Community of Grace Children's Ministry

GAC Project

2009-02-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

GAC kids and parents...

As part of our Make a Difference weekend next weekend, the Grace Adventure Club will be collecting various supplies to send to a Marine battalion in Iraq. The Marines will use these things to reach out to the population in the area they serve.

If you’d like to help make a difference through them, you can bring in any of these items next Sunday:

Chocolate Bars
Flip flops (kids/adults)
Toothbrushes/toothpaste
Multi-vitamins (kids)
Soccer Balls

Let's help make a difference for the folks living in this area!

More GAC fun for January!!

2009-01-08T09:34:00.000-08:00

Are you strong? Brave? Courageous?

In January, GAC will be studying Joshua and the Hebrew people as they journey into the promised land, face fears and look to God for guidance and support. Through fun activities like working with maps, charting routes and orienteering we'll be following the path Joshua took to the promised land. How did those Hebrew people find their way without GPS anyway??? We'll be crossing rivers, creating stepping stones and talking about what it must have been like to trust God, pick up all you own and move without knowing what awaits you. We'll be talking about the question, "Is nothing impossible for God?"

All K-6th graders will want to join us for the adventure!
"Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

UPDATE: What's Happening in GAC in November and December?

2008-11-14T13:36:00.001-08:00

In November we’ll be talking about what life is like for people that are homeless and hungry.
Kids will once again be making corn bags to sell for the holidays!
Get ready to purchase one for yourself or to use as a gift!!

In December we’ll study a unit titled “Follow That Star” with really cool activities like talking about Vincent Van Gogh, mapping the path the magi took to see baby Jesus, making bracelets and more!

Don’t miss out on the learning and the fun!

Coming Up in Grace Adventure Club

2008-10-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

Do you like cool activities and games?
Then you won't want to miss what's coming up in Grace Adventure Club in November!! Check it out!!

November 2nd - "Crooked Answers" team game and "Take It To The Judge" activity
(Story: Deborah)

November 9th - "Splish Splash Relay" and "Thirst Stoppers" activities
(Story: Woman at the Well)

November 16th - "The Emperor's New Groove" movie and discussion
(Story: Jeremiah, Deborah, the Centurian, Woman at the Well)

If you want to know more about these games and activities come join the fun in Grace Adventure Club at 9am or 10:45am this Sunday!!

Purpose Driven Pew Games (Part 3)

2008-10-09T07:16:00.000-07:00

We're wrapping up our look at Purpose Driven Pew Games. Hope you find some useful nuggets in this final segment!

Password
Look over the bulletin together. Ask your child to help you find and circle activities that might involve your whole family, such as songs, prayers, or readings. Underline unfamiliar words you can discuss later. If the order of service is listed, draw an "up
arrow" for when to stand and a "down arrow" for when to sit. Star the songs she knows or have her look them up in the hymnal before the service starts. If there's a song sheet, discuss words she may not know. Teach her the refrain of any new songs, so she can participate.
Write out a list of words the minister might use during the service and have your child listen for them, putting a star by the ones she hears. If your child can't read yet, use pictures instead. To make this a competitive activity, put the pictures or words on a bingo-like grid and let your kids race to fill in their lists. But remind them not to yell, "Bingo!" during the service.

Bonus Points: During the week, help your child make her own word lists. Help her think about words she usually hears in church and write them down or draw pictures on a small sheet of paper. Increase the number and complexity of the words as her
understanding grows.
And the winner is … everyone! These games will do more than simply help your children make it through the service. They'll allow you to integrate church into daily life so that each complements the other. And you'll enjoy a wonderful closeness with
your child in this special area of life.

(Barb Jenista and her sister Sue Miholer coauthored this article based on a workshop Barb developed entitled, "Kids in the Kongregation." This article first appeared in the November/December 2000 issue of CHRISTIAN PARENTING TODAY.)

THOUGHT PROVOKERS
~ The authors end the piece by saying that these games can help integrate your family's church and personal lives. How can you see one or more of these
doing that for your family?
~ In Luke 18:16, Jesus says, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." How might making church more interesting to your child help them "come to" Jesus?

