| Sunday, January 5th from 11:30am to 1:00pm we will have Atrium Fellowship for children in the Atrium I, II, and III classes.
January 6th is the Epiphany, the twelfth day of Christmas and the visitation of the Magi. The word "epiphany" means manifestation. In relation to the birth of Christ in the Church year, we celebrate Epiphany and the visitation of the Magi (the three wise men) as the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. The story of the Magi is found only in Matthew 2:1-12. According to Matthew, the visitation of the Magi to the Christ child, and their decision not to return to Herod, allowed for the Holy Family to safely flee to Egypt, to escape Herod. In addition to Matthew, tradition holds that the Magi were from different races from the east and each of their gifts had symbolic value.
"The first is said to have Melchior, an old man with white hair and a long beard...who offered gold to the Lord as to a king. The second, Gaspar by name, young and beardless and ruddy complexioned...honored him as God by his gift of incense, an oblation worthy of divinity. The third, black-skinned and heavily bearded, named Balthasar...by his gift of myrrh testified to the Son of Man who was to die." *The Birth of the Messiah by Raymond E. Brown, p. 199.
The Atrium Fellowship activity will introduce children and their families to the story of the Epiphany. A story of the visitation of the wise men will be read. We will learn and sing, "We Three Kings." And, the children will decorate treasure boxes that will hold the gifts to be received by three special guests that will visit the children.
*Considering the nature of the fellowship activity, parental participation is encouraged. Each child will receive chocolate and plastic gold coins, a frankincense incense cone, and an authentic piece of myrrh resin. The frankincense and myrrh can be burned at home in an incense burner, under parental supervision of course.* Additionally, any child without parental supervision needs to have a completed Atrium/Youth Fellowship Registration form on file with Dawn Campbell+. Click here to print a registration form. | 
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