"If we can be more effective at engaging parents to partner in our ministries, and improve the quality of relationships in the family, we will increase the possibility of a child having a dynamic and authentic faith."
- Reggie Joiner, Collaborate

Egypt VBS - Week 2

It was another great week in Egypt! These pictures show how much fun the kids are having! Make sure to look for "God Sightings" this week, and have your kids come back on Sunday with where they saw God this week.

Sunday, June 27th we are having a picnic for everyone to celebrate our time in Egypt! It is from 12:30pm - 3:30pm. There will be food, games, face painting and fun! You don't want to miss out!

Egypt VBS - Week 1

This past Sunday our VBS began! It was so much fun and the kids had a great time! Every Sunday in June we are heading back into Egypt to learn about Joseph's journey from prison to palace. They kids are split up into family groups and they travel to crafts, games, missions, and worship each week. Check out our slideshow of the fun that we had this past Sunday.

Encourage your kids this week to look at their student newsletter and write down some "God Sightings" - they are going to help us build our pyramid on Sunday! Invite your neighbors and friends to come and join us this Sunday in Egypt!

Parent Time

This past Sunday was our last Sunday on Patience. The bottom line was: if you don't wait, it could hurt others. Here are some questions that you can discuss with your kids this week:

- Has your impatience ever cost someone else?
- What are 3 things you can do to help yourself not give in to impatience?

This Sunday is our last KidZone until September - it has been a great year with your children!

Our VBS will begin June 6th and be every Sunday in June from 9:30am - 12:00pm. You can pre-register your kids online: www.5milechurch.org.

Have a great week!

Parent Time

As many of you know we have been teaching about Patience this month in KidZone. It is funny how whenever I teach on patience the Lord always seems to test me in the process as well :). The story this past Sunday was about the fall of Jericho and the bottom line was: Don't miss out because you think you can't wait. Joshua had his army wait patiently each day as they walked around the wall until it was God's time. Because they waited, the wall fell with the blow of some trumpets. How awesome is that?!

Parents, talk with your kids about this question this week:
What's one of the best things you were glad you waited for?

Have fun talking about the importance of patience and waiting!

Parent Time

Good afternoon! This month is all about Patience - waiting until later for what you want now. This past Sunday the bottom line was don't get tired of doing the right thing.

This week talk with your kids about what patience means to you. What do you think are some of the best reasons to be patient?

Have a great week!

Parent Time

Good afternoon! I hope that you are all having a great week so far. This past Sunday your kids learned about how a good friend will make time for them.

This weekend take some time to read through the story with your child: John 21:1-14. It is the story of when Jesus goes to the disciples while they are fishing after Jesus has already come back from the dead. He tells the disciples to cast their nets into the boat and they catch all of this fish. When they come to shore the disciples realize that it is Jesus and they cook the fish and have breakfast together. Even though Jesus did not come back for the long, he still took the time to have breakfast with his friends.

Talk about the story with your children and tell them about at time when you made time for a friend or when a friend made time for you. How did it make you feel?

Have fun this weekend, enjoy the time you have with your kids!

Parent Time

Good afternoon! I hope that you all had a great spring break. I love the spring, I love taking walks with my husband, opening the windows in my house, not wearing a coat, the smell of fresh cut grass and my list could go on and on. Take advantage of this weather with your kids.

This past Sunday we continued learning about Friendship during KidZone. This past week we talked about the story of Doubting Thomas (John 20:24-31) and how Jesus helped Thomas believe in who He was. Our bottom line was: A true friend will help you believe.

This week I challenge you to tell your story of how you came to know Jesus to your children. Who in your life helped you believe in Jesus and make that decision to follow Him.

Have fun sharing your story with your family!

Parent Time

It is Easter Week. The last week of Jesus' life. This week take some time to read these accounts of Jesus' last week here on earth and talk about it with your child:

Matthew 26:17- 28:61
Mark 14:12 - 15:47
Luke 22:7 - 23:56
John 18:1 - 19:42

This is the cornerstone of our faith. Jesus coming down on earth to die for our sins is the reason why we can be united with Him in heaven! On Easter morning talk about the resurrection of Jesus with your children. What an awesome Father we serve!

Have a great week!

Parent Time

Good afternoon parents! This past week your children continued to learn about honesty through the story of Zacchaeus. The bottom line for this week was: Truthfulness builds friendships; dishonesty tears them down.

Take some time this week during your natural rhythm with your child and talk to them about their friendships. It is so important for your kids to have good influences in their lives and also to be a good influence in the lives of others. Help your child pick one friend that is always honest with them and that they can be honest with. Have them write them a card to thank their friend for always being honest and for being a good friend. Then send it in the mail. Have fun being creative!

Let me know how it goes this week!

Parent Time

Good afternoon Parents! I hope that you are out enjoying the weather today - it is absolutely beautiful outside! Take some time to go on a walk with your kids, or to just sit outside and have a snack together. This is a great opportunity for you to find out how your child is doing and what is going on in their lives.

This week for KidZone your children learned more about honesty. The bottom line for this week was: Lying to hurt someone else really hurts YOU. I have heard some great feedback from our small group leaders about this virtue this month from your kids. It seems like they are really getting it and understanding the importance of being honest.

This week take some time to tell your child about a time when you ever told a lie as a kid that backfired. Tell your child what happened, and how you should have done it differently.

