I had the fortune of growing up in an awesome family steaped in tradition and old-fashion family values.  This wasn’t always something that I appreciated, but as time passes, I have grown to honor it a great deal.  I’m certain these roots lie further back in time, but in my memory, they start with my Grandpa. 

Last week I was able to celebrate the life of Norris Acy Wing, aka Grandpa.  This man was the kindest person I ever had the honor of knowing, and the legacy he leaves behind is entwined in all the lives that he touched throughout the years.  When reflecting on a snapshot of his 88 years of life it could have been one of great sorrow and loss, but Grandpa  triumphed at every challenge, never choosing to look at the negatives, only the possibilities of what lie ahead.

These are a few of the things that come to mind when I think of my Grandpa:

• Grandpa had the best laugh of anyone I ever knew.  It started as this deep chuckle, with the sides of his mouth turned up just so, and would grow into a deep belly laugh, rich with emotion.
• Grandpa had the softest skin.  I loved to hold his hand or kiss his cheek.  His skin was like velvet.  (My mom has the same feel.  One of my favorite childhood memories was sitting in church tracing my fingers over the vein lines on her hands feeling her silk skin beneath my little fingers.)
• If you ever met my Grandpa you would never forget his voice.  Rich, deep, warm, perfect.  If heaven has a choir, he’s singing lead.  One of my favorite memories is him singing at his 80 th birthday an old hymn about Shadrack, Meshack, and Abendigo.  Better than any modern day tune ever.  Shannon and I still stop and dance anytime we hear “It Had To Be You,” which Grandpa sang to us for our first wedding dance the day we got married.
• Grandpa was so gentle.  Wether it was holding a great grand baby or swinging a golf club, everything he did was gentle.  He had a grace about him that was indescribable.  Even as he got older and wasn’t as sturdy, he walked with this peaceful grace.
• Grandpa was never mean.  I can honestly say I never heard him say a negative thing about anyone, ever.  I know of no one else in the world that I could say this about.  He always looked at the positives in people. 
• The list is endless, but my favorite thing about my Grandpa was that he loved Jesus.  He taught his children to love him, his grandchildren to love him, and anyone he came in contact with knew he loved Jesus.  The legacy he leaves behind has not only impacted the lives of those here on earth, but it will have everlasting impact on how those people spend eternity.

I am a lucky girl to have loved such a great man.  Selfishly I was not ready to say good bye, but I am thankful for the heritage and the memories I will always have of this incredible gift I called Grandpa.

It is always thrilling to see our church pull together and provide these free community events for children and their families.  In today’s economy and fast paced schedules, it is a gift to be able to provide families an opportunity to spend quality time together.  The other wonderful thing that always happens at these events is that people who are reluctant to come to a Sunday church service will come to something like this.  Having the chance to show them we are regular people is invaluable.  Everyone coming to the Eggstravaganza will go home with an invitation to attend an Easter Service, Kids’ Camp, Providence Christian Preschool, and other events coming up.

There are lots of ways for you to get involved.  Volunteer to help with setting the 40,000 eggs for our egg hunts happening every 15 minutes or help chaperon one of the indoor bounce houses.  Maybe you and a small group want to host a craft or game station or help pop popcorn, whatever it is, there is a place for you!  Make sure you let me know if you can help make this one of the best Eggstravaganzas ever!

I have lived long enough to remember a time when “Internet” and “email” were crazy buzz words circulating around my college campus, and even if you wanted to check it out, you had to walk across campus and log into the computer lab.  And if you wanted to watch a movie, you had to go to the theatre, or at a minimum drive to the rental store and pick it out.  It’s frightening to think of the technological advances that my children will see in their lifetime.  Waiting will not come easy for them.  But recently I had one of those God given opportunities to teach my daughter a lesson that some things in life are indeed worth the wait. 

Emma was three or four and wanted her ears pierced.  I’m not opposed to ear piercings, I just thought she needed to be a bit older to help in the care process, so without thinking I said, “Sure, when you’re 10.”  Little did I know how difficult this would turn out to be.  Year after year went by with friend after friend getting her ears pierced.  I became the most unreasonable, mean, my only goal in life must be to ruin my daughter’s, kind of mom.  I have to confess, I almost gave in once or twice, because the reality was, it wasn’t that big of a deal, but something told me to stick to my guns.

Emma turns 10 tomorrow.  Our entire family is elated to reach this mile stone and it has been a joy to celebrate her first decade.   As she sat in the ear piercing chair, she turned to me and said, “Mom, this was worth the wait.”  This lesson was so much bigger than getting ear rings.  For me it was a lesson in parenting and follow through, for Emma, it was a lesson in patience.  There will be many more things I advise Emma to wait for in her life and I hope to use this reminder that indeed, some things are worth the wait.

The entire outcome of this massive 16,797,000 square feet building project hinged on the proper placement and durability of  temporary, but vitally important cranes.  The cranes themselves were set into the ground with a foundation that lay 8 stories below the earth, 800 feet below the earth’s surface!  That’s quite a foundation.  Besides the foundation, these cranes were then affixed to the building itself in crucial locations.  One degree the wrong way, the crane could pull away from the building and bring the whole construction project to a halt causing casualties of life and property.

