Kidzville

Preparing our kids for Jesus

2011-12-01T14:53:00.002-05:00

This week in Kidzville your kids will be learning how to make their hearts ready for Jesus. As parents, the responsibility of making the heart ready falls on us. The easiest way this is achieved is by leading intentional Faith Talks each week in the home. A Faith Talk, as defined by Brian Haynes author of The Legacy Path, is another way of saying "family devotion". This is a time set aside each week for your family to gather around the Bible and talk about how to apply it to life.

The most grounded kids we have in Kidzville are products from homes where parents are actively leading family devotions on a daily/weekly basis. In Kidzville, we are trying our best to make this time easily achievable and accessible by teaching all your kids the same bible lesson and providing you with weekly emails/handouts with ideas on how to keep the learning going at home.

By holding a faith talk at home, you are intentionally making their hearts ready for Christ and saying to them "this is important". Therefore, "make the most of every opportunity, letting your conversation be full of grace and seasoned with salt"(Colossians4:5-6). It's the only eternal thing you can give them.

Responding to the Greatest Gift

2011-11-15T16:34:00.000-05:00

This week in Kidzville, your kids will be learning how to respond to God's gifts; but I think there is something we adults can learn here as well. In Psalms 127:3, it says "children are a gift from the Lord". Since this gift has been given to us by God himself, how should we as parents respond? I believe we can find the answer in Deuteronomy 6 which says "we shall teach the words of the Lord diligently to our children...we shall talk of them when we sit in our house, and when we walk by the way, and when we lie down, and when we rise."

Clearly, God wants His children to know about His love and promises and He wants that teaching to come from the home(Psalms 78). But how can we as parents diligently teach the words of the Lord in the everyday aspects of life, like just sitting at home or walking along the street or going to bed and getting up? It takes two things...1)Intentional planning-which we can all do and 2)time-something we have all been given the same amount of. Unfortunately, too many of us spend more time and energy planning our family vacations and meal times than on planning our children's eternal future in Christ. As parents, I leave you with three points by Jim Burns, author of Confident Parenting...

-Build your parenting upon a foundation.
It's all about priorities, developing a plan and staying focused on what's most important.

-Be an Intentional spiritual leader Praying for and with your children, celebrating their milestones, and bringing faith conversations into the home are all habits of the heart that come by being proactive.

-Keep your priorities in order. We need to remind ourselves everyday to put God first as well as be faithful to our commitment to our spouse and children.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Kidzville-Homeconnect.html?soid=1106936993764&aid=KP8PjcV10QM

2011-11-09T16:29:00.000-05:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Kidzville-Homeconnect.html?soid=1106936993764&aid=KP8PjcV10QM

All We Need is You Lord

2011-10-12T13:30:00.000-04:00

This week in Kidzville, your kids will be learning we all need God. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

In the Bible Story, we’ll discover how the people of Babylon began constructing a tower (aka the tower of babel) to make a name for themselves. In doing so, the people showed no concern in glorifying or obeying God; therefore God confused their language and scattered them all over the face of the earth. God wants us to depend on Him and put Him first in all our decisions and experiences. We need God and without Him, we can do nothing. (Genesis 11:1-9).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea: Parents, talk about a time you loved God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Perhaps you were involved in a mission trip or service project. Or perhaps you loved God with your whole being today in worship. Showing your child your experience with the loving God is more powerful than any lesson they’ll ever have. You’re the primary faith model for your children. Keep loving God with your whole being. Your children are watching closely!

After your family time, pray this simple prayer together as a family…God, without you we can do nothing. Help us remember every day to put you first. In Jesus’ name, amen.

God's Promises are Reliable

2011-10-06T09:45:00.002-04:00

If you’re new to the Kidzville Homeconnect then I’d like to share with you our purpose for this weekly email and blog posting. At Kidzville, we want to do more than just teach your kids the Bible but we want them to experience a transformed life in Christ. In order for this “transformation” to take place, we provide you with a weekly Homeconnect that helps you continue the Bible learning at home. And we even go beyond that providing you with handouts each Sunday that give you ideas to daily enrich your child’s faith on a consistent basis. Please use these tools and resources to help your child go far in their relationship in Christ.

This week in Kidzville, you kids will learn that God’s promises are always reliable. “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made” (Psalm 145:13b).

In the Bible Story, we’ll discover how God flooded the earth and that we can trust God to fulfill His promises in our lives just as He did in Noah’s life. (Genesis 7:1–8:22; 9:8-16).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea: Parents, talk about one kept or unkept promise that you’ve experienced. Perhaps your parent promised to take you on a trip and it never happened. How did you feel—hurt, sad, betrayed? Or perhaps your child promised to clean his room, and before you could even check, your child kept the promise. How did that make you feel—happy, proud, satisfied? Ask your family members how knowing that God will never ever break his promises makes them feel. Why is it important to your family’s faith to know that “the Lord is faithful to all his promises”? Have each family member complete the following sentence: “I’m glad God keeps his promises because…”

After your family time discussion, pray this simple prayer as a family. God, thank you for keeping every promise you ever make. Help us remember to put our trust in you because you’re faithful. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Kidzville Plug October 2011

2011-10-05T09:28:00.000-04:00

Members of Faith Assembly, I hope you all are doing well. This week as seasons begin to change and God’s landscape fills itself with beautiful color; I wanted to update you on what the Lord is doing in the kids ministry here at Faith. Several months ago at the close of summer, the Lord laid three things on my heart…Regroup what you're doing, Re-evaluate how you're doing it, and Renew your call to Christ. To regroup and re-evaluate what we were doing, we launched a survey to every person involved in our kid’s ministry including parents, kids, and volunteers. I had no idea what I was getting into when I asked people to tell me how they honestly thought about our work in the ministry because the results would in fact be a litmus test of me, the leaders I’ve trained, and the programs we have implemented together. But this was the best way to evaluate the effectiveness of our ministry. I was so shocked to see the results and I wanted to share some of them with you. Of the 115 respondents in the survey here are the results…

1. On the question “Rate your overall Kidzville Experience with 0 being the worst and 10 being the best”
-Kids rated their experience with an average of 9.13
-Parents rated their experience with an average of 8.71
-Volunteers rated their experience with an average of 8.96
2. 97% of kids enjoy coming on Sundays…83% enjoy it on Wednesdays
3. 83% of kids feel they learn to experience God when they come and 83% feel they are transformed by what they learn
4. And 70% of kids feel they are equipped to impact the world around them by what they learn
5. 100% of parents feel their kids learn to experience God
6. 71.4% of parents feel their child is being transformed by our teaching
7. 64.3% of parents feel their kids are impacting the world around them with what they learn
8. 100% of volunteers feel like we proved them with the resources they need to do their job
9. 92.3% of volunteers feel their leaders communicate effectively with them
10. 96.2% of volunteers feel properly trained
11. 85.2% enjoy coming to volunteer

To renew our call to Christ, we had a Leadership Luncheon with 50 people in attendance. We broke bread together, enjoyed a time of fellowship, and were refreshed by the message delivered by Pastor Randy Thompson, the Children’s Director for the North Carolina Assemblies of God. Other than that, things are moving as normal here in Kidzville. Kids are responding to God, volunteers are pouring their heart and soul every week in our services, and everyone is working hard as we get ready for our fall outreach event. Going into this year, the Pastor told me that he wanted our ministry to focus on doing two big outreach events this year with one in the spring and one in the fall. Typically churches do fall festivals this time of year where kids play games and such; but for me, I wanted to figure out what we could do that would impact guests with the message of Christ. So after working hard with a group of volunteers on the Kidzville Creative Team, we came up with The Golden Destination, an adventure hay ride that would engage guests in a high seas adventure story about a man named Captain Hiro who would grow up to do great things and save the world with the greatest treasure ever in spite of being killed by pirates. Sound familiar? That’s because the story is all a modern day reflection of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ created to appeal to kids. Don’t get me wrong, they’ll be lots of great food and games as well as a 20’ tall rock wall, obstacle course, prizes, and candy; but above all, we are going to use this event to communicate the gospel message of Christ. There's lot's more info online just visit www.Faith-Kidzville.org

Pray for us as we embark on this endeavor, invite the unchurched and sign up to volunteer because I can’t do this by myself. Thanks for all of your support.

