Lots of Info and Back to School Challenge- August 2019
Hey Parents!! Here’s a few things coming up that I want you to know about! Welcome first graders! We had an awesome time clapping you in!! See you later 7th graders! We also had an awesome time at Skyzone this week for our back to school bash! For those of you new to the Power Plant, or if you just have some questions about how things work, I will stay after for a few minutes in the Power Plant again this Sunday, just pop in and ask me, I have a welcome paper that has some information on it as well!! 6th graders!- We have a 6th, 7th, and 8th grade lunch this Sunday, August 25 right after church! Meet Pastor Tracy in the Power Plant right after church, then we will head to the church bus where Pastor Ben and the 7th/ 8th graders will all head to Leah and Kevin Miller’s for lunch. There’s swimming! Bring your suits and towels! 5th/ 6th graders- We will be starting a new kick-off after labor day! You will still be in Power Plant and start in Power Plant on Sunday mornings for part of the time, then for part of Power Plant time during second service, Brian and Nichole Bash will be having a small group time and lesson for 5th/ 6th graders only. I’m super excited about this ministry and think it will be great for 5th/6th graders to have a little bit of their own space during the Power Plant hour. Watch for more activities geared to 5th/ 6th graders! They are not in the youth group yet, and are still in the Power Plant elementary ministry with Pastor Tracy, we’re just trying a separate small group time during the Power Plant hour to see how it goes. UPWARD SPORTS- Upward Basketball and Cheerleading registration will open here at the beginning of September! It is one of the most powerful ministries I know! Hopefully you can get involved this year with your child! I love Upward! J Twice Blessed Sale- September 15-21, 2019- If you’re looking to make some friends or just find some good deals on your kids clothes, you will want to go to twiceblessedsale.org to sign up to volunteer to help! When you volunteer, you get to shop early! It’s totally worth it! J Annual Volunteer Training- September 25 @ 8 am, September 29 at 5:45 pm- If you work in children’s ministry in any capacity at our church or if you would like to, please plan on attending one of these times. The children’s council will bring yummy food for you at each meeting, and we try to make it in one hour. This helps us meet our requirements of training and we would love it if you could make it! Alabaster- September 29, 2019- Alabaster is a special offering we take twice a year where we collect coins to give to missions. This September our offering will go to help fight human trafficking. This sensitive topic will NOT be covered in Power Plant, we will leave that up to you as parents to cover. We will simply call it an offering to fight slavery, just so you know! Revival-October 13-16, 2019- Every year our church brings in a special speaker and focus for a few days usually in October. On Sunday and Wednesday night of Revival, we have fun theme nights for kids! Stay tuned! Christmas Musical- December 8, 2019- Save the Date! Watch for more information to come! In a list format for you: 8/25/19- Baptisms -6th/ 7th/ 8th swimming and lunch at Kevin and Leah Miller’s 9/4/19- Upward Registration Open 9/15/19-9/21/19- Twice Blessed Sale 9/25/19- 8 am Volunteer Training 9/29/19- 5:45 pm Volunteer Training 9/29/19- Alabaster Offering 10/13/19- 10/16/19- Revival 11/10/19- Harvest Dinner 11/11/19-11/13/19- Upward Evaluations 12/8/19- Christmas Musical BACK TO SCHOOL CHALLENGE: It’s back to school season. Our kids need school, they need an education- but they also need Jesus. If I could have one wish it would be the message below: Take your kids to church. Make the effort. Wake them up early. Fool with the belts and the buckles and the fancy hair bows. Endure the sleepy, grumpy faces and the misplaced shoes. Run around like a mad woman gathering everybody’s everything and trying to get out the door on time. Hop to the car with a shoe in one hand and your Coffee in the other. Give those babies a pop-tart and some milk and let ‘em eat it in the car. If its raining, get wet. If its cold, get a jacket. If you’re tired, go tired. But take those babies to church. You know why? Because Jesus is there. He’s there. And He’ll meet them there. And you too, Mama. He’ll be there in the sweet smile of their Sunday School teacher as she greets them into their room. He’ll be there in the goldfish and the apple juice and the filling of their little bellies and hearts. He’ll be there in the hug from a sweet friend and the encouraging smile that assures you that they “just barely made it” too. He’ll be there in the sacred words read from the Bible speaking truth to their little impressionable hearts. He’ll be there in the worship and the raised hands and the watery eyes and whispers of praise. So take them. Carry all of their Bibles and drawings and toilet paper tube creations. Sit by them in worship. Open your Bible and open theirs. Show them how to find the scripture the pastor is preaching from. Show them how to worship. Explain to them why He’s worthy of worship. Let them see you laugh and cry and praise and study. Forgive their wiggles and paper rustles and know that they’re listening even when it seems like they aren’t. Ask them questions and answer the ones they ask you. Introduce them to Jesus. Tell them of His greatness - his power - his faithfulness. Tell them with your words and show them with your life. Tell them what he’s done for you and how you’ve been changed by His grace and forgiveness and goodness and love. Tell them how they can be too. Point them to Jesus. Over and over and over again. Take your kids to church. They’ll love it there. It’s the only place where they can go and just be themselves. They don’t have to “be” good enough or smart enough or athletic enough. They don’t have to perform for approval or achievement. They just get to go and hear how much God loves them. Just because they’re them. Just because He created them, they’re valued. Wanted. Their worth isn’t based on the grades they make or their ability to throw a curveball. Its not dependent on their performance or skill level. And they need a little more of that, don’t you think? A little more grace and a little less pressure. A little more love and a few less demands. Take them to church. Before you take them to the ballfield or the dance studio or the gym. Before you take them on vacation or to grandma’s or to the backyard to play. Take them to church. Let them know its a priority. Show them it has eternal value. Let them see you set aside schedules and extra curricular activities and work and busy-ness to be present with the Lord in His house. I promise you won’t regret it. I promise you it won’t return back void. Take them to church. (Borrowed) Author unknown. See you soon! Pastor Tracy [email protected]
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Tracy StultsMom of 4, children's pastor, Director of Upward Sports, middler summer camp, & regional Bible quiz. Archives
September 2019
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