Grace Kids Update

It sure has been a busy few weeks!!! I wanted to give a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who helps with Grace Kids Ministry!  Thank you for your service to our children.  

Check out the following Grace Kids Club Event coming up soon!!

(Grace Kids Club is for Elementary Children)

Grace Kids Club Swimming Event.  Save the date for Saturday, January 14^th, when elementary kids are invited to Burkwood to go swimming.  Please invite your friends to this fun time.  Plan to arrive at 6:45pm, start swimming at 7:00pm and swim until 8:30pm.  If you’re interested in coming, please RSVP to Julie Best (389-1979 or julie@gcpres.org).  Hope to see you there!  Cost for the event is $5/family.

Children's Worship - Tomorrow, January 1st  both the Preschool Class and the Elementary Class will have an opportunity to say their catechism answers.  

Don't forget to check out the Resource Table.  The most recent book available is The Gospel Story Bible by Marty Machowski.  This is a great resource to have for your family.  The Bible provides questions to talk about following each story which is so helpful to going deeper and gaining more understanding for our children.  

Grace Kids Ministry

Many thanks to all the people who help teach our children every Sunday!!!  I know our children are so blessed by the care extended to them!!  

Check out the new book on the Resource Table this week:  the Gospel Story Bible by Marty Machowski.  Here is a link with additional information about the Bible. the Gospel Story Bible

Grace Kids Ministry Update

Today I saw a website for Advent that I thought was definitely worth sharing.  This would be great for all ages and I LOVE the message we are sharing with our children as we celebrate Advent. We all know how much children (and adults) love to receive toys and make their lists but this is a nice break from all the shopping to take time and celebrate that God sent Jesus!!

Check it out:  

Online Advent Calendar by Jenny Funderburke

Sunday Communities - Memory Verses for December

Critters (2yr olds – 3 yr olds):

 Romans 3:23 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The motions to go along with the verse are:

All (making sweeping motion with hands)

have sinned and fall short (crouch down) 

of the glory (stand up and raise hands to heaven)        

of God (one pointer finger straight up in the air).

Sprouts & Seekers (Preschool – 1^st Grade): 

 Philippians 4:11b I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Adventurers (2nd - 5th Grade): 

 Isaiah 53:6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Grace Kids Worship - Helping lead the congregation this past Sunday

Children's Worship - This coming Sunday the Elementary class (Kindergarten - 2nd grade) will have an opportunity to answer the catechism questions.  

Children's Worship

Just a quick reminder that this week we will begin with the preschool class asking the catechism questions. If we finish asking all the children in the preschool class we will also ask the elementary crew.  We are learning about The Jesse Tree during children's worship for the next 3 weeks.  Please check out the resources available on the Children's Ministry Table at church.  Another great website to check out during the Advent season is the following:   http://wepcadvent.wordpress.com.

Children's Ministry Updates

Just a reminder to check out the following site during Advent and to sign up to receive email messages when the site is updated.  

Visit the following blog site during Advent (starting Sunday, Nov. 27th) to help your family prepare for the celebration of Jesus' birth.  http://wepcadvent.wordpress.com

Check out the Children's Ministry Table this coming Sunday for a Jesse Tree display along with information for Jesse Tree Kits.  We had an opportunity to make the kits a couple weeks ago, but there are still supplies available if you are interested in one and were 

unable to attend the workshop.

2 new Cd's available on the Resource Table. 

Coming Soon: 

Flapjacks and Fun, Family Flick

Friday, December 2nd at 6:00 PM, Ashcreek Clubhouse: A pancake dinner complete with bacon (mmm!), fruit and orange juice will be served beginning at 6:00 PM.  The movie, Everyone's Hero, will begin between 6:15 and 6:30.  Bring your bean bags, sleeping bags, and/or pillows for comfortable seating.  Please RSVP to Erica Woods at woodsew27@yahoo.com if you plan on attending.  If you’d be willing to bring food, please let Erica know that too. The movie was directed and inspired by Christopher Reeve ~ a fun adventure story for the whole family!  For a trailer and more info, check out the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSEpbc2t5Hk

Children's Worship:

This coming Sunday the Elementary class will have an opportunity to say their catechism answers.  Look for a catechism sheet indicating the number your child reached during children's worship. 

