August 22nd, 2010 by Vicki Abbott
This morning I had the awesome honor of telling The Big Story to J-train (our elementary age kids) at the Mt. View Campus. I know many other leaders that had this same honor at our other campuses. To tell the salvation message makes me excited and weepy at the same time. It is still an honor to share what Jesus did for all of us on the cross. To see it as the biggest, bestest gift that is waiting to be given to each of us. Below is a glimpse of how to bring the message to your child.
To sum up this incredible story, we can start in Book of John, Chapter 3, Verse 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
GOD LOVES: We start with the understanding that God Loves us. He loved us before we were even born and he will always love us! We also know that God is Holy – meaning he has never sinned. He is perfect! Sin came to the world when Adam and Eve ate from the tree and they were perfect no more. The punishment we face for sin is death. In the time of the Old Testament, families sacrificed a perfect lamb for their sin.
GOD GAVE: The best present of all! His one and only son – Jesus. God sent his son as a present so we could be a part of the big story forever. When Jesus died on the cross, the perfect Lamb of God, became the sacrifice for all of us. This was done for us to have a relationship with God.
WE BELIEVE: We need to believe, to put our trust in something we cannot see. We have to trust the person telling us the story to start with, then we need to believe what they are saying is true. ”Do you believe I am an honest person?” We need to believe that Jesus died on the cross for us. Having faith!
WE RECEIVE: This is the part of the story where we can receive the big gift. If we want to be in God’s big story, we just let Him know we want to accept the gift. You see, this is a gift that no one can give you. He paid your price so you could have a relationship with Him and know that if you believe in Him, you will be able to spend eternity in Heaven with Him. Everyone is not in the big story yet – but we all have the opportunity to be in it. In fact, God is wanting us to be in the big story! God will keep chasing after us until one day we will be ready to accept the gift. To receive just admit we have done wrong (that you are a sinner), ask to be forgiven, tell God we believe what Jesus did for us, tell him we want to follow him and thank him for what he has done!
Praying that parents have an opportunity to begin a conversation with their kids. Remember – GOD LOVED, GOD GAVE, WE BELIEVE, WE RECEIVE As always, we have a book we can equip you with and we are always available to sit down with any parent if they have questions or would like us to discuss salvation further with their children.
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August 21st, 2010 by Vicki Abbott
I am so excited for Promotion Sunday. This is an awesome Sunday around Christ Church where many children and students hit a milestone. We have preschoolers moving from Kids Express into J-train for the very first time. It will be the first Sunday that rising 6th graders will not be in J-train but will start attending main worship on Sunday mornings and attending Zoo Ministry on Sunday evenings and I am sure that our rising 9th graders are looking forward to heading to Journey (our high school ministry).
We can’t overlook how important these milestones are for our kids. Each milestone comes with learning in new ways, growing deeper in their faith, and making new friends. Celebrate this time with your kids! When you are on board with your kids, it helps hit these milestones in a positive way instead of being apprehensive or nervous. We are hear for your children and we are here for you to help them through this transition.
We feel blessed to be apart Children’s Ministry at Christ Church and look forward to partnering with parents to help in the spiritual formation of your kids.
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July 8th, 2010 by Vicki Abbott
We are in the heat of the summer and for some kids, boredom has set in. I found a great link for summer craft ideas for all ages.
http://www.childrensministry.com/article.asp?ID=351
Also, examples of some fun inexpensive things to do with the family: 1. camping in your living room with smores done in the microwave, 2. have a portrait night and draw each other (all you need is a paper and a pencil), 3. go for a late night hike through the neighborhood, 4. make ice cream sundaes for lunch or dinner, 5. take the kids to the mall to play at a play area, 6. have water relay races outside, 7. grow a garden inside, 8. or create tie dye shirts, or 6. make a list and go on a scavenger hunt of things you need to see while driving.
These are just a few, hope this gives you an idea or two. Found your own great idea, we would love to hear about it. Leave a reply to share with everyone. Stay cool and enjoy the summer.
