Arvada Covenant Church Launch!

Family Christmas Eve Service

2010-12-21T15:04:00.002-07:00

"Christ the Savior is Born!" Celebrate with us at the Family Christmas Eve Service. Bring the entire family and celebrate Christmas Eve at this unique interactive service. Children of every age are invited to join in the program by dressing up as either an angel, wise (person) or shepherd. The 45 minute program wil...l conclude with a "child friendly" candlelight service.

Family Advent Dinner: Wednesday, Dec. 1 @ 6pm.

2010-11-18T12:03:00.003-07:00

The Family Advent Dinner is a fun tradition for families to start the advent season spending time together thinking about the meaning of the season. This year we welcome back "Kidologist" Karl Bastian. Karl will feature a fun show that will include illusions, puppets, humor and more. Cost is $4 per person (3 and under free). We hope to see you there.

INITIATIVE – October BIG Idea for 1st-5th Grade

2010-09-30T14:32:00.001-06:00

CSI

Nope, this doesn't stand for crime scene investigators, although they certainly have it. It doesn't stand for College of Southern Idaho, although students there (like anywhere) need it. Nor does it stand for Chi Sigma Iota, though surely an honor society that promotes academic and professional excellence in counseling would value it.
What is "it"? The ability to act on your own. The enterprising spirit needed to take that first step. The ingenuity to imagine how to solve a problem. SEEING what needs to be done and DOING it. In short, initiative.
Now, when you think of God's myriad virtues, does initiative come to mind? It should! What but a God-sized initiative could have seen the potential of a universe then created it? Who but someone God-sized is ingenious enough to craft each and every one of us by hand and make us each unique? Could someone other than God care enough to lean into our lives, see what needs to be done, and do it--for each one of us, at the same time, on an ongoing basis?
No doubt about it, God has God-sized initiative, and He wants to work initiative into us as well. It's a key ingredient for becoming the kind of people He wants us to be and for taking part in His big plan. Nehemiah's life story is a good example.
Here're some things we think kids need to understand and start putting into practice when it comes to initiative, and each one of these is modeled in Nehemiah's life:

When there's a job to be done, first you have to see it. Nehemiah recognized there was a problem in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1).
When there's a job to be done, don't wait for someone else to do it. Nehemiah stepped up to the plate, even though it wasn't his "job" (Nehemiah 2).
When there are people in need, don't wait for someone else to help them. Nehemiah did something about other people's problems (Nehemiah 5).
When you've done what YOU can do, trust God to do what He can do. Nehemiah consistently did everything he knew to do and relied on God to do the rest (Nehemiah 6; 8).

So that's what CSI stands for: can see it. You can see it; you can do it. Can See It + Can Do It.

For more ideas about putting initiative into action, check out our brand new resource called CUE Box. CUE Box is filled with activities to help parents and kids interact with each other as they continue to learn about the month's virtue at home. To find out more or to order CUE Box, go to http://www.studio252.tv.

Oh, and there's a fifth week in October (when we'll be talking about initiative). We'll switch gears on that fifth week and talk about a "faith skill": how to talk about your faith.

Community Fall Festival ’10 @ Arvada Covenant Church

2010-09-22T11:19:00.001-06:00

Dress up and join us October 31^st, 2:30-5:00 pm, at Arvada Covenant Church for our 2010 Community Fall Festival. Come experience a safe and fun alternative this Halloween. Trick or treat down Treat Street. Enjoy carnival style games in a family friendly environment along with many other surprises! We are throwing a huge party and we want you to come and have fun with us. Admission is free.

We are creating an exciting event for you to invite your neighbors, friends and co-workers to experience the fun of ACC. You can be involved and make this a huge success! First, invite your friends! Think of the people you see in your neighborhood with whom you want to be able to start talking about your relationship with God. Think of kids at your child’s school. How about the cashier at the grocery store, the woman who cuts your hair or the person that makes your fav. coffee drink each week? Invite them to be a part. Our vision is that you will have a great time with your family and with the families you bring that will lead to a moment, an open door, for you to talk about the most important relationship you have in life and the hope you have in life. All through a great time at a fun place.

There are several ways in which you, your family and friends can serve as we show God’s love to the world around us. We need people to run the 20+ carnival games we are organizing, people to greet and provide security, people to set up, and many people to help clean the building after the festival. You’ll have a blast serving with other people from ACC and seeing the joy on the faces of the kids and families!

2nd Annual Game Booth Decorating Contest – decorate the space around a game and win! Help add to the fun and festive environment of the Fall Festival.

Check out this list of ways to help and contact us today to let us know how you can be involved. Leave a comment and let us know how you can help or email seggers@arvadacovenant.org

Run a game booth – Need 30+ people A ton of fun!

Greeter/Security - Need 8 people per shift (two shifts) Create a welcoming and safe environment

Set-up and décor - Need 10 people Saturday 10/30

Clean-up – 10-12 people

Face Painting – need 2 to assist painter

Go-fer – 5 people “Go fer this, go fer that.” People that will help where needed.

Photo booth – 4 people Taking pictures and running digital picture set-up

Volunteer break room people to make sure the room stays somewhat clean and stocked w/food.

We hope to see you involved with the Community Fall Festival to create a wonderful time at Arvada Covenant Church!

Parenting with Love and Logic - Seminar

2010-08-23T16:52:00.001-06:00

PARENTING WITH LOVE AND LOGIC^®
Jim Fay and Dr. Charles Fay
Saturday, October 23, 2010

Join America's parenting experts^®, Jim Fay and Dr. Charles Fay, for an entertaining day and learn easy-to-use techniques for parenting kids of all ages.
Location:
Arvada Covenant Church*
5555 Ward Road
Arvada, CO 80002
*This seminar is not an official activity of the Arvada Covenant Church.
Time:
Morning Session 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Afternoon Session 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Cost:
Only $30.00 per person per session

Putting the Fun Back Into Parenting
Morning Session 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

Avoid un-winnable arguments and power-struggles
Get your kids to do chores and other tasks without going to battle
Help them learn from their poor decisions…so that they don't repeat them
Get them ready for success in today’s complex world
Stay sane in the process.

Love and Logic^® for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Afternoon Session 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Put an end to bedtime battles
Deal with whining, begging, tantrums and full-fledged melt-downs
Help your tots learn from small mistakes so they don’t have to make life-threatening ones as teenagers
How to discipline them without losing their love and respect.

Attend one session or both!

Preschooler Promotion

2010-08-22T09:59:00.001-06:00

Preschool age children promote to their new rooms September 12th, 2010. We promote the preschool kids that are downstairs once a year in September. Be sure to track with the birthdates listed on each room to find out which room is right for each child. We promote the children in each room together so that the room leaders and children have as much consistency as possible. Children don’t automatically change rooms when they have their birthday because we don’t have rooms for specific ages i.e. a 2 year old room, a 3 year room, etc. The kids that are in each room stay together, play together, learn together and move together.

Let us know if you have any questions or specific needs for your child.

Beginning September 12^th:

Children born between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008 – Sunbeams Room C102

Children born between October 1, 2006 and September 30, 2007 – Bumblebees Room C103

Children born between October 1, 2005 and September 30 2006 – Giraffes Room C104

Feel free to contact John Mullis, Children’s Ministry Director, with any questions. 303.422.1235

Become a FAN on facebook

2010-07-12T15:26:00.001-06:00

Are you a fan?

Become a fan of the Launch! Children’s Ministry on the Launch! facebook page. It’s a good way to stay in touch and get the latest and most real-time updates on what is going on in Launch!

Promotions in Launch! Kids moving up in 2010

2010-07-12T14:17:00.001-06:00

Preschool age children promote to their new rooms September 12th, 2010. We promote the preschool kids that are downstairs once a year in September. Be sure to track with the birthdates listed on each room to find out which room is right for each child. We promote the children in each room together so that the room leaders and children have as much consistency as possible. Children don’t automatically change rooms when they have their birthday because we don’t have rooms for specific ages i.e. a 2 year old room, a 3 year room, etc. The kids that are in each room stay together, play together, learn together and move together. Let us know if you have any questions.

Current room assignments for preschoolers:

Nursery (upstairs) Children born after February 1, 2008. *Children born between 2/2 and 10/1, 2008 will move to the Sunbeams (C102) September 12, 2010

Sunbeams (C102) Children born between October 1, 2006 and February 1, 2008

Bumblebees (C103) Children born between October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2006

Giraffes (C104) Children born between October 1, 2004 and September 30, 2005 (this includes children that will be in Kindergarten this Fall.

Kindergarten - 5th graders promote to their new grade levels the Sunday after Kids' Camp each year (June 27, 2010). Kindergarteners are now 1st graders, 1st now 2nd, etc. 5th graders have moved up to Junior High Ministries (check out their FB page Arvada Covenant Junior High) During the summer, until September, the kids going into 5th grade are welcome to come to Launch, especially during the 10:45 service. Let us know if you have any Qs.

Summertime rooms for elementary children:

C110/111 Children that will be in 1st and 2nd grade during the 2010/2011 school year

Launch! Pad Children that will be in 3rd-5th grade during the 2010/2011 school year.

Simple Service + Serious Cause = Summer Serve!

2010-05-20T16:46:00.001-06:00

Children’s Ministry volunteers at Arvada Covenant Church are the some of best volunteers in the world, and they have been giving their best to kids for 9 months. We love them and want to give them a rest so when they come back in the fall they’ll be refreshed and ready to love and teach kids for another year.

While our core team is resting during the summer, we still must to be able to teach the hundreds of children that show up each weekend. We can’t afford to take time off. For us to be able to continue teaching children about Jesus Christ, we need people to help by serving on the children’s team during the summer. We call it Summer Serve. You sign up and show up and make a huge difference with simple service for a serious cause. We’ll teach with you in a fun way this summer.

A Summer Serve leader:

· Studies a lesson provided in advance

· Shows up 25 minutes before the service.

· Greets children, sits with their group during a large group Bible and worship lesson, leads their group through some fun activities to make the lesson stick with the kids.

Summer Serve is a great experience and you can be a part of it! It’s all about loving kids through serving and making a difference in their lives.

We make Summer Serve EASY and FUN!

How? Anyone can do it during a weekend service June 6 – August 29. We’d like you to pick two pairs of back to back weekends or a whole month. Serve on your own, serve with your family, or serve with your small group. Just sign up, sit back and wait for a phone call from the children’s ministry team. It’s that easy. And it’s so important.

