Author: Church of the Nativity

Categories
Children and Youth

Children’s Formation

It will be so exciting to see our kids back in Curry Hall on Sunday mornings! Children’s formation time will start on Sunday, September 11. We will meet at 9:15 am in Curry Hall aka the Education Building.

Rev. Stephanie has found a fun, colorful, creative way for our kids to enter into the story of scripture. During most of our Sunday morning meeting times, we will be using “Storymakers,” a ‘zine that focuses on a story in scripture and helps young ones engage with the story and use their imaginations. 

Our pre-readers will hear the story using puppets and story. We will also spend time teaching them the basics of our faith – the Faith Guide for Littles. This series covers the Ten Rules, the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Signs of Grace.

Our readers will all receive their own ‘zine. In the fall and during Epiphany, we will focus on the story of the Exodus, and then we will have a new ‘zine for Lent, and another for Easter. Each ‘zine is fun, colorful, and creative. The young people tell the story, teachers help fill in the story with “Field Notes,” and then the children spend time responding to the emotional and spiritual connections in the story, and finish with time to play with art supplies – coloring, painting, drawing, comics, play dough – any medium they chose to help tell the story.

To see examples of the different ‘zines, called Adventures, click here. Rev. Stephanie will also have a sample available at church for you to see.

Categories
Children and Youth Uncategorized

Faith Formation in the Fall for YOUTH

Starting Sunday, September 11

Fixers – 5th & 6th graders

Our Fixers will start their journey in the youth program with a year of CONNECTION.

Connecting with community through fun and fellowship.

Connecting with others through service.

Connecting with our faith tradition through scripture.

Connecting with themselves as they move away from childhood towards adolescence.

The Fixers will meet on Sunday mornings at 9:15am. 

Sunday, June 12 at 12:00 pm (after church), Fixers and their parents are invited to join Rev. Stephanie for a meeting to talk about the fall and get oriented into the youth program. 

Rite Stuff – 7th & 8th Graders

These young people, our Luminaries, have got the right stuff to be ready for moving further into adolescence. EVERYTHING is changing for them – bodies, minds, souls, and faith. Drawing from the Episcopal Church’s curriculum “These Are Our Bodies” and the Lutheran curriculum, “Echo the Story,” these young people will begin the journey of placing themselves within the saving history of God as they grow and discover who they are as children of God. The Rite Stuff will meet on Sunday mornings at 9:15am.

We will have 3 or 4  “Rites of Passage” ceremonies for this group. That includes a special dinner where we celebrate them as “Luminaries” – lights in the world – and we honor their parents as well. Parents share memories and stories of the Luminary that night, and then the next morning during church, the Luminaries re-affirm their baptismal covenant and move liturgically from childhood towards adulthood. 

Finally, we will end the year with a special beach weekend retreat!

Sunday June 12 at 1 pm, Luminaries and parents, please join Rev. Stephanie for a meeting to talk about the Fall and to set the dates for the Rites of Passage ceremonies. We will also have a re-orientation to the youth program.

Rite 2 – 9th, 10th, & 11th Graders

We’ve got a great year planned for the Rite 2 group. First, we have the remaining Rites of Passage ceremony so that all our Rite 2-ers have been fully celebrated. Then we will spend the year focusing on:

  1. How do EPISCOPALIANS read the bible? Why would an Episcopal bible study be different then Young Life? What does the bible actually say about the issues that are out in the world right now? Why is the Episcopal way of reading scripture even important?
  2. Why do Episcopalians talk so much about justice? What does the bible say about it? What do we do to make things right in our world?

These two areas of focus will prepare us for an Urban Mission at the end of the school year in 2023, and getting ready for a pilgrimage at the end of the school year in 2024.

Since this group is in high school, they will be responsible for helping Rev. Stephanie with some key decisions about their year, including, when do they want to meet, what fun and fellowship events would they like to do, and what would they like their urban mission to look like? Sunday, June 12 at 3 pm, parents and Rite 2-ers are invited to join Stephanie to answer these questions, talk more about the year, and re-orient into the youth program.

