Welcome to Aurora United Church’s virtual Funday Sunday – Sunday School program! While we cannot meet together on Sunday morning, we can still meet virtually to learn about Jesus by reading the Bible, talking about what we’ve read and doing some activities. Get together with your family and do these lessons when it works for you or phone your friend or other family members who you can’t get together with to talk about these lessons. Have fun!
AUC Funday Sunday on Zoom
Sunday June 13 - Third Sunday After Pentecost
Today we talked about the parable of the mustard seed. Jesus said that the tiniest of seed grows into a huge tree. Like the mustard seed - even small acts of kindness – lending a helping hand to someone in need or maybe even just sharing a smile – can grow into something very big and important. You might not even know how much your kindness made a difference in someone’s life. So remember Jesus’ story – and plant the seeds of love and caring. See how many times you can plant a kindness seed this week.We watched a video about the parable of the mustard seed (on this page). We sang the song, Faith as Small as a Mustard Seed (see below). We played a Fruit Guessing game (see below). Here are some other activities to do at home. Remember - share the love!
Faith as Small as a Mustard Seed (song)
Sunday June 6 - Pride Sunday
Today is Pride Sunday! It's all about the rainbow. We talked about God loves each and every one of us - we are all created in God's wonderful image and everyone is different and loved by God. We watched a video about God's love (on this page). We sang the song, God Loves Me Specially (see below). We played a game - At The Beach (see below). Here are some other activities to do at home. Remember - God loves you!
Sunday May 30 - Trinity Sunday
Today is Trinity Sunday! We talked about the mystery of God - how God is three in one - like a triangle with three sides - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. We watched a video explaining the Trinity(on this page). We sang the song, Trinity Roll Up (see below). We played a game - Guess The Bible Character (see below). Here are some other activities to do at home.
Let's Talk About Racism
Talking to your friends and family about racism can be tough. Here are some books and videos to help you start thinking about it.
More, More, More, Said the Baby
Written and illustrated by Vera B. Williams, Greenwillow Books (AGES 0-2) Blogger Sachi Feris at Raising Race Conscious Children says that in order to have conversations about racism when your kids are a bit older, you have to raise kids who are aware of race as early as possible. Making it seem like race doesn’t exist only serves to hide the fact that racism is something people face. To that end, she recommends reading the adorable and multiracial More, More, More Said the Baby with toddlers, and using it an opportunity to talk about the different races of the characters, and then expanding that conversation at the same time to talk about people of different ethnicities in your child’s life.
All the Colors We Are
Written by Katie Kissinger; photographs by Chris Bohnhoff, Redleaf Press (AGES 3+) All the Colors We Are takes a kidappropriate, demystifying and scientiIc look at why people have different skin colours (spoiler alert, it’s because of who our ancestors are, the sun, and melanin), and introduces the idea that skin colour is just one part of who we are. This smart book also includes activities to help with further discussions about this topic.
The Stone Thrower (Jael Ealey Richardson)
Written by Jael Ealey Richardson and illustrated by Matt James, Groundwood Books (AGES 4-9) A children’s version of a book Richardson wrote about her dad, Chuck Ealey, The Stone Thrower tells the story of Chuck’s life growing up as black kid in a thenracially segregated Portsmouth, Ohio. Chuck loved football, and though he faced many challenges, including poverty and racial taunts, he had an unbeaten record as a quarterback in both high school and university due to his determination. Even with all of this talent, he wasn’t chosen to play that position in the NFL because of his race. Instead, he became a quarterback in the Canadian Football League, and in his Irst year, led his team (the Hamilton Tiger-Cats) to win the Grey Cup in 1972.
Viola Desmond Won’t Be Budged
Written by Jody Nyasha Warner and illustrated by Richard Rudnicki, Groundwood Books (AGES 5-9) In 1946, a Black Nova Scotian woman named Viola Desmond refused to leave her seat in what was then a whites’-only area of a movie theatre. This picture book tells her story with striking illustrations, and offers a fantastic example of standing up for your rights, even when there are strong consequences. (Desmond was taken to jail, charged and Ined for her actions. She was later pardoned, though it was decades after her death.) Viola Desmond is the first Canadian woman featured on Canadian currency.
Kids Speak Their Mind About Race
Discrimination Explained for Kids
Miss Anna Talks to kids about racism. I appreciated THIS video for a lot of reasons: clear, empathetic, short.
Other Resources for Families...
Talking with Children about COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Talking Points from Jeffrey Dale, Shining Waters Regional Council 20.03.20
How to Talk to Children About the Coronavirus Pandemic by Alan Wolfelt at the Center for Loss and Life Transition, 19.03.20