Obey God

2011-09-28T14:28:00.002-04:00

In Kidzville this week, your kids will be learning that God wants us to obey. “Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men!’ ” (Acts 5:29).

In the Bible Story, we’ll discover how Noah set the example of how to live a life of obedience to God by following his command to build the Ark. God wants us to obey him above all else—no matter what (Genesis 6:5-22).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea: Parents, talk with your family about the reasons for God’s rules. Have each family member come up with one question to ask God about the reason for one of his rules or commands. Then have other family members tell how they think God might answer that question. If you have trouble getting started, use these rules: honor your father and mother (of course!), treat Sunday as special,
don’t steal, and don’t lie.

Afterwards, pray this simple prayer as a family…Lord, show us how to obey you no matter what. Please teach us to trust that your ways are best because you love us. In Jesus’ name, amen.

God is Greater than our Sin

2011-09-16T10:35:00.002-04:00

This week in Kidzville, your kids will be learning that we all sin. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

In the Bible Story, we’ll discover that we all have sinned but God offers us forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus’ sacrifice (Genesis 3:1-24).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea: Parents, tell your family about what you felt when you received God’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ. What was the one sin you were most grateful that God forgave? Help your children understand that we all sin. Sin isn’t just the things we do that make God sad. Sin is a condition that we’re all born into—everything about us is against God. That’s why we need Jesus to take away our sin. Encourage your children to let you know when they want to receive God’s gift of forgiveness through Jesus Christ—if they haven’t done so yet.

Then prayer this simple prayer with your family…God, we know we all have sinned. Thank you for sending Jesus to take
away that sin. Thank you for giving us a way to live in heaven with you forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Kidzville Plug Update August 2011

2011-08-05T11:59:00.000-04:00

Kidzville friends and supporters, it has been some time now since I have updated you on our progress in the Kidzville Ministry here at Faith. So since we are just over the half way mark for the year, I thought it would be appropriate to update you. Just last month I emailed our Kidzville Leaders updates at what the Lord is doing in the ministry. If you’re involved in Kidzville with kids one on one, you know what the Lord is doing but if you’re not, then it’s may be a little harder to see what great things are taking place. That’s what this Kidzville Plug update is all about.

The latest and greatest change to the ministry has been the birth of my first daughter, Abigail. It has required me to make some life changes but Kelly and I are adjusting to parenthood quite well and I must say, she is so beautiful and precious. Also, to all of you who have supported this new transition with gifts, cards, and prayers…thank you. Kelly, Abigail, and I really appreciate everything.

In Kidzville, we started the year with six simple goals.
1)to see kids respond to God
2)to see kids develop a personal relationship with him
3)to see kids live a transformed life in Christ
4)to see kids lead other kids to Christ
5)to see families weave God into their everyday lives and
6)to see everyone “win one” in 2011

To help us achieve these goals, we launched a 40 day fast across our entire ministry including kids, parents, and volunteers. Well when the fast was over, I was expecting to see God do great things. But I didn’t see them. I cried out to God and asked him, “where was the fruit from the seeds we’ve sown”? Within a week of that prayer testimonies from parents, kids and volunteers began to invade my office. Testimonies of kids speaking in tongues in their prayer time at home, kids sharing bible verses with their friends and leading their friends to Christ in their living rooms, kids starting bible studies within their neighborhoods, kids becoming serious about loving God, and reading their bible. And in our services every week more than half of the children respond to God in worship and prayer. These are great things.

God is doing great things at this church through our children and you are a part of it. And all of these testimonies above bear witness to that. These things encouraged me last month and I wanted to share them with you so that you would be encouraged as well. But in this accomplishments, our work is still not complete. Our latest survey with parents in our church show that 78% of them don’t take time at home as a family to pray and read the bible. This is where the real spiritual war is taking place. Please be in prayer that we can help our families incorporate God into their lives at home. If we hold tight to the faith and stay committed in our work for Christ, He will see these works complete. Thanks for your support and thank you for your prayers.

God Restores Us

2011-08-05T10:55:00.002-04:00

KIDZVILLE HOMECONNECT

This week in Kidzville your kids will learn that when we turn to God, he restores us. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn away from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

In the Bible Story, we’ll learn how Nehemiah mourned and prayed to God when he heard how the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed. Nehemiah asked God for forgiveness for the sins of the people of Israel and how God made it possible for Nehemiah to begin rebuilding Jerusalem (Nehemiah 1:1–2:9).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea: Parents, talk to your kids about what the word restoration means. Share an experience from your own life about a time a broken relationship was restored or how you were restored to a job after having lost that job. Explain to your kids that restoration with God means that God wants to bring us back into a right relationship with him when we’ve sinned. Encourage your children to talk about areas in their own lives where they need to turn to God and seek God’s restoration.

Then pray this simple prayer with your family…God, thank you for giving us second, third, and fourth chances. Please

show us where we’ve wandered away from you. Please forgive us and help us come back to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

UPCOMING HAPPENINGS IN KIDZVILLE

1. Tonight at 6pm Kids Zone will be open serving up delicious slushes and fun time with friends. The pond will also be open with fishing for the first time. At 7pm in this week’s Summer of Fun it’s Field Day in Kidzville. Kids will learn to God through incredible outdoor games.

2. This Sunday is Mission Sunday. Make sure your kids bring the Buddy Barrels for our missions project…Pavia. The Missionaries to Pavia will also be visiting us speaking to the kids.

3. Over the last several years we have done some pretty awesome things in Kidzville to reach kids for Christ. Some of the Crazy things you may remember include Adventure Island, Back2School Bash, Jr. Kids Church Stage, and recently Whale of a Tale and Josiahs Mine Town. For these projects, I came up with the ideas mostly on my own and had people help me make it happen. With that being said, I know where I can take us and what my efforts can do. Now, I want to know where WE can take us and what WE can do. I’m starting a Kidzville Creative Team and this Sunday, right after church in the Kids Zone Room, I will be launching the vision of this team and launching our first project…our Fall/October outreach event. I’ll be providing lunch for those who come to the meeting. If you or anyone in your family is planning to attend, please drop me an email so that I know how much food and drinks to buy. The Lunch will either be pizza or subs. The meeting will be done between 2pm and 2:30pm…for more info on the Kidzville Creative Team visit http://www.faith-kidzville.org/kcteam.htm

4. Worship Night in Greensboro Friday Night August 19…Hillsong United is going to be doing a Worship Night August 19 at the Greensboro Colliseum. Ever since I’ve got back from camp my heart has been groaning for more worship time with God. I am going to attend this event and if you or your family would like to go with me, that would be awesome. Admission Ticket is $17-$19 depending on how many go, Hotel is $25 (4 to a room) , and gas is $5 so total cost for the trip would be $50 per person. If you want to go, it would be nice to have a check from you by Sunday July 7.

5. The church is at a place right now of sincerely seeking God. We are having a Night of Worship and Prayer for all ages on Sunday Night August 28. I’ll get you a time when I have it. The adults will worship and pray in the sanctuary while the students will worship and pray in the student building. Please be seeking God to meet us during this time.

6. The Back2School Bash that was supposed to be on August 31 has been rescheduled. And the Leadership Rally that was going to be on August 28 is being rescheduled. I will let you know as soon as I have new dates.

Changing Lives and Responding to God with Worship

2011-06-29T11:32:00.000-04:00

Kidzville Parents I hope you all are doing great. Before we dive into the Kidzville Homeconnect for this week, I wanted to share something with you. I had a grandparent come up to me this past Sunday and give me a testimony of something that took place in her home this past week. She told me that her kids wanted to put on some praise and worship music and praise Jesus. As the children began to sing and dance, one of the children, age 5, began to cry. The 10 year old asked the 5 year old “what’s wrong?” The 5 year old replied “I want Jesus to come into my heart”. When the 10 year old heard this she responded and said “don’t you worry, I know how. Just pray this prayer with me”. Well obviously there’s not a dry eye in the room as the grandmother watches all of this unfold. How AWESOME is that…a kid leading a kid to Christ. This grandparent shared this testimony with me because we have been having challenges getting her to come in Big Kids Church by herself because she is sooo shy. She wanted me to know that even though she was so quiet and shy that she listens to every word we say in Kids Church and that “she gets it”. She even told me that the following Sunday she re-told the entire Bible Story from Big Kids Church word for word to them. I wanted to share this testimony with you so that you will know what “unseen” fruits are coming from our seeds sown in Kidzville. We began a huge campaign at the start of this year to strategically use every tool and method possible to reach kids for Christ. Our main goal is simple…to get them to life out their faith in the real world everyday and to teach them to “Tell someone About God”. This is why we do what we do every week in Kidzville. And it’s also why we’ve just incorporated this new slogan in Kidzville. Where we do more than teach the Bible. We Change Lives!

