Grace Church Children’s Ministry Blog

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64332746714237151402012-02-16T20:35:32.426-05:00Grace Church Children’s Ministry BlogGrace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.comBlogger4081100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-54344483571767289222012-02-13T15:56:00.000-05:002012-02-13T15:56:10.316-05:00The Beauty of Her Heart

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Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-48519145099457553832012-02-02T15:07:00.000-05:002012-02-02T15:07:09.255-05:00Welcome, Tracy!

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Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-63409408428978049392012-01-30T07:43:00.000-05:002012-01-30T07:43:26.944-05:00Parent Link Invitation and Reminder!

Parents of kids of all ages, don't miss a great opportunity tomorrow night called Parent Link...a Quarterly Parenting Conversation. Parenting in today's world is one of the most difficult things we are called to do. If you're anything like me, you have more questions than answers, and "HELP" is the daily (sometimes hourly) cry of your heart. Parent Link is a new equipping event offering for

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-80890232696022670122012-01-24T21:57:00.001-05:002012-01-25T13:07:06.295-05:00Is our call greater than Carpe Diem?

Do you find yourself thinking there must be something more? Are you living in survival mode, doing all you can to manage to get through the day? We run from school, to work, to this practice or to a lesson, squeezing in dinner and homework here or there. With demanding schedules driven by outside forces or our own desires for order and pursuit of the well-adjusted child, we can easily loose

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-91971436270179638312012-01-18T19:43:00.002-05:002012-01-18T19:50:17.434-05:00Your Kids and Baptism

As a father of three children, it is my constant mission to provide for each of them in the very best way that I can. I am compelled to do everything in my strength and ability to give them all that they need for protection, direction, health, and success in this life. But one thing I can not do for them is secure their salvation and give them a relationship with Jesus, their Lord and Savior.

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-86412458221770596252012-01-04T13:24:00.000-05:002012-01-04T13:24:13.537-05:00Your Kids and Communion

We began this new year on a Sunday, January 1. At Grace, we typically celebrate Communion on the first weekend of every month. So we began 2012 as a church with the Lord’s Supper, and since there was no elementary programming this past week, many of us had our children with us. This may have presented you with an opportunity to teach and explain something that has been a vital part of

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-30728803203913157642011-11-29T13:26:00.000-05:002011-11-29T13:26:00.560-05:00Are You Smarter Than Your 1st-4th Grader??

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Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-83068871336953786122011-11-11T15:10:00.000-05:002011-11-11T15:10:11.394-05:00Future Women Conference: One Dad's Reflection

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Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-77108858759060251712011-11-10T15:09:00.001-05:002011-11-11T15:09:54.453-05:00Future Women Conference: One Mom's Reflection

Several hours after our daughter was born six years ago, my husband looks at me and says, “This one is different.” We’d had a whole year and a half of parenting a calm, compliant, easy-going little boy, and realized early on that this “sweet little girl” was going to be a whole new ball game. So, when Grace announced they were hosting a Future Women Parenting conference, you can bet we were the

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-69793053689743753452011-11-01T14:15:00.000-04:002011-11-01T14:15:55.858-04:00Register Now for Future Women!

Don't miss out on your opportunity to attend our Future Women Conference and become equipped with a theology, language, and practical application of what it looks like to raise the next generation of women! Registration closes Wednesday, November 2nd, at 5:00pm! Click here to register. We have over 300 people signed up for far! Thank you to everyone who has signed up!

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-54046268402187225522011-10-17T10:03:00.000-04:002011-10-17T10:03:41.995-04:00Future Women Conference

On November 4th & 5th, we will be hosting the Future Women Conference. We will be providing a language, theology, and practical application for what it looks like to raise the next generation of women. This conference is for anyone who is involved in some capacity with raising girls to learn what it means to reflect God in His image as a women, through the core capacities of nurturing, partnering

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-67153599992465168122011-10-10T11:26:00.000-04:002011-10-10T11:26:48.438-04:00Preschool Curriculum: God is Jealous

This past weekend, we began a new series in our Preschool Ministry. We are studying through the Ten Commandments to learn that God is Jealous, and we should worship Him. The points of emphasis for this study are:We belong to God God wants us to only worship Him The 10 Commandments tell us how God wants us to live Here is an excerpt from the Leader Preparation for this series...God is a jealous

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-72093161788555321752011-10-04T15:13:00.000-04:002011-10-04T15:13:11.400-04:00Future Men, Future Women

Two years ago, in October 2009, we hosted an event called Future Men. This event provided a language, theology, and practical applications of what it looks like to raise up the next generation of men. We had almost 400 parents, grandparents, and leaders attend. From our Men's Roundtable teaching, we taught the Biblical definition of manhood to be...A real man is one who rejects passivity,

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-47978694771449414122011-09-27T14:42:00.000-04:002011-09-27T14:42:51.260-04:00Camp Grace Curriculum

We are 6 weeks into the curriculum in Camp Grace, after having finished our first round of the split-curriculum (you can read more about this here) on August 6th & 7th. We have studied about creation, how God created man and woman in His image, sin entering the world, the consequences of sin that we experience today, and the corrupt nature evident in humanity through Cain and Abel. We began our

