2011 CW Playhouse Launch!

As we enter 2011, we look forward to our new 5 month series on the Core Values of Prayer House and the Patriarchs. This series will mark the first time that C.H.R.I.S.T. WORKS Kids ministries has coincided teaching with the adult focus. It is also the first time Pastor Kevin has developed his own curriculum and theme for a subject or series. (Please keep us in prayer as we put it all together.)

The 5 month series is titled: C.O.R.E. - Central Organization for Reviewing Essentials and will feature the J-Team. (Yes, we're revisiting Pastor Kevin's childhood fascination with the A-Team.) Each member of this crack commando unit will have a specialty in spiritual warfare and growth and will take the point on a different month.

We will also continue on our biblical journey through history, picking up where we left off in our Australian series at Chapter 12 of Genesis with Abram. C.O.R.E. will take us through Genesis, exploring the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph!

The series for the kids will begin a couple weeks after the adults (January 16th), however due to this week being family week and the following week, Pastor Kevin and family will be taking their oldest daughter, Nataleigh to college in Missouri. But there will be a special CW Playhouse lesson on the 9th with Neenah & Pepere and their team!

On January 9th, kids will be learning spiritual truths from the new Narnia movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader complete with movie & audio clips. They will also focus on the biography of Jesus and his encounter with a man named Zacchaeus. So don't wait until the 16th for C.O.R.E. Join the CW Playhouse team next Sunday for LESSONS FROM THE VOYAGE!

Kids Love Heroes

Isn’t it interesting how kids are drawn to heroes? We think kids love heroes for a reason. Heroes are characterized by four things. They do what’s right, deal with wrongs, are honest, and they care about others. Kids love heroes because God has placed a conscience inside each child that prompts them in the same four ways: to do what’s right, deal with wrongs, be honest, and care about others.

That’s why kids love heroes. In fact, kids are heroes in training right now in your family. God uses ordinary people to accomplish his will and it starts in the small things of life.

David was a hero in the Bible when he fought Goliath. But his hero training started much earlier. David was a hero in the small stuff. He took care of sheep and learned responsibility. He fought off a bear and a lion and learned courage. He worked hard to practice his harp so that he could get a job working in the palace.

Right now, your child can be a hero in the small stuff. Heroes practice in daily life by taking initiative. You might try this. Ask your child to see something that needs to be fixed in life. After all, that’s what heroes do. It might be that dishes are left in the living room, a sad baby needs to be cheered up, or help is needed for folding the laundry.

When your child takes initiative, hero qualities are developing.

Pictures from the Christmas S.O.C.C.E.R. Team Musical!

Our team and kids put on a fun show this last weekend and Liz Balli got pictures of some great moments. Check them out! (If you are friends with Liz on Facebook, you can check out a lot more great pictures on her profile.)

Don't Forget to Say Thank You

Gratefulness is an important life quality because it helps us to be thankful for what we have instead of complaining about what we don't have. Gratefulness is a lifestyle but it starts by saying "Thank you" to others who bless us.

Begin now to prepare your children for receiving gifts. Talk about the importance of the giver, not just the gift. Teach children to look at the nametag first so they can be thinking of the person who gave the gift while they open it. Encourage children to express thanks to the giver, even if that person is not in the room at the time. A phone call to extended family or a thank you note to a distant friend can mean a lot.

Gift receiving sometimes provides that awkward moment when we want to ask, "What is this?" or discover that we already have one of these. Play a "What if" game with children to help them anticipate how they might say thank you in those times.

Opening gifts can happen fast and then children are off playing with new toys and games. Helping them to take time to express gratefulness can extend the true meaning of Christmas past the few hours of Christmas Day. And don't forget to take time to thank the Lord for his special gift in Jesus Christ for us.



What are some things you've done to teach your children about gratefulness? Click here to tell us about it.

Gratefulness is a heart quality. To learn more about connecting with your child's heart, consider the book, Parenting is Heart Work, by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.

Christmas Musical Performances this Weekend!

Don't forget to support our kids by attending one of the two performances of this year's Christmas Musical: The Christmas S.O.C.C.E.R. Team. The FREE performances are:

Saturday at 5:30pm

Sunday at 10am

REHEARSAL REMINDERS: If you are in the musical, here are the times for the final rehearsals:

TONIGHT! Thursday, Dec. 16th from 6pm to 8pm or so...

Saturday, Dec. 18th 1pm to 4pm DRESS REHEARSAL! (Pizza will be served at 4pm before 5:30pm performance.)