We have over 200 spots to fill for this summer so there is room for YOU.

You can sign up for Summer Serve by email or phone.

Email: seggers@arvadacovenant.org Phone: 303-422-1235 ext. 212

You can also sign up at the Children’s Info desk downstairs.

Simple Service + Serious Cause = Summer Serve!

Thanks for your support of children at Arvada Covenant Church.

The Children’s Ministry Team

May Preschool Bottom Line – God Made Me!

2010-04-29T19:08:00.001-06:00

What is the most AMAZING thing that God has ever made? ME! And YOU! The Bible says in Psalm 139:14, "I am wonderfully made," (NIV). Each and every one of us, and each and every one of our preschoolers, was wonderfully made. By God! How awesome is that!
We will spend the month of May equipping our preschoolers with the knowledge that God made them. Because He made them, they are special. They are special not because they can jump the farthest or run the fastest. They are special because God made them and loves them.

God made our bodies. God made us to do many things. God made us with a purpose. God even made us to praise Him. Our God is an AMAZING God who makes wonderful things. And, since God made us just the way we are, He loves EVERYTHING about us. Everything! He loves our messy hair. He loves our crooked noses. He loves our loud singing voices. He even loves our silly faces. God made us, and He loves us. Awesome thought, isn't it? It's almost overwhelming. God made ME! Wow. What a strong foundation to give our preschoolers. God made them, and that makes them special.
By Kathy Hill. © 2010 The reThink Group * www.rethinkgroup.org * All rights reserved. Used by permission.

May 2: I am special to God Psalm 139:13-15, Jeremiah 1:5

May 9: God made my body Genesis 1:26-27

May 16: God made me to do many things Psalm 41:1, 86:11

May 23: God made me with a purpose Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10

May 30: God made me to praise Him. Psalm 1-2, 34:1

Patience – 1st-5th Grade BIG Idea for May

2010-04-29T18:50:00.001-06:00

Chill Out

Depending on when you read this, you're probably either still bundled up against the winter chill or you've shed your winter woolies for cool cottons, bracing yourself against the bite of the wind or basking in the bright, warm sunshine of late spring. Come May, snow days will have become a thing of the past, but many kids (and parents) will still be paying for the pleasure of a day off with an extended school year. Kids and families (and we church volunteers!) will have to dig down deep, grin, and bear it in order to hang in there till summer vacation. What better time to talk about patience?
So that's what 252 Basics is all about in May:

Patience, which is waiting until later for what you want now.

Here's the lineup:

If you don't wait, it could cost you. Remember what Esau traded away for a bowl of soup because he let his stomach go to his head? (Genesis 25)
Don't get tired of doing the right thing. If only the Israelites had kept on following God instead of the crowd! (Exodus 19; 32)
Don't miss out because you think you can't wait. Have you ever thought about what Joshua and the Israelites would've missed if they hadn't followed God's marching orders? (Joshua 3; 6)
If you don't wait, it could hurt others. There are "gasoline girls" and there are "water boys." Which one are you? (Proverbs 15:18)

And for the fifth week, we'll depart from the norm and focus on a "faith skill," that of prayer:

Take prayer out of the box. Are you in or out of the box when it comes to prayer? (James 5:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 8:26)

Find Us On Facebook

2010-04-22T11:06:00.001-06:00

Look for us on Facebook. The page is called Arvada Covenant Launch Children’s Ministry.

Kid’s Camp 2010 – Cosmic City

2010-04-15T16:35:00.001-06:00

Can children actually encounter God is a personal way and discover the richness of who he is? We answer with a resounding yes!

Few places inspire the awe and wonder of God more naturally than the heavens he created. So we’re launching our Voyagers in to space, where they’ll experience that awe and wonder for themselves. We’re creating a fun and fanciful floating space city where they can delight in discovering who God is and what he’s done for us.

Voyagers launch from Alpha Base and will visit the exciting Theater of the Galaxies, Asteroid Alley Games, Deeper Space Music, the Shooting Star Drive-in for snacks and make out of this world crafts in the Super Nova Super Mart.

Kids’ Camp blasts off June 21-25 from 9a.m.‘til Noon and is for children that are 5 years old through finishing 5th grade. The cost is $25 per child.

Registration begins mid-May. Stay tuned for details.

Honesty – 1st-5th Grade BIG Idea for March

2010-03-11T14:48:00.001-07:00

The Web

Have you ever seen the TV show Lie to Me? The Lightman Group (clever name, isn't it, since light = truth, biblically speaking), made up of psychologists, researchers, and investigators, assist law enforcement and other government agencies in criminal investigations by detecting signs of deception in people's voices, faces, and body language.
The premise behind it is simple and ordinary; the science complex and intriguing. Rather like honesty itself.
On the one hand, honesty is simple.
It always involves a choice.
We choose to tell the truth or to lie.
Honesty is ordinary, too.
Because every one of us,
from Adam and Eve to you and I,
chooses to be honest or dishonest on a daily basis.

On the other hand, honesty (and therefore
dishonesty) is complex and intriguing.
You can be honest (or dishonest) in your words, actions, and attitudes.
You can be honest (or dishonest) in what you don't say or do, as well.
You can set out to lie, and
you can go along with someone else's lie.
And then there are the multitudes of motives for
two-faced, duplicitous, and deceptive dealings.

So simple, honesty, but not always easy! Else no one would weave him- or herself into a tangled web in the first place.
Which is why, come March, we'll be talking about honesty and some of the very practical reasons God teaches and guides us to be honest:

When you're not truthful, you hurt the people you should care about most. Joseph's brothers practiced so many forms of deceit in that whole sell-your-brother-as-a-slave episode you'll weave quite a web recounting them all. (Genesis 37; 45)
Lying to hurt someone else really hurts YOU. Haman's perfidious plot backfired on him. (Esther 3-5; 7)
Truthfulness builds friendships; dishonesty tears them down. Jesus gave even wee, little, fraudulent Zacchaeus a do-over. (Luke 19)
You can lie so much you forget what matters. Treacherous Judas forgot, or deceived himself, about what matters most. (Matthew 26; 27) Note that this week begins the Easter season and the Easter "story" in 252 Basics.

Honesty creates a safety net.
Honest thoughts, words, and actions weave together to
strengthen trusting, happy relationships with others and God.

Dishonesty creates a web.
Lies and deception weave a web that ensnares us,
tearing at the fabric of our relationships with others and God.

So, help kids be careful about what they weave.

Honor – 1st-5th Grade BIG IDEA for February

2010-02-01T13:08:00.001-07:00

A Code of Honor

When was the last time you used the word honor in an everyday conversation with a regular Joe? Does it strike you as outmoded, a little archaic perhaps? For instance, when did you last slay a dragon from the back of your trusty white steed, lay your cloak over a puddle for a lady, bow in deference to others at court, or swear undying fealty to your king? (More on that later.) After all, that stuff was around in the Middle Ages.

On the other hand, that stuff has been around since the Middle Ages. What student hasn’t read of King Arthur (first written about in the 1130’s) or Don Quixote (published in 1605 and 1615)? Who among us hasn’t seen a Robin Hood movie (the first of which came out in the early 1920’s) or Shrek? If you’ve visited a museum and seen a suit of armor, haven’t you marveled at how small those guys were?

But, with all due respect, it wasn’t Geoffrey of Monmouth or Cervantes who invented honor. Nay, honor is older than, well, dirt. Noooo, it was God who created honor. Check out what David says about honor in Psalm 8:1–5 (NIV):

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise … When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”

Can you read that and not be awestruck that the King of kings and Lord of lords, who deserves glory over all others, would esteem us, even a little? Yet He does. David’s life, in fact, is chock-full of honor-related examples and principles. Think back to what you know about David, like:

… his encounter with Goliath. God said, “Those who honor me I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30, NIV). David honored God, and God honored David, even though he was the little brother, a mere boy, and overlooked at every turn. Honor those who are overlooked.

… his friendship with Jonathan. God says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves” (Romans 12:10, NIrV). David honored Jonathan, certainly; but think how remarkable it was that Jonathan (the heir apparent to the throne) should honor David (who would eventually become king) more than himself. Honor others more than yourself.

… his turbulent and tragic relationship with his son Absalom. God says, “‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise—‘that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth’” (Ephesians 6:2-3, NIV). What a contrast Absalom is to Jonathan! Honor those who are over you.

… his unself-conscious worship of God: “I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this” (2 Samuel 6:21–22, NIV). Honor God out LOUD.

So come February, we’re going to camp here, with David, Goliath, Jonathan, Absalom, and Michal, and examine some things God says about honor and what it looks like to live in honorable ways.

Now back to dragons and puddles. You may not have slain a dragon from the back of your trusty charger, but have you cheered the underdog or said thank you to the teenager taking your order at the drive-thru? You probably haven’t spread your cloak over a puddle for a lady, but have you held the door for one? You may not have bowed in deference to others at court or sworn loyalty to a king, but have you obeyed your parents without rolling your eyes or stood in heartfelt praise to honor THE King?

See, honor doesn’t live just in legends! Therefore, prithee don thine armour and thy cloak and henceforth seek to impart the ways of honour to thy probies thusly. Thy labour shalt not be for naught.

Watch the HONOR video on the video player at www.252basics.org

Covenant Heights Winter Trailblazer Camp

2010-01-18T17:09:00.001-07:00

February 19-21, 2010

GET Hooked

Matthew 4:19

Take a bunch of your Arvada Covenant Launch! friends to a weekend at Covenant Heights and get hooked on God’s word! You and your friends will have a boat load of fun with tubing, snow-shoeing, beach parties, broomball and more!

Winter Trailblazer is for students in 3rd-6th grade

Camp cost is $100

For more information and a printable registration form with all the information you need, go to http://www.covenantheights.org/Events/Winter_Trailblazer.htm

Kids’ Camp 2010 – Save the Date!

2010-01-18T16:44:00.001-07:00

Registration will begin in May. Enter your email address and subscribe to blog updates for the latest information.