Now to the Kidzville Homeconnect…where we give you the tools you need to sow seeds in your childs life at home.

This week in Kidzville, your kids will learn to respond to God’s holiness with worship. “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker” (Psalm 95:6).

In the Bible Story we’ll discover how Isaiah saw the holiness of God. It says that Isaiah immediately recognized his own sin in the presence of God’s purity. Like Isaiah, we need to seek God’s forgiveness and respond to God in worship (Isaiah 6:1-8).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea: Parents, gather your family together, and talk about what life would be like if everyone were perfect and never sinned. You might talk about serious things, such as how people wouldn’t hurt other people and all family members would always get along. Or you might talk about funny things, such as how nobody would ever yell at the family dog. Then think about God—how he is perfect and has never sinned. Encourage your kids to think about how God feels when we sin and why God wants us to remember his holiness. Read Isaiah 6:1-8 together, and ask family members how God called Isaiah to holiness and how Isaiah responded.

After your family discussion, pray this simple prayer together as a family…God, you are holy, awesome, and powerful. You deserve all our worship. Thank you for giving us the gift of forgiveness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself (Psalm 95:6, Isaiah 6:1-8).

Upcoming Happenings in Kidzville…
1. Summer of Fun…This summer, each Wednesday Night we’ll be discovering the Old Testament in new and exciting ways using hands on activities and outdoor challenges. Starting at 6pm, kids ages 8-12 will get to go boating at the church pond or chill inside with their friends at the Kids Zone Store and Arcade area. Tonight at 7pm, it’s Worship Night. Main Street Kids will get the chance to make worship instruments while kids of Uturn and Club 3:16 will experience their first ever full hour Night of Worship lead LIVE by the Kidzville Band and Worship Team. Parents, if you can’t be here, you can watch the service LIVE at 7pm here at http://www.faith-kidzville.org/nightofworship.htm. For more info on our Summer of Fun schedule, just visit http://www.faith-kidzville.org/summerfun.htm
2. FAMILY COOKOUT and WATER PARTY is coming July 13th from 6pm-8pm. We'll be cooking out, roasting hotdogs and marshmallows by the fire. If you'd like to bring a side dish, hotdogs, or drinks just drop me an email. After that, grab your goggles and cool off at super speeds down our 30 foot long slip-n-slide, or dash down our 20' tall water slide. But that's not all. Top off the fun by dunking your favorite Kidzville Leaders in the dunking booth. To vote for who you want to see in the dunking booth or for more details about this years Summer of Fun, just visit faith-kidzville.org. Over 2000 votes have already been received.

Being Humble

2011-06-10T09:52:00.000-04:00

Kidzville Parents, I hope you all are doing well.

This week we have some awesome things planned for your kids in Kidzville. This week we’ll be learning how to be humble. “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).

In the Bible Story, we’ll learn how Naaman came to Elisha for healing from leprosy. In the story Naaman was proud and didn’t want to obey Elisha’s instructions to wash himself in a dirty river even though he was willing to pay a great deal of money to be healed. Naaman finally humbled himself and washed in the river, God healed Naaman. Like Naaman, we know that to follow God, we must be humble (2 Kings 5:1-16).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea…Parents, tell a story about yourself or someone in your family that illustrates the consequences of being proud or being humble. Perhaps you were bragging about winning a football game and lost instead. Or maybe you let someone else take credit for a victory, and other people were blessed by your humility. Ask your kids to think of characteristics of a humble person, and discuss why it’s more comfortable being around a humble person than a proud person. Then encourage your kids to think of areas in their own lives where they need to show more humility. Commit as a family to humble yourselves.

After your family discussion on humility, pray this simple prayer together…Lord, we want to follow you in all that we do. We know that to follow you, we need to be humble, and we know we can’t do this alone. Please help us put others above ourselves. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Also, here’s some tools that have helped me understand how to be humble before a Mighty God. After watching them, maybe you’ll have a better understanding of what it means to live a life of humility before God. And maybe they’ll help you communicate it to your kids.

-THE AWE FACTOR OF GOD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpChZxPfa-c
-JUST STOP AND THINK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRi4VwcrYmA (most of you will not be able to “stop and think” long enough to watch this video clip, but you really should. It will change your life, the way you live your life, and what you do with your life.)
-HUMILITY THROUGH FORGIVENESS http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7368782n&tag=related;photovideo

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself (1 Peter 5:6, 2 Kings 5:1-16).

UPCOMING HAPPENINGS IN KIDZVILLE

1. Summer of Fun…This summer, each Wednesday Night we’ll be discovering the Old Testament in new and exciting ways using hands on activities and outdoor challenges. Summer of Fun starts at 7pm and will run from June through the end of August and will be available for all ages. Be sure to dress cool because much of the activities will be outside.

2. Church Pond now Open on Wednesday Nights...Over the last week we have been working at the church pond cleaning, landscaping, and building a 16 foot dock. The church pond is a glorified “irrigation pond” around 2 acres in size and is around 2-3 feet deep. I want to try and utilize this resource this summer before church each week to give kids an exciting reason to want to be hear and bring their friends so that we can minister to them with the gospel when church starts. The church pond will be open for the first time tonight from 6pm -6:45pm for kids Ages 8-12. This week kids will get the opportunity to paddle in a 10 foot boat. We have life jackets and a safety volunteer on site at all times. Before your kids can go to the pond, you will need to sign a permission form which is available in the Kids Zone Room when you drop off your child tonight.

3. Camp Dixie is July 25-29 for kids ages 8-12. The early bird deadline for camp has passed. Camp Now costs $250 per child. Your new deadline for camp money and applications is June 26. If your child is going with us to camp, we need an application and a $100 non-refundable deposit as soon as possible to reserve their spot. Make checks payable to Faith Assembly. Applications are available at the Coffee Shop in the foyer. If you want your child to go but don’t have the money to pay for it, please talk to me in person about a camp sponsorship.

Kidzville...Where we do more than teach the Bible. We Change Lives!

Check us out Online at www.Faith-Kidzville.org

Caring for Needy People

2011-06-03T08:42:00.000-04:00

Kidzville Parents I hope you all are doing great! Tonight in Kidzville, we kick off our Summer of Fun.

In Kidzville this week, you child will be learning that God cares for needy people. “He [God] defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing” (Deuteronomy 10:18).

In the Bible Story, we’ll learn how God provided oil for a widow and her sons through God’s servant Elisha. Just as Elisha helped the widow in need, God wants us to care for people in need, too (2 Kings 4:1-7).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea: Parents, share with your children about a way you’ve seen God meet a need in your own life or in the life of someone close to you. Then talk with your kids about the different ways God meets people’s needs. Ask family members to each share ways that others have helped them. For example, people might have given them lunch money or helped with homework. Then talk about how God cares for us, listens to our prayers, and forgives our sins. Ultimately, God often uses people to meet our needs. And God uses us to meet other people’s needs. Encourage your kids to think of one way they can reach out to someone in need this week.

After your family discussion, pray this simple prayer with your kids…God, thank you for caring about us when we’re in need. Please help us notice other people who have needs so we can show them your loving care. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself (Deuteronomy 10:18, 2 Kings 4:1-7).

Upcoming Happenings in Kidzville…

1.Summer of Fun…This summer, each Wednesday Night we’ll be discovering the Old Testament in new and exciting ways using hands on activities and outdoor challenges. Summer of Fun starts at 7pm and will run from June through the end of August and will be available for all ages.