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-31048307656788381862011-09-21T11:04:00.000-04:002011-09-21T11:04:13.048-04:00Parenting: It's Never An Interruption

"Parenting is all about living by the principle of prepared spontaneity. You don't really know what's going to happen next...What you do know is that Scripture gives you the wisdom that you need and your always-present Messiah gives you the grace that you need to be ready to respond to the moments of opportunity he will give you. Along with this, you and I must remember that our Lord loves our

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-83885272996145009312011-09-13T15:49:00.000-04:002011-09-13T15:49:39.710-04:00The Burns Family Supports Osborn Mission

Joseph and Elizabeth Osborn have been a part of our Grace community for years, and have been pursuing being missionaries overseas. They recently moved their family from Greenville to Papua New Guinea. They are a part of New Tribes Mission, and their goal is to preach the Gospel, translate the Bible, and eventually plant a church among tribes of people who do not have access to God's Word in their

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-78391848516468054772011-09-07T15:41:00.001-04:002011-09-07T15:41:45.335-04:00Preschool Curriculum: Adam & Eve

This weekend, our preschoolers will begin a new series that will run through October 2nd. We will be reading from the beginning of Genesis to study about Adam and Eve, in order to learn that God is Relational. We will see how God created us in His image, male and female, and our response should be to follow Him. Check out an excerpt from the Leader prep for this weekend's lesson. "God created

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-85399626979872012722011-08-22T17:10:00.001-04:002011-08-23T09:33:15.435-04:00Why Do I Have To Check My Child In And Out?

In July 2007, we implemented a computer-based check-in and check-out system, called Parent Pager at our Pelham Road campus, and have since implemented it at our Powdersville and Downtown campuses. Previously, our attendance tracking consisted of a printed roster attached to a clipboard in each classroom. Parents would sign-in, and then a volunteer administrator would check the numbers during

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-18468542644951786322011-08-05T18:08:00.001-04:002011-08-07T18:21:54.831-04:00Kairos Internship Reflection - Caleb Phillips

"How was your summer?" "What did you learn this summer?" "What was your favorite part of the summer?" These are all questions being thrown at me left and right as the best summer of my life draws to a close. My summer as an intern at Grace has been, as I describe it in my response to the above questions, "beyond words." I couldn't begin to put into words an adequate description of what I have

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-78898847471829512752011-08-04T18:16:00.001-04:002011-08-07T18:22:19.525-04:00Kairos Internship Reflection - Katie Horton

One of the questions I get about once a week is, "How is your internship going?" I know that in a couple of days, that question will be a past tense question, and I'm just going to have to embrace that. But for now - I never really know exactly what to say. Don't get me wrong, the internship has been fantastic and life-changing for me. But how do you describe to someone a time in your life where

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-56728571002518708842011-08-03T11:26:00.000-04:002011-08-03T11:26:50.437-04:00Kairos Internship Reflection - Michelle Phillips

Being a Kairos intern this summer has definitely changed my life in more ways than one. I had certain expectations coming into this internship that came with their own set of worries and concerns. As early as my first full week working at Grace, they were exceeded by a level I never thought possible. My first day was very intimidating seeing all of the tasks and meeting eighteen other fellow

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-37207202552134160252011-08-03T11:24:00.000-04:002011-08-03T11:24:24.075-04:00What To Expect This School Year

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Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-90297783556314577992011-07-26T17:31:00.000-04:002011-07-26T17:31:34.489-04:00Camp Grace Curriculum

In Camp Grace, our purpose is to engage elementary-age children through meaningful relationships, creative drama, lively music, and Biblical teaching in order to communicate the message of the Gospel. Our Camp Grace curriculum is a 2-year character study, going through the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. We have 85 total lessons with several special programming weekends included (such

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-34844032964035253672011-07-22T11:19:00.000-04:002011-07-22T11:19:39.502-04:00Pick Up Your Copy of "Eden Derailed"

Have you gotten your copy of Eden Derailed yet? You can pick one up online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. You also have a special opportunity to get a signed copy at Cross Way Christian Supply tomorrow, Saturday July 23rd, from 11am-1pm. Cross Way is located at the corner of East North St. and Pleasantburg Dr. Don't miss this event! You can visit the Eden Derailed website to find out more about

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-20564613354395741042011-07-19T13:12:00.000-04:002011-07-19T13:12:53.785-04:0011 Ways To Break Through Ministry Discouragement

We all run into it at some point in ministry… discouragement. Sometimes it creeps in gradually, and sometimes it hits us like a brick wall. It could be a particular situation that causes it, a season where things are tough, or it could come from nowhere. However, it is universal. Every person in kidmin will face discouragement in ministry. Here are eleven ways to fight to overcome

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-15721811300453724662011-07-18T16:51:00.000-04:002011-07-18T16:51:25.515-04:00Registration Deadline - July 25th!!

