On Wednesday evenings, the kids have just spent the last three weeks learning the Ten Commandments. We will be moving on after Thanksgiving to the Fruit of the Spirit, then the Armor of God. I wanted to share with you the memory device we’re using for the Ten Commandments, so you can all have them down at home!
I also wanted to share with you a new family project we will engage in at the beginning of the year, in case any of you would like to try it out! We will be going through The Children’s Treasury of Virtues, by William J. Bennett, and engaging in our own Book of Virtues project. We plan to read together, make journals, watch videos, view artwork and engage in activities surrounding each virtue – Compassion, Responsibility, Courage, Work - just to name a few. We plan to take about 2 weeks per virtue, but schedules are always subject to change in our home! I thought it could have quite an impact if more families joined us and we could discuss ideas and results with one another. Let me know if you have any questions or ideas, please! And feel free to leave comments here so others can see the discussion.
This is what a magnet says stuck on my fridge. It’s apropos that my Father-in-Law gave it to me. I figure he knows this to be true and is trying to send us a message. Luke and I are learning, through this journey of parenting, that, even though it would be easiest to just wimp out on certain things – the hard things, the sticky things, the not fun things – it’s exactly those things that we have to work the hardest on nailing.
It’s at those times I’m so grateful I do not live on a deserted island and am also so grateful I’m not a spiritless being. God has so amazingly placed me in a time and location where I have so many resources surrounding me to help me on this journey. I am a firm believer we are not meant to parent small beings all alone and only through the grace of our merciful God do we ever get anything right. That’s why our Children’s Ministry Team is trying to give parents tools that may help you in your discipleship efforts. One of the best tools is communication from you to us, letting us know how we can be less a place to send kids to being more a family of members each helping train up our kids in the Lord. So, please, challenge us to help you.
Here’s a list of some helps offered for parents and kids. Take advantage of them, please!
Team: Did you know we have more than 30 Children’s Ministry Team members? We are here for families!
Parent Meetings: Watch for our parent meetings and come be informed and ask questions.
Family Fellowship: These are going to be fun! Plan to join us in December in a time for the whole family!
Web Site: Click on our Grant Ave Kids page and read up on “who, where and when!” Click on the blog for pictures, resources and more information. This is also a place you can communicate with us!
Sunday School Take Homes: We’ve put a lot of thought and prayer into what your kids are being taught and what we send home to you. These papers are full of activity, scripture and chatting ideas for your family that will only enhance what the kids are learning at church.
Bulletin and Newsletter: Keep up to date through these written communications and find monthly articles to help with parenting.
Prayer and the Word: We spend a lot of time praying over you and your family. We seek the Word for direction in our decision-making. We know that with you tapping into these resources, too, is the answer to unified ministry decisions, successful discipleship results instead of “programs,” and love and patience among all of us working together.
What a privilege it is to serve you and your children! Thank you for this important opportunity!
Did you know 3 Grant Ave kids went to a cool camp this weekend in Olympia, Washington called “Camp Creation?” Well, we did! (They took me, too.) It was so great! We learned all about how all of creation points to our Creator, God. And we learned so much about the Flood, Volcanoes, the center of the earth, Fossils, Dinosaurs, and more and more and….. We got to play fun games, we got to touch real fossils and gems, we got to build a model of the earth and a volcano, we got to participate in science experiments, and eat – all while exploring God’s Word. Did I mention how great it was?
AND…. you’ll never believe it but our own Caleb Fowler ate a LIVE cricket! And he and others ate sardines, oysters, anchovies, and other gross things in the DARE games. It was so cool. And gross. But mostly cool. I put a full album on our Grant Ave flickr account, but here I will share a few, too. Hope any of you 3rd – 6th graders can make it next year! We’ll be learning about SPACE!
That’s right, we “kids” have our very own blog! This is a place where kids, teachers and parents can find out information, see fun pictures, and communicate with each other. We hope you will use this blog often and come back for new stuff! So for now, I’d encourage you to look at our newly designed “Grant Ave Kids” webpage and see what is going on for you or your family! And add a couple of things:
We need more pen pals!! Some kids in Peru don’t have pen pals from our church yet and would love to have one! All 6 -13 year olds are encouraged to participate! See the pen pal display or Michelle for details.
Camp Creation! We are excited to be sending a group to this camp this year. Please pray for us and we’ll post some fun pictures and details when we return. If you haven’t gotten your check and registration to Michelle yet, please do so this Sunday.
Sunday School! It’s the place to be on Sunday mornings! Did you know the Kindergarten through 5th grade rooms have moved to Rooms 1 and 2, the classes have been painted cool colors, we’ve added Linne Boddy as a teacher, and the kids are learning all new songs, stories, crafts and games??? Who wouldn’t want to be there???
Children’s Workers Appreciation Dinner! We wish we could give you all a million bucks, but we’re a little short, so we’ve decided to feed you instead! Please plan to come on Thursday, October 13th at 6pm in the gym and eat some yummy food. No program, no embarrassment, just a time to chat with each other and give you a meal away.
Extended Session Meeting! If you are currently, or plan to be, working in Extended Session (nursery/childcare during the 2nd service), it’s really important you make this meeting. We’ve got many changes in store and need to communicate with everyone. It’s right after the appreciation dinner, at 7pm, October 13th in the gym.
YES!! Some people would be shouting, YES!!! You might even add that it’s boring, too! I understand and have felt this way at times in my life, too!! But, I also know how important it is to have scriptures memorized so when we need them, and don’t have someone else or a Bible to help, we can use them! That’s what Psalm 119:105 means when it says:
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Scriptures (the Word) is like a bright flashlight on a dark night – when we’re lost and need direction – they can point us the right way – God’s way!
SO – how do we get past the HARD and BORING part and get them stuck in our brain??? Well, I have a lot of ideas that have helped our family and today I will share with you our FAVORITE way. Several years ago, we found cd’s from a company called “Seeds Family Worship.” They have done an awesome job combining scriptures, with references, to music the whole family likes. No annoying dancing puppet baby voices……But, instead, great worship music! There are several ways to get ahold of these great tunes – you can buy a CD from this website: http://www.seedsfamilyworship.net - the cd’s come in a 2 pack, so you can give one away! Or, you can download albums or individual scripture songs on iTunes. Or, you can find videos with many songs on YouTube! The website also lets you download/print memory cards! There are so many helps, why not use them and become a memory master??!!! Here’s a video to get you started in the right direction (and this is the prize-winning scripture our Wednesday night older kids will be learning this week – ask them about I Timothy 4:12):