Caring for Others

One of the great ways to help children think of giving instead of just getting at Christmas is to reach out to others you don't even know. This one activity can do a tremendous amount to help kids focus on others, not just themselves. Here are some ideas:

Pray for missionaries in other parts of the world. Create a care package for a family and mail it off in time to arrive by Christmas Day.

Get involved in your church's gift-giving program. Most churches provide ways to give tangible gifts to those in need. Ask around your community for organizations that are providing gifts for others.

Take some homemade food and crafts to a local rest home or senior citizen center. Sing songs and greet people. Tell them Merry Christmas. Before you go and when you're finished, talk to your kids about the people you are visiting. Sometimes caring for people can be a challenge and a blessing. Discussions help children understand it all in practical terms.

Make sure that children understand that Christmas is a time when we can share the love of Jesus with others. After all, that's what God did for us.

For more practical ideas on honoring others consider the book Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, in You and Your Kids by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.

KidZ BlaZt 2011 Registration Deadline!!

REGISTRATION DEADLINE:

THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT, DEC. 15TH!

FINAL AWANA CLUB NIGHT OF 2010 THIS WEDNESDAY!

Our last Awana club night for the year

This Wednesday night Dec. 15th!
REMEMBER: IT'S CHRISTMAS THEME NIGHT!

Don't miss out on all the Christmas Cheer!

The fun begins at the usual time: 6:30pm!

10 Ways to Keep Your Kids from Doing Dumb Things

Be honest. Your child can be very frustrating. All the things your parents used to say to you are now coming out of your mouth. “Am I talking to a brick wall?” “Don’t make me come back there!” “When I was your age we would never get away with that!” Children, to put it mildly, can do the dumbest things, and rather than advocating buying your kids a shirt like this one, here are a few helpful ideas to hopefully ease your pain.

1.Online Dangers

The whole world is on the Internet. The good and the very bad. A child can get in serious peril in a hurry. By all means, be aware of your child’s online activity. Some filters can be helpful, but they can’t block everything. There is no room for you to bury your head in the sand on this one. Talk to your kids openly about the dangers they could encounter. Then follow that up with eyes like a hawk at all times. Start with making them do their online surfing in the living room, not their bedroom.

2.The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From The Tree

We inherit much from our parents. This includes tendencies. A great deal of the not-so-great ideas you once came up with will be attempted by your child as well. The best way to catch a criminal is to think like one, right? Same thing applies here. Try to remember the world through the eyes of a 12 year old. It will be very beneficial in preventing things before they ever occur.

3.The Famous Money Tree

We all wish it existed. Of course, it certainly does not. Children, especially teenagers, tend to treat money like it can never run out. Sadly, many adults do as well. Teach your children the importance of money management. Give them an allowance that is earned by designated chores. Money falling from trees is never going to happen.

4.Loose Lips Sink Ships

Everyone has said things in their life they would like to take back. Mom was right. “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Being honest is great. Being straight forward is also great. However, tactfulness and politeness are equally important. Teach your children to control their tongues. This one trait can take a person far in life. It’s called not burning bridges.

5.The Cell Phone Blues

The mobile phone has become a permanent part of our being. It’s like an extra limb. Yes, they are helpful and awesome in so many ways. They are also a great way to get into a lot of trouble for your children. Teachers loathe them. Schools ban them. They go off in the middle of church at the worst possible moments. They are annoying and also potentially dangerous to your child’s welfare. “Sexting” is reaching epidemic levels in our society. It is very important you discuss and monitor the cell phone use of your kids.

6.The Case of The Clean Underwear

“Always wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident.” Did this ever actually happen to anyone? Not sure. However, good personal hygiene is not always the best quality of your kids. Just getting them to brush their teeth can take an act of Congress. Kids get verbally abused at school daily for their bad habits. This can all be avoided by developing simple and necessary routines. Brushing and flossing their teeth, combing their hair, using deodorant, wearing clean clothes. You get the picture. What seems like common sense to you seems like a pain in the rear to your child until they see the value of it.

7.The Importance of Choosing Friends

Peer pressure is a mighty thing and talked about often on this site. The people your kids spend their time with have a great deal of influence on them. For instance, if your son spends a lot of time with a buddy whose favorite movie is Jackass, you are going to see that reflected in his behavior. Have the discussion about friend selection with your children. Best to have that talk before you are rushing him to the hospital after breaking his arm. He did so attempting to skateboard off the roof.

8.Manners Aren’t Just For Holidays

“Don’t chew with your mouth full.” “Inside voices!” “The proper term is yes, sir!” Manners. Somewhat of a lost art in our society. It seems there are so many battles to fight that this one gets shoved aside. Then it rears its ugly head at a neighborhood dinner party. You are mortified at the behavior of your kids. A horrible feeling for a parent. Enforce the most basic of manners in your household at all times. Teach them the meaning of respect and keep your kids from looking dumb.

