CHRISTIAN
EDUCATION CORNER 03-2008
Please
congratulate the following children on their perfect attendance in Sunday
School for the month of January!
Ben Talpey Eric
Hall Emily
Talpey
Paige Cote Hannah
Kenison Brianne
Routhier
Nathan Farnsworth Cody Malpass Drake
Routhier
Sarah Kenison
And
congratulations to Koby Humason-Fulgham, who proved that he
could recite the Lord’s prayer by heart! Ms. Kary is available before and after
church to hear anyone else who would like to get the Lord’s Prayer memorization
award.
You
can still get an attendance award, even if you’ve missed up to 3 Sundays. Also, if you’re out of town for whatever reason
and can’t come to church, go to church wherever you are and bring me a bulletin
as proof that you went, and that absence will not count against your total. If
you have any questions about the attendance or the Lord’s Prayer memorization
awards, call (782-3972) or email me (dce@auburnmethodist.org).
Please
take the time to visit the different Sunday school classrooms on Sunday and
take a look at the attendance chains. Every Sunday, each child adds a link to
his or her attendance chain, and it is a visual reminder of how their faith
grows every time they come to church.
Do
you know your child’s Sunday School teacher? Please check out the continuation
of our series of Sunday School “Teacher Features” in this month’s Beacon, where
you can become better acquainted with the talented individuals that teach our
children. This month, we will get to know Deb Trautman and Carla Burkley, who
teach our 1st and 2nd grade class.
It
is always appropriate to express gratitude for the church members who step
forward to help with our Christian Education program. Is it possible that you
have felt called to this important ministry? Please contact me, and we can talk
about it! I am available to meet with
anyone; simply contact me and we can set up an appointment. I have both
mornings and evenings available. Feel free to call me (782-3972) or e-mail me
(dce@auburnmethodist.org) with questions, concerns, or to share ideas!
Thank
you,
Ms.
Kary
TEACHER
FEATURE: Carla Burkley
(Photo courtesy
of St. Mary’e Regional Medical Center Website)
Ms.
Kary: What would you prefer that the children call you?
Mrs.
Talpey: Hmmm. That is a tough one. Not even my closest relatives know
what to call me. I'm Dr. Burkley at work, but Mrs. Talpey is the
least confusing for the kids.
Ms. Kary: How long have
you attended this church, and how long have you taught Sunday School?
Mrs.
Talpey: We have been attending the United Methodist Church in Auburn for two
and a half years. This is my first year teaching Sunday school.
Ms.
Kary: Tell us a little bit about your background.
Mrs.
Talpey: I grew up in Wayland, Massachusetts and then attended Mount Holyoke
College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. I worked for 6-7 years before going
to medical school at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and
Dentistry in Rochester, NY (where I met my husband!). I now work at St.
Mary's Regional Medical Center in Lewiston as an obstetrician/gynecologist.
Ms.
Kary: Tell us about your family.
Mrs. Talpey: Most know
my husband Will (who also helps out teaching the class sometimes!) and two
children Emily and Ben. We also have two guinea pigs named Sally and
Wilbur and a revolving assortment of fish.
Ms.
Kary: Do you have any hobbies (other than teaching Sunday School, of course)?
Mrs.
Talpey: I love to cook!! I also like to exercise (daily)...in the summer
biking and hiking are my favorites.
Ms. Kary: Why did you
decide to volunteer to be a Sunday School teacher?
Mrs. Talpey: I volunteered
to teach Sunday School because it is totally different from what I do
vocationally. When I was younger, I always wanted to be an elementary
school teacher. I gave my younger sister homework, which she still
complains about to this day. It is also a great opportunity to get to
know the younger members of the congregation.
TEACHER
FEATURE: Deb Trautman
Ms.
Kary: What would you prefer that the children call you?
Debra: Debra.
Ms. Kary: How long have
you attended this church, and how long have you taught Sunday School?
Debra: Six years; 1 year and
substituted for 2 years at different times.
Ms. Kary: Tell us a
little bit about your background.
