Spring Volunteer Form

Hey Everyone!  If you're a volunteer with Classic Kids, please fill out this form by December 21st so I can schedule you for next semester!

Blessings to YOU!  And Merry Christmas!!!

Click HERE to go to form!

October Newsletter

November 2^nd : Family Fun Night!  Join us as we watch the newest VeggieTales movie: The League of Incredible Vegetables! Meet us at the Ministry Center from 6-7:30pm.  Bring some pillows and blankets for the kids, and feel free to have them dressed in their PJ’s!

November 16^th: Parents Night Out!!  6-9pm at the Ministry Center.  This is a way for you to go on a date, go Christmas shopping without the kids, do-whatever-you-want-to kind of night while we watch your kids!!!!  Donations will be accepted to fund future Children's Ministry events and to pay our college volunteers for the evening while you're out!  It'll be a fun night--for you and your kids!

Christmas Pageant December 2^nd  during the 10:30am service!  We will begin practice for the pageant on October 21^st during the children’s church hour.  All kids in the pageant need to arrive at 9:30am on December 2nd to get in their costume and run through the pageant before the service.  It is going to be a great day! 

Connection: Youth Service Weekend Oct 12-13th

We are planning for the Winter/Spring now and will have updates to share in the coming weeks!  Stay tuned for more info!! 

Classic Kids Facebook page: Keep up with Classic Kids on Facebook!  I often post information or announcements there!  https://www.facebook.com/ClassicKidsVolunteersAndParents

Dreams for Children's Ministry

Sometimes I read things and they just resonate so deeply with me.  I have been dreaming about our children's ministry program lately.  Dreaming of things to come.  Dreaming with God about it all.  And then I read these words from Wayne Stocks.  What he has to say just resounds in my spirit--makes me dream more for our kids.  I just wanted to share it with you all.  Pray with me about our children's ministry!

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

I dream of a day when our children’s ministry is so God honoring that he will bless us with numbers of kids that we would think unfathomable right now.  I dream of a day when volunteers will be lined up begging for an opportunity to help out in the children’s ministry.  I dream of a time when the kids and leaders in our ministry are so bathed in prayer that they have to come up for air.  I dream of a time when the members of our church view children and youth as the church of today that they are rather than the church of tomorrow.

I dream of the day where the church and parents will work together for the good of their kids and for the glory of God.  I dream of the day where parents are so involved in the lives of their children that they can speak into their children’s lives.  I dream of a day where parents yearn for wisdom to share the gospel and grace of God with their kids; and I dream of a day where the church embraces its responsibility to equip parents to do just that.

I dream of a day where every child is given the gospel every time they are in church and shown how it applies to their lives in such a way that they can make it their own.  I dream of a day when parents talk to their kids about their need for a Savior and God’s provision.  I dream of a day where kids are encouraged to question their faith and given thoughtful and honest answers.  I dream of day where the cross is central to all we do and kids are excited about the Bible.  I dream of a day when parents will talk to their kids about Christ not as “something else I need to teach them about” but as a central part of their daily lives.  I dream of a day where kids will see their parents and leaders living an authentic faith that they will want to mimic and emulate.  I dream of the day when we, as teachers and disciplers of children, will effectively and engagingly walk kids through the Bible and unpack for them page by page, book by book, and story by story, what the Bible tells us about Christ.  I dream of a day when kids will experience the transformative power of the cross for themselves.

I have big dreams.  There is no doubt about it.  Fortunately for me, I have a God who is infinitely bigger than even my dreams.

Volunteers

I'll just go ahead and say it....volunteer management is not my favorite thing to do...mostly because I would rather be with people than behind a computer screen!  So, a way for YOU to help ME is to let me know if you're going to volunteer with Children's Church this fall!  Please do so by filling out the form below!  Thanks so much!!

July 2012 Updates!

Classic Kids Ministry has a lot of fun and exciting things happening in the next few weeks, so here is a way for each of us to stay in touch and informed!  I have converted this blog into the Classic Kids blog!  Post your comments or suggestions for events and activities!

July 13^th: Family Fun Night!  Join us as we watch the newest VeggieTales movie: Robin Good and his not-so-merry men!  Meet us at the Ministry Center from 6-7:30pm.  Bring some pillows and blankets for the kids, and feel free to have them dressed in their PJ’s!

Sunday August 5^th: Promotion Sunday!  Kids who are moving up to new age groups will transition this week!  All children who will have turned 2 by September 1st will move to the 2s and 3s room.  All children going into PreK  or turning 4 by September 1^st will move to the PreK room.  All children going into 1^st grade will transition to the Elementary Room.  All students who just finished 5^th grade will move into the YOUTH GROUP: Connection! 

Also on Sunday August 5^th, the kids will lead the church with 3 songs: Here I am to Worship, Undignified, and Let Your Light Shine!  This will be a fun way to incorporate the kids into the worship service!  We will begin practicing this week for leading worship during the service on August 5th!  You can start practicing with your kids NOW! :o)

We will be singing the following songs and next to them you can find the youtube link for the song: Here I am to Worship by Michael W. Smith http://youtu.be/CoxopsRSfdU

Undignified by David Crowder Band http://youtu.be/4aokWlnJ4d0

and Let Your Light Shine by Hillsong Kids Choir http://youtu.be/oXkxRNEy8XA

Just click on the links and each one has the lyrics, too!  Enjoy practicing on these hot days with your kids!

