Wednesday Night Alive!
building strong bones
for the body of Christ
Winter
2007
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.
Description
of programs Back
to Top
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 $4.00; 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 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 Musikgarten,
a nationally recognized early childhood music and movement
curriculum. 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 the worship services a few times during the year. Kirsten
Jordon is the instructor.
Choristers – Grades 3-6/ 6:00 - 6:45
p.m.
Choristers praise God through music and song, including recorder
and Orff instruments. The children will participate in the
worship services a few times during the year. Kirsten Jordon
is the instructor.
Youth Choir –
see under Changes This Year
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 service. All singers
are welcome; there are no auditions. Kirsten Jordon 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 service. 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. Brass Choir also joins Church Choir on
certain occasions. Albert LeDoux is the director.
Bible Study, 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 - 7:00
p.m.
This session will emphasize themes in our lives and will explore
the directions that we have taken in raising families, in
our careers and interests in retirement. We will also explore
some different ways of presenting our interests in personal
essays and letters.
Dinner is enjoyed during class time. Leader is Anna Fay Williams
(713-526-2868).
Godly Play 1 – 4-6 year olds/6:00
– 6:45 p.m.
Godly Play 2 – Grades 1-6/6:00 - 6:45
p.m.
Two groups of children meet to explore the stories of our
faith using Godly Play resources. The 4-6 year olds have a
chance to hear the Sunday story again and may choose to respond
with art work, or finish previously begun projects. The elementary
age children 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. Contact
Marie Monroe (713-667-1593 or marie@rice.edu) or Pr. Liebster
(713-523-2864 ext 1028) to help.
Confirmation Class – Grade 7/ 6:15
– 7:30 p.m.
The format of Confirmation instruction is now 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. The confirmation service
for this year’s beginning class will be in the spring
of 2008. The class is taught by Pr. Liebster, Pr. Moore and
Tim Lenz.
Story Time – 3 months and up/ 6:00
- 6:15 p.m.
Our toddlers (and infants with their parents) are invited
to listen and learn through stories. Parents are encouraged
to take a turn telling stories or helping the storytellers.
Parents are invited to help choose books for this special
time as well. Contact Penny Linsenmayer to help (713-660-6038).
Active Play, Exploration, Fellowship
World Explorers – Grades 1-3/ 6:45
– 7:30 p.m.
World Explorers - Grades 4-6/ 6:00 - 7:45
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 3-5/ 6:450 –
7:30 p.m. & 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Our Kids Club is a place for upper elementary age children
to have fellowship, play games and talk. Leader is Tim Lenz.
Luther League – Middle and High School/7:30
– 9:00 p.m.
Middle and High School students are invited to hang out in
the Youth Room for homework and fellowship. Youth are encouraged
to volunteer to assist with Godly Play, story time, music
classes, World Explorers or kitchen crew, nursery at least
once a month.
Programs
by age groups Back
to Top
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
High School and Middle School Youth
- Homework, Volunteer opportunities with the children’s
programs, in the nursery, in the kitchen
- Confirmation class
- Choristers choir is open to 6th grade kids.
Upper Elementary School (Grades 4-6)
- Choristers choir
- Godly Play
- Homework
- Kids Club
- World Explorers
- Movies in the Kids Club (after end of programs)
Lower Elementary School (Grades 1-3)
- Jr. Choristers choir
- 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 $ 4.00 per adult, $ 3.00 per child. Pizza is $1.00
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 worthwhile contribution.
Click
here for the Registration Form
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. 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 fulfilling your volunteer
work, you may enjoy being a greeter or joining the kitchen
staff. Or you may simply become a participant in the various
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 Martha Winston (281-480-8649)
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 (bad21@aol.com) 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 (bas21@aol.com).
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 (713-667-1593) or Pastor Karin Liebster (713-523-2864
ext. 1028) 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 Penny Linsenmayer (713-660-6038) 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. Debbie would be delighted to
welcome youth or adults as such companions in cases when there
are more children than grown ups in the room. Please contact
Debbie Whitmire (713-825-0147).
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 (713-839-0141).
Kids Club Sponsor
Tim Lenz is the appointed staff person to work with the upper
elementary age group. The activities for Kids Club include
games, reading and talking together. Homework is separated
out to the library with the option for the children to join
or return to the Kids Club when homework is finished. Tim
would like adult sponsors to join him in helping shape friendship
among the kids. Please contact Tim Lenz (713-523-2864 ext
1001).
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