Purpose-Driven Pew Games (Part 2)

2008-09-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

Our look at church "games" continues...

Guesstures
Words and concepts used in church are almost a foreign language to many of us (especially children). Allow your child to whisper to you when he hears an unfamiliar word. After a quick explanation, write down the word to talk about later. When the pastor talks about something your child is familiar with, point it out to him. For example, if your family likes VeggieTales and the minister talks about facing problems, you might whisper, "That's just like 'Dave and the Giant Pickle.'" Whisper praise when he's listening well. After church, talk with him about ways to apply what he's heard to his own life.

Bonus Points: During the week, encourage your child and his friends to "play church." Let them be in charge as you take the role of parishioner. This is a great way to see what your child thinks church is all about and clear up any misconceptions he might have. Your conversations become a natural extension of the sermon.

Win, Lose, or Draw
Bring a sheet of paper and a crayon or marker and help your child take "notes" during the service. She can start with simple pictures of what she sees and hears, moving to words as she gets older. If your child is very young and needs help drawing, take some time before the service to draw stick figures to represent the pastor and any other "players" in the service. If the Scripture readings are based on a Bible story your child knows, such as Daniel or Noah, draw the people and animals from the story.
After church, ask your child to tell you about her pictures and write down what she says. You might even save these "worship notes" in a special scrapbook.

Bonus Points: During the week, prepare listening guides with your child. Find pictures of words he'll probably hear during the service: church, cross, Bible, Jesus. You can find these kinds of pictures in computer clip art, church-related publications and stickers from a Christian bookstore.

(from article "Purpose-Driven Pew Games" by Barb Jenista and Sue Miholer, 2006 Christianity Today.)

Purpose-Driven Pew Games

2008-09-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

**Our next few postings will continue to focus on ideas for keeping kids interested in the church service. **

Combine a squirrelly child with an early morning and an hour-plus service and it's no wonder a young child can have a hard time paying attention during church. You've probably tried distracting your child with toys, bribing him with snacks, even threatening him with a look that says, "Be quiet right now or you'll spend the rest of your life in your room."

But helping your child enjoy church doesn't have to be difficult. With a few creative worship-related
activities up your sleeve, you can encourage your wiggly one to pay attention to the service and even understand what's happening.

Here are our first "games" to try...

Go to the Head of the Class
To limit distractions, help your child choose a seat near the front of the church, with a good view of the altar and pulpit. This allows him to watch the musicians and feel "up close and personal" with the pastor. Before the service starts, talk about the different parts of the church—the altar, the pulpit, the baptismal area, the communion rail, or anything else that might be interesting to your child. Encourage your child to notice how the pastor uses these different parts of the church during the service.

Bonus Points: During the week, take a field trip to the church. Introduce your child to the pastor and other members of the worship team. Let him explore the equipment and different vantage points in the sanctuary. This cuts down on the squirming involved in a visual exploration of the sanctuary during the service itself.

The Ungame
Buy a notebook for every family member and let everyone personalize his or her own notebook. Tell
your kids they can use their notebooks to record sermon notes, write word lists, and note questions
they might have about the service or sermon. Then, before your family leaves for church, have your
children write out one question you'd like them to answer in their notebooks: "How does the music
make you feel?" "What are three things you enjoy about church?" "If you could ask the pastor one
question about today's sermon, what would it be?"

Bonus Points: During the week, use everyone's notes to review the message. Talk about ways you
can apply what you've learned and discuss questions or misconceptions.

(from article Purpose-Driven Pew Games by Barb Jenista and Sue Miholer, 2006 Christianity Today.)

Stay tuned...more to come!!

Busy Bodies

2008-08-22T14:39:00.001-07:00

Keeping "busy" little ones in the church service, in their seat and occupied is a challenge to say the least. Here are a few ideas to try and then come up with more of your own!