Make sure you don't miss out on registration for the fall! Click here to get your child(ren) registered so you won't have to wait in line Promotion Weekend, August 13th & 14th, to get your kids in a class. ALL children (infant-rising 4th grade) and students (rising 5th & 6th grade only) need to be registered in order to be put into a small group starting August 13th & 14th. It only takes a few

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-59404678279736256762011-07-18T15:08:00.001-04:002011-07-18T15:09:05.039-04:00Delivering Consequences

While at the 3rd & 4th grade camp at the end of June at Look Up Lodge, I observed some actions and conversations that sparked some ideas! I got to stay in a mainly rising fourth grade girls' cabin. I am going to school for elementary education, so this was a great experience for me to tie into that. While walking around the camp, I overheard a lot of conversation among even some of the younger

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-74887322450344737922011-07-11T16:28:00.000-04:002011-07-11T16:28:25.525-04:00Scriptural Basis for Elementary Camp Teaching

Our teaching at 3rd & 4th grade camp a few weekends ago (June 24-26) centered around the theme "Are You 4 Real?" The concept of real relationships with God and with others was fleshed out through the four main sessions - Real Faith, Real Family, Real Friends, and Real Life. You can check out an overview of each session here. We have had interest in the scriptural basis for the teaching, so below

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-90238151147228442011-07-11T10:15:00.000-04:002011-07-11T10:15:00.779-04:00Kairos Internship

My internship is halfway over. I finally came to that realization last week. In reality, it's something that I've known, but haven't let myself think about because I avoid dealing with things I don't particularly like. Part of me is overwhelmed when I think of how much is still left on my task lists, but most of me does not want to embrace the fact that at some point this will end, and I will

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-23286280924667319942011-07-06T14:09:00.000-04:002011-07-06T14:09:47.551-04:00Disciplined Parenting

Last weekend, Jeremy Keever taught on Proverbs 3:1-12 about disciplined parenting. He explained that we are given information to help us teach our children about God, which will in turn help lead them towards a transformed life. As parents, we cannot change the hearts of our children and make them love God, but we can provide an environment that models what it looks like to love God. He went on

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-13029504138322855892011-07-05T13:46:00.001-04:002011-07-05T13:47:18.690-04:00Don't Forget To Register!

Promotion Weekend is just around the corner! On August 13th & 14th, we will promote all of our children and students to the next grade level. We are asking that ALL families register their children (infants through rising 4th graders) and students (rising 5th and 6th graders) by July 25th. This will help to ensure that we have enough volunteers and adequate accommodations for all children and

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-22456233318694935672011-07-03T22:56:00.000-04:002011-07-03T22:56:25.841-04:00"Are You 4 Real?" - Recap of Elementary Camp

After your rising fourth and fifth graders returned home from camp last weekend, you are possibly asking yourself “now what?” I feel confident you have heard all about camp - zip-line, swing, and big group games. Besides these things, I hope you have heard from your child about the real relationships and real life they learned about at camp this past weekend. The theme of camp was “Are you 4

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-75691444417784232812011-06-28T13:00:00.000-04:002011-06-28T13:00:56.644-04:00Elementary Camp at Look Up Lodge

Well, we made it through the weekend for 3rd & 4th grade camp! We had 127 kids and about 40 leaders at Look Up Lodge for the weekend, where we learned about what it looks like to have a real relationship with God and with others. We played games and ate s'mores around a bonfire. We also saw the Exterminators save camp from being destructed and turned into a Boy Band Training Facility by the

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-23601558914722934712011-06-23T20:35:00.001-04:002011-07-03T22:58:57.372-04:00Happy Camper?

When sending your child to camp this summer, whether it is to a summer-long camp or to the Camp Grace Summer Camp for a short weekend, there are several issues to contemplate and consider with your child. All over the United States this summer, there will be around 10 million children attending some sort of organized summer camp; either a music camp, church camp, or sports camp, etc

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-68122611147371916262011-06-21T22:24:00.001-04:002011-06-21T22:25:52.694-04:00Serving In Children's Ministry

My husband and I have had the privilege of serving together in our elementary ministry for the last few years. It has been such a blessing to our family. We are encouraged when we see God at work in each other, as we the gifts God has given us on display. We are better parents because of the volunteers we serve with. We are all diverse in our seasons of life, and it has been a blessing to be

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-1822706740808929312011-06-14T22:26:00.000-04:002011-06-14T22:26:43.843-04:00Summer Time

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Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-12666108563971046152011-06-08T12:39:00.001-04:002011-07-11T10:16:17.710-04:00Meet Our Kairos Interns!

This summer, we have almost 20 college students taking part in the Kairos internship at Grace. Three of those students are helping us in Children's Ministry. Michelle Phillips is our full-time intern, and Caleb Phillips and Katie Horton are shared between Children's Ministry and Student Ministry. Over the summer, you will probably see each of them serving in various areas, so make sure to

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-43883893996483988992011-06-06T09:47:00.000-04:002011-06-06T09:47:01.212-04:00Preschool Bin Stocking

We have our next preschool bin stocking in several weeks, June 28-30 (Tues-Thurs), from 9am-12pm each. We will be stocking curriculum bins for all three campuses, and are in need of people from each campus to help that week. Childcare will be provided each day. In addition to our bin stocking event, we also have take-home cutting projects that will need to be completed and turned into the office

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-51563818229914843302011-06-02T15:13:00.000-04:002011-06-02T15:13:15.685-04:00More Than Words

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Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-39302887334014681522011-05-27T19:48:00.000-04:002011-05-27T19:48:26.661-04:00Music To Love...For Kids and Parents!

