Backpacks, Blessings, & New Beginnings

NEW August Sunday School for children begins this Sunday, August 4, 9:45 a.m. -10:45 a.m.

The transition back to school can often be a daunting time for children - a mix of anticipation and apprehension as they face a new academic year with all its challenges and changes. In this four-week “Back To School” children's Sunday School, we address these feelings by blending biblical teachings with practical advice, providing children with spiritual tools to navigate this vital phase confidently while reaffirming that God is their constant companion and source of strength. For Rising Kindergarten through Rising 6th-grade students. Nursery open for PreK and under.

Donations Needed for Easter Egg Hunt & Door Prizes for Families!

You can help support the outreach to families in the area neighborhoods with a donation of plastic easter eggs, easter candy, or a door prize for a child! The Road to Resurrection event on April 8 is a wonderful opportunity to grow the relationships with families and children in our Dale City area with the Easter Egg Hunt and Door Prize Drawing. For this event we need:

• 2,000 new or gently used plastic Easter eggs

• 4,000 pieces of individually wrapped candies

• Door prize gifts for a child (ex. scooter, bicycle, any other treasured childhood toy)

You can find the Amazon wishlist for the eggs and candy here. Purchases made through this link will be shipped directly to the church. You can also drip off any eggs or candy to the church office (9a.m.-4p.m. M-Th or Sunday morning).

If you are interested in donating a door prize, please email Tara Pedersen or call 703-670-0093.

Thank you for your support of this community event! It is through the generosity of this church that we are able to have successful community outreach!

Candy Donations Needed for the Easter Egg Hunt!

You can help support the outreach to families in the area neighborhoods with a donation of easter candy, or a door prize for a child! The Road to Resurrection event on April 16 is a wonderful opportunity to grow the relationships with families and children in our Dale City area with the Easter Egg Hunt and Door Prize Drawing. For this event we still need:

• 2,000 pieces of individually wrapped candies

• Door prize gifts for a child (ex. scooter, bicycle, any other treasured childhood toy)

You can find the Amazon wishlist for the candy here. Purchases made through this link will be shipped directly to the church. You can also drip off any candy to the church office (9a.m.-4p.m. M-Th or Sunday morning).

If you are interested in donating a door prize, please email Tara Pedersen or call 703-670-0093.

Thank you for your support of this community event! It is through the generosity of this church that we are able to have successful community outreach!

Donations Needed for Easter Egg Hunt & Door Prizes for Families!

You can help support the outreach to families in the area neighborhoods with a donation of plastic easter eggs, easter candy, or a door prize for a child! The Road to Resurrection event on April 16 is a wonderful opportunity to grow the relationships with families and children in our Dale City area with the Easter Egg Hunt and Door Prize Drawing. For this event we need:

• 2,000 new or gently used plastic Easter eggs

• 4,000 pieces of individually wrapped candies

• Door prize gifts for a child (ex. scooter, bicycle, any other treasured childhood toy)

You can find the Amazon wishlist for the eggs and candy here. Purchases made through this link will be shipped directly to the church. You can also drip off any eggs or candy to the church office (9a.m.-4p.m. M-Th or Sunday morning).

If you are interested in donating a door prize, please email Tara Pedersen or call 703-670-0093.

Thank you for your support of this community event! It is through the generosity of this church that we are able to have successful community outreach!

Storytime Returns!

Storytime on Thursdays is back with an updated schedule- every first and third Thursday of the month! Plan to join at 10 a.m. at Cloverdale Park or, in the case of inclement weather, the Multipurpose room in the church.

Storytime includes a thoughtful and seasonal story, snack, and related craft- perfect for all young children!

Contact Tara Pedersen for more information.

Children's Eucharist Class

Children’s Eucharist Class Opportunity Offered- Designed for children third grade aged and older, this interactive, activity centered class prepares children to celebrate their “First Communion” on Easter Sunday.

Please sign up by Ash Wednesday, March 2nd for the four week class, which will take place on Sundays (March 13, 20, 27, and April 3) from 1-2 p.m. in the Children’s Wing. A workbook may be purchased the first day of class for no more than $25. (Details provided at registration). One parent must attend each class with their child. Please sign up no later than March 2 by contacting Tara Pedersen or by calling the church office at 703-670-0093.

A Christmas Thank You!

Thank you to everyone that served during Advent in the Living Nativity and in the Family Christmas Eve service prep. It truly was a season of preparation, but with much rejoicing! Over a month's time of practicing songs, rehearsing, costuming, staging, constructing, and more! It all came to be a celebration of a newborn King and a Savior to the world right here in Dale City. Thank you to everyone that contributed in so many ways!

Tara Pedersen

Children's Ministry Director

Three Kings Search for the Newborn King!

The children of All Saints’ Church are invited to a “Three King's Search for the Newborn King!”

In the season of Advent, children will be taking turns in Sunday School receiving one of the three Kings dolls, carefully prepared by our beloved Margaret Nichols. The dolls will go home with 3 children each week, and they can either take pictures of their King doll on a special journey to find baby Jesus (perhaps an outing to grandma's house, sitting under their own Christmas tree or while reading an Advent family devotion, or even in the kitchen while cooking a family meal!) Or they can journal/write, or draw a picture of their King somewhere on a special visit.

