The Story of Hope 2012 & Children

http://www.springcreekonline.com/

2012 is going to be a very memorable year for Spring Creek Church.  Click on the website to see all that's going on.

Though the The Story of Hope series is primarily for our adults I want parents to take their children along on the adventure.  Here are some ways to do just that.

During the year I'll be posting and providing weekly family guides to spark family conversations about the weekly messages.  Mom and Dad, you will hear the message in "big" church and in your Life Group and then take that message home and relay it to your children.  The family guides will be designed to help you follow up what you heard with conversations at home.

I've also prepared a resource list of books, Bibles, and websites that you should consider using with your children.  Here they are:

• Infants & toddlers:  Lulla Bible: Baby’s First Bible Stories & Songs by Stephen Elkins (includes Lullaby CD)
• Preschool & young elementary:  The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones
• Preschool & young elementary:  Read ‘n’ See DVD Bible by Stephen Elkins (includes DVD)
• Mid to upper elementary: NIV (NIRV) Adventure Bible by Zonderkidz
• Upper elementary: The Action Bible by David C. Cook
• Elementary: What the Bible is All About Handbook for Kids by Blankenbaker & Mears
• Bible Stories for Kids & more:  http://essex1.com/people/paul/bible.html
• Bible Stories for Kids: http://biblestudy.pppst.com/bible-stories-for-kids.html

The books & Bibles can be purchased online at www.amazon.com or www.christianbook.com.

We will continue our normal Sunday structure and lessons in KidsCreek and continue to provide Parent Cue's for family talks at home.  As always the more we combine our efforts and energy the more we'll accomplish.  It's going to be a great year and I hope you're all in!

Longest Post Ever - KidsCreek 252 in ReWind

KidsCreek 252 2011

As a Children’s Pastor I am thrilled at what our children are learning and how they are being influenced at Spring Creek Church.  I am thankful that our church leadership is supportive and that we have great leaders that are totally on board with our vision.  I know that what we’re doing is making an eternal difference and that God is pleased.

When I boil it down to the simplest idea my real desire is that our kids will embrace Jesus as their Savior and His church as their home.  I love it that kids want to come to church and that they’re hearing the consistent message of God’s Word about Jesus.  I want them to grow up having committed their lives to Him and knowing that they have a role to play in His church.  All we do with kids revolves around this simple idea.

It’s with great pleasure to review just how the children were influenced this past year.  It has been a great year.

January

            We started off the year with focus and DETERMINATION.  Our direction for the month was God’s instruction, “Let us keep running the race marked out for us” in Hebrews 12:1.  Israel’s experience with the plagues and days spent in the wilderness helped us to see that God can be trusted no matter what and it’s always worth it finish what you’ve started.  We concluded the month with a look at Paul’s determination to finish his “race” no matter the cost.  Scriptures: Exodus 3; 5; 7-11; 12, Numbers 14:1-39, 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11-13, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, Acts 20:24, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

February

            In the second month of this year we looked closely at Jesus’ teaching to “Do to others as you would have them do to you” in Luke 6:31.  This consistent theme threads itself throughout all of our lessons in the year because it impacts all of our relationships.  We saw that not only did Jesus teach this lesson but he modeled it in his KINDNESS to all people.  We learned that we show others their value by how we treat them and that we should treat even our enemies with KINDNESS because they too have value and are created by God.  Scriptures: Luke 6:17-20, 27-36; Mark 10:13-16; Matthew 25:35-40; Acts 9:26-30

March

            In March our lessons revolved around David’s statement in Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you”.  Four of the greatest demonstrations of COURAGE are found in the stories of David and Goliath, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Esther, and Daniel in the lion’s den.  In each of these stories we saw that God is always with us and that we can be brave enough to trust Him and do what we should do even when we’re afraid.  Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17:1-50; Daniel 3; Esther 4, 5:1-8, 7:1-16, 8:3-8; Daniel 6:1-23