We're big music fans at our house. You can almost guarantee that music will be playing somewhere in our home most waking hours of the day. Many memories of seasons or experience in the life of our family are associated with music. I've even got a list of songs that would be on the "soundtrack of my life"...if ever I were to need that someday. One CD in particular has been a staple in our

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-82748941067582820882011-05-24T09:54:00.000-04:002011-05-24T09:54:09.787-04:00Countdown...Rejoice and Be Glad

As another school year comes to an end, there are countdowns being kept by many: students who are anxiously awaiting sleeping in, no more homework, and days spent by the pool; parents who are also anxiously awaiting sleeping in, no more homework, and days spent by the pool; and let’s not forget the teachers who are equally excited about the chance to sleep in, no more grading of homework and

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-56648943406731058362011-05-23T22:48:00.000-04:002011-05-23T22:48:35.938-04:003rd & 4th Grade Camp - Registration Deadline Extended!

The deadline to register for Camp has been extended to Tuesday, May 31st! Make sure to get your current 3rd or 4th grader's registration form and payment in by then! Sign up through our website, bring your form and payment to church this weekend, mail it into the office (address below), or drop it off at the office - however is most convenient for you, just make sure to get it done! We are so

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-33618403736578819582011-05-23T22:43:00.000-04:002011-05-23T22:43:58.186-04:00Staycation

Summer is almost here, so if you are like me, one of the first thing's you think about is "When can we go to the pool, lake, or beach?" Or how about all three??! Since I have had children, I have cherished the time in the summer that we are able to take off from work and the busyness of life to relax somewhere - ANYwhere - on vacation. My wife and I usually try to get out of town so we

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-58189163731966052362011-05-22T00:50:00.000-04:002011-05-22T00:50:10.984-04:003rd & 4th Grade Camp - Registration Deadline Monday!

Calling all current 3rd & 4th graders! We will be going to camp June 24-26, 2011 at Look Up Lodge, and we want you to join us! The theme for camp is "Are You 4 Real?" We will be learning about Real Faith, Real Family, Real Friends, and Real Life, and learn how God has created us to be in relationship with Him and with others. You don't want to miss out! The deadline to register for Camp is this

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-66058185590164784572011-05-16T17:17:00.001-04:002011-05-16T17:17:29.644-04:00Being Carried By God

I just want to share a little of my life with you. I cannot remember a time that I have felt so carried by God as I do right now. There are many many things going on... some up and some down but in the midst of it all, I can only SHOUT PRAISES TO GOD!!! I want to share a little about a medical situation I have been dealing with for over 10 years that I have been HEALED of. For the past 10

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-36386639126288388252011-05-13T17:49:00.000-04:002011-05-13T17:49:52.934-04:00This Is Not About Me

I love to be in control. I thrive in situations that I can easily and quickly fix. And I get a rush out of completing tasks. This is not always a good thing, especially considering my two jobs are roles in ministry: raising 3 children to love and fear the Lord, and supporting volunteers in Children’s Ministry here at Grace. Neither of my jobs lend themselves to having projects with a beginning

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-71406797149959800382011-05-09T16:33:00.000-04:002011-05-09T16:33:19.455-04:00Hold Your Horses

For those of you that don't know, I am getting married in 4 weeks to an amazing, Godly man. It is such an exciting time, and I cannot wait to start our lives together! If you have ever been married, you know how fun it is to plan a wedding, but you also know how time consuming and stressful it can be. In case that wasn't enough already, let's add the factor of not knowing what city you will be

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-91655958949549964562011-05-05T16:10:00.000-04:002011-05-05T16:10:45.060-04:00Role Models, Examples, and Mentors

This is a job that we all have, whether we want it or not. We are role models, examples, and mentors. We have the opportunity to mold, change, encourage, and inspire people. I went on a date with my youngest son, who is six, this past weekend. I love having those precious moments. He acts all grown up. He wants to pay for our meal. He remembers all of his manners, even opening my car door. I

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-26733470599876871092011-05-03T17:02:00.001-04:002011-05-04T09:33:17.321-04:00How Do You Celebrate Mother's Day?

"Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs... since the payment is pure love." - Mildred B. Vermont Mother’s Day is coming up this weekend! A holiday meant to recognize and celebrate motherhood, it is generally showered with gifts and cards for mom, as well as Sunday brunch with the family in honor of mom. Have you ever wondered how our annual celebration of Mom’s began?

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-30094408156641932452011-04-27T08:50:00.000-04:002011-04-27T08:50:45.028-04:00The Supreme Climb

I've been reading the daily devotions of Oswald Chamber's "My Utmost for His Highest" on and off for years. I picked it back up recently, and yesterday's devotion (April 26th), "The Supreme Climb," was convicting for me. I hope you are able to examine your faith, recognize your misconceptions of God, and grasp His great desire to purify your faith. THE SUPREME CLIMB "Take now thy son...and offer

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-86932863367824763802011-04-21T16:43:00.000-04:002011-04-21T16:43:12.316-04:00My Experience At The Seder

This past weekend, I had the chance to help and participate in the Passover Seder service offered to our elementary students. I had heard about it from my elementary-age child, friends and coworkers, but until Saturday had not had the chance to see it for myself. Serving on Saturday nights, the crowd is definitely smaller than on Sunday mornings. With less than 25 students this past Saturday,