2.Church Pond now Open on Wednesday Nights...Over the last week we have been working at the church pond cleaning, landscaping, and building a 16 foot dock. The church pond is a glorified “irrigation pond” around 2 acres in size and is around 2-3 feet deep. I want to try and utilize this resource this summer before church each week to give kids an exciting reason to want to be hear and bring their friends so that we can minister to them with the gospel when church starts. The church pond will be open for the first time tonight from 6pm -6:45pm for kids Ages 8-12. This week kids will get the opportunity to paddle in a 10 foot boat. We have life jackets and a safety volunteer on site at all times. Before your kids can go to the pond, you will need to sign a permission form which is available in the Kids Zone Room when you drop off your child tonight.

3.This Sunday is Missions Sunday at Faith. On Mission Sunday, we strategically focus on educating your child to pray, give, and go for God. And we believe the only way your child will be transformed by this message is by your example at home. To help your child learn more about giving, your child is receiving their very own “Buddy Barrel” Sunday. Each month, we will have a different Missions Project that your child can raise money for. Your child will get the opportunity to take their Buddy barrel home and fill it all month for the Missions Project. Then, on Missions Sunday, they’ll bring their buddy barrel with them to Kidzville and give the money they raised for our Missions Project. This Sunday, our June Missions Project focus is the Greenville Homeless Shelter.

4.Camp Dixie is July 25-29 for kids ages 8-12. The early bird deadline for camp has passed. Camp Now costs $250 per child. Your new deadline for camp money and applications is June 26. If your child is going with us to camp, we need an application and a $100 non-refundable deposit as soon as possible to reserve their spot. Make checks payable to Faith Assembly. Applications are available at the Coffee Shop in the foyer.

Don’t miss Kidzville this Summer, where we do more than teach the Bible…We Change Lives!

Tell Others About Jesus

2011-05-06T08:21:00.002-04:00

This week in Kidzville, your kids will learn how God wants us to tell the world about Jesus. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

In the Bible Story they’ll learn that before Jesus ascended into heaven, Jesus commanded his disciples to go into the world and tell everyone about who Jesus is and what he has done. We’ll also discover that we’re supposed to follow that same command because God wants us to tell the world about heaven (Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:1-11).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea: Parents talk with your kids about how you first learned about Jesus. You might share experiences of people telling you about Jesus and heaven. Maybe someone scared you by talking about hell. Or perhaps someone shared with you what it would look like to have a meaningful friendship with Jesus. Talk with your kids about the best way to share your faith in Jesus. Then encourage your children to each pick one person they’d like to tell about Jesus this week. Check back at the end of the week to see how everyone followed through.

After that, pray this simple prayer with your children…God, thank you for Jesus and the chance to live forever in heaven with you if we believe in Jesus. Please help us tell others this week how they can know Jesus and live forever in heaven, too. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself (Matthew 28:19-20; Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:1-11).

Jesus Deserves our Praise

2011-04-13T11:21:00.000-04:00

This week in Kidzville, your kids will learn that Jesus, the Lamb of God, deserves our praise. Our Key Bible Verse is “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:12).

In the Bible Story this week, your kids will learn what it was like when Jesus entered Jerusalem…crowds of people laid palm branches and clothes on the road. As Jesus passed by, the people shouted praises to him. Like the people of Jerusalem, your kids will learn that God deserves our praise (Psalm 118:19-29; Matthew 21:1-11).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea: Parents, share with your children one reason to praise Jesus this week. Maybe you saw an amazing sunrise and can praise Jesus for his creation. Or perhaps you were reminded of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and want to tell him how thankful you are. Encourage your children to share at least one thing they can praise Jesus for as well. Then hold your very own worship service. Invite your children to come up with creative ways to praise Jesus—through music, drawing, or movement, for example. Add your own ideas to the program. Then spend time one evening praising Jesus and enjoying each other’s company.

Then, pray this simple prayer together…Lord, you deserve our praise. Help us to live in such a way that everything we do reflects our love and worship for you. Thank you Jesus, the Lamb of God, for dying for our sins. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself (Revelation 5:12 and Psalm 118:19-29; Matthew 21:1-11).

Upcoming Kidzville Events
1.Camp Dixie time is here…Camp this year is July 25-29 for Kids Ages 8-12, Cost is $235 per person if paid in full by May 31…After May 31 cost goes up to $250…camp fills up fast so reserve your spot with a $100 nonrefundable deposit ASAP. Make checks out to Faith Assembly. Applications are available at the Guest Services table in the foyer …
2.Camp Fundraisers for Parents…for parents interested in bringing down their camp costs, we have two fundraisers we are launching to help you. To volunteer at the Pancake Breakfast, please contact me. To sell tickets for the TV or the Pancake Breakfast, pick up a packet from me tonight in Kidzville or in Big Kids Church sunday
-42” Samsung Flat Screen TV raffle…tickets $5 each or 5 for $20
-Pancake “All You Can Eat” Breakfast, Wednesday Night, May 18th 5:30pm-6:30pm…the drawing for the TV will be at this event. Pancake tickets are $5 and $2.50 for kids ages 5 and under
3.Community Eggsplosion Saturday, April 23rd 10:00 am to 1:00 pm…For detailed info about the Eggsplosion, click here http://faith-assembly.org/361947.ihtml?eventid=6554091 10 volunteers still needed. Also, if you can’t volunteer but want to donate some items, here’s a list of what we need…
-Hotdogs
-Chips
-Sausages
-Brownies (homemade)
-Chocolate chip cookies (homemade)
-Canned Drinks
-Koolaid for kids

Jesus Gives Us Eternal Life

2011-04-08T15:12:00.000-04:00

This week in Kidzville, your child will be learning that Jesus gives us hope of eternal life for it says in the Bible “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live” (John 11:25).

In the Bible Story, they’ll learn how Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead and that because of Jesus we have hope of eternal life (John 11:1-45).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea: Parents, talk with your children about something you were really hoping for as a child that didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to. Maybe you hoped you would get a new bike at Christmas. Or perhaps you hoped your mom or dad would show up at a basketball game you were playing in. Share how you felt when things didn’t work out, and talk about how disappointing it can be to have your hopes denied. Then talk about how Jesus gives us hope of eternal life. Remind your kids that our hope in Jesus will never be a disappointment, because Jesus showed he has power over life and death when he raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus promises to give us eternal life if we believe in him. And Jesus keeps his promises!

After that discussion, pray this simple prayer with your kids. God, thank you for the hope of eternal life through Jesus’ death on the cross. Please remind us to put our hope in you each day. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself (John 11:25 and John 11:1-45).

Family Dysfunctions 1 of 5

2011-03-24T21:05:00.000-04:00

We recently had a family campout at the church. Other than cooking on the fire, surviving the cold, we went throughout the night doing activities that gave families an opportunity to work together as a team. It was interesting to watch the dynamics of each of the families unfold as we went through the activities. After the activities we introduced 5 Dysfunctions of a family...(based on the book 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni). The information was so awesome for the families there that I wanted to share it on this blog to hopefully be a blessing to those families in need that missed the campout. This blog will be one of five.

The first dysfunction of a family is Absence of Trust. You know your family has an absence of trust when members of the family are not open with one another about their feelings and concerns. In order to build trust within the family, everyone must be open and understanding about each others feelings. This can only be achieved through talking things out and debating things with each other when decisions are made. A great way to do this is having family meetings when there are times of conflict. But why do we not talk things out within the family. There are two reasons. For one, we are usually so pressed for time to have a healthy conversation. Parents are juggling jobs and trying to get home just in time to provide dinner. Meanwhile kids have to get homework done and make it on time to soccer practice. Time is hard to find sometimes but we must take time to talk things out as a family if we want to build trust. The second reason why we don't talk things out as a family is because of fear. Most of the time, members within the family, especially kids, are fearful about being open with their feelings because they're afraid of getting in trouble. And as adults, we're afraid of having such conversations because we don't want to have conflict because after all, we already established we don't have time.

So what does God's Word have to say about this first family dysfunction? In Proverbs 3:5 it says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."

