The end of the year is an exciting (and busy!) time of year for the Geelong RPC. A time when we get the chance to reflect on the year that was and celebrate God’s goodness in the activities of which we have been a part.
All of the children’s and youth ministries enjoyed events for the year. The Sunday School (ages 3-18 years old) breakup was held after the morning service on December 11th. The children, dressed in shorts and summer dresses, sang some psalms with and for the congregation and the teachers each talked about their class before handing out gifts to every child. Jonathan Feldman shared an article from a Geelong newspaper in 1914 which spoke of the RPC Sabbath School. The congregation in 1914 was farewelling its long serving Sunday School superintendent, Mr Moore, and paid a “high tribute to the manner in which he had discharged his duties”. In reading this tribute we were glad to thank our own ‘superintendent’, Winnifred Nelson, who has been coordinating the Sunday School for over 20 years. She is a true and trusted servant of the King who has been a blessing to generations of children in our church.
Mr Moore (from 1914) reflected that the Sabbath School though small as almost the ideal of what a school should be. We in 2022 were encouraged by this memory from days of old and were able to reflect on how God has been faithful to our Sunday School for at least a century. Though sometimes small, our Sunday School today is a testament to the wonders of the Lord and a place where our covenant children and youth are taught, nurtured and discipled.
The Kids Club (ages 8-12 years) met at the waterfront one sunny evening to play games, eat ice cream and participate in an awards and graduation ‘ceremony’. Each child was presented with an award highlighting something about their character or behaviour that the leaders (Emily, Meg and Bessie Mikelsons and Roby Vicary) had enjoyed throughout the year. Four of the children graduated from Kids Club, moving up into Youth Group next year. Their energy, enthusiasm and thoughtfulness will be missed from the fortnightly meetings. It was a great time of celebrating, followed by a picnic dinner with everybody’s families.
Our Youth Group met for the last time on December 16th. They enjoyed bouncing around at a trampoline centre and then had pizza together whilst hearing the last study of the year. In 2022 they group went through the Christianity Explained course, which is a resource developed to illustrate, explain and share the Gospel. The leaders gave charge to the four graduating youths, urging them to set their hearts on Jesus and follow Him all their days. It will be sad to lose these four from amongst the group, but they remain much loved and appreciated members of our church family.
It was wonderful to return to in person activities in 2022 after two years of pandemic lockdowns. 2022 was a full and good year. Everyone will no doubt enjoy their summer break and Lord willing come back refreshed in 2023. Hopefully this article is a prompt for you to pause in your day and quickly pray for the children, youth, leaders and teachers in the Geelong RPC.
Thanks to Emily Mikelsons for putting together this article.