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-92079065041471839282011-04-18T15:04:00.000-04:002011-04-18T15:04:31.243-04:00Camp Grace Passover Seder

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Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-41061814815487710622011-04-13T11:38:00.002-04:002011-04-13T22:12:05.604-04:00Shepherding Children Through Sibling Rivalry

As a parent, one of the biggest stresses can be sibling conflict. If your house is like my house some days it seems my children simply wake up in order to pick fights. How do you get it to stop? If you aren't in the room when an argument happens how do you decide who is in the wrong? If they are bickering over a toy or which TV show to watch, how do you make a decision on who "wins"? Is one

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-91850052270593125872011-04-11T11:59:00.002-04:002011-04-11T12:00:00.860-04:00Spiritual Gifts Part 3 - Intentional Parenting

So far in this series on spiritual gifts in children, we have discussed the importance of knowing what God says in the Bible about spiritual gifts, knowing what our own unique gifts are, and observing and leading the kids under our care to discover how they are uniquely created to serve God and engage the world. But how do we really do this? My children are growing and changing so much everyday.

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-31024968638149776792011-04-08T08:39:00.000-04:002011-04-08T08:39:18.194-04:00What Was I Thinking?

As some of you know, Betsy Zimmerman (Preschool Coordinator) is having a baby in June, which has led her to transition off of the Children's Ministry staff. When Ed was asking if anyone else on staff would be interested in taking over her role of bin stocking, it sparked my interest. Not having any idea of what goes into making bin stocking work, I volunteered. Boy was I in for a treat...what was

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-26334184793827054682011-04-04T08:45:00.001-04:002011-04-04T13:44:30.829-04:00Spiritual Gifts Part 2 - Helping Your Children Discover and Develop Their Gifts

In part one of this series on Spiritual Gifts and children, we affirmed that all believers who are following and trusting Christ are given gifts from the Spirit. Believe it or not, these truths apply to our children as well...yes, even your children! We also affirmed that the purpose of these gifts is to bring glory to God and to benefit the body of Christ, the church. As parents, or as adult

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-46217547176682479272011-03-31T12:36:00.000-04:002011-03-31T12:36:34.305-04:00Project Kenya Update!

We have completed our 5-week initiative, Project Kenya. With a goal of raising $4000 to support families in Kenya through providing chickens, gardens, and goats, we have exceeded our goal! Through God's faithfulness and the support of our church family, we have raised a total of $7,358.84! We cannot thank each of you enough for the role you have played in sacrificially giving of your finances to

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-65010250876054442412011-03-30T11:30:00.001-04:002011-03-30T11:30:36.473-04:00Preschool Curriculum: Easter

We will begin a new series in our preschool curriculum this weekend, that will run through April 24th. We will be reading through the Easter story to learn that God is Holy, and we should repent. Our memory verse for this study is Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ our Lord." Check out an excerpt from the leader preparation for the

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-40461781869805602382011-03-25T11:40:00.004-04:002011-04-13T22:17:58.255-04:00Spiritual Gifts Part 1 - Introduction

As we have studied through 1 Corinthians in our adult worship, we have examined passages that speak to the Corinthians about spiritual gifts. A spiritual gift is a supernatural ability empowered by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-9384616916887097812011-03-22T11:24:00.000-04:002011-03-22T11:24:46.652-04:00Training In Community

Are there people you can call for advice when you are in a time of struggle with certain behavior patterns and sinfulness in your child's life? Are there people who will encourage you and challenge you through hard times of child training? Do you have friends or family that know your child almost as well as you? Do you have people partnering with you in raising your children? I am very thankful

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-38746457780583646102011-03-21T12:11:00.000-04:002011-03-21T12:11:19.375-04:00Camp Grace Curriculum

We are in the middle of the climax of the Gospel story in our curriculum in Camp Grace. This past weekend, our elementary campers studied from Luke 23:32-43 and learned that faith in Christ covers the worst of sinners. This passage in Luke describes the events of Jesus and the two criminals' crucifixion. One of the criminals mocked Jesus, his heart hard with unbelief. The other criminal

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-7779610839938212292011-03-17T14:21:00.000-04:002011-03-17T14:21:54.833-04:00Colorful Journey

All through school, and even after college, I was a strong, confident young woman. I was known for public speaking and theatre. Once after college, I coached high school kids in drama and storytelling for state and national competitions. I was a strong communicator in person and in writing. I prided myself for these talents. I drew life from being able to get up in front of hundreds of people and

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-76675504099853283512011-03-15T15:28:00.001-04:002011-03-15T15:30:10.766-04:00How Has Project Kenya Impacted Your Family?

Check out the video about Project Kenya that was shown in adult worship last weekend. See what these children and adults had to say about what Project Kenya means to them, and how they are supporting Project Kenya. What have you learned through Project Kenya? How has Project Kenya impacted you and your family? We would love to hear your thoughts! Leave us a comment!

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-47445072442488378372011-03-15T14:00:00.000-04:002011-03-15T14:00:46.306-04:00Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!

