4th and 5th Grade Memory Verse Unit 1!

Way to go kids and teachers!!  Here is a video with the kids saying their verse

Psalm 51:10 - 12, NIV

Blown Away!

A huge shout out to the teachers in both Children's Worship and Sunday Communities!  In the past month they have done so many fun acitivies with the children.  They have gone above and beyond to create meaningful and engaging lessons for their classes.  We are blessed to have volunteers who pour out so much of their time to invest in the children at GCPC!  

We have one more week with the Unit 1 Memory Verses.  This year we are doing the following approach with memory verses:

• Children will work on the verses at church (in both Children’s worship and Sunday communities) throughout the 6 week units in order to memorize the scripture.  We will not be checking individually if they know the verses at the end of each unit.  We will continue to have them work as a group and share as a group.  Our aim is to have them memorize and remember the scripture.  
• Pie in the face Motivation:  We are going let the children know if they can say all 5 verses from each unit during Sunday Communities this year they can select someone to throw a pie in the pace (this will just be redi whip in a pie plate).  
•  I am hopeful for willing participants (including myself) to be one of the unfortunate people to get Redi whip all over the face.  We will let the children who attain this challenge list out 3 folks and then see if one of them would be willing to receive the pie.  This challenge will take work on the part of the children to learn the verses and retain them.  Children will be given a chance to say the 5 verses from the year on May 8th and May 15th.  Then the pie in the face would occur on 5/22 and/or 6/5.     
• Memory Verses by grade for the year  

Here is a short clip of some pictures taken last month.  Thank you teachers for passing them along to me!

Grace Kids September!!

Sunday Communities and Children's Worship

Preschool Class having fun with shaving cream!!

Activity:  Finger Paint Faces - The children were making happy and sad faces with the shaving cream. They discussed how it makes God sad when we disobey and then they wiped away the sad faces.  They discussed how when we feel sad for doing wrong things, God is pleased.  The truth and reminder they heard:  

God will always love us and forgive us!

Here are the memory verses for the first Unit.  We will begin Unit 2 on November 1st

Please note that each unit is divided into 6 lessons. 

October 25th = Memory Verse Recitation

Preschool

Unit 1: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  His love endures forever. - Psalm 136:1, NIV

Kindergarten & 1st Grade

Unit 1: Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.  His love endures forever. - Psalm 136:1, NIV

2nd & 3rd Grade  

Unit 1:  Genesis 9:12-13, NIV And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come:  I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

4th & 5th Grade

Unit 1:  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. - Psalm 51: 10-12, NIV

New Resource Available

I am including an article in this post related to protecting children from sexual abuse. This article references a new book called:  God Made All Of Me:  A Book for Helping Children Protect Their Bodies.  I will have copies of this book available to purchase at the Grace Kids Resource table beginning this Sunday for $10.  

9 Ways to Protect Your Children from Sexual Abuse

Movie Night

Back to School Ice cream Sundae and Outdoor Movie Night

Friday, September 4th

Brad and Julie Best's home

Make your own ice cream sundaes and then outdoor movie.

7:30 - Ice cream Sundaes

8:00 Outdoor Movie:  Please bring a lawn chair or blanket.  

We will be watching: Yogi Bear - Life's a pic-a-nic

RSVP to Julie Best at julie@gcpres.org - Feel free to invite your friends!

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Sunday Communities start SOON!!! 

 Sunday Communities and Grace Kids Worship begin on September 13th.

Children will move into their new classes.  

Based on age/grade children will move classes.

1)  Moving from Nursery to Children's Worship (Children who will be 4 by summer 2016)

2)  Children's Worship classes will be change based on school grade. 

(4 year olds - Preschool, Kindergarten and 1st, 2nd and 3rd)

3)  Moving from Children's Worship to Sermon Study. (4th and 5th Graders)

4)  Moving from Grace Kids to Youth! (6th grade)

Big Day!!

Perspective

I have recently had an opportunity to be part of a service trip to Granada with my 10 year old son.  Throughout the week the word that continually came to mind for me was perspective.   So much of my day can be focused on how to please my kids and find fun opportunities for them.  I love my children and want to plan and do fun things with them but almost to a fault as the result ends frequently with:  it is never enough.  The following article from the blog:  We are that family shares more on perspective.  I love the reminder in the post below that it is not about us.  

Psalm 115:1

Not to us, O Lord, not to us,

but to your name goes all the glory

for your unfailing love and faithfulness.

Article from: We are that family

Tubing and Upcoming Movie Night

Fun Day Tubing at James River Reeling & Rafting!!

Beautiful weather and a fun way to spend 4 and 1/2 hours.

Mark your calendars for a Back to School Ice cream Sundae and Outdoor Movie Night

Friday, September 4th

Brad and Julie Best's home

Make your own ice cream sundaes and then outdoor movie.

7:30 - Ice cream Sundaes

8:00 Outdoor Movie:  Please bring a lawn chair or blanket.  

We will be watching: Yogi Bear - Life's a pic-a-nic

RSVP to Julie Best at julie@gcpres.org - Feel free to invite your friends!