As a family, we must "trust each other with all ourselves" being open with our feelings without fear and "not lean on our own understanding" because we don't know it all. And our decision is sometimes not always best. Acknowledge God and acknowledge our family members and then and only then will the best path be revealed.

Jesus Wants us to Love Others as Ourselves

2011-03-23T09:47:00.002-04:00

This week you’re child will be learning that Jesus wants us to love others as ourselves. For it says in the Bible “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

In the Bible Story we’ll learn how the good Samaritan in Jesus’ story showed love by rescuing the man who had been left for dead on the side of the road. Like the good Samaritan, we can show love to others by helping people in need (Luke 10:25-37).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea…Parents: Tell about a time you really needed help and someone helped you. Share with your kids how you felt about being helped, and encourage your kids to share examples from their own lives about times they were helped. Then think together about people you can show God’s love to by helping them out—maybe it’s an older person in the neighborhood or a single mom in your church. Come up with a list of creative ways you can help at least one or two of these people regularly. You might bake cookies for them, do some yardwork, or buy a special book as a gift. Then follow through!

After that, pray this simple prayer with your family…God, we want to share your love with others. Please show us people who need our help and give us the strength and courage to help and love these people the way you love them. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself (Ephesians 4:32 and Luke 10:25-37).

Jesus Gives Us Eternal Life

2011-03-23T09:43:00.000-04:00

Sorry I forgot to post this on the blog last week (Wed. March 16) so here it is...

This week in Kidzville (March 16, 2011), your kids will be learning that Jesus gives us eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

In the Bible Story, when Nicodemus came to see Jesus late at night, Jesus told Nicodemus how he could have eternal life. Like Nicodemus, we can have eternal life and live in heaven when we believe in Jesus and have a relationship with him (John 3:1-17).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea: Parents: Talk about what you think heaven will be like. Share what you think heaven will look like and what you’re most looking forward to about heaven. Then ask your children to share their own versions of what they think heaven might be like. Encourage your kids to use their imaginations as they dream about flying, eating candy for every meal, or meeting people mentioned in the Bible. Then ask your kids to think about how the thought of having eternal life and someday getting to live in heaven affects how they live their lives each day here on earth.

After that family moment, pray this simple prayer as a family…God, thank you that we can look forward to heaven and an eternity with you because of Jesus’ death on the cross. Help us to remember that this life is only a small portion of eternity, and please help us stay focused on
you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself (John 3:16 and John 3:1-17).

We can Count On God

2011-03-09T14:46:00.001-05:00

Kidzville Parents, I hope you all are doing well. This week in Kidzville your kids will learn that they can count on God. “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

In the Bible Story this week, they’ll learn how Jesus performed a miracle with bread and fish in order to feed thousands. And through this miracle, just as the people learned to count on God…your kids will learn that they can count on God to(John 6:1-15).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea: Parents: Talk about a time your family had a specific need and you saw God provide for you. Maybe God provided necessary food through a meal from a friend. Or perhaps God provided money for a bill through an unexpected bonus at work. Encourage your kids to think of other examples of when they saw God’s provision in their own lives.

Then ask your children to share needs they have right now, and pray this simple prayer together that God will provide according to his perfect will. Lord, we know we can count on you to provide for our needs. Please help us to trust you right now with these needs: [encourage each person to pray about a need]. We love you so much! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself (Philippians 4:19 and John 6:1-15).

Kidzville Homeconnect

2011-02-24T08:56:00.000-05:00

In Kidzville this week, your kids will learn that they are important to Jesus. “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14).

In the Bible Story, they’ll learn how the disciples tried to stop people from bringing their children to Jesus. When Jesus saw this, he got mad at the disciples and told them that unless they became like children, they would never enter heaven. Then Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them to show how important they were to him (Mark 10:13-16).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea. Parents: Talk to your children about how much you love them and how important they are to you. You might even share with your children some details surrounding their births. For example, you might
tell your children what you were thinking and feeling the first time you saw them. Or you might share about the moment you were proudest of each child. Then talk with your children about how important they are to God. Let them know that God loves them and cares for them a million times more than you ever can. Encourage your kids to talk about what it means to them to know they are loved that much.

Then pray this simple prayer together…God, thank you for showing us how much you love and care for children. Thank you for proving to each of us how important we are to you by sending your only Son to die for us. Please remind us each day that we matter to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself (Mark 10:14 and Mark 10:13-16).

I’m excited about the Family Retreat next week. For those of you who haven’t signed up yet, there’s still time. If you have any questions about the Family Retreat, just let me know.

Jesus Accepts Everyone

2011-02-18T09:50:00.001-05:00

In Kidzville starting Sunday, we’ll be teaching your child how Jesus accepts everyone. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). In the Bible Story they’ll learn how Jesus spotted Zacchaeus up in a tree and told Zacchaeus that he would come to his house that day. People were very upset by this because Zacchaeus was a sinner. However, Jesus reminded the people that he came to seek, save, and love everyone unconditionally (Luke 19:1-10). If only we could learn from Jesus’ example and teach our children the same.

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea. Parents: Ask your kids the following questions to encourage a family discussion about unconditional love. What is unconditional love? What does unconditional love look like? Who do I know who gives me unconditional love? Who do I know who could use unconditional love? How can I help someone know Jesus’ unconditional love? As a family, brainstorm ways you could reach out to people who do not know the love of Jesus yet. Commit to following through on one of those ideas this week.

After that family discussion, pray this simple prayer together as a family. Lord, thank you for showing us unconditional love. We know we’re sinners and we need you to accept us just as we are. Please help us reach out to others who need to know about your unconditional love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself (Revelation 3:20 and Luke 19:1-10).

The Grammy Challenge

2011-02-13T19:22:00.002-05:00

Parents, I hope you all are doing great! We had a great time in Kidzville today teaching your child about Great Faith and I hope you will be following up with your kids at home this week to keep the learning going. I know I usually email you all on Wednesdays with the Kidzville Homeconnect, but today I wanted to email about something the Lord laid on my heart.

Tonight, I wanted to email you because tonight the Grammy’s will be on CBS at 8pm. Some of you may know that already and some of you may be clueless or were already planning on watching it. But if you have a child that’s at least age 6/7 on up through age 12, I encourage you to watch it together as a family. Then reason I encourage you to do this with your 6/7 year olds too is because statistics show that a child’s “worldview” as to what is right and what is wrong is formed by the age 7. Here’s why I encourage you to watch it as a family…

The Music Industry is a multi-million dollar industry. The USA buys more music albums than any other nation in the world AND the people who are buying those albums more than any other age group are kids. Believe it or not, music shapes the way your kids talk, the way they dress, and even the way they act. And a lot of what your kids do will come from the music entertainers they watch. To kids, these people become their idols. If you disagree with me, just watch this video clip

Click Here to watch this video

And remember, if you don’t watch it as a family, whether it be at a friend’s house, online, on mtv while you’re not home, they will be exposed to this at some point.

The Grammy’s is your one chance to look at the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of what your child is listening and watching. And as a parent, this gives you a chance to lead them in the right direction as to what is right in the eyes of God. My goal in 2011 is to equip you to lead your Child to live a transformed life in Christ. So here’s a simple activity you can do with your kids tonight.

When you watch the Grammy’s, notice what the artists are wearing, listen to the lyrics they are saying (if you can’t understand what they’re saying, look up the song lyrics online), and look at the overall message the artist is communicating. If you can’t handle watching the whole show, then at least watch a portion of it. Then as a family, read these bible verses and see how that artist lines up with God’s Word.

Verses on Modesty:

1 Peter 3:4, Romans 12:1-2, Genesis 3:21, 1 Timothy 2:9-10,

Verses on the things we Say:

Proverbs 13:3, Ephesians 4:29/5:4, Colossians 4:6, Matthew 12:37

And if you don’t think your kids need to watch the Grammy’s because of personal concerns or maybe you think they’re too young, then that’s ok. At least watch it for yourself and do this activity for yourself so that you can raise your child in the way they should go.