Have a great week!

Parent Time

Good morning! This past Sunday we introduced a new virtue for the month of March - Honesty. This month your children will be learning about choosing to be truthful in whatever they say and do. The bottom line from this past Sunday was - when you're not truthful, you hurt the people you should care about the most.

Sometime this week during one of your natural rhythms with your child (morning time, bedtime, meal time or drive time) talk about these questions:

- What does honesty mean to you?
- Tell a time when you were not honest and what the consequences were. Tell a time when you were honest and how you felt afterwards.

Have a great week, let me know how your conversations about honesty go this week!

Parent Time

Good morning Parents! I hope that you are having a great week so far. I am loving the sunshine this week, it makes it seem like spring is right around the corner :).

This past Sunday was our last week on Honor. The bottom line for the hour was: Honor God OUTLOUD. Your kids made tambourines and danced around like David did in the streets.

This week, take some time to honor God out loud. Pray out out loud together, sing and dance together, or read Scripture together. Take time to do one of these things or all of these things out loud together.

If your child really likes the music we sing during KidZone you can go to amberskyrecords.org and click on the Family Side tab at the top of the page. You can download any of the songs that we sing during our KidZone hour.

Have a great week!

Parent Time

Hope that everyone was able to stay safe yesterday during all of the snow :)! This week your children learned more about Honor during KidZone. The bottom line was: Honor those who are over you.

Take some time this week to talk to your child(ren) about the people in their lives who are over them (teachers, parents, coaches, etc). Have your child(ren) pick one of those people and send them a letter this week thanking them for what they do.

This is one way for your child(ren) to see the importance of those who are placed over us, and how they can encourage them for what they do.

Let me know how it goes!

Parent Time

Each week your children bring home a Fridge Door card and a Godtime booklet. These are tools to help you see what your children are learning and they have activities for you to do throughout the week with your children. This week I loved the questions on the Fridge Door card, that is my challenge for you this week. Sometime during the natural rhythm of your day take the time to talk about these questions with your children:

Parents ask your children:
What could result we make it a habit to honor others and not just ourselves?

Kids ask your parents:
How do you typically show honor for others?

Have fun!

Snow Day!

Good morning! I am so excited about the snow today :), I am sure that your kids are as well. If you are home with your kids today, take some time this afternoon and shovel a neighbor's driveway that hasn't been done yet. It is a way to show your neighbor that they are cared about and loved. Have a great day!

Parent Time

Good afternoon! I hope that you will be able to enjoy the snow today and tomorrow! This past Sunday we introduced a new virtue with your children. The new virtue of the month is: Honor - letting someone know you see how valuable they really are.

The story was all about David and Goliath and how David was overlooked but God used him in a huge way. This week Shannon, our large group teacher, challenged the kids to look for someone during the week who is overlooked and share God's love with them. This can be through a conversation, inviting them to eat lunch or play a game with them, writing them a card, etc.

Talk with your kids this week about people who are overlooked and figure out a way to honor them, to show them how valuable they really are.

Have a great week!

Parent Time

This past week was our last week on Discipline. Your children learned that if you want to know God better, make Him more important than anything. We talked about different ways to make God important in our lives - through giving, serving, praising, and reading His Word.

I want to challenge you this week to do the activity on Day 2 of your child's Godtime Card. With your child write a descriptive word for God on a sheet of paper and decorate it together. Then hang it on the fridge or somewhere you all will see it for the week.

Have fun being creative!

Parent Time

This past Sunday your kids learned more about discipline. The bottom line this week was: If you want to know God better, talk about Him with your friends.

Each week your children are given Refrigerator Door cards to take home. This week there are two questions that I really love on them and that is going to be my challenge for you this week with your children.

Ask your kids: What do you know about Jesus that you could tell a friend?

Have your kids ask you: Who was the first person to tell you about Jesus?

Have a great week!

Font Size

I am not sure what is going on with the font size - but I apologize for the large font in the previous post. I can not seem to fix it.

Parent Time

This past week at KidZone your kids learned how important it is to talk to God. During our large group time we led the kids through an exercise to help them learn how to pray:

P raise - What are some things you can praise God for?
R ecognize - Recognize the wrong things that you have done and
A sk - ask for forgiveness
Y ou and others - pray for your needs and the needs of those around you

Take some time this week with your child(ren) and go through this prayer exercise with them.

Parent Time

As you know this month your children are learning about Discipline. The story that was taught on Sunday was about Jesus when he was tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). The kids learned how Jesus used Scripture to fight temptation and the importance of knowing the Word of God and having it memorized.

The faith skill for this week is: Personalize Scripture (memorize and apply)

As a family this week pick out one scripture that applies to your family situation right now. Right it down and work on memorizing it all week long as a family.

Let me know what Scriptures you choose!

Parent Time

Happy New Year! It seems crazy that it is 2010. This month we have started a new virtue in KidZone. The virtue for January is Discipline: doing what you need to do now so you can grow stronger.

Each week your children will be learning a new faith skill. This past Sunday they learned how to Navigate the Bible. The main idea is if you want to know God better, read His book. During large group and small group time they learned the importance of how to navigate through the Bible.

This week take some time to work with your kids on looking up these to verses:
1 Timothy 4:8
2 Timothy 3:16

Have a great week!