Seniors – 12th grade

Our theme for our seniors is REST and GO! Rather than meeting weekly, we will schedule monthly dinners, weekend retreats, a Fall program on spiritual wellness, and even a weekend at Busch Gardens (with Jeremy!). We will have our congregation blessing and celebration of our seniors at the end of the school year. Rev. Stephanie and Jeremy will arrange a time to meet with the seniors to set dates for these events, and get their feedback. 

Confirmation

The Rite of Confirmation is open to any young person 12 and older. Bishop Anne Hodges-Copple will be with us on Sunday, December 4 for confirmation. Class will be held on Sunday afternoon or evenings for six weeks mid-October though November. Dates and specifics coming soon.

If you aren’t able to attend the meetings on June 12, Rev. Stephanie will host a zoom meeting for parents on Wednesday, June 22 at 7 pm.

Categories
Peace Library Reviews Social Justice

Opal Lee and What It Means To Be Free (Peace Library Review)

by Alice Faye Duncan, author; and Keturah A. Bobo, illustrator
review by Lillis Ward

This true story of the history of the national holiday, Juneteenth, will entertain and capture the attention of young children with its beautiful illustrations and colorful language.   Through the eyes of Opal Lee, a grandchild of a slave,  readers will learn about life of an enslaved person before the Emancipation Proclamation, life for black Americans during the 1900’s, and finally Opal Lee’s quest to make “Juneteenth” a national holiday.   Her efforts were rewarded in 2021 when President Biden signed into law “Juneteenth”, June 19th, a day to commemorate freedom for all.   This is certainly a book for all ages as we strive to learn more about our American past.    

Possible Book Related Activities:

  1. At the end of the book is a timeline of the history of the Black Americans and the creation of Juneteenth.   Help your child create a timeline of his or her life and include in it memorable events in their lifetime.  
  2. Also at the end of the book is a recipe for “Red Punch”, a popular strawberry lemonade drink served at Juneteenth celebrations.  Help your child make a recipe of Red Punch and serve it to your family and friends.
  3. Ask your child what part of Opal Lee’s story was most important to him or her?   Invite him or her to draw a picture illustrating what you enjoyed most about her life story. OR invite them to draw a picture of what freedom means to him or her.  

Deeper Conversation:

  1. Discuss with your child our country’s independence day and its history.  Read the first section of this document and discuss what this means with your child and how this relates to Juneteenth. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Categories
Glad Tidings

Episcopal Church Field Trips

Greetings Nativity family! I wanted to update ya’ll on something I’ve been working on for a while. In my full-time role as a VA Chaplain, much of the work I do is helping Veterans address “spiritual injury.” A spiritual injury occurs when someone no longer has access to what gives them meaning, purpose and hope in life. Spiritual Injury can be related to military trauma, church hurt, grief, a mental health concern, or a number of other reasons. Sometimes the healing journey involves learning new spiritual practices, or connecting spiritually to the lessons learned in mental health treatment. Some people cannot imagine ever returning to a religious community; there’s just been too much hurt, disillusionment, disappointment. Other people find themselves curious about different spiritual or religious traditions as a way of finding a “new normal” that involves faith.

After much prayerful discerning, I’ve decided to offer a series of “Episcopal Church Field Trips” for folks who are curious about worship in the Episcopal tradition. I wanted to let you all know about these “field trips” and invite you to come along. Whether you are a Veteran yourself, or have Service members/ Veterans close to your heart, you are welcome aboard! There’s no RSVP required, but if you’d like to give me a heads up to be on the lookout for you, please send me an email. Thanks!

  • What:  “Episcopal Church Field Trips”
  • Who: For Veterans/Service Members exploring spiritual community within The Episcopal Church
  • When: Monthly, Fourth Sundays (June 2022 – October 2022)
  • Where: Various congregations, see schedule below
  • Masking: Bring a high quality mask; requirements/guidance changes
  • Attire: Slacks (or nice jeans) and a polo (or button shirt) will blend in well-enough at each location
  • Sponsored by: Church of the Nativity, Raleigh, NC
    • Point of Contact: Ryan Parker (Candidate for Holy Orders, Priesthood)
  • 6/26/2022- St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (Cary)
  • 7/24/2022- Church of the Nativity (Raleigh)
  • 8/28/2022- St. Ambrose (Raleigh)
  • 9/25/2022- Church of the Good Shepherd (Raleigh)
  • 10/23/2022- St. Joseph’s (Durham)

