It’s Vacation Bible School meets a Church Supper!
As told by the coordinators of Wonderful Wednesday, Matt and Tracy Holliday:
Six years or so ago, we joined First United Methodist Church. A year or so later, when our child turned three, we were encouraged to try a program called Wonderful Wednesday.
The first night, we were amazed at how busy and loud everything was, but we were also amazed by how everyone got along and did their jobs. Here were 175 or so people, all working together to do a program that I can now best describe as Vacation Bible School meets a church supper.
The event starts at 4:30 and lasts until 7 p.m., which gave us enough time to be home for our child’s bedtime at 8 p.m. Throughout the early evening, the children experience Bible study, a craft, recreation, a meal (more about that to come) and music. The program is staffed by parents whose children are in the program and other members of the church family.
We eat as families at the Wonderful Wednesday dinner table, but with a twist. The children sit with adults who are not necessarily their own parents (young children may sit with their parents), known as table parents, and in a mixed age group. So at one table you may find a kindergartener, a first grader, a second grader, two fourth graders, a sixth grader, and two adults–all from different families. Wonderful Wednesday is one of the best ways for parents to get to know the other kids of the church and for kids to see children who are older and younger than themselves. Many times you’ll find a married couple being table parents together.
The program is also a great way to encourage your child to grow in musical ways. Most of the rehearsals for the children and youth music program at the church happens during Wonderful Wednesday.
The Passion Play, held the Wednesday before Easter, is put on by the adults and children who attend Wonderful Wednesday, with children acting in different parts each year.
Finally, the best reason for you, as an adult, to join will be your chance to get to know and have fun with the other adults in the program. Tracy and I look forward to every Wednesday, when we can greet what are now good friends and we can meet new parents and other members of First Church’s family.
I hope that you take advantage of this excellent program for you and your family.
To sign up, fill out your information that you can download here, and drop it off by putting it our mailbox in the Narthex, dropping it off at the church’s office (or in the bin outside the office), or just give it to us or Kim Vensel.
We look forward to seeing you at Wonderful Wednesday during the 2009-2010 school year (Wonderful Wednesday will start on October 7 and run with two semesters, taking a break in December, and then going until the Wednesday before Easter).
–Matt and Tracy Holliday, mholliday@pa-mag.com, 697-9682