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June 23rd, 2010 by Vicki Abbott
Our family recently went on vacation and spent many hours in the car. A car trip that normally would be 9 hours ended up being close to 12 because of construction. We spend time at a complete stop on the highway looking at the back-end of a semi-trailer. We spend many miles going very slow to the point of barely crawling along. To say it was a lesson in patience would be an understatement. Then, through all this late at night going through our last construction zone, something hit me. Does God view us as “under construction”?
For those of us that are parents, leaders and volunteers in children’s ministry, the children that we mentor are just that. They are under construction by God and we are like the highway workers used to achieve God’s plan in their life. This is a huge opportunity but one that takes a lot of time – even years, can get messy and has snags along the way that slows things down.
What would happen if we used those times when it seems a child is stopped as an opportunity to teach? How about when they are crawling along slow and we would turn that into time to pour into that child one on one. Highway workers come in and only work on a piece of a project. This can be a lot like mentors in children’s lives. Many may only get to see a piece of the project and may never see it finished but we need to hold on to the belief that God has the perfect plan. We need to pour all we have into the children that come into our lives and remember that they are “under construction” and we are being used a tool to help.
While I am sure that the construction projects we drove through will take time to complete, I look forward to our next drive to Michigan when I can see what was accomplished. How many of us look forward to the day when we see the kids that we mentor and see where they are? I know I do!
There are opportunities at Christ Church every Sunday where people are using their gifts to accomplish this goal and while it is a big construction zone, it is an amazing place to be. There are always volunteer positions open in children’s ministry and we love to bring in new volunteers onto our team and right now we have many critical openings in our boxcar babies rooms.
So, the next time you are traveling and go through a construction zone, think about how we all are under construction and that we have a great opportunity to be a mentor in a child’s life.
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June 16th, 2010 by Vicki Abbott
Dear Parents:
Our summer series Chase the Light, is going to be life-changing!
We are looking forward to learning together about the people that
Jesus came in contact with and how their lives were changed forever.
Each week, you child will learn about one of the “misfits” that Jesus met. We
will focus on one main principle, or Bottom Line, each week. By the end of the summer, we want the stories of the “misfits” that Jesus spent time with to have a marked impact on your child’s life:
• Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-9)
• John the Baptist (Mark 1:9-11)
• The Disciples (Mark 1:16-20)
• The Blind Man (John 9:1-23)
• Nicodemus (John 9:1-23)
• Mary Magdalene (Mark 15-16)
• The men walking along the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) and
• The Day of Pentecost.
For your family to get the most out of this experience, please use the following resources to continue to teach your child at home about what they are learning through Chase the Light. Together we can make a greater impact on your child’s life than either of us could do alone.
Refrigerator Door Cards: These cards have the week’s Bottom Line, the Bible reference for the story, and a conversation starter (in the car or during a meal) to help you talk with your child about what was taught on Sunday morning.
GodTime Cards: GodTime cards encourage the kids to begin the habit of setting aside a special time with God each day. They include a verse to read, a question to answer and a short activity. The cards are designed for older kids to do on their own and for younger children to do with a parent.
** If your child completes the GodTime card, gets you to sign it &
brings it back the following week, they can earn a prize **
Thank you again for allowing us the opportunity to partner with you as you encourage your child along their spiritual journey. We are looking forward to spending time with your child as we learn to Chase the Light!
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June 10th, 2010 by Vicki Abbott
Children’s Ministry at Christ Church has a great opportunity for all our parents this Summer! Curious about what your kids are learning, what we teach or who their friends are at church?
Come hang with your kids in J-train (1st-5th Grade) or Kids Express (age 3-Kinders) and join in some summer fun. Your kids will Love It and so will You!
It’s easy as stopping by the check-in area, signing in and getting a parent sticker. Then just join your child for an hour for laughter and fun.
We look forward to seeing you. You may love it so much you decide to stay.