Discipline – 1st-5th Grade Big Idea for January

2009-12-30T15:53:00.001-07:00

Step It Up

Less is more. We're fond of saying that around here. And much of the time, we're more effective living by it. But sometimes MORE is more. Want a voluminous vocabulary? Read more. Want to nail the lines for your part in a sketch? Rehearse more. Want to master the "Cha Cha Slide" (like for January's large group, grades 4-5)? Practice more. You get the drift. And just like you need to lift more if you want bigger biceps, you need to do some things more if you want to know God better, like:

Read His Book. Can you think of a more foundational, first-step way to get to know Him? Plus, "God has breathed life into all of Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right" (2 Timothy 3:16, NIrV). What better example of the importance of engaging in God's Word than Jesus as a 12-year-old in the temple? (Which happens to be the Bible story for week 1.)
Remember His words. "By using Scripture, a man of God can be completely prepared to do every good thing" (2 Timothy 3:17, NIrV). Jesus showed us (particularly that time He was tempted in the wilderness) we not only need to (Step 1) read God's Word, we need to (Step 2) memorize it, internalize it, and take it to heart so that we'll be ready for whatever comes our way.
Talk to Him. "Don't worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray. Give thanks to him" (Philippians 4:6, NIrV). To get to know someone and to strengthen your relationship with that person, you have to talk him or her, right? It's the same way with God. You gotta talk to Him. This week (week 3) will help kids better understand Jesus' answer when one of the disciples asked Him how to pray.
Talk about Him with your friends. "I pray that you will be active in sharing what you believe. Then you will completely understand every good thing we have in Christ" (Philemon 1:6, NIrV). Saying what you believe out loud helps solidify your beliefs. Could this be one reason Jesus asked the disciples, "But who do YOU say I am?" (The story for week 4.)
Make Him more important than anything. "Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve" (Deuteronomy 6:13a, NIrV). This week (week 5) we'll be taking a look at what Jesus said about "the widow's mite" and how it helps us to worship the only one we should serve.

These are all priorities and habits -- disciplines -- that can help us (A) get to know God better and (B) grow stronger. Kids need to understand that they don't have to wait till they're older to get to know God; God wants them to start now. He's ready to help them, every step of the way, NOW. So this January, 252 Basics is designed to help kids see how discipline, which is doing what you need to do now so you can grow stronger, can help strengthen their relationship with God.
But that's not all. Because SOMETIMES more IS more. So in addition to helping kids understand and experience discipline as a godly virtue, each week in January will also offer practical experiences in the 5 Faith Skills we think every kid should master:

1. Navigate the Bible (survey and locate)
2. Personalize Scripture (memorize and apply)
3. Dialogue with God (public and private)
4. Articulate faith (share and defend)
5. Worship with your life (praise and give)

So get your shoes on, lace up, and let's step it up.

2009-12-14T16:04:00.001-07:00

Compassion – 1st-5th Grade Big Idea for December

2009-12-08T11:30:00.001-07:00

Shake This Planet

What kid can resist it? A fist-sized glass orb filled with water and white particles, enclosing a miniature scene of a favorite vacation spot, Mickey Mouse®, or Christmas. Some play music, some stick to your fridge, others are inflatable yard decorations, but whatever their size or shape, snow globes are fascinating. Maybe it's the appeal of an enclosed world protected from outside danger, or maybe it's the power to really shake things up.
Which is what happened when God sent Jesus to this planet. What is that verse about the world groaning? "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time" (Romans 8:22, NIV). Think about what was going on at the time. For example, slavery was a common and widely accepted practice throughout the ancient world. By the time Jesus was born, one out of three people in the heart of the Roman Empire was a slave. One-third! One of every five people elsewhere on the globe was enslaved. In fact, the Roman economy (among others) was based on slave labor. Some Bible scholars and other historians suggest that the world was nearing a tipping point, that when the enslaved population is greater than the free, civilization becomes unsustainable. But God looked down and shook the planet. "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6, NIV). He came to set us free, from the most profound slavery, the perfect illustration of God's compassion for us.
So this December, 252 Basics will revolve around Jesus' birth as a perfect example of God's compassion, which is caring enough to do something about someone else's need. Specifically:

Week 1: God saw our need. You have to SEE a need before you can DO anything about it. Compassion requires us to look and see, too. God saw our greatest need. Whose needs do you see?
Week 2: God sent His Son, even though it would cost Him. Compassion costs us something, too. God gave us the greatest gift. What will you give?
Week 3: God gave us hope when He sent us a Savior. Compassion is contagious; it spreads hope. God gave us great news. Who will you tell?
Week 4: God laid bare His great love for us when He gave us Jesus. Compassion demonstrates God's love when we show it for others. God showed the world His love. How will you show the world?

When we work together to show compassion, we can make a difference in this world. So shake it up!

Network - 1st-5th Grade Giving Project

2009-11-03T15:59:00.001-07:00

This month with 1^st-5^th graders we are talking about cooperation: working together to do more than you can do alone. Your child is taking home a wrist band today that will remind him of our Big Idea for the month of November and our ministry project – Bed Nets for Life. When we heard about the project Covenant Work Relief is doing to protect children from malaria in the Congo, we knew we wanted to be involved! No one person can supply mosquito nets to all the children in the world who need them – it’s an undoable task! So this month we are going to work together with children and churches all over the country to raise money to purchase as many nets as we can for children. The cost is $10 a net. For more information go to www.covchurch.org/cwr

We are asking you to help your children come up with ideas about how they can raise money to be a part of giving back to others. Maybe you can brainstorm ways the entire family can help. Anything you come up with together will make an impression on your child and can help him or her understand that God wants us to work together – because sometime He wants to do something big and miraculous through all of us.

Our goal as a group is to raise $800 over the next 6 weeks. This will purchase 80 nets for Covenant World Relief to distribute to child in mosquito-infested areas of the Congo where malaria is rampant.

We appreciate all of your support! Please contact us if you have any questions.

Cooperation – 1st-5th Grade Big Idea for November

2009-11-02T15:18:00.001-07:00

Net Work

"It had taken fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard the news and all the surrounding nations saw it, our enemies totally lost their nerve. They knew that God was behind this work" (Nehemiah 6:15, THE MESSAGE).

Doing the undoable takes more than me.

"But Moses' hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down. Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle" (Exodus 17:12-13, THE MESSAGE).

Look for ways to help somebody succeed.

"When they couldn't find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus" (Luke 5:19, THE MESSAGE).

Friends who trust God work together to change lives.

"The Israelites completed all the work, just as God had commanded. Moses saw that they had done all the work and done it exactly as God had commanded" (Exodus 39:42-43, THE MESSAGE).

Work together to get God's work done.

A government worker turned builder and a pitiful collection of refugees. A couple of "right-hand men" ... and a pitiful collection of refugees. Some guys who just wanted to help a friend. And, a pitiful collection of refugees. These are the people we're going to be talking about in November as we focus on cooperation: Nehemiah, Aaron and Hur, some friends of a paralyzed man, and a ragtag bunch called the Israelites. They were your average Joes, really, beset by everyday kinds of problems, but they all tackled some God-given task that other people might have considered a little crazy, they did everything they could think of to make it a success, they leaned on God throughout the process and trusted Him with the results, and they did it together. As a result, they were able to do more than they could've done on their own.

Which is what we have in mind by suggesting the ministry project that we have for November and December: raising funds to purchase mosquito nets for children living in mosquito-infested areas of the world. Wouldn't it be great if we could all work together to help end malaria? What a way for kids to see God at work, making the undoable possible, and letting them take part! But, whatever "net work" you choose and whatever "network" you're a part of, the important thing is to do what God's given you to do and to let kids have a hand in it.

1st Grade Bible Presentation – November 22

2009-10-22T14:49:00.001-06:00

On Sunday, November 22, we will be presenting 1^st graders with new Bibles during the 9:00 am service in the main sanctuary. We are able to do this every year through a memorial fund established by the Tom and Margaret Melander family to remember their son, Michael. I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful way to bless children and families. God expresses in Deuteronomy 6:19 how important it is for families to be teaching children how to live life His way and they are to do this using His Word. I value and cherish the time my own children have studied God’s Word with their own Bibles. As a parent, you will be able to use this Bible to help lead your child’s spiritual development; and, partnered with the wonderful volunteer leaders in the children’s ministry programs at Arvada Covenant Church, children will grow up to know they can trust God, no matter what. His Word will show them how to make wise choices – God’s choices.

John Mullis,

Children’s Ministry Director

We’ll be sending more information to parents of 1st graders within the next week.

Love and Logic Parent Solutions 10.24 at Arvada Covenant Church

2009-10-01T10:09:00.001-06:00

From the brochure:

Who should attend:

Parents with kids of all ages
anyone who works with kids or…adults who act like kids

What you will learn:

How to handle defiance and backtalk
How to increase your child’s motivation to do well in school
How to handle misbehavior in public
And much, much more!

Presenters: Jim Fay and Dr. Charles Fay

Location: Arvada Covenant Church

Date: Saturday, October 24, 2009

Times: Morning: 9:00 am – 12:00pm, Creating Respectful and Responsible Kids

Afternoon Session: 1:00pm-4:00pm, Parenting Toddler and Preschoolers

Cost: $30/person/session

Parenting Session Details

While this seminar is not officially hosted by Arvada Covenant Church, we do approve of what the Love and Logic guys teach. If you want to learn more about being an effective parent, this seminar could be very helpful to you.

Individuality – 1st-5th Grade Big Idea for October

2009-09-29T17:32:00.002-06:00

Body Building

Geeks. Jocks. Brainiacs. Skaters. The Pretty Committee. Were you a member of one of these crowds? Maybe you carried a membership in THE group, the one that everyone wanted to join. Interesting, isn't it, that no matter how old we are when we join a "club," whether we give it a name or not, that group of people eventually helps us discover who we are or aren't? We discover our likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, how we are similar and how we stand out, whether we belong to that group or need to move on.
But being an individual is more than just discovering how we are like someone else or different from others - at least for believers it is. Being an individual is also about how our heavenly Father designed us to make a difference in this world. God, the master Architect, has a master plan in which He is weaving together all our character traits and experiences in order to shape and mold us into the people He wants us to become, and He's doing this with each of us, twining our lives together in ways that are intricate, beautiful, and mind-boggling.
So in October we'll be talking about individuality, discovering who you are meant to be so you can make a difference. We'll introduce kids to some not-so-well-known individuals, each of whom made a difference in the lives of people around them:

Week 1: THE Onesimus because when you belong to God, you can make a difference.
Week 2: THE Epaphroditus because when you take care of others, you can make a difference.
Week 3: THE Dorcas because when you use what you have to help others, you can make a difference.