Wednesday nights at the Ministry Center: Starting August 15^th During the 6-7pm hour, while parents pray for the church, the children will be learning and playing as they discover truths from the Bible through the Jesus Storybook Bible Curriculum.  Join us each week as we learn how the Bible reveals Jesus as the center of each story and how each story whispers His name. 

Volunteer Needs: This fall, I (April) would like to start teaching more in the Elementary class, because I love teaching and want to be able to provide more consistency in their classroom.  I will also need more volunteers for the other classrooms, too!  This means I need some people to float/roam between classes and keep up with the needs of the teachers and volunteers.  This person will report to April every week and discuss the needs of the classes, they will set up the children’s check in tables, help with checking in families and make sure parents know where to drop off their kids.  I need 3-4 people to volunteer for this job, as it will rotate on a monthly basis.  If that is YOU, please email April!  Thanks!

Connection: We are planning for the fall now and will have updates to share in the coming weeks!  Stay tuned for more info!!

Classic Kids Facebook page: Keep up with Classic Kids on Facebook!  I often post information or announcements there!  https://www.facebook.com/ClassicKidsVolunteersAndParents

Interns and Fellows this fall!

Josh Rogers will be our full time student ministry fellow!  He has a heart for youth to really know what they believe and how to live it out every day.  He has a lot of great ideas and will be an awesome addition to our youth ministry team!

Hayley Jeffers will be returning as an intern for the students this fall, and she will help with administration and implementation of youth activities as well as disciple some of our female students!

Stephanie Fraser will be the children’s ministry intern starting in the fall.  She has worked with kids all summer at a camp and is so ready to be back in Athens and working with our kids!  She will be a teacher on Wednesday nights as well as helping with administrative tasks throughout the week!  We are so excited to have her on our team!

If you would like information on ways to support our interns and fellows, please contact April: april@classiccity.org.  I would love to have “Welcome” baskets for each of them as they begin their jobs this fall.  If you would like to contribute to these with gift cards, fun Athens type items, or other gifts, please let me know!

The Bible and kids...

I am pretty passionate about the Word of God.  I believe kids can get a passion for it, too, and that's what we are doing in the ministry at my church this winter.  We are learning the books of the Bible, but more than that, we are memorizing Scripture together and learning why it is important to "Hide the Word" in our hearts.  It is sometimes a difficult concept to practice with kids...but it is important and they will get it!

Knowing God’s Word helps children to make wise decisions in their lives.  When they know Scripture and understand it, they know how to live by it.  The Bible says we are in the world, but not of the world.  We are set apart and different and holy.  There are a lot of things that speak into the lives of your kids and challenge a biblical world view.  I know we cannot stop every voice that speaks to the kids, but we can live our lives pointing to God’s Word.  The Bible should be the filter we should view the world through!  I pray that we can all discover the Word more this year!  I have challenged myself to read through the Bible and do a Bible Study every 6 weeks of 2011. 

This is what Jim Wideman says about the Word of God:

"Just like the church needs a biblical vision for reaching children, so does the family.  Have you ever asked God for what He wants for your family?  I realized that God designed the family to put His

Word into future generations.  So if God gives us the desires of our hearts, what is your desire and

goals for your children?  For me, I wanted our family to be close.  I wanted them to love the Lord with all

their heart and love the Word.  In fact, I wanted them to love the Bible so much that it was 

what they based every choice in their life on."

I love that and want my life to be like that...that I would love the Bible soo much that it is what I base every choice of my life on...I think the more kids see adults model this behavior, they will "get it" and know it is the "real deal"!!  

The most important job!

As you all know, I do not have any children (but I will one day! I will just declare that right now!), but I read parenting books and articles anyway!  I feel like it helps me plan and prepare to work with your children J  Right now, I am reading Parenting Beyond Your Capacity: Connect your family to a wider community by Reggie Joiner and Carey Nieuwhof.  They both help to produce the Sunday School curriculum we are using at the church!  I recommend the book to all parents, or grandparents, or people like me, who don’t have kids yet but will one day!  You will find few things I want to highlight about the book below:

Encouragement for you to establish a lifestyle as a parent:

Widen the Circle…Invite others to invest in your children, so your sons and daughters have other voices that will help share and determine the direction of their lives.

Imagine the End…focus your energy and effort on the issues that will make a lasting impact.

Fight for the Heart…create a culture of unconditional love in your home to fuel the emotional and moral health of your children.

Create a Rhythm…tap into the power of quality moments together, and build a sense of purpose through your everyday experiences.

Make it Personal…Allow your kids to see how you strive to grow so they can understand how to confront their own limitations and pursue character and faith.

I want to be a resource, a help and someone who prays for you.  I pray that by the Spirit of God, you would know His love and know He has called you and equipped you for every good thing….especially to be a parent, which is the most important job you could EVER have!