Join Parents Connecting for seasonal bedtime stories

Posted March 16, 2021
Our Wellspring Parents Connecting group will again offer seasonal bedtime stories during late Lent and Easter season for parents and children. The programs, which can be viewed any time after their premiere on St. Martin’s YouTube Channel, are about 10 to 15 minutes. Providing a gentle way to mark our church seasons, the sessions feature Wellspring team members Mark and Laura Birdsall. Families are encouraged to gather in their own quiet space, light a candle if desired, and listen.
The following stories will be featured on St. Martin’s YouTube Channel, and premiering at 5:00 p.m. All stories will have a general Easter theme and will be appropriate for children of all ages.
Sunday, March 21: The Saint and the Mountain Spirit by Maja Muntz-Doundoury
Good Friday, April 2: Robin Redbreast by Selma Lagerloff
Sunday, April 18: Offerus the Giant (A St. Christopher legend) by Jacob Streit
Sunday, May 2: St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio from Saints and Friendly Beasts by Abbie Farwell Brown
St. Martin's Story Time playlist on YouTube
Minister for Children, Youth, & Families 215 247 8716 Anne Alexis Harra (she/her) was born and raised in Wilmington, DE. She and her beloved partner, Cole (he/him) currently live in Manayunk. Anne Alexis graduated from Washington College in May 2019 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Philosophy. Anne Alexis has served on the Diocesan Council in the Episcopal Church in Delaware, as well as the Racial Justice & Reconciliation Commission, and the Diocesan Assessment Committee. Since moving to Philadelphia in January 2021, she has served on the DioPA Youth Leaders Team and the DioPA Dismantling Racism for Youth Leaders Team. She is passionate about children's spirituality and using education as a force for good in their spiritual lives. Beginning with the waters of baptism, Anne Alexis has devoted her life to serving God in the Episcopal Church. Raised on Godly Play in Sunday school and moving into a tight-knit youth group, she is aware of the positive impact that the Church’s presence can have in the life of a young person. She is passionate about encouraging children and youth to explore their faith on a personal level while also committing to a community-centered effort to enact change for the greater good. Anne Alexis is passionate about racial justice and healing, as well as advocating for the rights of children in the context of the Christian faith. She hopes for a church where all of God's beloved are welcomed, heard, and included. She seeks and envisions a church where every member feels the true love of God in Christ. Anne Alexis is deeply aware of the profound impact of Jesus' unyielding love for all, including the most tender and vulnerable in our society: children. Hopeful for a day when all marginalized peoples are treated with equity, she continues "to seek and serve Christ in all persons." The Baptismal Covenant and Sacrament of Eucharist guide her ministry. Anne Alexis’ father owns and is president of a local funeral home in Wilmington. Some of her earliest childhood memories include observing him engage with bereaved families in a way that can only be described as ministerial. Her mother is a hospice nurse who guides her patients and families through a dignified palliative care stage. Anne Alexis’ parents have left a huge impression on her heart. A ministerial goal she has at St. Martin’s is exploring the often taboo topics of dying and death in the hopeful context of the gospels. In her free time, she enjoys weightlifting, reading, spending time with her family (notably her godson, Will), and watching new shows with her beloved cats by her side. She and Cole enjoy trying eclectic restaurants in their neighborhood -- observing COVID restrictions, of course!Anne Alexis Harra
Tags: Wellspring at St. Martin's / Children & Families / Easter at St. Martin's 2023