And we'll wrap up the month with a look at some verses in 1 Corinthians about how we're one body with many parts: when you do your part, you can make a difference.

Check the weekly Refrigerator Door Cards and GodTime Cards for more information on the content of each weekly lesson.

Wisdom - 1st-5th Grade Big Idea for September

2009-08-31T13:41:00.001-06:00

What's more precious than jewels but available to all who seek it? Screams to get your attention but eludes you if you ignore it? Has a definite starting point but knows no end? Here's a hint:

YES! It's wisdom, which is finding out what you should do and doing it. God says if you accept His words and store up His commands inside you, tune your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding, call out for insight and search for it as you would for hidden treasure, then you will find out how to know Him. He is the one who gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding, the one who stores up success for His followers, the one who shields them from harm, guards their paths, and leads them in the right direction. (See Proverbs 2:1-11. In fact, see all of Proverbs for a whole trove of the treasures of wisdom.) Put that way, who in his right mind wouldn't dig wisdom? Dig for wisdom? Dig and dig for wisdom?
So in September, we'll be on the hunt for gems of wisdom, helping kids understand that God wants to give you wisdom. Wisdom is worth searching for. If you want to be wise, hang out with wise people. And wisdom is knowing AND doing.
So get your shovel out and let's go dig for wisdom. It's worth it.

Check the weekly Refrigerator Door Cards and GodTime Cards for more information on the content of each weekly lesson.

Love - 1st-5th Grade Big Idea for August

2009-08-02T11:39:00.001-06:00

Do You Feel the Luuuv?
How does that Beatles' song go? "All you need is love ..." When you think about it, just about everything we do with or for others boils down to love. Which, of course, doesn't come as a surprise to God-followers, the Creator of love. He IS love, after all (1 John 4:16), and the reason we can love at all: because He loved us first (1 John 4:19). Jesus said THE most important commandment is to love God and to love Him with all we've got. When we do that, we'll love others--the second most important commandment. The second most important, yes, but so closely aligned with the first that it's impossible to split the two. John put it this way: "If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen ... Whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 John 4:20-21, NIV). And so on that one "peg" (love God/love others) hang ALL the commandments--the 10 Commandments, the Mosaic Law, and the 600 or so laws the Pharisees added to it.
So in August, Launch!1st-5th grade will focus on love, which is choosing to give someone your time and friendship no matter what. We'll begin with the time the Pharisees got their heads together in an attempt to trick Jesus and His reply (which also happens to be our memory verse for the month, Matthew 22:37-39). When you love God, you'll love others.
The second week of August will be all about what takes "first place" and the fact that when you love others, you give them your time, as Jesus pointed out when He visited Mary and Martha (Luke 10).
In week 3, everything will revolve around Jesus' parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15): When you love others, you're quick to forgive.
Week 4 we'll focus on what Jesus told Peter after His resurrection (John 21). When you love Jesus, you'll treat others the way He does.
In week 5, we'll depart from the norm and examine a "faith skill," the faith skill of prayer (dialoguing with God, both public and private). Jesus modeled all kinds of principles about prayer for us. But ultimately, He showed us that talking to God changes things.

Serving Spots - opportunities to connect at ACC

2009-07-23T17:43:00.000-06:00

Forgiveness - 1st-5th Grade Virtue for July

2009-07-09T14:10:00.001-06:00

Letting Go
Buckets are a fantastic invention. Simple genius, really. There's almost no end to what you can put in a bucket: big or little things, a lot or a few things, good or bad things. There's no doubt buckets are useful. But what goes IN the bucket is key. We put things in buckets that we need to carry around with us. Soapy water and tools are two things I think of right away.

Emotionally speaking, sometimes we put things that we don't want to let go of, burdensome things, as often as not, like pain, hurt, disappointment, and disillusionment. And we tend to accumulate those things, adding them to the bucket until we need a bigger bucket or multiple buckets. We may even dedicate our buckets, labeling them with people's names, especially if they keep on doing us wrong. Eventually we are trapped, weighed down emotionally by buckets we can't seem to let go of. We can't move on, enjoying relationships to their fullest and participating with both hands in enjoyable and worthwhile activities, till we let go of the bucket, till we forgive. Forgiveness is all about letting go of the bucket. It may have to be done on a gradual basis, even intentionally done every day. But when you let go of your bucket, you are then free to jump in with both hands and feet and live as God intended!

So this month, we are focusing on forgiveness, which is deciding that someone who has wronged you doesn't have to pay.

We started off with Jesus' parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18): since God forgives you, you should forgive others.
Week 2 was all about Jesus and Zacchaeus (Luke 19) and the fact that when people are forgiven, it can change them.
In week 3 we'll be talking about getting even God's way and what Joseph did when faced with the opportunity for revenge (Genesis 45). When you want to get even, do the opposite.
And we'll end the month with "go first," what Jesus said about forgiveness in Matthew 5: don't wait to start making things right with others.

Forgiveness is important! Teach your children to love back, not pay back. That's Jesus' way.

Summertime Update - age-level promotion and more

2009-05-30T23:03:00.001-06:00

On Sunday, June 7 we start our Launch! summer ministry season. All children, birth-5th grade, will continue to have relevant and creative Bible teaching throughout the summer.

During both services, the 1st & 2nd graders will meet in room 110/111 and 3rd-5th graders will meet together in the Launch Pad.

Promotion to the next grade level will begin June 28, the Sunday after Kids’ Camp.

· 5th graders moving up to 6th grade will move over to Student Ministries June 28.

· Kindergarteners will move to 1st grade June 28.

· Until the 28th, children will be with the same grade level they were for the ‘08-’09 school year.

· Preschool age children will promote to the next age-level rooms in September.

All of our 30 or so every-week, fully committed, school-year volunteers will be taking the summer off to refresh and recharge. Please tell them “thank you” for their dedicated and extraordinary service.

Arvada Covenant Church Health Reminder

2009-05-04T13:20:00.001-06:00

We often teach children to treat others the way they want to be treated, or, to love your neighbor as yourself. With that in mind, spread the love but do your part to stop the spread of cold and flu. If your child is sick, please keep them at home.

As always, if your child has a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, discharge around the eyes, green or yellow runny nose, excessive coughing or any communicable disease, please keep them at home.

These are important guidelines to which we will adhere for the health and safety of everyone.

Thanks for your help. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact John Mullis, Children’s Ministry Director, at 303-422-1235.

Kid's Camp 2009 - Wildwood Forest

2009-04-30T18:56:00.001-06:00

Kids' Camp runs from June 22-26; 9 am - Noon for children 5 years old through 5th grade. The cost is $25 per child.

For complete information on Kids' Camp 2009, registration dates and forms, visit the Arvada Covenant Church website.

Obedience - 1st-5th Grade Virtue for May

2009-04-27T15:26:00.001-06:00

Street Smart
Stop! Have you given much thought to the fact that obedience, which is trusting those who lead you by doing what you're asked to do, is one of those "different" virtues? God is God; He is the ultimate Authority. No one outranks Him. So He doesn't obey anyone, right? However, Jesus obeyed His Father (John 9:4), and it's certainly a proper response from us toward God. In fact, "this is love for God: to obey his commands" (1 John 5:3, NIV). What a premium God places on obedience! He would rather have our obedience than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22).
But, oh my, what a difficult time we have obeying. And that difficulty is not limited to childhood. (How many traffic laws have YOU broken, for instance, in your driving career?) So of course the Bible is full of examples of people obeying (and disobeying) God and the consequences thereof. Remember Jonah? Could there be many more vivid examples of what happens when we obey God? Or the fact that there are consequences when we don't? It's a good thing God is patient and forgiving and the God of second chances.
So this month we're focusing on the who and the why and the how of obedience. Not because God is waiting to zap us when we cross the line (like a traffic cop lying in wait with his radar gun), but because He cares for us. He wants a relationship with us and for us to have a part in His big plan, so He wants to help us avoid breakdowns, dead ends, and even the minor potholes along the way. So here's the lineup for the month:

Week 1: It's always better to do what God says the first time. (The story of Jonah; Jonah 1-3)
Week 2: How I obey my parents shows what I think about God. (Children, obey your parents; Ephesians 6:1-3)
Week 3: Obeying your leaders can help you know God. (The Lord calls Samuel; 1 Samuel 3:1-19)
Week 4: It's right to listen to God because He is GOD. (Adam and Eve disobey; Genesis 3:1-24)
Week 5: 5th Week Special Edition: How can you know what to do if you don't know what God says? (the wise and foolish builders; Matthew 7:24-29)

Covenant Heights Summer Camps

2009-04-25T17:37:00.002-06:00

Located at 9000 feet in the heart of the Rocky Mountains and at the foot of majestic Longs Peak, Covenant Heights Camp and Retreat Center is just minutes from Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park, Colorado and is a ministry of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Many kids from Arvada Covenant Church spend a week up at Covenant Heights during the summer enjoying all that the camp experience has to offer and many of them come back changed forever in the best ways possible. Click here for the Summer Brochure and complete information on all of the summer opportunities available. Contact ACC's Children's Ministry Director, John Mullis, for more information.

John Mullis will be the camp speaker July 12-17.

Easter Sunday Service Times at Arvada Covenant Church - April 12

2009-03-23T15:45:00.001-06:00

6:00 Sunrise Service

7:00-8:30 Pancake Breakfast

8:00 Worship Service - Blended music styles - no children's programming

9:30 Worship Service - Blended music styles - full children's programming

11:00 Worship Service - Contemporary music - full children's programming

Who will help you? Preschool teaching in March

2009-03-10T21:17:00.002-06:00

Who will help you?

In our preschool rooms in March the Bottom Line for our teaching all month will be “Jesus will help me” and we’ll be focusing on the Basic Truth that “Jesus wants to be my friend forever.”

The Bible says in 1Peter 5:7: "He cares for you," (CEV). Jesus proves this over and over again throughout the gospels by performing healing miracles for those who need His help. He cares for us so much that He is preparing a place for us to be with Him for eternity. How amazing is His love for us!