 We are beginning a 4 week lesson on Advent during children's worship this coming Sunday.  The Preschool and Elementary classes will be creating coloring books for the Advent series using the ornaments suggested in The Advent Jesse Tree: Devotions for Children and Adults to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child by Dean Meador Lambert.  These coloring books will be sent home at the conclusion of our lessons on Sunday, December 18th.  During the lessons on Advent we will still be asking the catechism questions each week.  

Children's Ministry Updates

Children's Worship 

This coming Sunday the preschool class will have an opportunity to say answers to their catechism questions.  If your child is in the preschool class, they will be coming home with a catechism slip indicating the number(s) they answered correctly during children's worship.  The children have a chance to pick from the catechism store for every 3 catechisms they answer correctly.  

Jesse Tree

The kids did a GREAT job working on all 25 ornaments.  I learned a few things on how to improve the workshop for next year, but all in all it worked out well!  I will have the Jesse Tree example on display at the Children's Ministry Table.  Contact information for a kit will also be listed.  We made the ornaments to correspond with the book, The Advent Jesse Tree - Devotions for Children and Adults to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child at Christmas. Here are a few fun pictures from the workshop:

Advent

Visit the following blog site during Advent (starting Sunday, Nov. 27th) to help your family prepare for the celebration of Jesus' birth.  http://wepcadvent.wordpress.com

Grace Kids Leaders

Many thanks to our current Grace Kids Leaders:  Sam, Harry, Audrey, and John Thomas (not present in picture).  Each Sunday they help with Grace Kids Worship by a number of ways: setting up the space, leading the younger children, helping with musical instruments, hand motions, prayer, etc.  Before becoming a leader, they memorized the following verses along with providing an explanation of what it means to serve. 

“It’s not about me, it’s about God.”

 “The greatest among you will be your servant.” – Matthew 23:11

 “Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory” – Psalm 115:1

 As a Grace Kids Leader, they have an opportunity to put Matthew 23:11 and Psalm 115:1 into practice by serving others.  

Children's Worship Update

Preschool

Today your children worked on catechism question 9, but spent time reviewing questions 1 - 9.  Today the lesson emphasized that God gives us everything we need.  They discussed different ways that God takes care of us.  

 They sang "Three in One" (tune of Frere Jacques)

God the Father, (God the Father),

God the Son, (God the Son),

God the Holy Spirit, (God the Holy Spirit),

Three in One, (Three in One).

Next week the preschool class will have an opportunity to say their catechism answers.                                                                                              

Elementary

The Elementary class had a chance to say their catechism answers today.  Please check for the catechism slip indicating the number they learned in class.  This way your child can keep track in his/her catechism booklet at home with stickers.  Children worked on learning catechism questions 41 and 42.  We discussed the word regeneration (catechism question 41) and how it is the Holy Spirit's work in our hearts.  When discussing catechism question 42,  (Who can change a sinner's heart? The Holy Spirit alone.) we talked about when the Holy Spirit regenerates our hearts he gives us the power to turn away from sin and love God. The scripture passage shared today was from Acts 9:1-31.  (Saul's Conversion and Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem)

Memory Verses for November

Critters (2yr olds – 3 yr olds):

Nov & Dec: Romans 3:23 All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Sprouts & Seekers (Preschool – 1^st Grade): 

Nov: John 3:16 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.

Adventurers (2^nd – 5^th  Grade):

Nov: Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Fall Play date fun

The kids had a great time parading around the park for some yummy treats!  

Upcoming Events for Preschool and Elementary Children:

PRESCHOOL

Thursday, November 3^rd from 9:30-11:30 AM: Service Play Date – Thanksgiving Bags for MCEF.  This fall we are going to have a service play date to help those in need during the Thanksgiving holiday.  We will be decorating and stuffing bags with Thanksgiving dinner items for MCEF.  We will be meeting at Laura Longmire’s house at 9:30.  If you are able to attend, please RSVP to Christy Villhauer (cvillhauer@gmail.com or 703-577-7657).

ELEMENTARY

 Grace Kids Club hosted by John and Ruthie Best:  Saturday, November 5^th from 3:30 - 5:00 PM.  (Kindergarten - 5th grade).  Join us for a Game Event at 9419 Wild Rose Court.  Kids will have a chance to choose a few events from the following to participate in during our time:  foosball, charades, basketball or football, kickball, crafts. If they would rather not participate, they are still welcome to come and cheer for their friends! Snacks will be provided.  Hope your kids can join us! Feel free to have them invite friends to come too.  RSVP to julie@gcpres.org.