Have you had one of those days when you feel like no one else understands? I had one of those days recently. I was at the end of my rope. Trying with all of my might to just get through the day. I spoke with a dear friend, and she was such an encouragement to me! She shared Truth that I had lost my focus. She was so right! I had gotten mired down in the "poor me" attitude. Satan had attacked in

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-7500400802267071872011-03-08T16:52:00.000-05:002011-03-08T16:52:53.543-05:00Project Kenya Update. We Want To Hear From You!

We have completed our second week of collecting money for Project Kenya, and are well on our way to reaching our goal of $4000. After just two weeks, we have raised over $2500! Praise God, and a big thank you, for the faithfulness of our families to support this project! We will continue raising money through March 27th, so please keep praying about your role in this adventure. It is our hope

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-3947012136479232172011-03-07T16:51:00.002-05:002011-03-07T16:55:28.636-05:00Preschool Curriculum: Sacrifice

The unit we are starting this weekend in Preschool Ministry is on Sacrifice. I sit here and ponder what the word sacrifice really means to me. I think it is so hard to “sacrifice” that piece of chocolate because it is not good for me. Or “sacrifice” buying that new outfit because I don’t need to spend the money right now. But that is not at all what “sacrifice” really is. As we talk about it

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-88022728968680325352011-03-01T12:39:00.000-05:002011-03-01T12:39:20.280-05:00Let Your "Yes Be Yes" - And That Goes For Your Spouse, Too!

We all struggle with simply letting our "Yes" or "No" speak for themselves, but what if the words are not your own?! Let me expound...I get home from work recently and while upstairs with my 5-year old, he asks, "Dad, can I get a screwdriver out of your toolbox?" "Sure," I respond. I see no reason why not. My son runs happily downstairs to where the toolbox, and my wife, is. As he rumbles through

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-23321909766008512232011-02-24T14:41:00.002-05:002011-03-01T12:47:58.276-05:00Remembering the Big Picture

When I was asked to write a blog post, I was completely caught off guard. I had no idea what I was going to write about. I didn't think that I had anything to offer. I'm not in a relationship, nor do I have any children. I'm a twenty-one year old who spends all of her time working a part-time job and going to school full-time. All I pretty much do is work, study, and sleep. After I sat down and

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-90545973019968792862011-02-23T10:43:00.002-05:002011-03-01T12:45:11.929-05:00When I Don't Feel Like It

One of the blogs that I have really enjoyed reading over the past year is Girl Talk. It's written by a mom and three grown daughters who write about biblical womanhood while sharing their real-life experiences of being wives and moms. A post this week (Feb 22) really resonated with me. It's entitled, "When I Don't Feel Like It." Rather than summarizing it (it's not very long), check it out by

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-7134447916299256492011-02-21T15:25:00.000-05:002011-02-21T15:25:06.840-05:00Project Kenya: Loving and Serving the People of Kenya

Check out this video about Project Kenya! How can your family support Project Kenya? We will be collecting money during Big Group Time of our preschool and Camp Grace programs each weekend until March 27th. You can send money with you child(ren) or drop a check off in an offering box (with "Project Kenya" in the memo). Project Kenya is a great opportunity for you and your family to love and

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-49820462702064797402011-02-17T15:31:00.003-05:002011-03-01T12:48:21.762-05:00Going Through the Motions

Check this out! Click here Does this sound familiar to you? "I don't wanna go through the motions. I don't wanna go one more day without your all consuming passion inside of me. I don't wanna spend my whole life asking, 'What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?'" That's right! It's Matthew West's song, "The Motions." You've heard it on the radio hundreds of times.

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-6548762364730728142011-02-11T10:51:00.000-05:002011-02-11T10:51:19.594-05:00Project Kenya

In just over a week, our Children's Ministry at Grace Church will be launching a 5-week initiative called PROJECT KENYA to raise money for needy families in Africa. If you didn't know already, God has developed a partnership between our church and Koinonia Baptist Church in Central Kenya. In this part of the world, there is a significant opportunity for us to share the wealth that God has given

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-14047449150326257312011-02-08T14:24:00.003-05:002011-03-01T12:41:29.867-05:00Seventy Times Seven = 1 Million!

This weekend, the Camp Grace students learned about forgiveness. In Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus how many times we should forgive our offenders, and Jesus' answer is, "Seventy times seven." To be a seven year old that can't do that kind of multiplication easily, that number may as well be a million! As we sat around the dinner table Saturday evening after church, talking about our worship time,

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-12850030376391899852011-02-03T12:13:00.001-05:002011-03-01T12:42:07.737-05:00Fine and Pleasant Misery

The whistle blows and I feel the jerk of the train as it lunges forward, beginning its rhythmic chug, taking everyone on board to a new destination. I close my eyes, feeling the blast of warm summer air on my cheeks while the pungent smell of clover seeps through the cracked window. As I doze, I remembered the wonderful camping trip of the week before. Marshmallows oozing from graham crackers

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-37143618583083807512011-02-01T14:43:00.002-05:002011-03-01T12:40:52.195-05:00Living in Community

I was reminded again this week that there are many types of community. It seems that every time I am correcting my sons, I am being spoken to by God to correct things in my life. My boys are a part of my community. God uses them to speak truth to me, and point out sin in my life. They love me through it. My husband Brian is a major part of my community. He speaks truth into my life on a daily

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-87222359882828904482011-01-27T10:31:00.005-05:002011-03-01T12:43:08.569-05:00Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man...