March 1 We need Jesus to help us. Healing the Blind Man - John 9:1-7

March 8 Jesus wants to help everyone. Healing the Lepers - Luke 17:11-19

March 15 Jesus can help the people I care about. The Four Friends - Mark 2:1-12

March 22 Jesus can do anything! Healing the Deaf Man - Mark 7:32-37

March 29 Jesus wants to help us live with Him forever! A Place for Us - John 14:1-14

Hope - March's 1st-5th Grade virtue

2009-02-25T11:23:00.002-07:00

Puzzled

H-O-P-E. We toss that little word around kind of carelessly, as if it merely meant "wish" or "want" or "dream." I hope you had a good day. I hope I get that for my birthday. I hope we get to do ____ next year. But it's actually a much bigger and consequential word than that. At least it is for people who put their hope in God. And it needs to be. Because let's face it: life can be hard. As the kids in your ministry grow, they're going to face all sorts of challenges and heartaches. Whether it's as life-altering as the loss of a parent or something on a smaller scale, like not making the team, tragedy can take many forms in a child's life. When it seems like everything is going wrong, that's when it's critical to have hope--believing that something good can come out of something bad. That's when we need to understand that H-O-P-E, in its most significant sense and when it's based on God, is really a synonym for firm belief, absolute trust, and in-my-gut knowing:
* "Our Hope is certain. It is something for the soul to hold on to. It is strong and secure."
(Hebrews 6:19, NIrV)
* "I will find my rest in God alone. He is the One who gives me hope."
(Psalm 62:5, NIrV)
* "'I know the Plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
(Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)
* "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have Eternal life."
(1 John 5:13, NIV)
Our hope may be certain when it's placed in the all-powerful God of the universe, who makes good plans for us, not the least of which is eternal life with Him. But no one ever said hope is easy. So, when we're puzzled by life, pained by it, frustrated by it, angry at it, or can't see how in the world our situation could possibly fit in God's big plan (His giant jigsaw puzzle) we have a couple of choices: we can choose to get and stay mad about the puzzle pieces we're holding, or we can choose to trust God and let Him put the pieces in place. To trust that He not only has the big picture in mind, but that He's up to something bigger than just our few little pieces of the puzzle. Realizing that we can't see the big picture but that He can and He's in charge gives us hope. So in March, we'll start focusing on the Easter story through the lens of hope:

Week 1: Whatever happens, remember God has a plan.
(Paul is shipwrecked - Acts 27; 28)
Week 2: Whatever happens, remember how powerful God is.
(Lazarus is raised from the dead - John 11)
Week 3: Whatever happens, remember what Jesus did for you.
(Jesus' last supper with the disciples - Luke 22; John 13)
Week 4: Whatever happens, remember what Jesus promised.
(Jesus promises heaven - John 14)
Week 5: 5th Week Special Edition: Who is Jesus?
(Peter says Jesus is the Christ - Matthew 16)

We hope you have a great time helping your children learn this virtue in March.

Christmas Eve family service videos

2009-02-02T11:50:00.001-07:00

Kids are great. The videos featured at the Christmas Eve Family Service of children telling what they know about the Christmas Story are posted on the Arvada Covenant Church website. Christmas Story videos

Now what exactly happened to the frankincense?

Kids' Camp 2009 - save the dates!

2009-01-28T15:38:00.001-07:00

Fairness - February's 1st-5th grade virtue

2009-01-26T13:53:00.002-07:00

Virtue video – select video #2 on the media player at www.252basics.org

Fair Grounds

"That's not fair!" Who among us has never put his hands on his hips and cried those words? Most of us have built-in fairness radar--at least when it comes to how we're treated. But of course fairness is a two-way street. More on that in a minute.
Let's get something else out of the way first: the words SAME and EQUAL. Sometimes SAME = EQUAL. Sometimes it does not--which is how we're approaching the virtue of fairness. Think about it this way: fairness is NOT about treating people THE SAME. Because God created us in His image (Genesis 1:27), we are alike in some ways, but different in others. Apart from obvious physical differences, we have different personalities, skills and talents, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. Because we're different, we have different NEEDS. And because we have different needs, we don't all necessarily need to be treated the same. (Example: I bet you and your siblings are not all the same. You are different in some ways. Which means your parents needed to do some things differently for each of you in order to parent you in the way you needed. Right?) So, fairness is not about treating people the same. Instead, fairness IS about treating people EQUALLY. Because God created us, He loves each of us--dearly and without favoritism. So much so that He sent His one and only Son to die for us (John 3:16), regardless of our sex, age, race, ethnicity, or nationality. As Peter said, "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right" (Acts 10:34-35, NIV). Thank goodness God is fair!

Back to that two-way street thing: As dearly loved children of God, He wants us to be imitators of Him (Ephesians 5:1). "As believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism" (James 2:1, NIV). In other words, don't unfairly favor one person OR unfairly "disfavor" another. So this month, we'll be going to the "Fair Grounds," where everyone is treated with respect.

Week 1: Treat everyone fairly because everyone's important to God.
(The principle of fairness, James 2)
Week 2: Treat everyone fairly--even those who are different.
(The parable of the good Samaritan, Luke 10)
Week 3: Treat everyone fairly--even your enemies.
(Saul and Ananias, Acts 9)
Week 4: Show God's love to everyone because He wants everyone to know Him.
(Jesus' last orders to the disciples, Matthew 28; Acts 1)

God bless you as you teach your child.

Children's Ministry Annual Report

2009-01-22T11:21:00.001-07:00

The Arvada Covenant Church Annual Meeting takes place Sunday, January 25 after the morning services. This is the annual report from the Children's Ministry Commission.

Launch! Children’s Ministry

The Children’s Ministry team partners with parents to reach, teach and touch children from birth through fifth grade with the love of our great God. Our ministry’s name, “Launch! The adventure starts here,” describes our awareness of the tremendous privilege we share with parents to introduce a child to a meaningful, lifelong relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

We continued to develop our team based approach to ministry in order to use the God-given talents of our staff, commission members, Sunday and Wednesday leaders, behind-the-scenes prep team and our many special event volunteers for the best results. We thank God for each and every person involved in Launch! We continue to pray for even more people to join us in serving the children and families of our church and community. Highlights of the past year include:

Weekend Worship and Spiritual Growth. We believe that children’s spiritual growth, like most adults’, happens best in the context of relationships with others and with God. Our newly re-designed, kid-friendly spaces, (a major part of the church’s remodel project) gave us greater flexibility to give our best work and efforts to minister to kids with this goal in mind.

Children gather each Sunday morning at 9 and 10:45 a.m. in small, age-based groups where they build community and friendships. Their leaders introduce the lesson in fun, imaginative ways. Later, they join with other small groups for large-group creative Bible teaching and worship. Finally, they return to their small group for activities, sharing and prayer, facilitated by their adult leaders. As kids head home with their parents, we send along ideas for parent-led discussions and activities to reinforce the concepts presented on Sunday.

Wednesday Night Oasis As the name suggests, Wednesday nights is designed to be a mid-week highlight for kids where they enjoy games, Bible stories and skits, and spending time with friends. In 2008, we added a kid-friendly Bible memory program, Verse Worx, for elementary students, which highlights important Biblical themes and verses.

Kids’ Camp was our fun, high energy, summertime week of evangelism, worship and spiritual growth with 550 of our ACC kids and their friends and neighbors. We simply couldn’t have pulled it off without the help of over 150 dedicated volunteer leaders!

Community Fall Festival. This annual event gave us the opportunity to introduce our church and ministry to over 400 church friends and neighbors in a fun, family-targeted environment.

At our Family Advent Night - "Jingle Jam", families and children worshiped and laughed together as they learned about the peace that we have through Jesus Christ.

Our interactive Christmas Eve Family Service told the Christmas Story to a packed house in a creative, memorable, age-appropriate manner for young children and their families.

Resources to Help You Lead Your Child

2009-01-22T11:14:00.001-07:00

We believe that no one has more influence on the spiritual development of a child than the child's parents. So each week we give these resources to parents when they pick up their child from Launch. These pieces are designed to help parents know what to say and what to do to be the spiritual leader in their home and to help them lead their child into a growing understanding of Jesus Christ.

Small Talk Cards are an useful tool for parents of preschool age children. The card lets parents know the Bible story reference, Bottom Line and Key Question. It also has a Teachable Moment. Use these throughout the week with young children to start small talk about God and Jesus Christ. The cards focus on the three main points that are repeated throughout the year: 1. Jesus wants to be my forever friend. 2. God made me. and 3. God loves me.

'Fridge Door Cards are for the parents of a 1st-5th grader so they will know what their child learned in Launch! at ACC on Sunday. We want parents to be able to talk with their children about the things that matter most. God things. The 'Fridge Door Card includes the monthly virtue definition, memory verse, weekly Bottom Line, Bible story references and a few discussion questions. Parents use the information on this card to start a conversation with their child and to reinforce the learning. It works great in the car, bedtime or at meal time.

God Time cards are for 1st-5th grade children. Each set has 4 short and sweet devotionals that are directly related to the lesson the children learned in Launch! at ACC on Sunday. Parents can really help their child learn and develop the habit of Bible study by doing these with them.

Remember, 100 years from now all that will matter is what we believe about Jesus Christ. These tools will help parents lead their children into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Nothing is more important than that.

Blessings.

Covenant Heights Winter Camp

2009-01-22T11:10:00.002-07:00

Winter Trailblazer

February 6-8, 2009

Covenant Heights Camp & Retreat Center

Are you in grades 3-6 or do you know someone who is? If so, we would love to have you at our Winter Trailblazer Camp! Sign up today and spend a weekend here at Covenant Heights learning what it means to be a Servant in God's Kingdom! You'll have tons of fun with all your friends - Tubing, Snowshoeing, Broomball, Crafts and More!

Cost: $100

For more information and a registration form, go to www.CovenantHeights.org.

Resourcefulness - January's 1st-5th grade Virtue

2009-01-05T15:17:00.002-07:00

Taking Care of Business
To say God is resourceful is something of an understatement. After all, God not only owns all resources, He made them----from nothing. In the beginning God created everything, and then God did something else incredible: He made humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:27). As humans created in God's likeness, we've been given certain God-like characteristics, like resourcefulness. But not just for the sake of being resourceful. Resourcefulness has a purpose: to work, to get the job done. Look up "work" in the Bible, and you'll find God has much to say about work. We have a lot to say about work too, phrases that are sprinkled throughout our vocabulary: Work ethic, worker bee, and work force. Workaholic and work stoppage. Work on, work off, work out, work over. Our vocabulary shows our ambivalence about work.