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

We had a great time at Hanover Vegetable Farm for our Pumpkin Picking trip!  A little too windy for smores, but no one seemed too upset about eating chocolate bars and marshmallows.  

Children's Worship Update

Preschool

 On Sunday your children worked on catechism questions 6-8 (The Trinity).  Their lesson today was on Matthew 14: 22 - 32.  Children participated in an action activity pretending they were boats on the sea to help act out the story.  They were rocking gently and then fiercely with a lot of wind.  Children ended the lesson with placing stickers around a triangle in their journals (The stickers placed on the triangle were: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and Trinity was placed in the middle.The journals stay at church, but feel free to take a look at them anytime!)                                                                                                 Next week the preschool class will have an opportunity to say their catechism answers!! 

Elementary

The Elementary class had a chance to say their catechism answers on Sunday.  Please check for the catechism slip indicating the number they learned in class.  This way your child can keep track in his/her catechism booklet at home with stickers.  This past Sunday, children worked on learning catechism questions 36 -40.  During the lesson, children heard how without the Holy Spirit's work in our hearts, we could never know or love God.  Children heard a Bible story from Genesis 4:1-16 to help teach the catechisms this week. This is a familiar Bible study to many of the children, but it is helpful when discussing the questions.  Making the connection to the Bible story will help your child better understand what they are saying and avoid rote memorization of the questions and answers. 

Children's Worship - Excellent Resources Available!!

Ask Me Whooo cd's (Volume 1 and Volume 2) available at resource table for $10.  

Volume 1 has catechism questions 1 - 53 and Volume 2 has catechism questions 54 - 108.  This is an excellent resource to have for your children.  My children LOVE listening to them and the cds are a great reinforcement to our lessons on Sunday morning!! The questions and answers are stated exactly from the booklet we use during children's worship:  First Catechism Teaching Children Bible Truths

Check out the following link for more information regarding Ask Me Whooo:  www.askmewhooo.com

Grace Kids Service Opportunity

Please see below for an opportunity for your children to participate in a service opportunity with MCEF (Mechanicsville Churches Emergency Functions)

The holidays are coming up soon and MCEF will be giving out extra food to patrons during the month of November.  Along with their regular bags of groceries, our pantry patrons will receive a pre-packed grocery bag (no turkey this year) containing the following items for Thanksgiving dinner:  

1 box stuffing mix

1 can or envelope gray mix

13 oz. box instant potatoes

2 cans green beans

1 can (reduced sodium) mushroom soup

1 can french fried onions

1 box roll mix

1 box pie crust mix

1 can pumpkin pie filling (or any type of pie filling)

1 can yams

1 can cranberry sauce
Thanksgiving pre-packed grocery bags will be handed out to families visiting the pantry, from the last week of October through the end of November.  Each family can visit the pantry once a month and we want to be sure everyone receives a holiday bag before Thanksgiving. 

If you would like to participate in this service opportunity please plan to bring bags to church on Sunday, October 23rd.  You could partner with another family to fill a bag as well.  I will deliver the bags and food items to the Pantry the following week.  Encourage your children to add a decoration to the bag.  We are planning on incorporating this service opportunity into a preschool play date early in November.

Sunday Community Memory Verses - October

Adventurers: 2nd - 5th grade class

Isaiah 53:4  “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

Sprouts (Preschool) and Seekers (Kindergarten - 1st grade) have the same memory verse: 

Psalm 100:4 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.”

Check out the video below for hand motions to accompany the verse. 

Critters (2 year olds & 3 year olds) - Just a reminder that our youngest Sunday Community class will be working on the same verse for 2 months.  Their verse for September and October is: 

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." 
Check out September 12th post for hand motions for Critters memory verse.

Children's Worship Update

Preschool

Thank you to Jen Scholten and Scott Liesinger for your instruction today!  They worked with your children on catechism question 5.  Children learned hand motions for praise Him (extend arms forward and up in praise), love Him (cross hands over heart and then point up), Thank Him (fold hands in prayer), and Serve Him (wrist together, palms open).  There lesson today was about 1 King 17:  a prophet named Elijah.  Children ended the lesson with coloring a picture of Elijah and adding it to their journals.  (The journals stay at church, but feel free to take a look at them anytime!)

