LEARNING MINISTRIES
The Learning Ministry Committee is the umbrella group for all the educational programs at POP. This allows us to provide a unified, comprehensive and coordinated Christian educational program for all persons: children, youth and adults.
Sunday School
Sunday school is held on non-holiday Sundays, from September through June, from 9:45a.m. to 10:45a.m.
The curriculum for the pre-school through 8th grade classes is called Akaloo. The Akaloo lessons are focused on five areas of discipleship - Bible, God, Disciple, Church, and World. Each lesson is focused on and responds to an age-appropriate question that pertains to one of these 5 areas. For example, "What are the parts of my Bible?", "Who is the Holy Spirit?", "Why do I serve others?", "How does God get us ready to serve?", and "Where can I serve God?" For more information about the curriculum, visit the Akaloo web site.
Approximately 25 Senior High youth (9-12 grades) attend and discuss current topics relevant to Christian youth.
Adult forum meets at the same time as Sunday School.
Circle Lydia
To find out more about Lydia or its events, please send an email message for more information.Book Club
Book club meets once a month on Friday evenings at 7:00 pm from September through June.
To download the book club selections for the 2008-2009 book club including a synopsis of each book, click here. When the meeting location has been determined it will be posted here and in the weekly newsletter.
| Discussion Date | Book of the Month |
|---|---|
| October 10th | Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert |
| November 14th | Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen |
| December 12th | 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper |
| January 9th | The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch |
| February 6th | Mistaken Identity : Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope by Don & Susie Van Ryn, Mark Tabb and Newell & Whitney Cerak |
| March 6th | Escape by Carolyn Jessop |
| April 3rd | Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence |
| May 1st | Beautiful Boy by David Sheff |
| June 5th | We Need To Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver |
| Summer 2009 | The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett |
Bible Study
Bible Study meets in the library at 7:00 pm, on the 1st and 3rd Monday nights of each month. There is also a Bible Study, led by Pastor Ballenger, that meets weekly on Sundays at 7:00 pm.
For future Circle Lydia events, please continue to check the weekly bulletins, newsletters, the narthex bulletin boards and this web site!Seasonal Events
June 28, 2009 2:00-5:00 pm
Pool party at the home of Lori De Pasquale
Sept. 20, 2009 2:00-5:00 pm
Garden party at the home of Kathy Miller
Vacation Bible School
Michelle Hack and Kay Santos are the co-coordinators for Vacation Bible School.
During the summer of 2008 VBS students soared into the treetops on a Rainforest Adventure.
IT IS NOW TIME to prepare yourselves to join the VBS Adventurers' Voyage to Discovery Canyon! This unique journey is expected to take place July 27 through July 31, 2009. Contact the Church office for registration forms ASAP!
Library
Our free library is stocked with books, videos and tapes for pleasure and for reference. The Library is open whenever the Church is open. Materials are easy to find and easy to sign-out. Come in and see why "Veggie Tales" and "Chicken Soup for the Soul" are so popular. The chairs are comfortable and the atmosphere is relaxing!
First Communion/Confirmation Ministry
Amy Snyder and Kim Sollimo are the co-coordinators for 2008-2009.
First Communion
Children in 2nd grade celebrate their First Communion with their Sunday School Class. Educational sessions will be held with the children and their parents during the evening of Friday, February 20th and during Saturday, February 21st. The children then receive their First Communion with their families during the Saturday evening service on February 21st.
Confirmation
Confirmation is best understood as the affirmation of Baptism.
* Starts in 7th grade
* Meets weekly, on average
* Parents serve as guides, planners, drivers
* Confirmed in November of 9th grade
Educational Development
Learning Ministries strives to make available materials for all to learn and grow in the Christian faith. Each fall, Bibles are distributed to students in the 2nd grade and a Bible reading guide is given to their parents.
There are also many Bible study groups.