April

            The challenging statement of Paul in Philippians 2:3 that we should “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves” gave us a lot to talk about in April. Jesus not only taught the disciples to live this way but Jesus gave us the ultimate example of HUMILITY in his life and death.  We saw how Jesus gave up what he deserved for us because putting God first was his first priority.  In this month we learned to put others first by giving up what we think we deserve like Jesus did for us in his life, burial, and resurrection.  Scriptures: John 13:1-17; Luke 22:39-44, John 18:2-11; Mark 14:53,55-65; 15:1-20,22-33,37-39; Matthew 28:1-10,16-20

May

            In May we were blessed to consider Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”  FORGIVENESS is hard because it means that someone who has wronged you doesn’t have to pay.  We learned that when we choose to forgive instead of holding a grudge or repaying in kind that we are acting like God and pleasing Him.  We also learned that our acts of forgiveness can actually help to change the people we’re forgiving.  The stories of Zacchaeus and Joseph gave us prime examples of lives changed by forgiveness.  Jesus’ parable of the unmerciful servant and teaching regarding reconciliation rounded out the month of learning what it means to forgive.  Scriptures: Matthew 18:21-35; Luke 19:1-9; Genesis 45:1-15; Matthew 5:1-2,23-24; Philippians 4:6-7

We pulled out an additional play for families in May by offering our first ever 252 FamilyX.  This fun and fast-paced presentation for the whole family on Forgiveness provided parents with ideas and tools for further conversation at home.

June

            FAITH was our monthly theme to kick of the summer and Hebrews 11:1 gave us clear direction for our lessons.  “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”  Our Bible lessons from Hebrews this month demonstrated that God’s creation shows us a lot about who He is, that He can be trusted because He always keeps His promises, and He can be trusted even in hard times.  Lessons included the stories of Joseph, Abraham, Creation, and the crossing of the Red Sea.  We also learned that it is by faith in Jesus Christ we are saved.  Scriptures: Hebrews 10:32-35, 11:1-3,8-12,22,27-29; Exodus 14:5-31

July

            Our look into the book for Hebrews carried over into July.  In particular the idea of PERSEVERANCE from Isaiah 40:31 was the prominent lesson.  “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will walk and not be faint.”  We were reminded how God was faithful in bringing others through difficult times and that we too can refuse to give up when life gets hard.  Keeping our eyes on Jesus and remembering that God disciplines us to grow us helped us to see how to carry on in hard times.  Another clear presentation of what it means to be saved and how to trust Jesus as savior was given to the children this month.  Scriptures: Hebrews 10:32-36; 11:32-40; 12:1-3,7,9-15; Matthew 28:20

We took a side journey at the end of the month to talk about the faith skill of navigating the Bible.  The Bereans modeled a diligent study of the scripture in Acts 17 and the kids were taught that they too can read and study the Bible for themselves.

August

            Ephesians 2:8 says “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” and in August we learned that by God’s GRACE we are getting something great that we don’t deserve.  The parables that Jesus told about the lost sheep, coin, and son helped the kids to see that everyone needs to be rescued from their sins and that’s why Jesus came.  We also learned that God will always love me more than I can imagine and that we should offer grace to others as God has to us.  Children were challenged to embrace Jesus as their Savior and accept God’s gracious provision for forgiveness.  Scriptures: Luke 15:1-32; John 3:16

September

            We began the school year by seeing how “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man” from Luke 2:52.  We learned that KNOWLEDGE is important and that it helps us to be better at whatever we do.  Specifically as we learn what God says and obey Him it helps us to trust Him more.  And when we discover what God says, it can make us grow wiser and teach us how God wants us to treat others.  Four events in the life of Jesus guided our study; Jesus in the Temple, Jesus baptized, Jesus tempted, and Jesus in the synagogue.  Scriptures: Luke 2:41-52; Luke 3:21-23; Luke 4:1-30.

