Plan for September 30

This week, we are on to the next Grapple unit. This unit is called Fact or Fiction, and the focus is on the Bible. You will start with the question, "Did God really write the Bible?" Gear up for some interesting, perhaps open minded discussion!

You can find that lesson here. The following topics in this series include:

"How do I know the Bible is true?"
"How is the Bible different from other books?"
"Why should the Bible matter to me?"

This series is a great opportunity for you to encourage the kids to bring their own Bibles to Alive! In fact, Ms. Jenna has already told them that if they all bring their Bibles this week, she will personally donate $10 to the Festival of Stars basket fund.

Feel free to offer incentives for them to bring Bibles! Children's Ministries will gladly provide candy, special prizes, etc. for Bible bringers if you would like to keep track of that.

Enjoy the next four weeks of Bible focus!

Recap of Field Trip on September 23

How was the first Alive! field trip day? Jenna and Cindy reported to me that the hour was great, but I would love any more detailed feedback you may have. If you weren't there, you can check out the plan for the morning here.

Because there just wasn't enough time for the Alivers to share their stories back to the whole group, that is something I'd like for you to finish this week

Jenna will return for the beginning of Alive! this Sunday (Sept 30) to lead the wrap-up of last week's project. She will any children who attended last week to:

1. Share the Bible story their worked on last week or at home.
2. Explain how that story relates to their own lives. 

For example, if a child tells the story of Noah, she could finish by saying that Noah trusted God by building the boat and getting inside, and she can trust God to take care of her as well. 

All Alivers who share and relate will have completed their first Milestone! Each Aliver that completes this Milestone will earn $5 for the Festival of Stars basket. I can't wait to show them what all we can fit into that basket with their earnings!

Please contact me prior to Thursday evening with any questions you may have.

Coffee, anyone?

The Children's Ministry Team would like to thank you for your amazing leadership on Sunday mornings. As a small gesture of support, we will begin providing coffee, bottled water, and (occasional) treats for you each week.

Starting this Sunday, please help yourself to coffee and pastries in the kitchenette that is on the lower level of the Children's Wing, right next to Room 005. You will find coffee, cream, sugar, cups, bottled water and pastries. Feel free to brew a fresh pot any time during the morning - we want you to have the freedom to make it however you like it, so we will leave that part up to you.

Thank you, and please help yourself! If there is any other way the Children's Ministry Team can support you, please let us know. Blessings,

Your Children's Ministry Team
Steve Jones, Chair
Teri Allen, Sunday Coordinator
Jenna Wheelock, Sunday Coordinator
Kim Smith, Sunday Coordinator
Andy Stone, Inviting Ministries
Jenny Fishback, Serve Coordinator
Amy Ashton, Early Childhood Coordinator
Janet Hagerty, Nursery and Childcare Coordinator
Lisa Watkins, Music Director for Childrenand Students
Sarah Flannery, Director of Children's Ministries

September 23 - Field Trip

This is our basket!

Festival of Stars is an annual, 3-week silent auction in Fellowship Hall during the month of November. This year, the Outreach and Justice Team is providing empty baskets which people can fill with themed items and return. The baskets will be wrapped and auctioned off, and the proceeds will benefit charities. 

I have signed Alive! up to fill one such basket. But, rather than having the kids (read: their parents) purchase items for the basket, Alivers will spend this Sunday earning the money needed to fill the basket with all sorts of wonderful things. 

Alivers will earn this money by working toward and completing some of the Milestones set for this group this year. Each child that completes a Milestone this Sunday will earn $5 toward the basket. This means that you will need to keep track of how many children achieve a Milestone and let Ms. Sarah know afterward!

To provide guidance and answer questions, Jenna Wheelock will join you this week. Jenna is a member of the Children's Ministry Team who has worked closely on the development and implementation of Milestones. She will get you started and then stay the whole hour to assist or lead as needed. 

We will focus this week on just a couple of this year's Milestones:

1. Share with the group a basic Bible story (such as Good Samaritan, Noah's Ark, Prodigal Son, etc.), and demonstrate an ability to apply that story to own life. 
2. Memorize the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40)
3. Memorize the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)

Jenna will start you off with #1, helping the kids to choose a Bible story they know, find it in their Bibles, review it, tell it, and then connect it to their own lives. 

If everyone gets through that Milestone and there is still time left, the kids can start working on #2 and #3. 

Summary

We will work on the 4th-5th grade Milestones as projects to earn money for a Festival of Stars basket, which will be auctioned off to raise money for charity. 

Hint: Encourage the kids to find the basket in Fellowship Hall in November and get their parents to bid on it! 

The BFF Series Has Ended!

I am eager to hear how this first unit of Grapple has gone. Please send me an e-mail, write me a text, or comment on this post with your thoughts about the last four weeks of:

• Why do some people have more friends?
• Am I only supposed to be friends with Christians?
• Do I have to like everybody?
• Why are my friends so mean sometimes?

The next post will introduce this week's exciting "field trip" activities, but take a look at what's coming up after that in the "Bible - Fact or Fiction?" series:

• Did God really write the Bible?
• How do I know the Bible is true?
• How is the Bible different from other books?
• Why should the Bible matter to me?

It's going to be a fun semester! Share your thoughts now - GO!

Alive! for September 16

Gear up for some heart-felt sharing this week, because the Grapple question is "Why are my friends so mean sometimes?" And maybe bring some tissues.

Here's the link to this week's lesson plan.

Self-release update

We discovered quickly yesterday that there was a problem with Check-In, which meant that no Teacher Tags printed for 4th-5th graders. Since the self-release information was contained solely on the Teacher Tags, there was no way to know who was allowed to self-release and who wasn't.

I have fixed the problem this morning, so Teacher Tags should print this coming Sunday. Therefore, please do enforce self-release procedures this week! If you need a reminder about that procedure, click here.

Thanks for leading this group so beautifully! Let me know how I can support you, please! I'm just an e-mail, text or phone call away.

Alive! Plan for September 9

This week, the BFF theme continues, with Jill leading and Betsy and Becky assisting. You get to ask the question, "Do I Have to Like Everybody?", and I'm sure the kids will have plenty to say in response.

Keep in mind that this is 2nd Grade Bible Sunday, so our numbers may be up a little bit because many families will make a point to attend. We are also coming off of a holiday weekend, so I anticipate having good numbers this week. Plan for at least 25 kids.

Room Update

Cindy and I met with Terry Strange, our wonderful scoutmaster, to discuss the use and needs of the Scout Room. Terry has created space for us to install a cabinet with doors for supplies, and he graciously moved the fire pit and some other items out of the main room to improve traffic and make it roomier. Terry is a wonderful leader, and I'm grateful we get to share space with someone as easygoing and accommodating as he is.

Additionally, Cindy let me know that you all could use a more portable dry erase board so that you can write on a board without messing with the Scout messages that might be on the main board. I will endeavor to have a smaller dry erase board (like 3"x4") in the room either this Sunday or next, so that you can simply place it in front of the main board and use it without worry.

Please let me know what else we can do to make that room the best possible fit for all parties. Thank you!