And yet God made us to work: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10, NIV).
Commanded us, even, to work: "Six days do your work ..." (Exodus 23:12, NIV).
With diligence, according to Jesus: "As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me" (John 9:4, NIV).
And all our work is for Him, ultimately: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Colossians 3:23, NIV).

Essentially, resourcefulness boils down to the why and how of our work: The fact that God gives us work, so we need to work like we're working for Him, even when no one's watching, doing our best, and trusting that God will do His part and that He will give us what we need to get the job done. So this month we're "taking care of business"----using what we have to get the job done.
Week 1:
Bottom Line: Work like you're working for God.
Bible Context: A principle of work, Colossians 3
Week 2:
Work hard even when no one's watching.
(Bible Context: The ant and the sluggard, Proverbs 6
Week 3:
Do your best, and trust God to do His part.
Bible Context: Hezekiah and the wall, 2 Kings 18; 2 Chronicles 32
Week 4:
God gives you what you need to get the job done.
Bible Context: God does miraculous things through Moses, Exodus 4

Staff Bio - Becky Navarro, Administrative Assistant

2008-11-11T20:14:00.001-07:00

My title at ACC is Administrative Assistant. Part of my job description is to support Children’s Ministry. I really enjoy this part of my job and the variety of tasks it involves.

I was born in Denver and grew up in Salida, Colorado. I attended the University of Northern Colorado and Metropolitan State College, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology. I was a cadet and 911 Operator with Denver Police Department before becoming a police officer in Boulder. During my 5 ½ years as a police officer I was a school resource officer for two of those years. I have always enjoyed working with kids in a wide variety of settings.

I have two children; P.J. and Delaney, 2 ½ and 8 months. They are such blessings in my life and teach and inspire me every day. I also have three nephews and one niece in the Denver metro area.

During my free time (what’s that?) I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, serving as a co-coordinator for MOPS, reading, going to movies and shopping. My son looks forward to coming to church each week, which is a true testament to the dedication of the Children’s Ministry staff at ACC. I am proud to be a part of this team!

Staff Bio - Sami Bookout, Children's Ministry Assistant Director

2008-10-27T16:33:00.001-06:00

Who is Sami Bookout? Sami is the Assistant Director of the Children’s Ministry at Arvada Covenant Church, which means she wears many different hats. She is in charge of loving and taking care of volunteers, as well as scheduling Small Group leaders and Large Group teachers. She does behind the scenes work in Children’s Ministry, as well as teaching right in the spot light, as Sami teaches preschool age up to elementary. You can find Sami coordinating any special event that involves Children’s Ministry. From Kids’ Camp to Community Fall Festival, Sami is right there making it happen.

Sami was born and raised in Denver, living much of her childhood in Arvada. Sami has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and excited to start the Masters of Education program in the spring ’09.

But who is Sami….really? I love movies, my husband and I go on date nights, which means we go to dinner and a movie. Funny, neither one of us ever tire of that. I have two daughters, Delaney and Kaylie. They are my center. They keep my head straight and remind me how much our Father loves us.

I’m a bit feisty, enjoy Muay Thai kickboxing, running marathons, and dancing to eighties music…just to embarrass my girls. My favorite band is U2, my favorite album has to be Joshua Tree, and one of my favorite person is Bono. He’s an inspiration.

This is an ongoing theme because one of my favorite countries to visit is Ireland. My husband, Shawn, and I love to travel too, it’s just a little expensive to do for every date night.

We have two dogs, a Rat Terrier and a Dachshund (wiener dog), who just ran in the Long Dog Derby. She placed 2^nd last but we consider it another crazy adventure in the life of the wiener dog.

I aspire to be like Mother Theresa, totally living my life for Christ, walking in love, and living as an advocate for children. Understanding that our journey leads us to where we are now, and trust that God will help me through the next bend in the road.

Staff Bio - John Mullis, Children's Ministry Director

2008-10-27T11:53:00.001-06:00

Here is some random information about John:

John has been the Children’s Ministry Director at Arvada Covenant Church since 2006. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from the University of Northern Colorado in 1990 and a Post-Bachelor Certification in Music Education in 1992. While teaching instrumental music to 5^th and 6^th graders for 10 years in Chandler, Arizona he earned a Master’s Degree in Education emphasizing elementary curriculum and instruction.

Currently he is responsible for providing vision and leadership for the entire birth-5^th grade children’s ministry at Arvada Covenant Church. Over the past 10 years, John has run children’s ministries at churches in size from 150-4000.

He and his wife Laura have been married for 18 years and have 4 kids from 11-16 years old.

His music degree was in trombone performance. He taught 5^th and 6^th grade band. He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

He’s lived in New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona.

Favorite book of the Bible right now is Colossians. Thinks Gideon was cool even though he wasn’t a great leader to start out. Favorite authors are John Piper, Brennan Manning and Henri Nouwen.

Has read about 10 books on Ernest Shackleton and is fascinated by story of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

Has to repeat Proverbs 3:5-8 to himself often.

He is an avid road cyclist and mountain biker and has been since he was 12.

He likes cats and hopes you’re okay with that.

Staff Bio - Beatrice Shoemaker, Children's Ministry Assistant

2008-10-27T11:23:00.001-06:00

My name is Beatrice. I work part time in the Children’s Ministry and just LOVE it! I enter children’s attendance numbers into our system, print rosters, prepare all the stuff that is needed for Sunday school and check and make sure that our classrooms have all that is needed. So if something is missing in the classroom, or the supplies for teaching Sunday school to our kids were not complete, let me know! It is great to have a chance to influence kids in a positive way and let them know that God is our best friend that can be trusted, no matter what!

I grew up in Sweden in a town called Örebro with my mom, dad and 4 years older sister. Traveling runs in the family with my grandmother leading in traveling to the most exotic places (visiting head hunting tribes in Borneo for instance), my dad the most frequent (traveling to Germany about every month for a couple years), my sister the highest altitude (Himalaya), and me the lowest altitude (Amsterdam, which is below sea level!) So I thought marrying an American that was traveling around the globe would be a fabulous idea. So here I am, married to Kenny who grew up here in Arvada but happened to be in Amsterdam when I was there. I’m so happy God is such a great matchmaker and allowed our paths to cross. We got married in Sweden 16 years ago (-92) and have lived in the US since 1995. We have two children who are 10 and 7 years old. They love traveling too, especially to Sweden.

When I don’t run around church preparing for all the fun activities we have planned for each Sunday, I’m home enjoying my own family. I also recently took up painting which definitely is an adventure in it’s self, but it’s a great way to switch gears and slow down the pace. I read a lot whenever I can. I especially like books that teach me about living my life better, serving our Lord more effectively, and loving Him deeper.

3 Resources to Help You Lead Your Child

2008-10-16T21:26:00.001-06:00

Blessings.

Scrip - Practical, painless way to raise money for your child’s camp and mission trips

2008-10-16T10:52:00.001-06:00

By Carol Gustafson

If you have kids, you probably know that families and fundraising go together like peanut butter and jelly or field trips and permission slips. It seems like every time we parents turn around, we’re writing another check for the soccer team, the band trip, or the summer camp. To help ease the strain on our family’s budget, my three kids have sold candy bars, cookies, popcorn, magazine subscriptions, butter braids, wrapping paper and even—get this—birdseed! But these days especially, we need all the help we can get.

When I first heard about the grocery scrip program—or fundraiser—here at Arvada Covenant, I immediately wondered, “What’s the catch?” And guess what? There isn’t one. Here’s how it goes: you write a check to ACC for $50. You get a $50 King Soopers gift card in return. The grocery store donates five percent, or $2.50 from every $50 purchase, and the church puts that money into an “account” for your ACC student. Buy $100 in scrip, get $5 in your family’s account. Buy $500 in scrip and $25 goes right to your account, and so forth. You get the math.

The money in your child’s account can be used to pay for church-related activities like Covenant Heights summer camp, Kids Camp registration fees, youth group trips and mission trips. And, since the money can accrue over the years—there’s no use it or lose it—we actually started our ACC scrip account for our kids a few years back when they were all still in elementary school.

Need more enticement? Remember, your King Soopers gift cards can also be used to purchase gas and all the other gift cards sold at the grocery store.You can get your neighbors and grandparents to participate.You could even ask people here at church (think empty-nesters) to buy the scrip and name your child as the beneficiary.

The scrip is sold nearly every week between services down in the Family Life Center. When you need to spend the money in your account, you just call Sheila Knight in the church office with your request.

I don’t know about you, but I have all the gift wrap I need, candy goes right to my waistline and the birdseed…is for the birds. Here’s what I love about this program: we all gotta eat, each and every week. This simple fact makes the King Soopers scrip at ACC the most painless, practical fundraiser I can do.

Determination 10.05.08

2008-10-03T20:01:00.001-06:00

This month with 1st-5th graders we’ll be focusing on (1) determination—deciding it’s worth it to finish what you started. (2) Have you ever thought about the example of determination that God has set for us? God doesn’t start what He doesn’t finish—ever. (3) And He wants us to have determination too. Just consider Paul. Paul worked harder (not only preaching and mentoring young leaders, but planting churches and discipling them) and gritted his teeth through more bad stuff (beatings, hunger, shipwrecks, mean people) than most people do in a lifetime. God gave him the “work” of sharing Jesus with others, and he was determined to see it through to the end. So this week, help kids think about some hard things they may face in which they’ll have to be determined to keep doing the right thing. What are some right things that kids will need to be determined to keep doing? Reassure them that God will help them every step of the way, just like He did for Paul. (4) And just like Paul, God can use their determination to show other people what He’s really like.

Memory Verse: "Let us keep on racing the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1

Serving Spots

2008-09-30T12:02:00.001-06:00

Whether you enjoy holding babies, telling Bible Stories, helping on Wednesday night, playing games, helping people find classrooms for their children or even assisting with office work there is a place for you in the Launch! children's ministry at Arvada Covenant Church! We want to help you find a spot where you can use your God-given gifts to invest in the lives of children. Your first step is to let us know that you are interested in finding out more information. Call John Mullis at 303.422.1235 or email jmullis@arvadacovenant.org

Spots

Serve on a Sunday as a Small Group Leader. Spots are currently open in preschool as well as 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. About 1.5 hours each Sunday.

Serve one day during the week behind the scenes in Operations to prepare the rooms for Sunday. 2 hours one day, every other week.

Join the programming team and teach the Bible in a creative way through creative communication, drama and tech support. 3-4 hours one Sunday a month.