Kidzville Homeconnect

2011-02-09T11:16:00.003-05:00

Kidzville Parents, I hope you all are doing well and I hope your child had a great time in Kidzville Sunday. As you may know, Sunday was Mission Sunday in Kidzville and the money the kids gave during offering time in Jr. Kids Church and Big Kids Church raised enough money to buy at least 12 chickens for families overseas. What a blessing.

As we go into 2011, I want to remind you that we have two goals we want to achieve with your family in Kidzville…

1-we want your child to experience a transformed life in Christ and

2-we want to see families weave God’s Word into their everyday life.

If your kids are going to experience a successful transformed life in Christ, then they are going to have to make the connection at home. I feel that all we do Sunday and Wednesday is plant a seed and start the conversation; but it’s up to you, as parents, to water that seed and nurture it so that it takes root and grows. That’s what the Kidzville Homeconnect is all about. If we have your email address, each Wednesday, we’ll be emailing you details about what your child will be learning in Kidzville so that you can make the connection at home. We will also be publishing that email on this blog.

This week in Kidzville, your child will be learning that When we doubt, Jesus helps us believe. “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).

In the Bible Story your kids will learn how Jesus walked on water to get to the boat where the disciples were. When Peter saw Jesus, Peter got out of the boat and walked on water, too, until he became afraid and began to sink. Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and rescued Peter. Like Peter, we know that when we doubt, Jesus helps us believe (Mathew 14:22-33).

Strengthen your family’s faith learning and growth at home with this easy idea. Parents: Discuss a time you doubted God and his ability to keep a promise he made in the Bible. Remember, kids can learn from your strengths as well as your weaknesses. Perhaps you lost a job and doubted God’s ability to provide for your family. Or perhaps you made such a big mistake that you doubted God could ever forgive you or use you again. Then talk about how God overcame your doubts and helped you believe by providing for you or using you in a way you could never have expected. Encourage your kids to share any doubts they might be having. Then, as a family, talk to God and ask him to take away your doubts.

After talking with your kids, pray this simple prayer together. God, we’re scared and we need your help. Please help us know that you’re in control when [name each doubt]. Thank you for listening to our prayers and for helping us believe. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself (Mathew 14:22-33 and 2 Timothy 2:13).

We are here for you so if there’s anything we can do to help your family grow spiritually, please let us know. And for those of you who are participating in our 40 Day Fast, we are currently on Day 10 in our Devotions. Click on this link here If you’d like to join in with us. http://www.faith-kidzville.org/Kidzville40daydevotions.pdf You’ll need Adobe Reader to view it if it’s not already installed on your computer. For the link to download the latest version of Adobe Reader, click here http://get.adobe.com/reader/

We are getting so many good testimonies from those of you doing the Fast. Some families are even doing the fast together with the kids…what a way to plant faith in the heart of a child.

Surrounding Yourself with Great People

2011-02-08T15:49:00.004-05:00

I was doing a leadership lesson today from some of John Maxwell's Maximum Impact stuff. I came across some great pointers on Surrounding Yourself with Great People. Therefore, I thought it would be great to share these 6 things with you.

1. Surround yourself with people who have a willingness and capacity to grow.
2. Surround yourself with people who add value to the organization (Kidzville), the team, and you.
3. Look for people who have the same values and vision
4. Choose people who serve one another with joy
5. Look for people who are low maintenance who have good attitudes, solution oriented, self disciplined, and emotionally stable.
6. And last but not least, surround yourself who are filled with a love for God, a love for life, a love for people, and a love for you.

A GOOD LEADER PART 2 OF 7

2010-07-27T09:25:00.001-04:00

In the pastoral staff devotion time we discussed the second characteristics of a good leader...initiative. In acts 27 paul was fixing to go on a voyage in the mediteranian sea...th sea became dangerous and he spoke up...not being the captain of the ship and said...i believe our voyage will bewih much injury and loss to both the ship...cargo...and our lives.

In this situation paul took initiative. when you take initiative...it produces 3 things...
1-shows you care
2-causes people to notice you
3-increases your influence with those u lead

And when u take initiative...u need to be sure to do it in these two ways...
1-offer solutions to the problem
2-use good judgement in presenting solutions

TAKE INITIATIVE TODAY

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THE STILL SMALL VOICE...HEARD

2010-07-19T22:28:00.001-04:00

this afternoon the still small voice was heard...when we finished orientation today one of our counselors just began to tear up. mind you this is one of the counselors who stepped up to the plate because i needed more help...i thought this counselor was here just to fill a space but turns out tomorrow would have been her daughters 24 birthday...who died in an car accident years ago...whatil i didnt know is that god wanted this counselor here this week to be touched by him...god is always at work not through the obvious but in ways we least expect...god also poured out his spirit in another through this same story...also god did an amazing work in our ambassadors and other kids of ours both before during and after the service tonight but that will have to be another blog

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just one

2010-07-16T23:42:00.001-04:00

the time for camp is here and my prayer is that there will be one, just one that will come back this year and be truly changed forever. every year we go to camp and we experience the presence of god and are filled with more love for him but this year i pray for just one to come back so on fire with the holy spirit that they turn their families, schools, neighborhoods, and friends upside down for his glory. its time. and if not now then when? if not them then who? and if not there then where? it only takes one.

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A GOOD LEADER PART 1 OF 7

2010-07-14T13:42:00.002-04:00

Today we had a great staff pastors meeting here at church. We’ve got some awesome things coming down the pipeline. Here’s a look…

-2011 church missions trip to be unveiled this fall

-Church outreach day at boyd lee park

-Upgrading banners, décor, and painting walls

-Christmas outreach including kids and adults

But some of the greatest things we went over was the 7 Characteristics of a good leader. We went over the first one today. I thought this information would be insightful to you all in your personal lives, your jobs, and for the other areas you lead.

Here’s a look at my notes…

-A good leader is trustworthy.

-A leader can only earn the trust of others when…

1. They show an interest in others.

2. People are convinced you will do everything in your power for their good and nothing to their harm.

3. When the interests of others are more important than your own interests.

4. The leader has a passion to help other people under their leadership flourish.

WHO'S THE FOOL...

2010-07-13T08:17:00.004-04:00

Over the last couple of weeks we have been traveling through the great characters and stories from the Old Testament. Our most recent journey took us to Daniel 5 when God called King Belshazzar out on his poor decisions with the famous "writing on the wall". No one could read what God wrote on the wall except his faithful servant, Daniel.

Today in my devotion time, I wanted to go back and look for details as to why God took King Belshazzar's Kingdom from him. Was it the golden cups he stole from God's temple, his arrogance and pride; was it the partying and the concubines, the worship of idols, enslaving the Israelites or all of the above? As I read slower through the text this morning, it says Belshazzar did not humble himself before the Lord, even though he knew this was expected of him. It also says that Belshazzar did not honor the God who holds in His hand his life.

It says in James 4:17, "anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins". We know it says in the bible that the first and greatest commandment is to love the lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (mark 12:30). The bible also says that we must love not by our words but by our actions (1 john 3:18).

Honor is something that we give that's based in accordance to our actions. In order to see if we truly honor God, we must evaluate our trustworthiness which is based on our actions. It says in Psalms 14 that a "fool says in his heart, there is no God." Anytime we put things before God or when we put ourselves first before others, then we say with our heart that there is no God. Too often we try to build a kingdom for ourselves and of ourselves here on earth. That's why I can't stand funerals. I feel like funerals are a time for us to worship a person and the things they did instead of honoring the one who made such life possible.

It says right after verse 1 in Psalms 14 that God looks down on earth to see if there are any who seek Him. In order to truly "honor God" we must be submissive and humble through our actions of worship. It takes more than just coming to church to Honor God. What actions do we make to God to truly show him we honor Him.

The question today is...are you a fool for God, or are you a fool for yourself??? Let us learn from King Belshazzar and not be so easily distracted away from God that we lose our soul.

PUTTING GOD FIRST

2010-06-24T13:44:00.002-04:00

I know it’s been a while since I have posted an update regarding our spiritual focus for the kids. I’ve been working tirelessly on getting our Kids Room complete because we have a lot of awesome things we are launching this September 2010. And good news is...we are on schedule.