Debra: My family moved here from
Michigan in 2001 with our jobs. We like Maine, and found a great home at UMC. I
always enjoyed teaching, but majored in journalism and pursued a career in
writing and public relations. I volunteered with children for many years,
Cerebral Palsy and United Way boards, Junior Achievement, Court Appointed
Special Advocates, Junior League and tutoring.
Ms.
Kary: Tell us about your family.
Debra: My husband Karl and I have
one child, Sam. Now I volunteer at his school.
Ms. Kary: Do you have
any hobbies (other than teaching Sunday School, of course)?
Debra: Walking, piano, music, politics,
reading and learning from my son.
Ms. Kary: Why did you decide to volunteer to be
a Sunday School teacher?
Debra: Jane Thomas is a co-worker
and a mentor of mine. She had volunteered a long time and she has taught be how
to get involved in the church and introduced me to new people.
Ms. Kary: Is there anything else that you would like everyone to know
about you?
Debra: I have also enjoyed being on
the financial committee for the church and enjoyed the visitation Sunday,
getting to know more members.
Many
thanks to both of you for sharing some of the details of your lives with us! We
are so lucky to have such a variety of talent and experience in our Sunday
school staff.
SUNDAY
SCHOOL
Every Sunday, the children will come into church
with their parents; please feel free to select the age appropriate Children’s
Worship Bulletin for your child, available as you enter the sanctuary. The
bulletins have activities that center on a scripture reading from the day’s
worship service. After the Moments with the Children, they will go out for
their Sunday School classes. Please don’t forget your offering when you go out
to Sunday School! We will continue to have families celebrate Holy Communion
together on the first Sunday of the month, attending Sunday School classes
after the conclusion of communion. Claire Cote directs our Children’s Choir,
and practices with the children starting at 11:00am. March 23rd
(Easter) will be a “Family Sunday,” where children will participate in
the worship service with their parents.
In March, the Sunday School theme is Rejoice! The
children will be learning about the life of Jesus from the Last Supper leading
up to Easter. Ask your child about what he or she is learning in Sunday School;
take a look at the leaflet that goes with the lesson. And if you missed Sunday
School, there’s a chance that there’s an extra leaflet that you could take and
do at home with your child. Just see your child’s Sunday School teacher or
contact me at 782-3972.
YOUTH
GROUP MEETINGS
7th-12th
graders:
Come and join us for our Youth Group meeting this month, taking place on March
9th at the High Street Congregational Church at 6:00pm.
4th-6th
graders:
The Junior Youth Group will be eating and meeting March 16th and
March 30th after church. Please join us!
Acolytes
March
2: Amy Young
March
9: Auna O’Leary
March
16: Adriana Whitaker
March
23: Sierra Gary
March
30: Allyson Petit
PLASTIC EASTER EGG
DONATIONS NEEDED: The
Education Committee is
planning an Easter Egg Hunt for the
children this year. Please consider donating fillable
plastic Easter eggs for our hunt; we plan
to collect them and use them again in future years.
There is a box on the table in the
narthex for your plastic egg donations. Contact Kary
Coffin at 782-3972 or e-mail
dce@auburnmethodist.org with questions; and thank you for your help!!
CAN YOU DONATE WRAPPED
EASTER CANDY??!!: All
the colorful plastic
Easter eggs which have been donated are
going to be filled with wrapped candy for our
children to enjoy on Easter Sunday and we
need your help. Please bring in individually wrapped
candy (smaller candies would be best,
such as sweet tarts, sour patch kids, laffy taffy, swedish fish, tootsie rolls,
smarties, candy eggs, m&ms, skittles, or jelly beans) and place it in the
donation box over by the sign-up table in the reception area. Contact Kary
Coffin at 782-3972 or e-mail dce@auburnmethodist.org with questions; and thank
you so much for all your help!
PARENTING
MATTERS CONFERENCE 2008: This conference, put on by Advocates for Children, features
20 workshops, exhibitors from local agencies and a keynote address by Pam Leo
on “connection parenting.” The conference will take place March 29th
from 7:45am – 3:30pm at Central Maine Community College in Auburn. For
registration information, call 783-3990.