9.The Eye Poking

“You’re going to poke your eye out with that thing!” We all heard it. It’s for certain it actually happened to some kid too. Life in general is full of dangers. We can’t shelter our kids from all of it. We can, however, prevent a lot of unnecessary accidents. If you own guns, make sure they are locked up. If you have lighters in the house, keep them away from a child’s reach. Medicine. Household cleaning products. And yes, pointy things. They all have their place and it’s not in the hands of an unknowing child. Safeguard your home.

10.Lying In The Bed You Made

Consequences. The sure fire way to prevent your kids from doing dumb things. “You made your bed, now lie in it.” The wisdom of Mom never fails. It is imperative that you discipline your children. Yes it is difficult and sometimes heartbreaking to do. It is also the greatest act of love by a parent.

ALL PRO DADS

FINAL PLAYHOUSE SUNDAY OF THE YEAR!!

FINAL

OF THE YEAR!!

Don't forget your Buddy Barrels!
(This is your last chance to give!)

FINAL OUTBACK ADVENTURE...

With Tasmania Jones, Crumpler Kangaroo & friends...

Final Dr. Shrieker Appearance...


Final lesson on the 7 C's of History!
Bushfire: The Final Judgement and Consummation of all things!

FINAL WEEKEND TO SIGN UP FOR KIDZ BLAZT 2011!!

(Deadline is Wednesday night Dec. 15th!)
Registration & $25 Due!

Don't miss the final CW Playhouse

This Sunday at 10am!

Being a Servant at Christmas

Sometimes children believe that the whole world revolves around them. Parents, at times, contribute to a child-centered mentality and further reinforce this misconception. Kids can get the impression that parents, siblings, and even the family pets are there simply to make them happy. The result is demandingness and an unpleasant attitude.

One of the ways to counteract this tendency is to teach children to be servants and Christmas is a great time to start. Planning and giving gifts, preparing food treats for others, setting the table, and cleaning up Christmas messes are all ways to demonstrate servanthood. You might have your children take turns giving out the gifts that are under the tree instead of just finding their own and opening them up.

Listening to others, watching family members open gifts, saying thank you, sharing, and looking for ways to help are all ideas for kids to demonstrate a servant attitude at Christmastime.

Use the word "servant" and teach children about its positive meaning in life. Talk about how being a servant is really a gift to others. After all, Jesus became a servant by becoming a man and coming to earth as our Savior (Philippians 2:5).


Servanthood is one of the honor solutions for sibling conflict. To learn more, consider the book, Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes In You and Your Kids, by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.

FAMILY WEEK - Christmas Caroling this Wednesday night

There will be no Awana Clubs this Wednesday as it is Family Week, but as is our Church Family Tradition, this Wednesday we will be joining our families together for a special Family Week event: CHRISTMAS CAROLING! Join with other families this week and spread Christmas cheer to our neighbors. There will be hot chocolate and treats as well! Check the Church bulletin/calendar or call the office for the time.

Family Week - Special Christmas Musical Preview Song this Sunday!

This Sunday, the kids will perform one of the songs from our upcoming Christmas musical, The Christmas S.O.C.C.E.R. Team, during our Family Service! There will be no CW Playhouse this weekend, of course. If your children are involved in this production, please try to get them to church by 9:30am this Sunday for final instruction and sound check.

Also, we now have tickets for the musical to hand out to family and friends. Tickets are not necessary, but serve as a nice reminder to put in the hands of those you wish to invite. See Pastor Kevin or Aimee to get some.

Christmas: A Time to Teach Generosity

Christmas is a highlight in the life of most children, but much of the benefit is focused on what they get. Of course one of the blessings of Christmas is giving, so look for ways to teach children generosity this year. Here are some ideas:

Involves kids in your gift giving strategy or help them develop their own. Planning, shopping, and wrapping can each provide ways for children to think about blessing others.

Anticipate with your children the delight others will experience when the gifts are opened. Help your child enjoy the fun others will have when receiving gifts.

Ask children the question, "What are you doing this year to make Christmas special for others?" This question alone can help teens think of others instead of just themselves. A short discussion can help move kids from selfish tendencies to generosity.

And most importantly, remind children of the generosity of God by sending us a special gift in his Son.

For more practical ideas for helping children develop character visit our web site at biblicalparenting.org.

Honor is a great gift for kids to give. Use the Kids Honor Club, by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN to teach it.