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been journeying through the Old Testament in the life of Elijah, a prominent prophet of God in the Bible. From the story when Elijah was fed by Ravens, to the time a woman and her child found hope in an endless jug a water through a three year drought; your kids have been learning how to have faith in a God who’s real and who cares. This week in our LifeChange Lesson journey, the three year drought comes to a close when God proves to the people that He is real through setting a stack of wet wood on fire from Heaven after Elijah prays. Soon after that, the sky grows black with clouds, the wind rises, and a cloud like a man’s hand comes up from the sea and pours a heavy rain upon the land. This was all done when the people of Israel turned their hearts back to God from the idols they were worshiping.

God promises time and time again in His word that if we just seek Him first, everything else will fall into place. The Pastor even told in todays devotion of a spiritual blessing that we will receive if we put Him first… Psalm 37:23-26 (NASB) 23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way. 24 When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the One who holds his hand. Isn’t it amazing how God works. The very thing the kids are learning happens to be the same thing in the pastors devo today. You think God is trying to give us a message???

Too many times when life gets hard or busy God is the first thing we put off, but when its convenient for us to need something, He’s the first one we come to. The powerful thing in this is that we are the ones who have control over how busy our lives are. The also most wonderful and powerful thing is that just like the Israelites who swayed time and time again, God was always there with open arms to receive them, just as He is with us. I tell the kids all the time…you have one life, one chance, and one way…the choice is yours. Be the example for your kids this week by showing them through a prayer at the dinner table, or a bible verse in the living room before beginning the day, that “as for you and your house, you’re gonna serve the Lord”.

This Sunday, we begin our LifeChange Lesson on Jonah. Thanks for your time.

Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself…1 Kings 17:1-6, 7-16, 1 Kings 18:16-46, 1 Peter 5:6-7, Matthew 6:25-34, Joshua 24:15

This post is part of HomeConnect, a spiritual way we are focusing on connecting you with your kids to Raise a Generation of obedient and passionate seekers of Christ.

POWER FROM ON HIGH

2010-06-24T13:39:00.001-04:00

Over the past several weeks in Kidzville, we have been talking with the kids about the Holy Spirit. I’d like you to know about some of the principles we have been teaching your kids so that you will be able to reinforce these teachings at home.

Teaching Principles about the Holy Spirit:
1. The Holy Spirit has been sent to us by God to help us tell others about Jesus
2. The Holy Spirit is with us wherever we go
3. The Holy Spirit gives us power to do great things for Jesus
4. We can do great things by helping others
5. The Holy Spirit not only helps us show our love for others but helps us love God

Right before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He gave us three simple commands…1) go and make disciples of all the nations, 2)baptize them, and last but not least 3) to teach them everything He has commanded

These three commands can seem to be pretty big tasks to accomplish, but Jesus told us that we would not be alone but that He would be with us forever. In fact, He even told us that He would even give us power to do greater things than He did. Well that source of power comes from His Holy Spirit to help us do great things for Him. After all, that’s the two greatest commands Jesus gave us…to love God and love our neighbor.

I know most of you know of the gifts the Holy Spirit gives us as stated in Acts, Romans, and Corinthians but we’re not digging that deep yet with the kids…this is more of an Introductory 101 of the Holy Spirit for the kids. But if you do want to talk with your kids about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, I can provide you all with some great resources to get you started.
Parenting is a proactive word, not just a title. Invest in the spiritual life of your kids…its good for the soul. And don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it and read it yourself…John 14, Acts 2, Psalms 139, Matthew 28

FAITH LIKE POTATOES

2010-02-01T10:48:00.002-05:00

Last night my wife and I watched a movie called "Faith Like Potatoes". It's a Chrisitan movie she found out about through one of those christian book catalogs. Usually I'm not one to get excited about Christian Movies...unbelievable right, considering I'm a Children's Pastor. The reason for that being is I'm more into the intense, action, and realistic blow you away movies. And christian movies are usually unrealistic with the always happy endings, and the "everything always works out where nothing bad ever happens" scenarios. But considering we were snowed in and spending some quality time with the spouse is a positive thing, I went against my usual judgement and watched the movie anyway.

It was slow going but turns out its based on a true life story and a booked called...you guessed it "Faith Like Potatoes". I must say it was quite the faith primer. The main character is a farmer who fails at his first farm and moves to another place trying at it again. He works all the time, fights with his spouse because his nerves are shot from working all the time. Well seeing his emptiness and fruitless efforts, he and his family attend church one sunday and all go to the altar to give their lives to the Lord. After that he goes through this modern day "Paul" journey as if he's living in the days of Acts. Through his faith he heals a girl struck by lightning, prays for rain during a "no rain season" to save his farm from fire, unites a country in a "call to prayer" during a time of war and drought, and even grows a harvest of potatoes when everyone said "it couldn't be done". What a movie...but better yet, what a true story of a family's faith.

How powerful to have the kind of faith to raise the dead. How powerful to have the kind of faith when you pray, you know God will answer. How unbelievable that we all live this very same life everyday when miracles happen but we're just so blind to God's hand in them that we give man the glory. In Ecclesiates 1:14 it says "all things done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, chasing after the wind." Oh how I pray that we would have this kind of faith to step out of our comfort zones and shelters of false tranquility to do the will of an Almighty God; to fall hopelessly in full surrender into his hands. Oh how great works we will be able to do then, making the impossible...possible.

Is what you're doing bringing glory to God? Does the way you dress, the way you act, the things you say and do bring glory to God? If not, then stop what you're doing and give your "life/hopes/dreams/future" to him. It's the greatest and best thing you'll ever do.

Internation Children's Pastors Conference

2010-01-29T10:48:00.002-05:00

Faithful friends and supporters of Kidzville, I hope this newsletter finds you all well. For those of you who don’t know, the church sent my wife and I to Nashville Tennessee to attend the International Children’s Pastors Conference this past month. There I got the opportunity to network with Children’s Pastors from all parts of North America, star in a Music Video with Go Fish...a popular Christian Kids Band, and do a radio show recording for World Christian Broadcasting. And the Hotel we were staying at was so huge that we didn’t have to leave there for a whole week. If any of you are ever in the Nashville area, you need to stay at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. It had its own restaurants, shops, spa, and even a Convention Center.
But beyond all of that it was amazing to see how much we do with our kids compared to churches with 115 people to even 10,000 people. We really have a lot of great things going on here at Faith and I can’t thank God enough for His blessings on our ministry here. Needless to say, my wife and I were able to get lots of great ideas and were both grateful for the experience. Back here on the home front we are gearing up for the Annual Business Meeting that’s going to be January 31. I encourage all of you who can to please come because I’ll be giving my report of the things we accomplished in 2009. For a little sneak peak at the report...our Wednesday Night program outpaced the Sunday Morning growth with 14% growth in attendance when compared to last year...over $10,000 was contributed by Kidzville to Ministry Outreach...and our 5-7 year old program grew by 44% with the addition of the Jr. Kids Church program. That's all I'll give you as far as a sneak peak at my report. Also, at the Business Meeting I'll be reviewing our vision for 2010. It’s amazing what great things God accomplished through our ministry in Kidzville last year and I’m excited about the great things in store for 2010. I can’t think you enough for your support of Kidzville through your prayers, praise, and donations.

GREAT WORK

2009-11-06T14:28:00.001-05:00

Faithful friends and supporters of Kidzville, I hope this update in Kidzville News finds you well. There have been many recent accomplishments in our ministry here at Faith Assembly.

This past month we put on our first ever Harvest Festival in conjunction with Faith Christian Academy and 24.7 Youth. The entire planning team was amazed at how successful the event was. After 2 hours, we had circulated over 200 people through the fun and games, and rose over $1,200 for our ministries. It was great to see everyone pull together at the church to make this event happen for the kids.

In Kidzville, we also had our Monster Movie Night which was sponsored by Blockbuster and Carmike Theaters. As some of you know, this was a Parents Night Out event when parents dropped off their kids to enjoy a movie while they spent quality time with each other. We rose over $150 in concessions and had over 50 kids attend the event; but success for this event was not in the fun or the great numbers. It was what took place after the event that amazed me. When parents came back to pick up their kids, they were filled with life, peace, and joy. And for me, that made the event well worth it. You see, Kidzville is more than just a ministry to kids but it’s a ministry to the family. And our success on the grounds here at church is totally dependent on what takes place in the home.

