Fireflies & Mindfulness
Rev. Amy Freedman
Summer News for Children, Youth and Families:
- This Sunday: “Fireflies & Mindfulness”
- Next Sunday: "The Nature of My Backyard" with Creature Teachers
- Summer Sundays at First Parish
- Join a Religious Exploration Team
- Register Children and Youth for 2017-18
- Family Pilgrimage to Transylvania
This Sunday: “Fireflies & Mindfulness”
July 9, 10:00-11:00 a.m., Emerson Room
In the practice of mindfulness, we encourage ourselves to live in the moment, noticing, appreciating and fully experiencing the beings and world around us. One of the best ways we can do that on a New England summer night is to take time out to watch the fireflies light up the skies. If we truly take the time to experience them, we learn there is so much going on: communication between members of the same species, different firefly species interacting, and even other animals “listening” to the visual song of the fireflies. Join us Sunday for a fun interactive demonstration of how to mindfully “listen” to and even “call” back to fireflies.
Dr. Christopher Cratsley grew up in Concord Massachusetts and attended Concord Carlisle High School. He graduated from Brown University with a degree in Biology and went on to earn his PhD in Biology from Tufts University, where he first began studying fireflies. He has continued his firefly research as a Professor of Biology at Fitchburg State University, and also focuses on Science Education and the role of Mindfulness in student learning.
Next Sunday: "The Nature of My Backyard" with Creature Teachers
Come meet your wildlife neighbors! “The Nature of My Backyard” will explore the lives of the creatures living in our own backyards. Meet some of the common animals that we encounter every day, such as porcupine, gray fox, woodchuck, flying squirrel, snapping turtle, milk snake, and more.
Summer Sundays at First Parish
Children and youth of all ages are invited to drop-in for our fun Summer
Program held every Sunday during the service time 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. *A
flyer is attached listing our Summer Sundays. Please sign in your children in
the Emerson Room (Upper Level) before the service. Our goal is for your family
to feel energized and renewed!
Join a Religious Exploration Team
This year teachers will work in teams and each member will volunteer for eight
Sundays across the church year. We hope that this new arrangement will give you
more flexibility and help develop closer connections between children and
co-teachers. Volunteer Sign-up: http://tinyurl.com/ConcordRETeacher2017-18 Links
are also on our website. Please contact Amy: afre...@firstparish.org for more
information or to explore the possibilities!
Register Children and Youth for 2017-18
New and returning families are encouraged to register children and youth for
the 2017-2018 church year. Our program is year-round but we offer classes by age-group
in the Fall, Winter and Spring seasons. Please sign-up today so we can plan and
be prepared to welcome your family! Registration for Children and Youth: https://goo.gl/forms/nHIXFXbJUpxRb0B52
Family Pilgrimage to Transylvania
Plans are underway for our Family Pilgrimage to our partner congregation in
Székelykeresztúr, Transylvania! The dates are during April vacation leaving
either Thursday or Friday, April 12 or 13 and returning on Monday, April 23,
2018. The cost will be $1800-2200 per person (largely driven by airfares). We
will have more details by fall. This pilgrimage is open to all, individuals and
families alike. A $200 per person or
$500 per family deposit is due this Summer. Please make checks payable
to First Parish in Concord, Memo: Family Pilgrimage and mail to First Parish in
Concord, 20 Lexington Road, Concord, MA 01742 Attn: Family Pilgrimage.
Scholarship assistance is available. If you are interested or have questions,
contact Amy: afre...@Firstparish.org