Community Fall Festival is coming again soon!

2008-09-13T23:26:00.003-06:00

Dress up and join us October 31^st, 6:00-8:30pm, at Arvada Covenant Church for our Community Fall Festival. Come experience a safe and fun alternative this Halloween. Have your child’s face painted. Trick or treat down Treat Street. Enjoy carnival style games in a family friendly environment along with many other surprises!

We are creating an exciting event for you to invite your neighbors, friends and coworkers to experience ACC. You can be involved and make this a huge success! First, invite your friends! There are several ways in which you, your family and friends can serve as we show God’s love to the world around us.

Opportunities to be involved:

Run a game booth

Greeter/Security

Set-up and décor

Clean-up

Face Painting

Go-fer

Photo booth

Planning and preparation

Wednesday Night Bible Memory

2008-09-13T23:20:00.003-06:00

In Launch! children’s ministry, our desire is to walk alongside families enabling their child to experience the love of Christ, to know Jesus as their personal Savior and to become His disciple. Because knowing what God says is essential in that process, we want to support you and work with you to motivate and help your child memorize important verses and points from the Bible.

To help with this, we are developing Units of verses and facts for your child to memorize at home. Each Unit will have 5 or 6 items to memorize. If you want to take to participate, work on the verses with your child at home; after they say a verse or fact from memory for you, sign-off on the verse and have your child bring in the Unit paper on Wednesday night. We’ll sign-off on them after they say them for us. Then, once a child completes a Unit, we’ll give them the next unit, as well as a small, but fun, prize to show them that we are proud of the work they’ve put in. Every 2 weeks on Wednesday night we’ll introduce a new Unit; but, your child can work at the pace that is most comfortable for them. Unit 1 was distributed on Wednesday, September 10, so you can begin work as soon as you’d like.

We will always continue to teach kids about the importance of knowing what God says through the Bible so that we can support you in your efforts to lay a spiritual foundation which, in God’s timing will lead a child into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Wednesday nights are also full of guaranteed fun games, Bible teaching and a chance to be with friends. It's a great hour and a half for kids to have fun learning to love life God's way in the middle of the week.

If you have any questions, please call me. I’d like to help. My office number is 303-422-1235.

Blessings,

John Mullis

Children’s Ministry Director

P.S. We’ll be taking all the 1st-5th grade Wednesday night Oasis kids on a fun field trip on November 19. We’ll let you know more details soon!

Preschool Promotion in Launch!

2008-09-12T11:43:00.002-06:00

Promotion Schedule for Children at Arvada Covenant Church

At ACC, Preschool age children promote once a year at the beginning of September and stay in the same room until the following September. We don't promote children to the next age level room on their birthdays. Instead, we keep children of the same age together for the entire year. We do this for several reasons:

¨ Children have the consistency of remaining with the same teachers and classmates for a full year.

¨ Teachers have the consistency of the same group of children through the year. They can develop a group of consistent friends.

¨ Children stay with other children that are at a similar developmental stage and they grow together through the year.

¨ Preschool classrooms stay at a consistent size and age throughout the year.

¨ Children are promoted with their friends/peers at the same time - from the time they leave the nursery until they go to college.

The promotion schedule is based on a child’s age on October 1^st. This date was chosen to match with the Jefferson County School District, which the majority of the children attending our church will attend.

In September of this year, children that turn 2 years old on or before October 1, 2008 will be in Room C102. These are children that will start Kindergarten in 2011

Children that turn 3 years old on or before October 1, 2008 will be in Room C103. These children start Kindergarten in 2010.

Children that turn 4 years old on or before October 1, 2008 will be in Room C104. This will be the pre-kindergarten room, for children that will be attending Kindergarten in 2009.

One special note - In February, 2009 we will allow children that that turn 2 between October 1, 2008 and February 1, 2009 to transfer into Room C102.

Knowledge

2008-09-12T08:28:00.001-06:00

I love the curriculum we use as a tool to plug children into life through Christ. It's called 252 Basics and is published by the reTHink group. I love how they use the character traits, or virtues, of Christ to guide us in our growth. Here's the "Leaders Only" section for the Sunday, September 14:

This month we’ve been talking about (1) knowledge, which is discovering something new so you can be better at whatever you do. (2) God is perfect and omnipotent—the ultimate Authority on right and wrong, the ultimate Author of Scripture, the Book on wise choices. Jesus used His knowledge of Scripture (that He’d been studying since childhood) to make the wise choice. Because Jesus knew what God said, He was able to withstand the temptation to do wrong things. (3) God wants us to have that kind of knowledge too. So today, focus on helping kids understand that knowing what God says by reading the Bible will help them make wise choices and can even help them avoid or withstand unforeseen trouble. (4) When they know what God says, and follow through on it, it will make a difference in their lives—and in the lives of those around them.

That is great stuff that helps us stay focused on living life God's way. Talk with you children about the importance of learning what God knows by reading the Bible. Read and learn the Bible with your children.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not depend on your own understanding; seek His will in all you do and he will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.

Kids' Camp 2008 CDs are in the house!

2008-06-01T18:53:00.001-06:00

If you signed up for Kid's Camp before the CDs arrived, you can pick yours up at church now. Be sure to bring the coupon you received when you registered.

Thanks to Joyco Multimedia for duplicating the CDs.

Kid's Camp T-shirts Have Arrived

2008-05-27T14:59:00.001-06:00

If you signed up for Kid's Camp before the t-shirts arrived, you can pick yours up at church now. Be sure to bring the coupon you received when you registered.

The Kids' Camp music CDs are still in production. Check back here for the latest on when they arrive.

Let's Love and Thank Our Teachers and Leaders

2008-05-18T10:08:00.001-06:00

We need your help.

Every week the volunteers at Launch, the children’s Ministry at Arvada Covenant Church, work to establish a community environment for meaningful interaction with God, leaders, truth, and friends.

Because they serve every week, Launch is a place where children feel welcomed, valued, and cared for while they Learn who Jesus is and how to follow Him.

We want to show our committed volunteers how much we appreciate them, so we need your help. This week (May 19) we are mailing home small note cards to use to encourage and thank our teachers. Please fill it out this week with words of encouragement and appreciation for each of your child’s Sunday School teachers (make sure to include their teacher’s name on the bottom of the card) and send it back in the self -addressed stamped envelope that comes with the card. Please send these back quickly so we can do this before the end of May.

We will then give the teachers all of their wonderful notes along with a picture of them with their students as a reminder of what an awesome job they do!

Thank you for your help with this! Our teachers are wonderful and we want to show them we appreciate them.

The Children’s Ministry Staff Team

Promoting Children to the Next Level

2008-05-18T05:41:00.002-06:00

Promotion Schedule for Children at Arvada Covenant Church

This year, all children finishing Kindergarten through 5th grade will promote to their new grade level rooms on June 29. This is the first Sunday after Kid's Camp 2008 so Kid's Camp will be the last event at ACC at the grade level they are just finishing.

At ACC, Preschool age children promote once a year at the beginning of September and stay in the same room until the following year. We don't promote children to the next age level room on their birthdays. Instead, we keep children of the same age together for the entire year. We do this for several reasons:

¨ Children have the consistency of remaining with the same teachers and classmates for a full year.

¨ Teachers have the consistency of the same group of children through the year. They can develop a group of consistent friends.

¨ Children stay with other children that are at a similar developmental stage and they grow together through the year.

¨ Preschool classrooms stay at a consistent size and age throughout the year.

¨ Children are promoted with their friends/peers at the same time - from the time they leave the nursery until they go to college.

In September of this year, children that turn 2 years old on or before October 1, 2008 will be in Room C102.

Children that turn 3 years old on or before October 1, 2008 will be in Room C103.

Children that turn 4 years old on or before October 1, 2008 will be in Room C104. This will be the pre-kindergarten room, for children that will be attending Kindergarten in 2009.

In February, 2009 we will allow children that that turn 2 between October 1, 2008 and February 1, 2009 to transfer into Room C102.

Launch! under construction this summer? No Problem

2008-05-18T00:09:00.002-06:00

Welcome to summer? Really? It seems like we just finished celebrating the Christmas season! I hope you can make the time to relax and enjoy the summertime this year.

Around here at Launch! we really won’t be relaxing much. We want to make the most of every opportunity to reach, teach and touch children with the awesome life through Jesus Christ so we are going to take advantage of the 14 Sundays in June, July and August.

In July, a really great construction project will begin that will move some walls and adjust some spaces downstairs for the Launch! team to be able to serve children and families better. It is so great that our church is supporting this project that will improve our facility to help teach the Bible creatively, gather kids for celebration and worship and to create community with kids and leaders that are leading children into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Throughout the summer, we'll be able to offer Launch! for children in the rooms that will not be touched during the remodeling project. We'll shuffle room assignments around a bit before the project gets underway and use all 4 of the preschool rooms, the Triangle Room (rooms C101, 107, 108) and room A104. We'll still have enough space to accommodate all of the kids, have a great time together and point them to belief and faith in Jesus Christ all summer long.

The goal is to have this project completed by the end of August. Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the July start date.

ARE YOU HUNGRY? Covenant Heights this summer

2008-05-18T00:05:00.003-06:00

Many kids from Arvada Covenant Church spend a week up at Covenant Heights during the summer enjoying all that the camp experience has to offer and many of them come back changed forever in the best ways possible. Check out their website for more information. Also, contact our Children's Ministry Director, John Mullis for more information.

Kids' Camp 2008 Custom Garage

2008-05-17T23:54:00.003-06:00

Kids' Camp 2008 ACKC Volunteers

2008-04-17T20:36:00.003-06:00

Be a part of the experience on the inside - join our great volunteer team. If you'd like to be involved, contact Sami Bookout @ 303.422.1235.

It's going to be a GREAT week for children at Arvada Covenant Church!

The Creator of All You Can See or Imagine

2008-03-24T11:44:00.002-06:00

Who has scooped up the ocean in his two hands, or measured the sky between his thumb and little finger, Who has put all the earth’s dirt in one of his baskets, weighed each mountain and hill?

Who could ever have told God what to do or taught him his business?

What expert would he have gone to for advice, what school would he attend to learn justice? What god do you suppose might have taught him what he knows, showed him how things work?

Why, the nations are but a drop in a bucket, a mere smudge on a window. Watch him sweep up the islands like so much dust off the floor!