We offered our second installment of 252 FamilyX and focused once again on the theme for the month.  Families enjoyed the zany presentation regarding Jesus in the Temple and were given more ideas and resources to continue these spiritual lessons at home.

October

            In October we learned that CREATIVITY comes from God and is a valuable tool in making a mark for Him in life.  We saw in Ephesians 2:10 that “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Like David we can do more good when we make use of the gifts that God has given each of us and that great things could happen if we all used our gifts together.  Scriptures: Genesis 1:1-2:1; Exodus 1:22-2:10; 2 Samuel 23:1-2; Matthew 5:14-16; Acts 2:42-47

November

            November was a terrific month because of our focus on 1 Thessalonians 5:18 that tell us to “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus”.  The kids were reminded that there is always something to be thankful for and there are many times in life where we just need to take some time to adjust our attitude and express our GRATITUDE.  The parable of the vineyard workers and the healing of the 10 lepers gave us vivid examples of what God thinks our attitude should be.  We also took a close look at the Last Supper and how taking time to celebrate what God has done by remembering Jesus’ sacrifice will help us to maintain the right attitude of gratitude.  Scriptures: 1 Thessalonians 5:13; Matthew 20:1-15; Luke 17:11-19; Luke 22:14-20

December

            We’re concluding the year with lessons on GENEROSITY.  In 1 Timothy 6:18 Paul told Timothy to “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share” and we’ve set out to help our children know and obey this command.  The children were influenced by the idea that we can make someone’s day when we’re willing to give something away.  We also saw how we must be careful so that stuff doesn’t get in our way of loving Jesus.  The ultimate gift of Jesus provided the capstone of our teaching and the primary example of what it means to be generous.  Scriptures: Luke 12:13-21; Luke 18:18-25; John 3:16-17; Luke 2:1-18

I think I’m most pleased that children are putting these lessons into action.  I hear from parents almost every month how their kids talk about these lessons and put them into practice at home and school.  We’ve made thank you cards, packed shoe boxes, made cookies, visited shut-ins, wrote notes, and did various other activities to help cement these life lessons in the hearts of our children.  When you add on all the verses and lessons that the children are learning in AWANA you end up with a full and fulfilling year.  We’ve done all these things and more in the hope that our children will discover and embrace a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Looking Ahead in KidsCreek

Quick review and forecast for KidsCreek.

Review:

·         In KidsCreek 252 we spent the month of November focusing on what God says about Gratitude.  The Operation Christmas Child project gave many families a wonderful opportunity to put these lessons into practice with a tangible demonstration of Gratitude.

·         On Sunday November 27^th we finished up our focus on Gratitude.  On this day we did something that I have never done with 200 children before.  We didn’t actually have a communion service but we did show the kids how we remember the Lord’s sacrifice.  After teaching the children about the Passover Feast and the Lord’s last supper with his disciples we gave each child a small cup of juice and a small cracker.  We drank the juice and ate the crackers together just like the Lord did with his disciples and just like we do every month in the communion service.  It was a very cool and I think memorable experience for the children.  That day we learned to take “time to celebrate what God has done” for us.  We learned Gratitude.

·         Yesterday we were blessed by the Children’s Choir and the Little One’s in their Christmas presentations.  These special days are very memorable for the children and leave a lasting impression upon their hearts.  I couldn’t be more pleased with the joy and delight I saw on the faces of our children.

·        

Forecast:

·         In December First Look pre-school children will learn that God has given us His Son and that “Jesus wants to be our friend forever”!  What a great lesson to focus on at Christmas!  First Look (2 years through 5 years) will NOT meet on Christmas day.

·         Our virtue for the month in KidsCreek 252 is Generosity.  Instead of getting all “Wrapped Up” in the trappings of Christmas greed children will be challenged by God’s generous gift of Jesus and the idea of “Making someone’s day by giving something away”.  KidsCreek 252 will NOT meet on Christmas day.

·         We WILL have nursery for children 24 months old and below for the Christmas Eve and Christmas services.