As a leader in Children’s Ministry I am reminded over and over the importance of laying a solid foundation for our children’s faith to grow on.  I never want to forget how important these early years are in the spiritual development of the children entrusted into our ministry.  But watching this building documentary reminded me of the even more important job of making sure our volunteers that help in this building process have a solid foundation to work from.  If their foundation isn’t deep enough, they can easily be pulled out of the ground by the weight of the load they are being asked to carry.  If they are not tethered to the building securely, they can topple, bringing down the buiding with them. 

In 2010 our church is taking deliberate steps to help members grow in 3 vital relationships every Christ follower should pursue: growing closer to God, growing in our relationships inside the church, and growing in our relationships outside the church in hopes of sharing Christ with those who don’t know him. 

By attending services and following up with personal study and prayer, our volunteers can ensure that their foundation remains deep and strong.  By connecting with other volunteers and participating in small groups, our volunteers can tether themselves to the church; allowing them to gain a greater appreciation for the investment they are making into the lives of the children they serve.  And it has been my personal experience that sharing the stories of things happening in Valley Kids with people not connected to the church always brings about questions and opportunities for me to share my faith.

Just as this architecturally stunning building complex could not be built without properly founded and secured cranes, Valley Kids could not begin to build into the lives of our children without our volunteers.  I hope our volunteers never forget the importance of the “building project” they are undertaking each time they serve.  It is an honor to be in the building business with such an incredible team.

God with us.  What does that mean to you today?  As you prepare for this busy week and finish up the last minute details that make your Christmas yours, I encourage you to take a moment and contimplate the meaning behind the name given to Jesus, Immanuel. 

The thought of naming my first born was both a priveldge and a burden.  I wanted to choose the most perfect name because this would define who this little girl would be for the rest of her life.  And then again with my son; what name would he be given that would define his character along with the traits that I hoped and dreamed he would possess? 

Immanuel, God with us.  What a beautiful image.  God, a name above all names, here on earth.  Walking roads with weary feet, rubbing shoulders with friends and enemies, thirsty and hungry, joyful and sad; God in human form.  He could have chosen another way.  There were no guarantees it would work, but he made himself vulnerable and came to earth non the less to be a living sacrifice for our wrongs.

This Christmas, take a moment to remember the meaning behind the name.  Jesus, “”he will save his people from their sins.”  Immanuel, “God with us.”

Over the next 4 weeks  I’d love to hear what your kids are saying about their mornings with us, so be sure and give us feedback!  I know my own kids were very excited about their count down to Christmas chain they brought home Sunday.  It prompted some great conversations during lunch and just this morning I was awoken bright and early as my six year old trying to slip a “love note” under my pillow.  (He is taking these tasks very seriously.)

The following is a brief description of what your Valley Kid will be learning this month:

December 6th, “Prepare the Way”

As we “Prepare the Way” for the holidays we can become distracted by the business of shopping, picture taking, cookie decorating, and more.  Kids are going to be reminded of how God prepared the way for us through Jesus.

December 13th, “Unstoppable Love”

Come experience the story of Mary’s journey to Bethlehem and the birth of Jesus like never before.  This will be a morning of discovering God’s “Unstoppable Love” for us.

December 20th, “What Christmas is Really About”

See first hand what Christmas in NOT about by journeying into the homes of our special guests as they prepare for the holidays.  Kids will have a good laugh as they see the craziness of well meaning family members when they lose sight of the true menaing of Christmas.

December 27th, “Dirty Jobs – Christmas Edition”

Experience the “Dirty Kobs” of Bethlehem.  With the Christmas clean up ahead, kids will hear about the dirty jobs that the children in Bethlehem encountered.  They will learn how keeping focused on Jesus can help keep even the dirtiest of jobs in perspective.

We look forward to spending the month of December with your children in Valley Kids!

 A few times each year at CCV we have the privilege of hosting a day of encouragement for leaders in ministry.  We get together, listen, talk, have lunch, and connect with other people in the business of growing outreach focused churches. 

Next week, December 2nd, 10:00 am – 2:30 pm, CCV will host our quarterly Pastor’s Summit.  The guest speaker this month will be Rick Stedman, the founding Pastor of Adventure Christian Church in Sacramento, CA.  The topic is “Behind the Scenes.” 

I have the opportunity to lead a breakout for other children’s ministry leaders to discuss what it looks like to do children’s ministry “behind the scenes.”   These meetings always leave me refreshed, excited, and charged with new ideas of how to grow our kids’ ministry. 

If you are involved in an independent church, you don’t want to miss this awesome day of connection and growing. 

Christ’s Church of the Valley

1560 Yeager Road

Royersford, PA  19468

610-792-0777

To become a fan of the Northeast Pastor’s Summit CLICK HERE.

Dear Parents,

It is our hope each Sunday here in Valley Kids to teach your children biblical truths that you as a parent can build upon at home.  This letter is an attempt to give you some practical ways that you can apply 2 Corinthians 9:7 to your child’s every day life. 