This past weekend our preschoolers learned about Zacchaeus as we started a new unit entitled “God Owns Everything.” They learned that not only did Zacchaeus climb a tree, but more importantly, Jesus changed his heart. The story highlighted that Zacchaeus was very wealthy, and that he loved money and wealth more than God and others. Jesus helped Zacchaeus see his sin, and the preschoolers learned

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-36347604971117315532011-01-25T15:38:00.004-05:002011-03-01T12:45:36.641-05:00Baptism Weekend at Grace

"Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."- Acts 2:38 Baptism weekends are one of my favorite times to be in the worship service. It is a beautiful opportunity to see how God is working in the lives of people in our church community, and their obedience

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-23559031512939628902011-01-21T14:16:00.009-05:002011-03-01T12:44:02.990-05:00Preschool Curriculum: God Owns Everything

We are starting a new series for the next three weeks about how God owns everything. We want to stress to our children that everything belongs to God, that nothing is ours, and that God wants us to give freely. As I meditate on these truths I automatically think of the season of life when my children were toddlers and all I heard all day was “That’s mine, give it to me.” In that season, I

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-16794025728290955652011-01-19T16:05:00.002-05:002011-01-25T15:43:50.654-05:00The Daddy Duplicator

It was one of those crazy parenting moments where life was happening so fast and furious that I wasn't sure which way was up. After a long day filled with work, responsibilities, meetings, and tasks on my to-do list, I was feeling tired and behind as I returned home for the evening. Now I love my family like crazy...and as a husband and a parent of three kids, I deeply desire to be fully present

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-75845271462424751102011-01-13T10:13:00.007-05:002011-01-25T15:41:33.282-05:00Special Needs: Managed or Ministered To?

The mission of Grace Children's Ministry is to assist parents in leading their children toward a Gospel-centered life, to equip volunteers to shepherd children, and to encourage children to grow in Christ by teaching them biblical truths in meaningful ways. We desire to provide an environment where both parents and their children are loved and ministered to, including families with

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-41586538297695588302011-01-05T11:38:00.008-05:002011-01-05T12:14:09.742-05:00Camp Grace Curriculum: Don't Worry. Trust God.

This coming weekend in our Camp Grace (1st-4th grade) programming, our elementary campers will be studying from Matthew 6:25-34 about Jesus' teaching on worry. They will examine what it means to worry, and our need to trust God with our lives. Here is an excerpt from the Leader Preparation for this week's lesson:"When we worry, we ultimately question and doubt God's sovereignty and goodness.

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-89451325538369186062011-01-04T13:34:00.005-05:002011-03-01T12:44:30.109-05:00Enjoying God

Do you enjoy God? “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:18 It would be easy to argue different ways in which the word “enjoy” describes our lives, but I think the most important form of enjoyment we should have is in God. While I was in the Bahamas last summer on a Student Ministry mission trip, during our study of the book of Jonah one night

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-30778192917172454832010-12-29T10:15:00.079-05:002010-12-29T10:15:00.291-05:00Best of 2010

Here's a list of some of the most popular posts for this past year, according to general categories: Parenting Questions: Can My Child Take Communion?, Why Don't We Do VBS? Programming Information: Downtown Campus, Promotion Weekend Recap Stories from Staff Members: Childishness vs Foolishness (Molly Burns), Reflecting on the Day (Jenn Davis) Give-Aways: Free Book give-away was bigger than

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-39491586791936623022010-12-27T08:32:00.044-05:002010-12-27T08:32:00.216-05:00Preschool Curriculum: God is Compassionate

"Be kind and compassionate to one another."Ephesians 4:32 As we continue in our regular programming in 2011, we will be teaching preschoolers about God's kindness and compassion. We just finished our Christmas series, where we see the wonder of God's love manifested in His Son coming as a baby. Now, we will use the story of Ruth (along with Naomi and Boaz) to show what it looks like to be kind,

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-55892782900481990672010-12-22T06:42:00.006-05:002010-12-22T06:42:00.723-05:00"May It Be to Me As You Have Said"

image courtesy of ColinBroug via sxc.hu Itʼs dark outside at dinner time these days. The leaves are finally all down now at our house and the air has taken on a constant chill. The sounds of children in the backyard have moved into the playroom, and the world seems to be quieting itself for another winter. As Christmas draws near, I am beginning to feel that familiar anticipation I often

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-42307748209626416502010-12-20T07:50:00.000-05:002010-12-20T07:50:00.501-05:00Non-Negotiables: Your Children

Wayne Stocks wrote a series called "The Non-Negotiables," which can be read on Kidmin1124. As volunteers, parents, spouses, workers, ministers, etc, we all face the battle for time. (As Andy Stanley points out in Choosing to Cheat, we need to make courageous decisions about how we use our time, since whatever choice we make will ultimately cheat someone else who wants that time.) The tendency

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-37558488949804290712010-12-15T07:39:00.004-05:002010-12-15T07:39:00.196-05:00New Children's Ministry Staff

There have been a number of changes in the staff in Grace Children's Ministry in 2010, and you probably don't know all of them. Some of the changes have been due to growth and the need for leadership and support (especially with the launch of Children's Ministry programming at our Downtown campus), and some have been to other staff transitioning out of their roles. Here's an overview of the

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-87039011033424134132010-12-14T06:20:00.000-05:002010-12-14T06:20:00.887-05:00The Lord's Prayer

This past weekend, our elementary "campers" learned about prayer, from Matthew 6:5-15. To learn more about this topic, see this article from The Resurgence Blog. The author highlights these topics: Position Praise Purpose Pardon Protection Power

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-83302668545952502282010-12-13T07:58:00.015-05:002010-12-13T07:58:00.823-05:00Shameless Plug

What's your blog or website? Go ahead and tell us what it's about in the comment section.