I’m very excited about the conclusion of 2011 in KidsCreek and I believe 2012 is going to be even better!  Stay tuned.

Why a Children's Christmas Program?

As a Children's Pastor I have not always done/approved a special Children's Christmas Program.  So, why do we do them here at Spring Creek Church?

I would include 5 reasons why I think we have one and why it "works".

1) It is a high value to our Senior Pastor.  The program works because it has the endorsement of our Senior Leader.  He encourages it, promotes it, and enables ways to make it happen.  He believes it is good for our children and that it reaches people for Jesus.
2) It is a high value of the congregation.  I think it is fair to say that the congregation expects and looks forward to the program because it is well done and very enjoyable.  The great response each year is demonstrated by a terrific attendance.
3) It isn't hard to get the kids interested.  This year there are almost 80 children participating in our program.
4) It is a benefit to the overall purpose of the children's ministry.  The program is fun for the kids who participate and it gives them an opportunity to learn, develop, and use their gifts.
5) It is lead by a gifted and passionate leader and volunteer team.  This is perhaps the most important reason for the program's success.  The leader and her team (all volunteers) believe there is great value in what they are doing and are willing to put in the time and energy to make it happen.

Each reason plays an important role and I think all of them combined are why it works here.

Children's Christmas

This year the Spring Creek Church Children's Christmas program, The Mystery of the Manger, will be performed by our 2nd though 5th graders on December 4th during both of the morning services.

At the beginning of each service the 3, 4, and 5 year old children will sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Christmas Star" and "The Cows in the Barn" followed by the kindergarten and first grade children singing "The Angel Band" and the chorus for "Go Tell it on the Mountain".  These songs and lyrics are available on the Spring Creek Church website for parents to practice with their children.  You may click on the link below to access the songs.  Scroll down the page to find the songs.

http://tinyurl.com/cz2u8yp

Dress rehearsal for the preschool and K1 groups is Saturday December 3rd from 12:00 -1:00 pm in the Sanctuary.  Please plan to stay during the rehearsal.  Dress is casual for the rehearsal.

Please plan to arrive 10 minutes early on December 4th so that the teachers have time to organize the children for their performance.  We don't want your children to miss out on the program.

5 things I've learned about "successful" Children's Pastors

I'm not one of the old guys yet but I have been around long enough to have observed many children's ministries around the country.  Here are a five observations I've made about what makes leaders successful at what they are trying to accomplish.

1.  The leader possesses a vision that is compelling to him or her.
Leaders that successfully implement their plans really believe in what they are trying to accomplish.  Leaders who struggle to be clear about what they want to do or what is important to them don't have a good enough reason to go the mat for their vision.
2. The leader relentlessly communicates the compelling vision to others.
Leaders who really believe in what they are doing talk about it all the time.  They find ways to talk about it because they think others need to know.
3.  The leader expects parents to be engaged.
Leaders who want to make a lasting impression on children know that parents are the key to influence.  These leaders make significant efforts to educate parents regarding the vision and values of the children's ministry.  These leaders also work hard to motivate parents to be partners in the discipleship process at home.
4.  The leader expects the church to be engaged.
Successful children's ministry leaders think their vision for children is so important that the whole church should be involved in their ministry.  For this reason these leaders work closely with their senior leaders to communicate the vision and promote it church wide.
5.  The leader likes kids to have fun.
These leaders know that the fastest way to lose the attention of their kids is to be boring.  Our children live in a fast paced fun filled world and though our purpose isn't to compete with their world our charge is to fight for their heart.  There is nothing wrong with fun and laughter and successful children's ministry leaders have found ways to make their ministries fun.

Surely there are other contributing factors but these 5 factors are common among the successful leaders I've seen over the years.

Hokey Creek!

