Conviction

Spring is coming early this year.  Trees are blooming, everything is turning green and for the month of March, we're learning all about conviction - standing for what is right even when others don't.  And to do so, we'll be looking in the book of Daniel to see great example of standing for what is right and even what happens when you don't.  We'll talk about Daniel's refusal to eat the food from the king's table.  We'll discuss how Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego wouldn't bow down to an idol and the hot water it got them in.  We'll look at what happens when a king gets so full of himself that he defies God and how important following God's commands were to Daniel, even when facing a den of lions.

As we spend the month talking about conviction, take advantage of the conversations that are taking place in Bible study to create conversations with your child about how that looks in their life and your family.  Remember, our job isn't to teach your child as much as it is to reinforce what you are teaching and give them practical applications for them to form their own decisions.  By doing so, we both partner together in our conviction to give each child every opportunity to know, love and follow Jesus.

Gloria!!!

If your child has been around the Lake Pointe Firewheel preteen ministry very long at all, you've probably been hit up for money for the "Snack Shack".  And while it is a great excuse for us to get your kid sugared up and bouncing off of the wall, the end result is a lot bigger than a candy bar or soft drink.  All of the proceeds from the sales of our "Snack Shack" feed directly back into some sort of missions; whether local, national or global.  And this year, we have elected to use some of that monthly revenue to directly support a girl from Ghana in west Africa.  Her name is Gloria Agbeto.  She is 10 but will be turning 11 on February 27th.  She lives in the small village of Mamakrom.  It is a very exciting thing to think that a couple dozen kids in Garland, Texas would be able to do something that would have such a huge impact on someone half-a-world away.  So the next time your kid begs you for a dollar so that they can get a Dr. Pepper or a bag of Skittles, just remember our friend Gloria in Ghana appreciates your support very much!

Honor

February is upon us and we're going to be looking the virtue of Honor as we put others before ourselves.  In a society that is constantly telling us that we should do things because "we deserve it" and that "we're the most important", it is a battle to convince kids that God wants us to put other people first.  And for our month of Honor, we're going to be looking at the life of David.  From an overlooked shepherd kid not even pulled in for the line up for Samuel to the honor extended to Mephibosheth.  The honor showed to David by Jonathon and the honor David shows God will all be great examples for us to talk about all month.

Every person has value, not because of what they do, but because each and every person has been put together by God. When God created people, He made them in His image. That means every person alive today has been put together in the likeness of God. So every person has value. And it’s our job to help everyone feel like they are valuable. 

Showing everyone they are valuable is a huge deal to God. We look forward to seeing what God can do in our lives and others’ lives if we choose to establish a lifestyle of honoring others.  Please let us know if there is anything we can do to further partner with You, the parent, as the spiritual leader of your child. The Children's Ministry staff is here for that purpose above all else.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2012!  Where does the time go?  And with the coming of the New Year we also are looking at a new month which means a new virtue and this one makes perfect sense for the first of the year.  For the month of January, we'll be looking at the virtue of Self-Control.  As most people are already struggling to maintain their New Year's Resolutions less than a week into it, I can't think of any topic that would suit us better.

For the month, we'll be looking at some pretty wise ideas about the subject of Self-Control from a pretty wise guy; King Solomon.  We'll look at the book of Proverbs for nuggets of truth as we talk about controling our tempers, our words, our appetites and how important maintaining Self-Control is overall.

We'll also be sending home our "Game On, Game Off" bracelet application tools.  These reversable rubber reminders will allow the kids to keep in check with how they are handling Self-Control.  When they are doing good, things are "Game On".  When they are struggling, they flip them over to remind themselves that their game is "Off" and they need to work on regaining control.  Encourage them to use them and let it help form natural conversation at meals and other important times of the day you spend with your child.

Generosity

What better time of year to talk about giving and generosity than Christmas?  And while so often the focus is placed on the gifts we want or our lists to Santa, it is our generosity that truly makes the holidays a joy to us.  This month we've taken a non-typical approach to the Christmas season by not focusing so much on the Christmas story itself, but in our attitudes toward stuff and others.  In the first week of December, we talking about the parable Rich Fool who had such excess that he tore down his large barns to build larger ones to contain his grain.  Our stuff shouldn't get in the way of loving others and sharing with them.  The second week was all about the Rich Young Ruler who was great at following commandments but loved his wealth and stuff more than God.  He went away sad because his stuff got in the way of his relationship with God.  And the third week we are talking about the most extreme generosity there is: sharing the greatest Gift of all with others.  There is no better way to make someone's day - or existence - than by sharing the Gospel.  That the God of the universe sent His only son to become a man, to live a perfect life as an example to us and ultimately die so that we would have the opportunity to be reconciled with God.  And as we celebrate his birth and the fulfillment of God's promise to mankind through this messiah, we can't help but focus on the privilege we have to share the Good News with everyone we can.

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas in Mexico

This year our focus in Children's Ministry is going to be on Christmas in Mexico.  Christmas in Mexico provides a poverty stricken child in Mexico with a Christmas gift, likely to be the only gift they’ll receive for Christmas. The gift also provides an opportunity for the local church to minister to families, invite them to church, and share Christmas love.

For our 4th and 5th graders, we are challenging them all to put together a gift box to send to Mexico.  We will have envelopes with instructions the first weekend in December in our Preteen class, or you can pick one up in the foyer at the Christmas in Mexico display.  Follow the instructions in the envelope which include purchasing gift/s valued $10 to $20 and placing them in a plastic shoe-box sized container.  Wrap the gift in wrapping paper with the enclosed green sticker filled out and drop off in the foyer of the church no later than Sunday, December 11th at noon.

We're hoping to have dozens of gifts from our preteens alone as we are blessed with the opportunity to live out our December virtue of Generosity.  Encourage your preteen to get involved and talk through the experience together.  It will be a great way to kick off the Christmas season!

Gratitude, of course...

There are a couple times a year when the virtue that we focus on lines up completely with the focus of our society.  November is one of those months as we look at the virtue of Gratitude.  Thanksgiving is a great time of year to focus on all the great and wonderful things in our lives that God has blessed us with.  But we're called to have a spirit of gratitude all the time, in all situations, not just once a year.  And with most things, it is an extension of our outlook and attitude.

Our verse for the month is 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  We know how easy it is to give thanks when things go well, but it's looking for the positive things that aren't always as easy to see when times are tough that makes living out this verse so hard.  But we know that God is in control, that He is working all things out for those that follow Him and that growth and reliance come out of trials and suffering.  When we focus on that, our attitude can be adjusted to make the most of all situations and be thankful for any number of things.

As parents, this is such an important thing to model for our kids as so much of their perspective is formed directly from the way they see the the adults in their lives respond when things don't go according to plan.  It's hard to always be positive and to look for ways to be thankful when life gets tough, but it is essential at this age in particular.  Talk to your child about different ways to look at situations.  Ask them questions that get them thinking about both sides of their attitude and the effects they can have on others when they don't show an attitude of gratitude.  Look for examples of people who respond poorly and ask them what they think could have been done instead.