 

Elementary

Thank you Keith Scholten for your instruction with this group today!  Keith started with a review game (Catechism Toss) covering catechism questions 1 - 32.  Children then worked together to complete a True/False activity sheet.  The activity sheet was a reinforcement of questions 29 - 32.  Question 29 begins this section with:  What is sin?  Sin is any lack of conformity to, or transgression of, the law of God.  After completing the activity sheet there was a question that followed:  What does God promise to His people because Jesus took the punishment  for their sin? FORGIVENESS

 

Catechism Questioner

Thank you Ira Staley for listening to the ELEMENTARY children today as they said the answers to catechism questions.  If your child is in the elementary class, then he/she should have a catechism slip indicating the number learned in class. Thank you for all your help and reinforcement of the catechisms.  Next week the preschool class will have an opportunity to say their catechism answers. 

Family Worship Night - Clips

Thank you so much to the band:  Randy, Joey, and Abe for all you do every week with our children for Grace Kids.  Thank you to Ed, Eric, and Tracy for all your help throughout the evening.  Many thanks to Becky for creating a fun skit for Daniel and the Lions Den and our fabulous cast.  Below are a few short videos of some songs we enjoyed together during the evening. 

Young - Seeds Family Worship - Courage cd

Here, Kitty Kitty - Why Not Sea Monsters?

Rock Eternal - Seeds Family Worship - Praise cd

YUMMY! Ice cream sundaes

Children's Worship Update

Preschool

Thank you to Sandy Southard  for your instruction today!  Sandy worked with your children on catechism questions 3 and 4.  They discussed how when they act the way God tells us to, they are like a light for other people to see.   They discussed the following examples: worship=kids at church,Share =two children playing together, love = heart, Obey = children with their parents.    Today the children had a picture of the 4 things mentioned above that they colored and placed in their journals.

 

Elementary

Thank you Kristine Jasinski for your instruction with this group today!  Kristine read a lesson to the children today covering questions 29 - 32.  Question 29 begins this section with:  What is sin?  Sin is any lack of conformity to, or transgression of, the law of God.  The remaining questions to this set unpacks the answer to question 29.  The lesson today was the story of The Good Samaritan.  Have your children retell the story to you as an extension of what they learned today during children's worship.  Kristine used stick puppets to tell the story to the children. 

Catechism Questioner

Thank you Elisabeth Pajic for listening to the preschool children today as they said the answers to catechism questions.  If your child is in the preschool class, then he/she should have a catechism slip indicating the number learned in class. Thank you for all your help and reinforcement of the catechisms.  Next week the elementary class will have an opportunity to say their catechism answers. 

Kids Give Back - Highlights

I put this video together for a church announcement a couple weeks ago highlighting a few things about our Kids Give Back summer camp.  If you missed it at church take a look!! 

Sunday Communities - Memory Verse for Critters in September & October

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

Since our Critter crew is so young this year, Caleb helped us out by reciting the verse and showing the hand motions.  We'll work on this verse each week and receive Smarties as a treat at the end of September and October for saying the verse well!  We'd love it if you would partner with us and reinforce Scripture memory at home!

Children's Worship Lesson Update

We are off to a great start!!  We welcomed a new crew of children today to our class and they all did a good job. There are 2 classes for children's worship:  a preschool class (children who will be 4 by summer 2012 - preschool) and an elementary class (Kindergarten - 2nd grade).  In order to help parents stay up to date with the lessons we are teaching at church I will update weekly with a brief overview of the lesson.  Regardless of the catechism questions the children are being taught at church they can move at their own pace at home.  Every other week your child will have an opportunity to say their catechisms to one of the teachers.  For every three catechisms answered correctly, your child earns an opportuntiy to pick from the catechism store.  There are a ton of fun prizes included in the store for the boys and girls to choose from for extra motivation to keep up the practice at home.

Preschool

Thank you to Heather Estes and Valerie Scholten for your instruction today!  Heather and Valerie worked with your children on catechism questions 1 and 2.  During the lesson the children listened to the cd: Ask Me Whooo.  Volume 1 of the Ask Me Whooo cd collection is located on the resource table for $15.  This is a great cd that puts the catechisms word for word to music.  Following a lesson on Who made you? (God), and What else did God make? (God made all things) the children discussed how God made everything. Then they each had a chance to draw a picture in their journals of something God made.  Ask your children what they drew in their journals.  The journals stay at church and are used weekly for children's worship.