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June 2nd, 2010 by Vicki Abbott
Yesterday I had a reminder of what it is like to be like a Child of God. It was a beautiful morning and I was sitting outside praying with other staff members. One of the daycare classes here at the church was on their way to the playground and must have seen us praying. I proceeded to hear my name being screamed only to look up and see their smiling faces with all of them waving at me. It brought a smile to my face and joy to my heart. Then I remembered the bible verse from Matthew about becoming like little children. It says “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. NIV Matthew 18:3
These children saw someone they knew and immediately wanted to say Hi. It didn’t matter what they were doing, where they were on their way or who was around. Then it made me think – Do I do that or do I use an excuse like “I am too busy.” or “I will get to it later”. Take time this week to say hello, build a relationship and invest in someone. Be like the little children. I am so thankful for the little children and for the smiles and the joy they bring. Help us to learn what it is like to become like little children again so we may truly enter your kingdom.
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May 27th, 2010 by Vicki Abbott
Summer is drawing near. Many schools are already out or most will be out within the next two weeks. Summer is a great time to buy a new devotional or study bible for your children. Summer can be a more relaxed time with no homework or assigned reading by teachers. It is a perfect time to start devotional time or if you are already having devotional time, add journaling or writing down prayers to that time. Start a new habit now and by the time the new school year starts, it will be easier to stick if it along with a busier schedule.
I have come across many devotionals that are great for kids. If you need a new idea, below are just a few suggestions. For pre-schoolers there is The Beginners Bible, Read with Me Bible, or God and Me. For Early elementary age children God and Me and Gotta Have God series has awesome devotional books that are interactive with games, recipes and coloring and are specific to girls and boys. The One Year Devotions for Kids, The Superheros Bible, and Sticky Situations are two other great devotional books for early elementary age. For the older elementary age “tweens”, The NLT Kids Bible, Real Life Devotional Bible (for boys or girls), and The One Year Devotional Bible for Kids- Challenge edition. 1 Minute Bible 4 Students is great for 6th grade and older.
Most importantly, pick a devotional that is right your child. A devotional that is to young or to old, may not have the most impact or your children may not have an interest in it. I have found that the best practice is to make sure it is age appropriate and gender specific the older your children get. Enjoy finding something that really works for your family!
Tags: devotionals, family
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May 19th, 2010 by Vicki Abbott
I just finished a great book. Real World Parents by Mark Matlock. This book does not speak of what parents may be doing “wrong” but gives the tools to help equip parents along the way. One quote I love from the book states “Nothing you read in this book will make God the Father love you and your family any more than he does right now, no matter what is going on with your family today.” That one quote is reassurance that God’s grace is given to parents too.
This book shows how to become a proactive parent, rather than reacting to things around you. Find useful tools that allows you to show your children what it means to live out a Christian life. One of my favorite chapters was Your Home is an Embassy. Questions posed in this chapter that made me think were: What do I reward?, What or whom do I admire?, and What do you financial support? Other chapter titles are What Story Are We Telling?, Demonstrating Wisdom and Telling The End of the Story.
This book would be a good read individually or as a small group. Each chapter has questions at the end to reflect on and answer. Give it a look and see what you think!
Tags: Parenting, Resources; parenting
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May 12th, 2010 by Vicki Abbott
What do you get when you combine balloon launchers, biblical teaching and 350 new friends? Look Up Lodge Summer Camp!
Now is the time to register your rising 3rd-6th grader for Summer Camp! Christ Church will be going to Look Up Lodge August 3rd – 6th. It is four days and 3 nights of fun, fun, fun. If you want more information about Look Up Lodge or to watch a video, go to www.lookuplodge.com.
Register online at
https://christchurchforms.wufoo.com/forms/z7×2p1/
Deadline to get your deposit in is fast approaching. Don’t miss out on a great opportunity for your child.
Here is what some past campers had to say about their experiences at Look Up Lodge.
“Love the giant swing.” – Naaman; “Love swimming and spending time with friends.” – Hannah; “Chapel is fun, the staff is so goofy.” – Keara; “Food is good too”. – Cory; “Free Time and group games.” – Mitchell; “Camp is so fun.” – Sera and Megan; “Everything.” – Justin; “Love the Giant Swing” – Kaleb; “We love the ziplines” – Kalie and Morgan.
We have extended the deadline to register, but spots are filling up so register today! It may be the best 4 days of summer.
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