There aren’t enough trees in Lebanon nor enough animals in those vast forests to furnish adequate fuel and offerings for his worship.

All the nations add up to simply nothing before him— less than nothing is more like it. A minus.

So who even comes close to being like God? To whom or what can you compare him?

from Isaiah 40:12-17, The Message//Remix

Take some time and read this to your children. Talk it through. Discuss what the language means. Talk about the word pictures. Try substituting "Colorado" for Lebanon; the point is still the same: God is AMAZING! There is no one like our God. Not even close.

History Starts Now video

2008-03-14T12:09:00.001-06:00

Ministry to children makes a difference in the lives of children at Arvada Covenant Church. Each week children grow their knowledge and understanding of who God is and what it means to live a life of faith and live His way. They also get a chance to be around leaders that are passionate about following Christ and teaching children the most important things of faith and, to be around other children that are learning the same things. What we do every Sunday and every Wednesday matters in the life of children.

Great Music for Kids and Families

2008-03-13T16:17:00.001-06:00

I think you'll really enjoy these contemporary child-targeted CDs. Great music, lyrics and production.

Let us know what you think.

Check out the list over there on the right hand column >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Kids' Camp 2008 ACKC

2008-03-07T13:35:00.001-07:00

Mark your calendars and reserve the dates:

June 23-27, 2008 9 a.m.- Noon each day.

The theme will be announced next week!

Now accepting applications and looking for the best leaders for the Coordinator positions. If you'd like to be involved at this level, contact John Mullis - 303.422.1235.

It's going to be a GREAT week for children at Arvada Covenant Church!

Wednesday Night Oasis for Kids

2008-01-09T16:20:00.001-07:00

Kids are welcomed and loved on Wednesday nights at Arvada Covenant Church. We have three good environments for them to learn about living life God's way.

Loving and safe Nursery care is available for children under 4 upstairs in the Nursery

Fun games, crafts and Bible learning for children 4 years old - Kindergarten age downstairs in room C104.

Children in grades 1-5 gather in the Launch Pad for time with friends, action games, learning about who God is and worship and celebration. We are continuing to understand how God worked in Joseph's life from Exodus 39-47

Rooms are open for check-in beginning at 6:15. Children should be picked up at 8:00. Rooms close at 8:10.

Various studies for adults available. Visit www.arvadacovenant.org for more information.

Covenant Heights Winter Trailblazer Camp

2008-01-02T14:46:00.001-07:00

February 8-10, 2008 Winter Trailblazer is a camp for students currently in grades 3-6. The plans for this year are really exciting. The theme is "The Flame" based on 1 Thessalonians 5:19 which reads, "Do not put out the Spirit's Fire." Campers will be learning about igniting God's flame in their hearts.

Also featuring great winter activities, tubing, snowshoeing, worship, broomball and crafts!

Registration forms will be available at Arvada Covenant Church. The cost is $95. Covenant Heights will be offering pick-up and drop-off at the church. If you have any questions, please contact the John Mullis at ACC or Covenant Heights directly at 970-586-2946. www.covenantheights.org

Christmas Eve Family Service

2007-12-19T11:35:00.001-07:00

The Christmas eve family service this year will feature Christmas carols, children in costumes and a live telling of the story of the birth of Jesus —all wonderful traditions.

Children will have the opportunity to be in costume and on parade wearing a shepherd, angel or wise man costume.

The story of the birth of Jesus will be told using narration and actors.

Everyone attending will have the opportunity to worship God and will leave with a greater sense of wonder, amazement and awe for what Jesus has done for us. The lord of all things, the creator of heaven and earth, the god through whom all blessings flow, humbled himself like a baby to continue his unstoppable plan to show his love for all people.

Children will have the opportunity to be in costume and participate in the service. Costumes provided! If you would like your child to be involved, arrive to select a costume between 4:30 and 4:50 that evening. The children will not be on stage during the service but will be led through the sanctuary in costume to celebrate the birth of Christ!

If you have questions, please call the church office— 303-422-1235

Technorati Tags: Christmas Eve,family service

Congregational Meeting 12.16.07 @ 10:30

2007-12-12T17:48:00.001-07:00

There will be a brief congregational meeting at 10:30 on Sunday between services. The purpose of this meeting is to vote on new members and also to vote on the recommendation of the student ministry search team to hire Kurt Gewinner as a co-director and to move Joel Adams into the co-director role.

If you have questions about the recommendation of the student ministry search team and would like to talk with a member of the team, contact the church office at 303.422.1235

The Golden Compass

2007-11-28T14:01:00.001-07:00

Articles and information regarding the movie "The Golden Compass"

Village Voice Review: Lost Cause

Baptist Press article: 'Golden Compass' Movie Opening to Controversy

Focus on the Family's Plugged In Online Sympathy for the Devil

Snopes Urban Legend Reference pages The Golden Compass

Fox News Christian Groups Claim Pro-Atheist 'Stealth Campaign' in Nicole Kidman Fantasy Film 'The Golden Compass'

Wikipedia article on Philip Pullman (the author of the stories)

New Yorker Magazine article: Far From Narnia

Leave a comment if you have found other helpful articles on this movie and story and we can add them to this resource list.

Technorati Tags: the golden compass

Employment Opportunity at ACC

2007-11-20T18:04:00.001-07:00

Interim (short-term) Children’s Ministry Assistant. Part-time 16-20 hours per week. Coordination and administrative duties with some computer skills required. This position is a temporary position to handle some responsibilities of the Assistant CM Director while we look for the best person to fill the position long-term.

Assistant Children’s Ministry Director. Leadership, coordination, communication, and administrative responsibilities. Full-time with benefits. This person works closely with the Children's Ministry Director to lead teams of volunteer leaders that will reach, teach and touch children with the awesome life of Jesus Christ.

If interested, please call John Mullis at the church office. 303.422.1235

Wednesday Night Kids' Oasis Challenge

2007-11-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

We love it so much when parents read the Bible with their children! I have a friend in the 5th grade that had an assignment to write about the moment he felt the happiest. He wrote that he is happiest when he is reading the Bible with his Dad. Amazing and wonderful!
We've challenged all of the kids that attend Kids' Oasis on Wednesday night to read Genesis 39-47 with their mom, dad, grandpa, grandma or other responsible adult between now and the next time we meet on January 9. If they read these chapters about Joseph and bring a signed note verifying that, we'll pat them on the back with a special reward.
Spiritual values are so much more caught than they are taught. When a parent takes the time to read God's Word and talk about what they learn from the stories, kids catch the values that last a lifetime.

Sonlight Singers Update

2007-11-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

Sonlight Singers is a musical group for younger children at Arvada Covenant Church. The Music, Drama and Worship Commission hopes the group will be able to form in January and begin the fun. Look for more information about this in early 2008.

Offerfest

2007-11-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

Children at ACC have a great opportunity to save money to give to Covenant World Relief which helps people in need around the world. The label and coin-slot cover will fit on a standard soup can and you can put it in a place where it will serve as a reminder to share your blessings.

The offering will be given on November 21 during the Offerfest Service at 7 p.m.

ACC Congregation Town Hall Meeting - is history

2007-11-03T22:43:00.001-06:00

Sunday evening, November 11, 2007

6:00 p.m. in the sanctuary.

Agenda included...new member applicants, review of proposed 2008 budget, proposed building changes, other important items.

childcare was be provided

Family Advent Dinner

2007-11-03T22:28:00.001-06:00

Wednesday, November 28 @ 6:00 p.m.

Food, crafts and Christmas carols.

This ACC tradition is a great way for families to start the Advent season.

Cost: $3 person for dinner. $5 per family for the craft.

Reservations required. 303.422.1235

Launch! Discovery Sessions

2007-11-03T22:19:00.001-06:00

Attention everyone! Urgent and important invitation!

Actors, teachers, artists, organizers, parents, leaders, curious people, musicians, photographers, videographers, techies, creative people, friendly people and more!

We want to show you the future—the future of children’s ministry for 1st-5th graders at ACC. On November 18 and December 2 during the 11:00 service we invite you to come to Launch! and experience a preview of children’s ministry as it will begin to happen in January. We want you to be able to see how we will reach, teach and touch children with the awesome message of Jesus Christ. We need you to be there!

Also, we are previewing the ministry so people have the opportunity to see and understand how they can fit into ministry teams using the time, talents and gifts they have to offer in the areas of teaching, acting, shepherding, tech and support. We are looking for everyone even remotely interested to come and check out what we will be doing and see how they might be able to jump on a Launch! team.

In Launch! our goal is to walk alongside families enabling their children to experience the love of Christ, to know Jesus as personal Savior and to become His disciple. We have a great plan to make that happen and we want you to see what that looks like. That's why we are going to "preview" what the teaching environments will look like in near future.

First Grade Bible Presentation

2007-11-03T22:06:00.001-06:00

Dear Parents,

On Sunday, November 18, we will be presenting 1^st graders with new Bibles during the 9:30 am service in the main sanctuary. We are able to do this every year through a memorial fund established by the Tom and Margaret Melander family to remember their son, Michael.

I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful way to bless children and families. God expresses in Deuteronomy 6:19 how important it is for families to be teaching children how to live life His way, and they are to do this using His Word. I value and cherish the time my own children have studied God’s Word with their own Bibles. As a parent, you will be able to use this Bible to help lead your child’s spiritual development; and, partnered with the wonderful volunteer leaders in the children’s ministry programs at Arvada Covenant Church, children will grow up to know they can trust God, no matter what. His Word will show them how to make wise choices – God’s choices.

If you desire to have your child participate in this ACC tradition, please have your 1^st grader in room C113 by 9:15 on that Sunday morning. Your child does not have to have anything prepared to participate and receive a Bible. You can have your child wear what you feel is appropriate. They will be escorted to the sanctuary, led through the presentation and taken back to the room afterwards. You will be able to pick up your child at the end of the 9:30 worship/Sunday School service.

Please talk with your child before Sunday, remind them about this and talk about what it will be like to be in the sanctuary, what proper behavior is in this situation and how wonderful it is for them to be able to be a part of this special service. If children do not want to participate, they will still get a Bible and they will be taken care of during the presentation in the sanctuary.

If you have any questions, please call the church office at 303.422.1235

Welcome to LAUNCH!

2007-06-23T15:26:00.000-06:00

Launch is the children's ministry of Arvada Covenant Church. The place where the adventure starts for children!