Elementary

Thank you Jeanette Bowman for your instruction with this group today!  Jeanette read a lesson to the children today covering questions 23 - 28. Children learned more about the word covenant and discussed the meaning.  The lesson focused on question 24 - What is a covenant? (a relationship that God establishes with us and guarantees by his word.) In comparison to the preschool lessons this group does move at a faster pace with more catechisms learned weekly.  There are review weeks as well to further go over the questions.  The questions are taught as a theme together.  All 6 questions today dealt with covenant; therefore, instruction of  the definition of covenant was key to being able to grasp the meaning of the answers they are saying.

Catechism Questioner

Thank you Mark Estes for listening to the elementary children today as they said the answers to catechism questions.  If your child is in the elementary class, then he/she should have a catechism slip indicating the number learned in class. Thank you for all your help and reinforcement of the catechisms.  Next week the preschool class will have an opportunity to say their catechism answers. 

Sunday Community - September Memory Verse for Sprouts and Seekers

Psalm 100: 1-2 "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.  Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs."

Don't my kiddos look thrilled???  They actually were very excited to help me with the hand motions for the September memory verse.  The children will be working on this each week for the month of September. They will have an opportunity to say the verse at the end of the month to their teachers. 

Sunday Community classes begin next week on September 11th. 

Grace Kids Information

I recently was sent an email about The Jesus Storybook Bible facebook page.  You can go to this page and view a story being read from The Jesus Storybook Bible with pictures from the book as well:  http://www.facebook.com/JesusStorybookBible  We have used The Jesus Storybook Bible in the past during Children's worship.  A great Bible to introduce to your preschoolers and older.   We have copies available at the resource table at church if you are interested. 

Coming Soon - Family Worship Night - Saturday, September 17th at 6:00 PM. 

Our next Family Worship Night will be on Saturday, September 17^th at New Hanover Presbyterian Church beginning at 6:00pm.  (Please note that this is a new night and location from previous Family Worship Nights.)  We will sing Grace Kids Worship songs and also enjoy a skit.  Our time together will end with ice cream sundaes!  If you’d like to come, please RSVP to Tracy Surratt at RSVP2Tracy@yahoo.com by September 14 so we can have enough ice cream & toppings for everyone!

Children's Worship Update

Just a reminder that each week we ask one group their catechism questions.  We rotate between the preschool and elementary class.  Today we had a chance to ask both classes and will begin next week with PRESCHOOL. Your child should have brought home a catechism slip indicating the number they worked on during children's worship this morning.  We are excited to see the growth in the children and their ability to recite the catechisms.  Ultimately we want them to understand the Bible truths they are saying.  A great cd available for you at the Resource Table is the Ask Me Whooo cd.  You can check it out at http://askmewhooo.com/

Offering - We do collect an offering during children's worship.  We begin in a large circle and sing Jesus Loves Me while we pass the basket around the children.  We share with the children that the offering goes into the church offering.  I have been trying to work with John and Ruthie on remembering to take some of their own money to add to the offering.  There are so many things to remember on a Sunday morning with Grace Kids Backpacks, catechism books, sippy cup for Ben, etc, but I am trying to help them remember to take some coins from their piggy banks to give to the church. 

Kids Give Back - Conclusion

Shine the Light group playing story stomp.  Every time they heard the word CARES they would run through the sprinklers and back to their spots.  We used the story God Always Cares by Amy Beveridge. 

 

Chase the Light - Starting a lesson

Shine the Light crew wrapped up Kids Give Back with a review of all the stories heard during the week with the emphasis on how to "Let your light shine" Matthew 5:16  Chase the Light crew heard a story from Luke 24:13-35 - Road to  Emmaus.  The bottom line:  We can trust that God has a plan and we should tell others about it.  Dianne Claiborne, the Area Director for YoungLives visited both groups and thanked them for their generous donations and gifts they made this week. 

We enjoyed working with your children this summer!!  Some final pictures of our summer camp.

 The Flash and Rae Rae - A dynamic duo for teaching the children the Bible stories

 Small group discussion time with the elementary group.

Taking a break from the nursery to enjoy the sprinklers!

Water Play!  What other game is there to play when it is over 100 DEGREES!