Godly Play, story time, music classes, World Explorers, kitchen crew, nursery and to participate in adult music and educational programs as appropriate. Otherwise, youth may hang out on the second floor and in the basement for homework and fellowship while there are adult classes/choirs going on at the same time in those locations. Since no formal supervision will be provided by WNA volunteers, the west porch, the parking lot, the fellowship hall, and courtyard are off limits after 7:30 p.m unless there are parents present.
We have many opportunities for adults and youth to get involved in during Wednesday Night Alive! Volunteers may work as little or as often as their busy lives permit.
If you have one hour per month and like to be with little children, you may enjoy telling a story, be a greeter and assistant in a Godly Play classroom, assist with the Music Explorer classes, or be a mentor in the Homework Haven.
If you have two to three hours per month, want to work with kids and will undertake a bit of training or lesson preparation, you may consider teaching Godly Play or a World Explorers class. Our World Explorers group exposes children to a wide range of interests from science to art and nature and crafts. Often, teachers lead a class in an area of interest to them or in a hobby they enjoy, such as photography, arts and crafts, science experiments or dance. The subject matter is endless with this group of eager-to-learn children.
If you prefer adult company while engaging in volunteer work, you may enjoy being a greeter at the reception table or joining the kitchen staff as server, clean up helper, or cook. Or you may simply become a participant in the offering for adults.
Volunteer Jobs
Greeter
These volunteers are friendly, outgoing types who welcome members and visitors to Wednesday Night Alive! This is the best way to meet new people! They arrive at 5:30 p.m. to help sell pizza and meal tickets. They hand out maps and redirect lost children (and grown-ups too!). They also inform newcomers about events and classes. Please contact Beverly Davis to sign up.
Chef and Assistant Cooks
The lead chef coordinates the logistics of the meal, the volunteers, the purchasing and preparation of the food along with other details. This position generally requires a half- or full-day commitment on the day of the meal. Chefs must be approved to use our church kitchen and must coordinate with Beverly Davis regarding menus and other matters. Assistant cooks help to stir, chop, braise, bake and are available to help the chef while learning new cooking tricks of the trade!
Kitchen Staff (Servers and Clean-Up)
These cheerful and handy (but not necessarily trained) volunteers generally tend shop in the kitchen. They get to use the very entertaining dishwasher, wear nifty aprons and may drink a glass of wine if they so desire. Kitchen staffers greet hungry people and make everyone happy by serving delicious food. Volunteers range in age from 13 to 100 and have the most fun of all the groups. Please contact Beverly Davis.
Godly Play Leaders and Greeters
These volunteers are trained to either greet students as they prepare for class or to lead a lesson. There are two Godly Play classes on Wednesday nights at 6:00 - 6:45. The 4-6 year olds hear the Sunday story again and respond with art work, or finish previously begun projects. The kids in grades 1-6 will hear new stories or be given a short thematic focus for the lesson to which they can respond in a longer art and work phase. Godly Play always concludes with the feast, the simple sharing of prayer, snack and beverage.
If you are interested in learning about Godly Play, contact Marie Monroe or Pastor Karin Liebster to observe a class and sign up for the next training session.
Storyteller
Our littlest children love to sit on laps and listen to God's Word in the form of stories read by other members. Story time gives children a chance to learn that they are part of a larger, caring community of church friends who love them by sharing stories. No training required! Stories are read from 6:00-6:15 p.m. Please contact Pr. Liebster to volunteer and coordinate reading materials.
Assistants in Music Classes
Debbie Whitmire teaches all music explorer classes from infant age through pre-Kindergarten. The method of teaching requires a companion for every child. Many of our parents have multiple children participating in the same class and other parents serve as leaders in other areas at the time of class. So extra hands and laps are needed. Debbie would be delighted to welcome youth or adults as such additional companions in cases when there are more children than grown ups in the room. Please contact Pr. Liebster or Debbie Whitmire.
Teacher for World Explorers
Scientists, artists, photographers, historians, genealogists, quilt makers and others take turns leading hands-on exploration activities for elementary aged children. Irmi Willcockson coordinates these activities for 5 to 10 kids of various ages each week. Some of our past projects: creating a Noah's Ark-theme quilt for our nursery, painting furniture, conducting science -experiments that teach about God's world through rocks and fossils and making Christmas ornaments. The possibilities are endless as the children explore the tangible ways God's creation manifests in the works of their hands and in the world today. If you have a special interest, such as photography, space, history or archeology, you can commit to one session or many to share your passion with our young explorers. Please contact Irmi Willcockson.
Kids Club Sponsor
Timothy Winston and Janeen Powell are the leaders working with the upper elementary age group. The acticivities for Kids Club include indoor and outdoor games, music, reading and talking together. Homework is done in an empty classroom next door with the option of returning to the group once the work is finished. Tim and Janeen would welcome adult sponsors to join them in helping friendship among the kids.. Please contact Tim Lenz or Pr. Liebster
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August 2008 -
May 2009 |
Wednesday Night Alive events are 5:30 - 9:00 unless noted otherwise in the calendar. |
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August 27 |
Dinner and orientation for Wednesday Night Alive! volunteers |
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September 3 |
First semester begins: Registration and first night of programs |
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November 26 |
NO Wednesday Night Alive (Thanksgiving break) |
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December 3 |
LAST FULL Wednesday Night Alive! before Christmas. |
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December 10 |
Children: Pageant rehearsal, Pizza dinner. Brass, chours and choir meet. |
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December 17 |
Christmas break for programs. Brass, chorus and choir meet. |
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December 14 |
Christmas Pageant on Third Sunday in Advent, 9:45 a.m . (Choristers and Sunday School) |
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December 21 |
Lessons and Carols on Fourth Sunday in Advent, 5:00 p.m. (with Choristers) |
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January 7 |
Second semester begins: Registration and first night of programs |
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February 25 |
Ash Wednesday services, NO Wednesday Night Alive! programs |
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March 18 |
Spring Break HISD; NO Wednesday Night Alive! programs |
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April 8 |
Holy Week; NO Wednesday Night Alive! programs |
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May 6 |
END OF YEAR celebration |
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