I’d like to say a special thanks to everyone who made these events this past month possible. May God strengthen us for the work ahead and may He bless us with more workers ready to fulfill His call. From my family to yours, have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Your Children’s Pastor
Kevin Smith

RAISING THE BAR

2009-10-13T16:09:00.001-04:00

Friends of Kidzville, I hope this update finds you well. If not, then be comforted, for the Lord our God is always with us. We have had several accomplishments since the last Kidzville Plug.

Just recently our very own Kidzville Ambassadors performed at the Kidz Rock USA event in Raleigh; one of the largest Kids Ministry events ever put on by the North Carolina Assemblies of God with over 800 kids in attendance. Our Ambassadors did an awesome job entertaining the crowd with the games for the event and did a really great job opening up the event with their “It’s Your Life” Drama in the Musical. In the afternoon, the winner of the video contest was announced and it was, you guessed it, Kidzville! Our kids who participated in the video got the opportunity to go backstage and have a personal meet and greet with the PureNRG band before they performed on stage.

Overall, the event was a success. In fact, our Kidzville Ambassadors did such an awesome job that we received an invitation to help put on several other Kidz Rock USA events across the nation in 2010. I doubt we’ll take the offer considering how much we have going on here at Faith, but the invitation was flattering to say the least, and I think it’s testimony to how awesome our kids did at the event. It told the Ambassadors before we performed that I had two goals to accomplish: to raise the bar for Kids Ministry and to give the Ambassadors an opportunity to serve. And I’d have to say both goals were accomplished.

Back on the home front, last month, we saw 8-9 kids commit to follow Christ and 13 kids were baptized in our second baptism this year. The Lord is doing great things in the lives of these kids but our work is not complete, and never will be until He comes. Thank you to all who have supported us with your finances and prayers; and please continue to do so in the coming months ahead.

Your Children’s Pastor
Kevin Smith

Compassion Wins

2009-09-11T12:04:00.002-04:00

Friends and faithful supporters of Kidzville, I hope this newsletter finds you well. I've been praying about what to update you on over the past several weeks. And I was leading toward telling you about how much work we have to accomplish in getting our kids to have compassion for others but I must say, many things have changed in the course of the last couple of weeks with our Kids.

You see, we created a program called Kidzville Cares which Linda Jo has helped us execute. This program includes something about a missionary or area each 5th sunday, followed by a challenge to the kids. The first missions project we did was raising school supplies for Sgt. Pass, a Marine who was currently stationed in Uganda. Well on Sgt. Pass' free time, he would go into the community of Uganda and distribute school supplies. We gave the kids a challenge and only 6 out of the 50 kids in the program participated. I was devistated at this considering how much we have and how little the kids cared to help others. So over the next several months we really pushed hard in our messages and devotions to the kids about having compassion and loving not through your words but through your deeds and actions.

Well we just recently finished our next Kidzville Cares assignment and I must say the results were drastically different. We just recently wrapped up our Kidzville Missions Project for the Greenville Homeless Shelter and Kidzville fundraiser which raised over $700. It was awesome to see so many in the body of Faith Assembly take part in this project. Of the $700 that was raised, $400 of that was raised by kids who out donated the adults by $100. Go Kids!!! And it only cost us $100 to by the products to feed those at the shelter which means we raised over $600 for Kidzville which we will use to put back into the ministry. Many of the Kidzville Kids showed up around 4pm yesterday afternoon to make all the subs. And the Kidzville Ambassadors then carried the subs down to the shelter and then served those staying at the shelter. The kids said it made them feel confident and encouraged by doing something good. Thanks to everyone who helped make this moment in ministry possible. And we've already moved onto our next missions project which is to raise change for a missionary traveling to Austria. Some kids have already collected change and have even got their classes at school collecting change for the missionary. And I must say that some of these classes are not only in Christian Schools but Public Schools as well. What we are seeing is truly a turn in the tides of the hearts and minds of the kids in Kidzville. A turn towards compassion, love, and selfless faith. And in this I must rejoice because the kids are truly learning how to be the hands and feet of Christ.

Also, another great success over the past month is the recognition Kidzville has received across the State of North Carolina for having one of the best Kids Ministries in the region. The Director of Kids Ministries for the North Carolina Assemblies of God is going to be putting on an event called Kids Rock USA for over 1,000 kids in Raleigh this coming October. Its going to be an all day event packed with games, a jammin' musical, a chick-fil-a lunch, and a full scale musical, all followed by a concert by pureNRG; one of the hottest christian kids bands currently in the music industry. Well the Kidzville Ambassadors have been invited to help put on this event by doing the games and performing a drama in the musical. This is a rare opportunity that many will never see. Just to show you how big this is, out of the 274 AG Churches in North Carolina, only 10 kids ministries have been invited to assist in putting on the event. I think this just goes to show us how much the Lord has blessed Faith Assembly with an awesome group of kids that will be the future leaders of the church. And I think that we are just beginning to see the true potential of all that God is going to do with the Kidzville Kids Ministry here at Faith.

Be blessed in the Lord and thanks for your continued support.

Your Children's Pastor,
Kevin Smith

The Loneliest Generation???

2009-08-03T11:08:00.002-04:00

Friends of Kidzville, I hate to say it but the writing is on the wall. The Stores throughout town have stocked their shelves and staffed their cash registers, which can only mean one thing; tax free weekend is coming and our fantabulous summer is leaving, not to be seen or experienced again until 2010.

It’s amazing though how fast time flies and the older I get, the more aware I become of this. But before we fly into August, I’d like to take a moment now to look back on this past summer; specifically on one event being our 4th year at Camp Dixie.

Every year at camp has been a different experience for me. The first year we went it was the excitement of all the unknowns. The second year it was the excitement of all the fun I knew we were going to have. The third year (last year) was about the realization of the call of God for me to be a Children’s Pastor. But this year it was totally different. I needed nothing from the services because I was finally doing what God called me to do and spiritually I was fine. This year it was all about the kids and the expectancy of watching the seeds grow that have been sown all year long. And man did the Lord pour out His spirit in the lives of these kids. It’s amazing to see 8-12 year olds pour out their heart to Him and seek his face at the altar. And it’s even more amazing to see these kids be filled with the Holy Spirit and receive the gift of speaking in tongues (8-9 of which received). Don’t get me wrong, we had fun all throughout the day; from the high speed go-kart races and chicken fights at the pool, to the canoe battles at the lake and the infamous blob. But the highlight was definitely the services each night.

One thing I always look forward to is spending time with the kids because this is the one time a year we really get to be with them on such a long occasion. During this quality time, you really get a microscopic look into what happens in the heart and homes of the families of our kids. Certain things always stand out like who disciplines their child and who doesn’t or who makes their child clean and who doesn’t. But the main thing that really stood out this year more than any other was the lack of relationships in the home.

Everyday it was a different experience. One child weeping at the pool because “her parents never spent time with her”, the one boy at the alter who wept because “his dad was in prison”, or the young child who told his 6 year old sister “mom and dad are splitting up and if you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here”. Time and time, child after child, this is what resonated throughout camp this year. This truly must be the loneliest and busiest generation of kids I have ever experienced in my four years in kids ministry. And what is so frustrating is that these aren’t kids from orphanages or broken homes but these are kids who have parents, some even with multiple parents because of separation situations. And what’s even more frustrating is that this is something we can control and change. Edmond Burke said “the only thing necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing.” That is so true. In this quote, the “evil” is the loneliness, brokenness, and sadness felt by our kids. The “good men” are our parents. I think the Devil tries to get our schedules so busy that we don’t have time to love God and love our neighbor, the two greatest commandments given to us by Christ. It is so easy for us, whether at our jobs, homes, or even here at church, to get so busy “doing” things that we totally miss out on “taking” quality time to build relationships with our kids.

Parenting is a proactive word. It’s not something you “are” but something you “do”. Parents, start spending time with your kids. And I don’t mean small conversation in the car after school or on your way to the ball field or while you eat dinner watching tv; but take a day and go do something with just you and your child. The rewards will be beyond anything you could have ever imagined.