Easter Festival

Our annual Easter Festival is approaching!

Saturday, April 7th, 10a-noon at Skycrest UMC

Join the Skycrest family and local community as we have fun hunting for eggs, playing festival games, getting faces painted, decorating cookies, winning prizes, and celebrating God!

We hope everyone gets to make it out for this fun, family event.

Parents Night Out!

December 2, 6-9pm

Here’s a great chance for the adults to have a night out!  Drop off your kids at 6:00pm on Friday, December 2^nd at Skycrest UMC and enjoy a few child-free hours.

            We are accepting kids birth-through-5^th grade.  There will be games, crafts, a clown, and dinner will be provided!

            There is a cost of $5 per child, $10 maximum per family (so, 3 kids from one family is $10) and you must register ahead of time!

The basics:

• When: Friday, December 2^nd, 2011 , 6:00pm-9:00pm
• Where:  Skycrest United Methodist Church
•               2045 Drew Street, Clearwater, Florida
• $5/kid, $10 max/family
•  Accept birth-through-5^th graders
• Must register by Wednesday, November 30^th
• There will be games, crafts, clowns, music, and more!
• Dinner will be provided

• Three ways to register

o   Fill out the sign-up sheet when you pick up your kids at SCDC
o   Email with your name, the name of your kid(s) attending, and their ages
o   Call 727.446.2218

Operation Christmas Child

From the end of October to mid-November we're participating in Operation Christmas Child!  This is a chance for the kids at Skycrest to experience a tangible way we show God's love.  Samaritans Purse and Operation Christmas Child have provided over 83 million needy kids in 130 countries gifts created and put together by children and families like those here at Skycrest.

Here's how it works:

Skycrest Kids and families gather up some shoeboxes or plastic containers the same size (provided in the church office if needed) and fill them up for either a boy or a girl.

Items can be toys, clothes, school supplies, hygiene products, and even candy.

DO NOT include any war-related items (i.e. toy soldiers), liquids or lotions, medicine, old candy or candy that can melt.

These gifts are going to needy children all over the globe that may have never exprienced receiving a present from someone (let alone a stranger).

Skycrest kids will also have the opportunity to color an activity sheet and connect with the child that receives their shoebox (also available in the office).

We'll be sending home more info and details this and next month.

Collection week is November 14-21.  Drop of your shoebox(es) to the church office.  After that, you'll have to send them yourself, so don't be late!

Check out the Skycrest Kids bulletin board near the Fellowship Hall, beginning in November, for more instructions!

ABOUT ME sheets - DOWNLOAD THE ABOUT ME SHEETS HERE!

Sunday Morning Schedule for Kids!

Sunday morning structure for the Children's Ministry!  Here's the outline:

• Modern Service starts at 9:45 - entire family worships together
  • During annoucements (about 10a), kids are invited upstairs to Kid's Group Worship!
• 10-10:45 Group Worship -- kids sing, dance, play!
• 10:45-11:15 transition time
  • Kids leaving are checked-out by parents/family
  • Kids arriving are checked-in by parents/family
  • This takes place in large Children's Room, middle hallway, upstairs
• 11:15 Sunday School
  • Preschool and Elementary kids split and head to their Sunday School rooms
  • Sunday School time includes Scripture, Monthly Virtue discussion, fun activities, light/healthy snack
  • If your kids have Bibles, bring 'em!
• 12:15 Parents/family promptly check-out your kids from their Sunday School rooms*

*This weeks Sunday School classrooms are:

• Group Worship = Large Children's room>Left at top of stairs, first room on right
• Preschool Sunday School = Small "Tree-house" room>Right at top of stairs, first room on left
• Elementary Sunday School = Large Children's room>Left at top of stairs, first room on right (Group Worship room)

Parent's picking up their Kids from Sunday School, please take a Parent Cue card!  This is a tool for you to use to connect to your child and what they are learning about their faith.

Those children not attending Group Worship during the Modern Service can grab a worship bag from the back of the Fellowship Hall - it's got some games and coloring books!

Welcome Skycrest Kids, Parents, and Family!

Skycrest Kids is the children's ministry of Skycrest UMC - nursery to 5th grade.

Our goal is to connect with children and families as they both grow emotionally and spiritually with God.  We believe in a connectional ministry - uniting children and their family with the church.  We provide a safe, spiritually stimulating, inviting environment that allows children to experience God and the church family.

The Nursery is for our littlest ones - newborn to about preschool (children who are not yet potty trained).  We try to introduce God in the fun, creative, and beautiful ways he provides using pictures, age-appropriate toys, music, and loving staff and volunteers.

The Nursery is available Sunday mornings from 9:45 to 12:15.  Located downstairs in the main hall.

Our Preschool kids engage in worship with God geared towards their fun and energetic selves.  Scripture, play, art, science, and reading are implemented in our Sunday morning time together.  We currently follow the 252 Basics curriculum by Orange.

We have a group Sunday Morning worship time that begins after the children are dismissed from the Modern Service (during announcements).  This allows the entire family to worship together in the Modern service before the children make their way upstairs.  The Modern service starts at 9:45.  After group worship, the kids are split up into Preschool and Elementary classes.

Preschool Sunday School starts at 11:15 upstairs in the LEC, and finishes at 12:15.

Elementary Sunday School (K - 5th grade) has a similar schedule to Preschool.  The family worships together in the Modern service and the children are dismissed during announcements.  We have a group kids worship, upstairs.  At 11:15, Sunday School begins as the kids split up into Preschool and Elementary age classes.

Elementary Sunday School starts at 11:15 upstairs in the LEC, and finishes at 12:15

Parents, check out the resources in the links on the right.  The Parent's page has several useful forms and info about Skycrest Kids!

Volunteers, please make your way to the volunteer link for important info on schedules, curriculum, and training!