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-3349434288332426532010-12-10T07:08:00.000-05:002010-12-10T07:08:00.313-05:00Are You Santa's Helper?

Here's an article from Jay Younts, writing on the Shepherd Press Blog: Are You Santa's Helper? Little children are dependent upon their parents for everything. This includes more than food, clothing and shelter. Children are dependent upon you, parent, for how they view the world around them. The way you live in front of them is the most powerful teaching tool that God gives you. This

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-66033508777920005272010-12-08T08:25:00.020-05:002010-12-08T08:25:00.920-05:00Adopt-A-Child Reminder

So far, in our goal of raising $1200 for our Adopt-a-Child initiative, we have raised $741.91. This coming weekend will be our last weekend to collect money. If your Camp Grace (1st - 4th grade) child has not yet brought in $2 to contribute, and your preschooler (2's to Kindergarten) has not brought in $1, please make sure to have them bring it. Remember, if we all do a little, we can have a

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-19145903150711023492010-12-06T07:07:00.008-05:002010-12-06T07:07:00.106-05:00Tips for Dads at Christmas

Here's a great blog from last year, giving encouragement and suggestions for Dads to lead their families this year during the Christmas season. We need to "intentionally plan out the upcoming holiday season" so we don't "miss the sacred moments God opens up for us to connect with and bless our families."

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-79261024561391957842010-12-04T08:56:00.012-05:002010-12-04T08:56:00.072-05:00Why is X Used to Replace Christ in Christmas?

To many, "XMas" is quicker to write than "Christmas." RC Sproul gives a more full answer on how this abbreviation came about, and even adds an explanation of how "ichthus" (fish) came to be a symbol for Jesus Christ. When do you write "XMas," and when do you write "Christmas"?

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-27092306215256431032010-12-03T05:56:00.000-05:002010-12-03T05:56:00.717-05:00Hope Network

A few months ago, Hope Network asked us to write an article summarizing our special needs ministry. What a honor to be able to share what God has been doing in our body, and what He's been teaching us as leaders. You can read what we wrote in the Fall 2010 Ministries Newsletter. Go to this page, and scroll down under the heading "Pastoral Services Publications." Thanks to the Hope Network

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-56327778448029452022010-12-01T07:43:00.037-05:002010-12-02T19:02:02.083-05:00Camp Grace Review Day: Answer Key

We had a Review Day this past weekend in Camp Grace. We asked the campers questions from what they've been learning over the past few months. Then, we sent them home with a sample of the questions, so that they could quiz their parents. If you missed it, here is a list of the questions. Try your best, and then scroll down on this post for the answers (in red). *****************************

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-81984445727490922962010-11-30T08:00:00.002-05:002010-11-30T08:00:12.529-05:00What is Advent?

From Noel Piper (2009): "Advent is what we call the season leading up to Christmas. It begins four Sundays before December 25. . . . For four weeks, it’s as if we’re re-enacting, remembering the thousands of years God’s people were anticipating and longing for the coming of God’s salvation, for Jesus. That’s what advent means—coming. Even God’s men who foretold the grace that was to come didn’t

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-46649854398248815772010-11-29T08:31:00.043-05:002010-11-29T08:31:00.521-05:00Preschool Curriculum: Christmas

"Worship the Lord with gladness;come before Him with joyful songs."Psalm 100:2 Next weekend, we begin our series in our Preschool programming on Christmas. Here excerpts from the Leader Preparation section in our curriculum: The Christmas season is a time of joy and excitement. But it can also be a time of stress and busyness. . . . Take a moment to read Luke 2 and Matthew 1:18-25. Reflect

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-50238892872907557072010-11-28T12:29:00.036-05:002010-11-28T12:29:00.533-05:00Camp Grace Review Day Questions

In case your child missed our programming for 1st - 4th graders this past weekend, or if you want to see how well you could have done, here are some questions that were asked during our Review Day. Check back on Wednesday for the answer key. 1. What was the first thing Nehemiah did when he learned Jerusalem’s wall and gates were destroyed?A. He prayed to God, praising Him, humbling himself

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-13933552339512819172010-11-26T09:59:00.004-05:002010-11-26T09:59:00.639-05:00Jesus Tree

From the Desiring God blog, some creative ideas about ornaments for your Christmas tree.

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6433274671423715140.post-29772271492383107952010-11-24T10:14:00.017-05:002010-11-24T10:14:00.177-05:00"Are They Pilgrims?"

See this post for a funny Thanksgiving memory and some other thoughts about what it means to be a "Pilgrim." Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day!

Grace Church Children’s Ministryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00434803866743202058noreply@blogger.com0