Our King dolls will be traveling through all the weeks of Advent until Epiphany, when the children will be invited to share about their King's journey, hear the story of The Visit of the Wise Men, be visited by the singing and costumed Three Kings themselves on January 9th.

All families attending Sunday School will be invited first to take a King doll home for the week, returning it with their photos, writings, or drawing! Ages 3 and up are invited!

Mothers of Preschoolers Fall Kick-off Park Day

Do you have children age 5 and under? Ready to meet other Christian mothers? Come join in the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) at Cloverdale Park, Dale City on Monday, August 30, 10 am! All mothers and their children are welcome. Our new 2021-2022 School Year MOPS Coordinator is Susan Arbeiter if you have any questions.

Missionary Heroes Visit Children's Church!

As we transition into late summer, Children’s Church is featuring six weeks of Missionary Heroes! Missionary Heroes began last Sunday, August 1, with one of our very own missionaries from All Saints’ Church- Bethany Fair.

Each week the children will be led by some very special guests, as they highlight a hero for Jesus-a Missionary Hero of the week! Our first Missionary Hero was Bethany Fair, a teacher (going into her second year this fall) who experienced a short-term mission a few years ago to Eswatini, Africa (also known as Swaziland). Her send-off and support came from her college, Southern Nazarene University, along with All Saints' Church. Her parents are still part of All Saints’, Jon and Lisa Fair. Bethany is now teaching in Oklahoma, but did a video teaching for our children last Sunday. This was a great opportunity for our children to learn about a missionary hero, who came from our own church!

This week Children’s Church will continue learning about missionaries to Africa. Connie Odems will lead the children in learning about the first African American female missionary, Louise Celia Fleming! What an honor this will be to not only for the children to hear about Ms. Fleming, but also to hear from Connie herself, a gifted Bible teacher of many years at All Saints’ Church.

Here is Bethany on her mission trip to Eswatini!

VBS Volunteer Commissioning

Calling all VBS Treasure Hunters! Before we have amazing encounters with Jesus and our community throughout next week’s Vacation Bible School, let's wear our VBS t-shirts this coming Sunday, July 18 (either service). We will be commissioned and sent out on mission! Fr. Scott will invite us to stand for a prayer of commissioning during the Sunday services as we prepare our hearts to show the children in our community how treasured they are!

Last VBS Training Opportunity Next Week!

Next Tuesday is the last Vacation Bible School training session before VBS kicks off on July 19. Learn more about how you can use your gifts to help support VBS this year! There are a variety of opportunities to serve. Hear about the program and from station leaders about specific volunteer needs.

• VBS Traning- Tuesday, July 6, 1-3 p.m.

RSVP's helpful, but not required to Tara Pedersen

VBS Opportunities Coming Up- Training and Craft, Snack & Pack Days!

There are two opportunities coming up this weekend and next week to be involved with our Treasured Vacation Bible School!

1. VBS Training Learn more about how you can use your gifts to help support VBS this year! There are a variety of opportunities to serve Hear about the program and from station leaders about specific volunteer needs.

   • Saturday, June 26, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

   • Tuesday, July 6, 1-3 p.m.

2. Treasured VBS Craft, Snack, & Pack Days! Join in the fun of helping pack up bundles of crafts, snacks, and packs. Come to the church office for refreshments and be VBS helping hands to bundle supplies for the children on one of the following dates:

   • Tuesday, June 29, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

   • Thursday, July 1, 1:-3 p.m.

RSVP's helpful, but not required to Tara Pedersen

Contribute to VBS Vine Dining snacks!

You can help VBS by contributing snack items for our VBS children's "Vine Dining Treasured” snacks each day! If you are able, please consider signing up for a snack item here to be assembled in fun snacks each day for the kids as they refuel and cool off on their trek through ancient caves, tropical waterfalls, and dense jungles! Signup here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040d45aaab283-vbsvine

Drop by the church office M-Th, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., or bring to the children's wing any Sunday, now through July 1.

VBS Decor Party & Craft, Snack, Pack Days!

Help create, paint, twist, splash, sponge, wrap at our VBS Decor Party! Come to the church Thursday, June 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Creativity is not required; we will instruct and guide you every step of the way. Refreshments served.

RSVP to Tammy Bailey

What a splash the decor crew had at our first VBS Decor Party! Thank you to the moms, teens, and Grandmas that came to join in the fun!

Join in the fun of helping pack up bundles of crafts, snacks, and packs at the Treasured VBS Craft, Snack, & Pack Days! Come to the church office for refreshments and be VBS helping hands to bundle supplies for the children on one of the following dates:

• Thursday, June 24, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, June 29, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

• Thursday, July 1, 1:00-3:00 p.m.

RSVP's helpful, but not required to Tara Pedersen

Children's Church Update

Late Summer Children's Church Update:

To give our teachers a summer break before our "Back to Sunday School" kickoff mid-September, Zoom Children's Church will end July 18.

The Pre-K and Elem classes will be combined into one class, with a Missionary Hero visitor dressing up and telling the children about their life mission for Jesus! A new Missionary Hero each week to visit the kids! We will then do outdoor Faith Formation activities such as Family Prayer (Book of Common Prayer) in the church backyard, sidewalk chalk prayers, exploring creation in the garden, or prayer walking to VBS music.

Come join in!