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”  2 Corinthians 9:7.

 Today your child heard about giving back to God.  Growing up in church myself, I was curious about why my parents put money into a bowl every Sunday.  In my desire to participate I would ask them for extra change to throw in the bowls when they were passed.  I can still remember the sound of the dimes and nickels bouncing around in the trays, the louder the better.  As I grew older and attended “children’s church” without my parents, there was a time each Sunday where children brought their offerings up to the front of the class.  I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to walk proudly in front of my peers and teachers to put my offerings in the bucket.  So every Sunday I made sure to ask my mom or dad for a dollar because now paper money was much cooler than change.  Neither of these experiences taught me anything about the biblical principal of giving back to God what is already his. 

The earlier you can talk to your child about financial matters and putting God first in their lives, the better off they will be as adults.  In researching different approaches to teaching children healthy money saving and spending habits, the following approach is a simple strategy that can be easily implemented.  We have provided 3 labeled envelopes to help you get started.  

From the time your child begins earning money they need to know there are three categories for money management: giving, saving, and spending. 

The first envelope is for giving back to God.  Help your child take the first ten percent of their money and place it in their giving envelope.

The second envelope is for saving.  Help your child put at least ten percent of their money into their savings envelope (even when they are not saving for anything in particular). 

The third envelope is for spending.  This is for the money that remains after the first designations and is to be spent whenever you see fit.

How much and how often your child earns money is up to you.  For further ideas, and to share your thoughts about children and allowances, be sure to check out my blog (kellyclarkonline.com) and read more or share your ideas.

My desire is to give you the tools to lay a foundation of financial responsibility that will last throughout your child’s lifetime, but more importantly, to help your child learn to put God first in their lives.

Kelly Clark

I’d like to hear from you about how you handle chores or allowance in your home.  I’ll be posting more about this topic later in the week so be sure to follow up.

Adding to this event; we planned indoor games (seed spitting, slimey/gooey guessing game, pumpkin golf, tattoo stations, etc.), put together an outdoor corn maze, planned a hayride, invited local food vendors, and inflated the jump houses. 

As we do with all of our children’s events, we sent out email inviations to our data base composed of people that have: attended a children’s event in the past, attend our week day preschool program, our church data base, as well as invites given out at the food vendor’s sights. 

Because this was something we had never tried before we had to explain in detail how we needed our church members to participate.  Our video team put together an awesome video and  the following were the steps we included in a “How to Treat out your Trunk” brochure:

“What is Trunk or Treat?” from CHRIST’S CHURCH OF THE VALLEY on Vimeo.

Step 1:

As a family or group, choose the car you are going to decorate.

Step 2:

Choose a theme.

Think about Sports (skiing or Eagles), Halloween, Time Periods (the 50’s), Places (farm, jungle, or zoo), Disney, Kids’ Movie Themes (the Wizard of OZ), Nautical, Vacation Destinations (Hawaiian Luau), etc…

 Step 3:

Consider adding a game component for kids to play.

(Bean bag toss, football throw, fishing game, duck pond, etc.)

Step 4:

Consider dressing up to match your car theme.

Step 5:

Have candies or treats to pass out.

Step 6:

Be at the CCV parking lot at 5:00 pm on October 23rd for this great outreach event!

 The church rallied like they always do and we had lots of volunteers excited about the evening.  The weather fore casted rain so we sent out a ”rain or shine” email and  CCVers rallied in a big way.  The volunteers graciously brought their car themes indoors and we set up stations around the perimeter of our large worship space. 

Not knowing what kind of crowd to expect (especially because of the poor weather), we waited in anticipation.  I’m happy to say that it was a huge success.  Hundreds of children came dressed in costume and had a great time meeting people from the church.

With any outreach event, our goal is to connect our community with the people in our church in hopes that they see other people just like them and may consider checking us out on a Sunday.  Events like this also give our church families something to invite their friends and neighbors to that may not be as intimidating as a church service.

We have sponsored movie nights in the past with varying results, but recently stumbled upon a formula that resulted in a huge turn out. 

1 – Look for the upcoming DVD releases and choose something that will be released that week, guaranteeing that not many people have seen it other than at the theatre.

2 - Design and print out movie tickets with the necessary information to hand out in the classrooms and adult service.  Encourage kids to take extras to pass out to friends at school.

3 – Send an email invitation to your church data base one week prior, as well as following up the morning of the event reminding them to come.

4 – Pop lots of popcorn ahead of time!  You don’t want to run out or have lines waiting.

5 – Have greeters at the door in themed outfits welcoming your guests and then handing out an invitation to the next event as they leave.

6 – Have a sign up area to gather contact information for individuals that would like to be notified of other great events.

Our Valley Kids Team is always thinking of ways we can give our children opportunities to invite their friends to church.  This is one of those events that allows this to happen for families who aren’t quite ready to check us out on a Sunday morning.  The more they are exposed to the people and the building, the more comfortable they feel, and who knows what it will lead to.