Simple Service + Serious Cause = Summer Serve!

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!

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

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)

 

By Melanie Williams. © 2010 The reThink Group * www.rethinkgroup.org * All rights reserved. Used by permission

Find Us On Facebook

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

Kid’s Camp 2010 – Cosmic City

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

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.

By Melanie Williams. © 2010 The reThink Group * www.rethinkgroup.org * All rights reserved. Used by permission

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

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

By Melanie Williams. ©2009 The reThink Group • www.rethinkgroup.org • All rights reserved. Used by permission.

 

Covenant Heights Winter Trailblazer Camp

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!

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

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.
 

By Melanie Williams. © 2010 The reThink Group * www.rethinkgroup.org * All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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

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!

By Melanie Williams. © 2009 The reThink Group * www.rethinkgroup.org * All rights reserved. Used by permission.