Salford Mennonite Church
480 Groffs Mill Rd. Harleysville, PA 19438
(215) 256-0778
Sunday Worship - 10:00 a.m. online
Prelude - 9:50 a.m.
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Find everything related to family faith formation here.

Family engagement for all ages: Jan. 17
Learning Activities to Celebrate MLK Day

LEARN:
SCRIPTURE AND PRAYER: 
Scripture: Read about the Call of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:1-20 (or Shine On Bible p. 83)

Wondering questions: 
  • I wonder how Eli knew that it was God calling Samuel. 
  • I wonder how it felt for Samuel to so clearly hear a message from God. 
  • I wonder how it felt for Samuel to hear a message from God that Eli would find hard to hear. ​

Connect: Eli was Samuel’s mentor and teacher. Who teaches you about God? 
​
Part of the message that God told Samuel was that Eli's sons were not following God. We can imagine this would be hard for Eli to hear. Rev. Dr. King's faith gave him courage to proclaim that Black people should be treated fairly, a message that was hard for most white people to hear. Both Samuel and Dr. King were prophets, someone who shares about God's will. ​​

Pray: God of justice, help us to be like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and share your love with everyone we meet. Help us to have courage to make the world a more fair, just and loving place. Amen.
WHAT DO YOU DREAM?
Rev. Dr. King shared about his dreams in a speech he made. He had dreams that people would be judged by their character and not by the color of their skin. 
Watch the video about dreams from Kid President.

Talk with your family about these questions:
  • What is your dream for your community?
  • What is your dream for your country?
  • Have Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dreams come true? What can you do to help make them happen?
  • What questions do you have?
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For parents: Six Meaningful Ways Kids Can Celebrate MLK Day - suggestions about how to talk about race, advocacy and social change all year round (includes book recommendations)  

Book Read-Aloud: Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
"I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.” This week's family formation resource reflecting on Psalm 139 includes an affirmation jar activity, a coloring sheet, and prayer.
​
secondsundayafterepiphany.pdf
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​Looking for a way to reflect on the new year? Print off this New Year’s Coloring Page: Hopes for 2021 and prayerfully color and reflect on your dreams.

This month's Fruit of the Spirit: Love (January)

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​Each month we are learning and practicing a different Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5.
For activities on how to practice love and to share about what it looks like in your family, contact Jenn for access to our private Fruits of the Spirit Facebook group.

Love Your Neighbor
Scripture:
Mark 12:28-34 (or Shine On Bible p. 254)
Wonder: I wonder what it means to love God with your whole self. I wonder how we can love people we have not met.
Connect: Learn how to say love, heart, soul, mind and strength in sign language. Memorize Mark 12:29-31 using these signs. 


The Hebrew Scriptures commanded the Israelites to love the "strangers" among them. Jesus gave us the example of an all-welcoming love for people ignored or not valued in our society. 
​
Salford youth are participating in MCC’s Martin Luther King Day of Service by joining their virtual event, Restoring Hope and Dignity, and making prisoner care kits. 

As an act of love in January, families can join in by:
1)
 Supporting the youth by donating supplies for care kits (
sign up here) by January 19.
2) Making your own prisoner care kit and drop it off at the church office. Note the exact specifications that are required for these kits.
3) Joining in MCC's virtual service event on Monday Jan. 18, 10-11:30a.m. which will have music, poetry, and reflections on mass incarceration and how we can respond. 


Pastor Maria and members of the junior youth share how we can be of love and service this month, inspired by the scriptures and the witness & teachings of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

​...And more:

Morning Meditations: Three options of quick morning meditations for all ages, to start the day off well.

Holy Hikes with the Psalms: Click Here


Resources for Talking about Race with Children:
Encouraging kids' faith formation means helping them cultivate a vision for God's Reign and their role in it, and walking with them as they share that with others. The effects of racism are real in our society, and racial justice is a part of God's vision for healing and hope. Here is a starting point for talking about race with your children. This list is non-exhaustive. We aren't making statements about the parent organizations of these pages, but the content on the pages linked here is solid. In using them, if you do not espouse the particular views of the article, then may you find them useful for their information about child development and what children are capable of understanding.


Chart: ages and stages of kids’ perceptions of race This chart helps you understand your child's level of awareness of biological and social differences between people.

Parent Toolkit: How to Talk to Kids About Race and Racism A practical step-by-step, with tips and suggested language.

Talking With Children About Racism, Police Brutality and Protests This resource guides parents in talking about race, police brutality, and protests; divided by age group.

Video Overview of Systemic Racism Hear Veggie Tales creator Phil Vischer explain systemic racism in a way kids will be able to grasp, in 17 minutes. Simple language and visuals; would work well in sections with family conversation.

Antiracist Books for Kids There are tons of book lists out there, and I (Maria) can't personally recommend every one on this list - but it covers a wide range of diversity in a direct way and is a good place to start.

Diverse books with everyday stories Just like none of us can be distilled into one aspect of our identity, people of color are much larger than their racial struggle. There are probably thousands of this kind of books; may this be just a starting point.

Talking About Race portal This one should maybe be listed first. Published by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, it's a sort of self-guided curriculum for understanding race, racism, whiteness, antiracism, and much more. Extremely useful information for parents, not a lot of content that translates to kids.

Raising White Kids a five-minute interview with author Dr. Jennifer Harvey can be found here; and here is an article she wrote about raising white kids which references the story of Amy Cooper calling 911 in Central Park.


Coronavirus Kindness Bingo
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Salford Mennonite Church is a member of Mosaic Mennonite Conference, Mennonite Church USA, and Mennonite World Conference.