September 2023 Newsletter

CFM Volunteer Leadership Transition

Dear Members of the Children and Family Ministry Committee, and Members and Friends of Overbrook Presbyterian Church,

I am excited to update you on an important volunteer leadership transition in our Children and Family Ministry committee.

After listening to and discerning the direction of the Holy Spirit, and in consultation with leaders in our CFM, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Molly Andrews Burke as the next Chair of the Children and Family Ministry Committee, effective August 1, 2023! Molly has accepted a call to serve as Chair for two years, concluding her first term on July 31, 2025. Please read

a letter from Molly⁠

to learn more about her and her vision for our Children and Family Ministry community at OPC.

Additionally, I am pleased to announce that our Outgoing Committee Chair, The Rev. Dr. Christy Lang Hearlson, will continue to serve on the Children and Family Ministry Committee during the program year '23-'24, with her membership term concluding on July 31, 2024. During her two years as Committee Chair, Christy has collaborated with a spirit of care and wisdom that have been instrumental in our programmatic and ministry growth. Molly and I look forward to Christy's continued presence and collaboration in this new phase of our shared work.

Christy’s outgoing note as Chair can be found here⁠

Please join me in extending gratitude to Christy and a warm welcome to Molly as we embrace this new chapter together! We move forward in faith, anticipation, and shared purpose.

Yours in Christ,

⁠

⁠

Anthony Michael Carrella

Director of Children and Family Ministry

Undersigned;

Molly Andrews Burke

Incoming Chair, Children and Family Ministry

The Rev. Dr. Christy Lang Hearlson

Outgoing Chair, Children and Family Ministry

Updates to the CFM Sunday Morning Experience, Fall 2023

Welcoming the Prayerground: A New Horizon in Our Common Worship Experience

As we head into Fall, the CFM is thrilled to introduce a Prayerground to the Sanctuary at Overbrook. Inspired by our children's and families' liturgical and participatory needs, a Prayerground is a carefully integrated, innovative space designed to help our youngest congregants enjoy active participation in our corporate worship and the mystery of faith.

Prayergrounds are much more than areas designated for children. Children can see, touch, move, and explore in this sacred space together, working with tactile elements like colorful cushions, quiet manipulative tools, books, and other engaging activities that mirror liturgical elements and themes arising in the worship. The Prayerground's location provides an up-close and personal connection with our liturgy, allowing children to be affirmed as full participants in our community while being activated as learners and people of faith.

That said, the Prayerground is not exclusively for children. The Volunteer Prayerground Coordinator and a team of Prayerground Stewards will partner with parents to provide gentle support and helpful oversight of this space each Sunday. Additionally, the Prayerground space serves as a living theological statement of our entire congregation's dedication to welcome, and the nourishment of all members' spiritual well-being. Most churches that integrate a Prayerground notice how the space increases children's focus and fascination, while decreasing noise. Integrating a Prayerground emphasizes children's essential presence and role in our multigenerational community, serving as fertile ground for co-generational connections to take root. Finally, the Prayerground is a space for parents and caregivers to discover a new way of experiencing worship as a family, accompanying and supporting each other in a collaborative faith journey.

The CFM extends a heartfelt expression of gratitude to the Elders serving on the Session of Overbrook. Their meticulous and comprehensive year-long review process of our Prayerground proposal has been a testament to their wisdom and dedication to this work. We also acknowledge with thanks the support of the Worship and Music and Property Committees, reflecting the diverse interests of our congregation. Finally, we bow to the parents, caregivers, active and retired educators, and especially children, whose eyes have sparkled with anticipation when they learn what will soon enrich our Sanctuary. Thank you all for inspiring our ministry.

The Prayerground will launch this Fall, in time for September 10th, and the CFM will share more details and best practices soon. In the meantime, stay tuned for a church town hall held later in September for the congregation. Soon after, a separate town hall will be convened for parents and caregivers to learn more about this space, and how they might begin to use it.

Introducing "Follow Me": A Christian Practices Curriculum for Children’s Sunday School

A task force within the CFM Committee recently collaborated with Director Anthony to assess and choose a new curricular option for the Children's Sunday School program. In response to our former curricular maker going out of business, Seasons of the Spirit, the task force has chosen a vibrant new option from the PCUSA: "Follow Me: Biblical Practices for Faithful Living."

Follow Me is a twenty-seven-unit exploration of contemplative spiritual practices coupled with Biblical Storytelling. This curriculum recognizes that the Bible is not merely a collection of stories and histories to be "taught" or memorized. Instead, the resource aims to present storytelling alongside contemplative prayer and spiritual practices that enable more profound and authentic experiences with the Divine and each other. What makes Follow Me truly unique is its commitment to connecting practices to their Biblical roots and relevance in our busy, modern family lives. With a dynamic, hands-on approach to experiencing faith and opportunities for extending experiences in the classroom to the broader church community, Follow Me is truly a game changer in how we think about and integrate Christian Education at Overbrook. Whether you are a parent, a child, or simply someone eager to deepen your spiritual connection, the co-generational journey offered in Follow Me invites us all into a fuller, embodied understanding of God and God's work in our world.

All Children ages 4 - 11 are invited to CFM's first Sunday School session of the program year, held on Sunday, September 10th, following the Biblical Storytelling in worship. A quick registration form will be made available for families in the coming days and will be sent via e-mail.

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