Categories
Outreach

Nativity’s Peace Library More Then Just a Collection of Children’s Books

On Sunday, May 15, the Rev. Stephanie Allen, along with children present at church, blessed our newly opened Peace Library. Sponsored by Nativity’s Social Justice Ministry and through the donations of many in the church, we currently have ninety-nine books on our shelves. The Peace Library Team is deeply thankful for the support of all who have made this possible.
Now comes the real work—getting these books into the hands of our children and youth, to encourage honest conversations about history, race, and sexuality.  Each month in Glad Tidings (and on our website) the Peace Library Team will publish a book review with suggested questions and activities.  Jesus calls us as a faith community to step out of our comfort zones and broaden our understandings of “others” while recognizing God’s presence within us all. 
The Peace Library team has selected highly recommended, frequently award-winning books that highlight diversity, self-worth, and respect for others. Many of these books bring history to life in a manner inclusive of minority cultures and points of view. If you would like to recommend any books, please contact Beth Crow at nativitypeacelibrary@gmail.com.
You can view all our books in the Nativity Peace Library at https://www.librarycat.org/lib/NativityPeaceLibrary.
We will continue to updated our wish list through Quail Ridge.  Remember, you will receive a 21% discount if you enter the code NATIVITY22 .  Books purchased will be held for the Peace Library Team to pick up.  Nativity Peace Library Wish List: https://www.quailridgebooks.com/wishlist/2019.  

Categories
From the Clergy

What Do We Tell Our Children?

What do we tell our children when they hear the news of 19 children dead? What do we say when they ask us if they are safe? What do we DO to make sure they are safe?
My heart is heavy this week, as I know yours is as well. How do we tell our children that we adults, the ones tasked with keeping them safe, that we failed them this week as we have failed them too many times before?
What do we do with our heavy hearts, our anxious bodies, our incandescent rage?
And what do we tell our children?

First, off, we as adults need to spend a little time processing our own feelings. Journal, go for a run, call a friend, cry, scream into a pillow. Do what you need to do to let some of the emotion out. You can share some of your feelings with your kid, especially if they are older, but don’t lay
that emotion on them. Open wounds stink, and they need you to be present for their feelings.

Second, be honest. We failed. Grown-ups don’t always get it right. We are human, and we don’t always make good and wise decisions. We have decided as a society that the rights of a few loud voices are more important than our children’s lives, and it is clearly time for a new decision.

Third, remind them that God is still here. God is with us in our pain, in our sadness, in our rage. God gives us the gift of righteous anger – just read the psalms for some great examples.

Finally, look together at the groups who are out there doing the work, and decide as a family what you want to do to take action.

Actually, one more thing. I would remind us, the readers of this newsletter, that as Episcopalians, our prayer MUST lead to action. We don’t simply offer us prayers and then hope for the best. At the end of our worship every Sunday we are SENT OUT to do the work that God
has given us to do. We have been tasked with keeping our children safe. We have serious work to do.

Also, as Episcopalians, we can hold several potentially conflicting ideas together. We do it in the prayer book all.the.time. We can hold the nuances of having gun ownership in our Constitution AND we can work for tighter gun regulations so that our world is safer for us and our children.

On Sunday, May 29, we will offer three different prayers:
A prayer for those being ordained (for Phillip), from the Book of Common Prayer.
A prayer for those who have lost their lives in military service, from the supplemental Enriching Our Worship materials.
A prayer from the Sisters of Mercy called “Let the shooting end.”

While it may seem that these three prayers do not go together, for Episcopalians, they do. We can celebrate the hope that is found in the order and rhythm of the Book of Common Prayer, we can pray for those who have died to offer protection for us all, and we can pray for a better
future where we are all safe from the threat of gun violence.

Moms Demand Action
Bishops Against Gun Violence

Every town for Gun Safety

North Carolina Council of Churches
Vigil and Community Call to Action for Uvalde, TX Victims
Thursday, May 26, 5:30 p.m.
Bicentennial Plaza
1 E Edenton Street, Raleigh

We lead the world with 288 school shootings since 2009. This is unconscionable and it is high time our elected officials do something about this. Stand with people of faith and conscience today for a press and vigil event to remember those killed and injured in Uvalde, Texas. Click here to RSVP.