Wow!  Did you know you have something to be excited about?  Well you do if you're a Creeker because we had 350 children in attendance in KidsCreek on Sunday!  WooHoo!  This great response is encouraging and the sustained momentum in KidsCreek is worth getting excited over.  Kids love it and if you're a parent that's reason enough to shout.  WOOOOHOOOOOOYOWEEEE!!

Seriously though, if you've been around here long you know that KidsCreek is a fun learning environment for children.  When you drop your children off in KidsCreek you know that they'll have an experience designed just for them.  They will learn how Bible stories are relevant to their lives, how to use Bible lessons in their lives, and how their leaders really care for their lives.  These are great things and as a parent I know I'm thankful for them.

http://tinyurl.com/3v6u3vz

May

The virtue that we are learning about in KidsCreek 252 for the month of May is Forgiveness.  Oh my what a great virtue!  And what a great series of lessons!  This past Sunday we retold the story of the unmerciful servant.  It's one of my favorite stories to tell because children get it and remember it well.  In this parable Jesus asks us to take a glimpse into our own hearts.  How often should I forgive was Peter's question.  Jesus answers with this parable that connects so well with His golden rule.  I'll give this (very) short paraphrase of his answer - "How often do you want to be forgiven?"  The unmerciful servant was overjoyed and so intensely relieved that the King would forgive him.  Why would he not offer that same relief to someone who owed him much less?

This is a powerful series of lessons for our children.  We will also learn lessons on forgiveness from the stories of Zacheus, Joseph, and Mathew 5.  If you're a parent please don't miss the opportunity to impress these things upon your child's heart.

What is 252 FamilyX anyway?

Some wise sage has said that "families need to have more fun together" (thanks Case).  I think he's right and I have this in mind as I prepare 252 FamilyX.  Families do need to have fun together - at church - and I think they can be given meaningful opportunities to learn together too.  Spring Creek Church 252 FamilyX is designed to deliver both of these.

252 FamilyX is built around the KidsCreek 252 Virtue theme for the month of May.  For kids it will reinforce what they are learning on Sunday and for parents it will be a catalyst for being better informed and prepared for spiritual conversation at home.  Typically when families come to church the family is separated.  At Church kids are dropped off just as they are at school or daycare during the week and parents head off to their eventual destination for the morning.  There are some obvious advantages to having learning environments that are specifically designed for each age and maturity level.  However, the downside is that parents often struggle to capitalize on the formative potential of what their children are learning.  252 FamilyX will help to bridge that gap.

I don't know how often or if we'll do the FamilyX experience again but I'm sure that parents who attend will leave having had a great time with their children and primed for spiritual conversation at home.

http://tinyurl.com/3v9w2zr

Why was the Easter Egg Hunt a success?

Once again no helicopter.  The cloud cover was too low.  Once again the weather was less than exciting.  It was cold and a bit rainy.  But it was still a great day.  Why?  Here's a handful of reasons:

1. Children just want to have fun and the Easter Egg Hunt delivers that in a big way.
2. Parents want their children to have fun and from what I saw and heard they were more than satisfied.
3. The Easter Egg Hunt was a real outreach.  Over 1200 people heard the real Easter story and there were many people who heard the gospel who have yet to embrace it.
4. Every generation participated in some way.  It would have been fun to see if we had someone from every age 0-80.  I bet we did.
5. The Easter Egg Hunt contributed to the mission of KidCreek without becoming a distraction from our primary objectives.  Events have a way of clouding purpose.
6. This event generated enthusiasm and excitement from the whole congregation for the children's ministry.  The whole church participated in some way (Prayer, candy donations, volunteers, participants).

No Shoes Sunday at Spring Creek Church

No shoes?  Really?  How cool is that!  In order to raise awareness of the need around the world for shoes & Christ our Pastor Chip Bernhard is challenging the church to leave their shoes at home - or better yet to carry their shoes in with them on Sunday and give them away to someone who needs them more.  We're collecting shoes for Solesforjesus.org who will take them to Africa and give them away to people who need them.  Super cool.