*For an older child, make your own fun worksheets. You can create fill in the blank sheets, word searches or quick questions with short answers.

*Create an "I Spy" list with things your child can try to find during church. Be sure to include any special items on display in church that week as well as random items such as "baby," "man with a blue shirt," or "something red."

*Ask your child to draw something she sees at church. Whatever she draws, you'll know what has captured her attention.

*Play a quiet counting game. Before the service make a list of words such as "windows," "candles," or "church helpers," then ask your child to count each of these things and write down the number next to its name.

*For a younger child, bring a few books he hasn't read often to grab his attention. You may want to save a special quiet toy just for church so he is excited to play with it. (A felt book with pieces of animals, people, or object pieces is a great choice as the pieces can be moved around and won't make noise if dropped.)

*A few quiet snacks such as raisins are a great option to keep toddlers happy. Put the food in a snack cup at home so you're not opening loud plastic packages during the service.
(Source: "Busy Bodies" article by Michelle Liese, Spring 2003, Christian Parenting Today magazine.)

Now that you have a few ideas, try to come up with more of your own and feel free to post them as a comment on this blog!! I'm sure other parents would love to have as many tools as possible!

Ten Things Every Child Needs

2008-08-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ten Things Every Child Needs...
1) Interaction - consistent long-term attention from caring adults actually increases a child's capacity to learn.
2) Touch - Holding and cuddling does more than just comfort a baby, it helps your child's brain grow.
3) Stable Relationships - Relationships with parents and other caregivers buffer stress that can harm a child.
4) Safe, Healthy Environment - A Child's environment should be free from loud noise, sharp objects and other hazards.
5) Self-esteem - Self-esteem grows with respect, encouragement and positive role models from the beginning.
6) Quality Care - Daycare from trained professionals can make the difference when a parent cannot be with a child.
7) Play - Time to play helps a child explore his senses and discover how the world works.
8) Communication - Talking with a baby builds verbal skills needed to succeed in school and later in life.
9) Music - Exposure to music expands a child's world, teaches new skills and offers a fun way to interact with a child.
10) Reading - Reading to a child from the earliest days of life shows the importance of reading and creates a lifelong love of books.

(from "Ten Things Every Child Needs" by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, video copyright 1999.)

The Adult Role In Children's Play

2008-08-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

These general guidelines may be helpful:
1) Value children's play and talk to children about their play. Adults often say "I like the way you're working," but rarely, "I like the way you're playing."
2) Play with children when it is appropriate, especially during the early years. If adults pay attention to and engage in children's play, children get the message that play is valuable.
3) Create a playful atmosphere. It is important for adults to provide materials which children can explore and adapt in play.
4) When play appears to be stuck or unproductive, offer a new prop, suggest new roles, or provide new experiences, such as a field trip.
5) Intervene to ensure safe play. Even in older children's play, social conflicts often occur when children try to negotiate. Adults can help when children cannot solve these conflicts by themselves (Caldwell, 1977). Adults should identify play which has led to problems for particular children. They should check materials and equipment for safety. Finally, adults should make children aware of any hidden risks in physical challenges they set for themselves.
(from online article, ED307967 88 The Nature of Children's Play. ERIC Digest.Author: Fernie, David. ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Urbana, Ill.)

Children and Music

2008-08-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

Children have an affinity for music from birth. They need to be involved in music, not just listen to it. Parents and children should make music together. For the adult, it is such a soul-moving experience to observe an infant as she is influenced by and becomes part of the music and rhythms she hears. Infancy is not too early for a child to experience music as a form of recreation, enjoyably integrating the sounds and vibrations into her bodily movements.
The benefits of music are:
*It brings many learning elements together.
*Physical coordination
*Timing
*Engages memory, imagination and language
*Builds self-confidence
*Stirs a response between parents and child that helps build the connection between them.
(from "Ten Things Every Child Needs" by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, video copyright 1999; and "EARLY BRAIN DEVELOPMENT: What parents and caregivers need to know!" by Phyllis Porter, M.A., online article, May 3, 2007. )