Categories
Outreach

Our Refugee Family has a New Home!

The Mojadady family, mom, dad, and two boys, 5 and 8 will be moving into a clean, comfortably furnished apartment with a well-stocked pantry and a hot meal awaiting them any time now. 

I cannot thank you all enough for your support of this project that Outreach took on last year. Your donations of household items, cleaning supplies, toiletries, money, time, and the love behind it have made it all possible. 

Below is a summary of our day yesterday, submitted by Ailsa Tessier. We have also included pictures from Mari Borstelmann.

Hooray for our team!! A masterful effort was made today to get the apartment ready for our Afghan family. What would the day have been without a bit of drama?! It needed MAJOR cleaning to start with – good thing the furniture wasn’t there at 9 am. But oh wait, there’s no water. Reported it to headquarters, and onward we cleaned. Sounds of scrubbing and vacuuming and the smell of Clorox filled the air, and things began to sparkle. Dave Waechter and Dave Kerr came to the rescue for safety measures for the screen-less windows; smoke detector batteries checked; aircon filter checked. Still no furniture. Cleaning, cleaning, items sorted. Jersey Mike’s sandwiches and chips for lunch welcomed. Still no furniture, no water.

   12:30 – Green Chair arrives with the furniture! Two guys, a truck, boxes of beds, assorted stuff – and things began to take shape. The sofa was a very exciting part of the day – it would not go around the corners of the stairs. After much engineering discussion, eventually it was hoisted up over the third floor railing with Dave Kerr and Ailsa assisting – finally made it in. Yikes – kitchen crew soon find water gushing out from under the sink onto the floor…friendly plumber Allison Martin dives under the sink, turns the shut-off valves, stanching the flood. Dave steps in to help Lillis mop up gallons of the stuff. Another call to HQ – property management plumber explains that the pipes are disconnected and the City turned off the water BECAUSE the pipes were disconnected – or something like that. When the water came on, well, you see what happened! So. Finally, all is now mopped up, and apartment arranging continues. In case you’re wondering, beds in boxes are very cool, and easy to move around. Finally it seems that things have taken shape, as clean as we can make it, and a list of any remaining problems recorded. and recycling and trash taken out.

  As it turns out, the family MAY not be able to move in on Thursday, as they cannot legally move into a place without water. So we will wait to hear an update on when it’s fixed, and when they can move in. Pam Blackwood is working on the first night’s dinner, and it may have to be put in the freezer, depending on when the family can move in.

There will be pictures on Facebook soon. This was a heroic effort on everyone’s part – and that’s what we do at Nativity when someone is in need. Thanks to all for your cheerful and willing spirits!

Categories
Peace Library Reviews Social Justice

Chicken Sunday (Peace Library Review)

by Patricia Polacco
review by Abby Dykes, youth from Nativity.

Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco is a heartwarming family tale emphasizing diversity, multicultural relationships and the strength of family bonds. 

A young Russian-American girl and her two African-American brothers are determined to buy a beautiful hat for their grandmother, no matter what it takes. They realize the strength of kindness and common traits throughout their journey, establishing a connection with the misunderstood hat shop owner. 

This is a tender and inspiring story for children of all ages, communicating the importance of acceptance and unity in a family.

Review by Beth Crow and Carol Smith

For the last thirty some years, elementary school teachers have rated Patricia Polacco is a favorite author and illustrator of children’s books. Her vibrant, free flowing watercolor illustrations, which often include family photographs, were the first to draw my attention, images that reflect her own childhood and or imagined children from another time-period.

In the story Chicken Sunday, Patricia Polacco, serving the role of a young, Russian American narrator, takes us to her childhood neighborhood of Oakland, CA, where she has formed a close friendship with brothers Stewart and Winston. In spite of their cultural differences, young Patricia is welcomed into their family, including their “Gramma” Eula Mae. Through their love and admiration for Eula May, they plot to surprise her with the beautiful Easter bonnet she has been admiring in Mr. Kodinsky’s hat shop. Through her own Ukrainian ancestry, Polacco introduces readers to the tradition of writing Pysanky, Ukrainian Eggs. The three children create these beautiful eggs to be sold at Mr. Kodinsky’s hat shop so they could purchase Miss Eula her dream hat for Easter.