What's even "cooler" is that this Sunday I'll be re-telling the story of Jesus washing his disciples feet.  What a great day to be teaching Humility.  I won't even need shoes though I may need some foot washing!

Your Child's Bent

Do you know your child's "bent"?  Christy and I had a recent chat about the importance of knowing our children's bent after she sat through an enouraging session with our student ministries pastor and his wife.  The basic idea is that children have strengths and if parents pay attention they can encourage those strengths in the activities they choose for their children.  The flip side is true also.  If parents don't pay attention they may and will likely stifle those strengths.

My thought today is that sometimes strengths are hidden and are perceived as a weakness.  Take energy and enthusiasm for example.  I have a son who has enough energy and enthusiasm to move the world off its axis.  If I'm not careful I'll be tempted to stifle that energy because it can be annoying or distracting.  Or I can fan the flame and direct it toward helping him understand ambition and determination.  I've come to understand that this child is extremely head strong and willing to do just about anything to get the job done WHEN HE SETS HIS MIND ON IT.  So to help him with this bent I give him tasks that allow him to see how this ambition can benefit him and others.

There is another side to this coin.  Can a coin have three sides?  This one does.  In my estimation a bent can be used for good or bad.  And here is the third side of the coin.  The bent is not necessarily the problem but how it is being used.  My task as a parent is to recognize the bent, how it is being used, and TRAIN my child how to use it for the good.  When my child uses his or her bent to accomplish bad things it is my job to help him or her know why and how to correct it.  When I was in middle school I had a little trouble holding my tongue.  Whatever came to my mind first I said.  One time I spoke out too quickly and apparently loud enough for the BIBLE teacher to hear.  I couldn't take it back.  I spent the next hour wondering what my penalty would be.  I don't remember the penalty but I do remember what the BIBLE teacher told me.  He told me that the same thought had crossed his mind (well before I blurted it out) but that he had learned to control his tongue.  He didn't discourage my quick whit just my quick mouth.  In doing so he gave me the freedom to strengthen my whit and think about how to use it for the positive.  I'm still learning.

Big Asks Bold Moves

I was thinking about the importance of making Big Asks and Bold Moves this week after reading "axiom" by Hybels.

Here's why I've made the Big Ask of Spring Creek to serve their First Look and 252 children on a weekly rather than monthly basis.

What else that's really important to you do you commit 1 hour a month to?  Its a value statement isn't it?  How would we feel about a different teacher every day in your child's local school?  How effective would that one day a week teacher be compared to the teacher down the road who spends all day with his students?

Look at this from your child's perspective.  How much more likely is it that she will be comfortable seeing the same face each week rather than a different one from Sunday to Sunday.  What are the chances that she will connect on a spiritual/relational level with the month to month teacher?  Many families struggle to get their kids to connect at church already.  Kids from different schools, a new learning environment, and strangers all contribute to their anxiety.  One simple change in our approach will make a dramatice difference.

I'm just saying that the leader that's willing to spend 40-52 hours A YEAR influencing children for Jesus is more likely to make a lasting impression on their hearts than the leader that commits 9-12.

Making A Difference

Parents often tell me great stories about how KidsCreek is making a difference in their lives and their children's lives.  I'm thrilled that KidsCreek 252, first look, and Awana are helping parents in their efforts to shepherd their children's hearts.  Some of the stories are very fun and encouraging so I want to share them here through your posts.

So, tell us your stories.  We'll all enjoy them together.

There is an ancient "specialness" that occurs when parents take initiative in and responsibility for the spiritual lives of their children.  When we are young we need mom and dad to guide and mentor us.  We need mom and dad to take a specific interest in our relationship to Christ.  We need mom and dad to show us where Christ fits in the "normalness" of life.  Conversations on the way home from church, school, and soccer games, along with regular conversations at breakfast, dinner, or bedtime combine to harness the normalness of life for Jesus.  If normal doesn't include Jesus our influence will be toward something other than a healthy spiritual life.