One of the aspects I love about Polacco’s books is that within the wonderful storytelling and art gently flowing from page to page, she incorporates glimpses of deeper subject matter through which teachers, parents and young people can discuss and reflect.  In Chicken Sunday, Polacco conveys the rich cultural African American family experience while also subtly sharing aspects of a darker history through Mr. Kodinsky’s concentration camp tattoo. 

In a 2008 interview with Polacco, she says, “The essence of Chicken Sunday is, ‘Don’t judge people by the way they look. Judge them by what you know of them that you have experienced.’” 

Suggested Discussion Topics and Activities  

Discuss what “family” means. Can family include ones we hold dear who might not even be related to us and might be quite different from our immediate family?

Eula Mae had always taught the children to do what is right and tell the truth. How do the children regained the trust of Eula Mae and Mr. Kodinsky?

Mr. Kodinsky is a Holocaust survivor who resettled from Russia to the United States. You might discuss with your child(ren) why people might leave the country where they were born.

Activities

Pysanky, Ukrainian Easter Eggs:

Talk with your child(ren) about family traditions you may have.  Explain how the writing of Pysanky is a very old Ukrainian tradition, dating back to the early Slavic cultures. They are usually created during Lent and are believed to bring protection.  The various symbols written (with bee’s wax using a device called a kiska) represent different signs of prosperity, such as the wheat mean “Wishes for Good Health and a Bountiful Harvest.” 

Learn more at https://ukrainianpeople.us/pysanka-ukrainian-easter-truditions/.  If you would like to create your own pysanky with your family, contact Beth Crow and she can lend you the supplies you need.

Free Pysanky Coloring Sheets

Categories
Glad Tidings

Caring for our Couple Relationship: Joy of the Unexpected

Easter is a season of joy. In our couple relationships, we expected to find happiness, but often we have found unexpected joy. Let us look and share where we have found this unexpected joy with our chosen partners.

Below are some questions to get you started on this couple sharing:

  • What has been the greatest unexpected joy in your relationship? That is what have you found in your relationship that you enjoy, but that you didn’t anticipate when you committed to each other?
  • What have you learned from your partner that you would never have known?
  • What goals have you worked together to see become a reality?
  • What hobbies have you shared or been encouraged by your partner to develop individually that have brought you the joy of creativity?
  • What responsibilities have you enjoyed turning over to your partner that you would have to shoulder by yourself if you were single?
  • What pleasure have you gained by your expanded family relationships?

Find a time and place to share these unexpected joys. Then express your appreciation to each other for these joys.

More questions can be found at www.bettermarriages.org

Carl and Nancy Terry

Categories
Caring for Creation

Nativity is Carbon Offsetting Its 2021 Energy Usage!

Becky Showalter

Thanks to much work and gnashing of teeth by Nancy Reed and Rene Garces, Nativity has calculated its energy usage for 2021 and thereby our own carbon footprint!  Even with our solar panels, we used half again more electricity than we produced – over 13,000 kWh.  Based on that value, our carbon footprint is approximately 100,000 lbs of CO2 per year. 

We are happy to announce that, with the help of the diocese, we will fully offset Nativity’s carbon footprint through a donation ($3500) to Haiti Reforestation Partnership to plant 3500 trees!  Those trees will pull carbon out of the atmosphere AND will increase the quality of life for vulnerable mountain communities in Haiti for years to come.  It is a win for us all!

If you are able, we welcome you to join the church and offset part or all of your footprint as well!  Haiti Reforestation Partnership plants over half a million trees per year and is only limited by funding – offset your 2021 usage or make a monthly donation to offset your current carbon footprint!  Visit www.haitireforest.org to learn more or to calculate the carbon footprint for your family.

We all have our part to play in making this world a better place, and in protecting creation for current and future generations. We hope you will find where you fit in this effort.  Together, we can make a difference.  <3