Something New

Like the Blog, but would like something more personal…yep, us too!! So, we are trying something new, a KidzStuff Facebook page. It’s just getting started, and we just need more of you to like us so we can really get kicked off. Just go to the TrueNorth Church KidzStuff page and join up…you will get updates, upcoming events, devotions, and pictures too. Hoping this will be a great way for us to keep up with each other!

Wise Friends

The summer is winding down and here we are preparing our kids for another awesome school year. Just like all you moms and dads, we want our kids to go back to school with all the tools they need to be successful. Here in KidzStuff, the tool we are giving our kids over the next 7 weeks is choosing and being godly friends. We want our kids to understand the importance of surrounding themselves with friends that will help them to make choices that are pleasing to God. Likewise, we desire our kids to be godly friends too. By being a godly friend, they are helping others to know and follow Jesus. Moms and dads, we invite you to join us in this valuable teaching over the next several weeks by downloading the kids devotions. This is a great tool for the whole family.

Have a great week learning together. We look forward to learning to be helpful friends this coming Sunday. See ya there!

New Beginnings for Our Kids

This is the season of new beginnings for our children. On the heals of an amazing 3 days of kidzKamp, our kids are taking in what it means to them personally to break free from sin to live a full life connected to Jesus. This also marks the beginning of a brand new school year…a time where our kids will be faced with brand new challenges and brand new friends. That’s why we are beginning their school year with a new series called Entourage. In Entourage, our kids will learn how to choose godly friends and how to be a godly friend. We want our kids to have new beginnings that are centered on Jesus Christ. Let’s pray for them as they embrace a new school year and watch our kids soar!

For those of you that would like to see a small recap of KidzKamp, take a look at these pictures. See yall in KidzStuff!!

KidzKamp 2011

Hey Y’all, KidzKamp is just one week away!! And wow, is it going to be amazing this year. You don’t want to miss out on awesome lessons with Adam Allen, over the top games, a sweet worship experience with the Element Band, and fun with friends. Come learn how to break free with us.

Sign up by Sunday, July 31 and you will get a kidzKamp T-shirt. Oh, if you are going to 6th grade this year, you are invited to stay with us all night on August 9th. We will go bowling, play games, and watch a movie. Parents will pick up by 7 AM Wednesday morning.

KidzKamp Details:

Dates: August 7, 8, 9
Time: 6-8 PM
Where: The BLOK 1297 W Martaintown Rd

Dinner is served each night and the last night is family night where moms and dads get to join us for the evening.

See ya at KidzKamp!

What Does Endurance Look Like?

This past week, we taught our kids what it means to Endure, doing what is right no matter what happens. I thought you parents might enjoy reading some of the teacher devotions that we use to help us prepare to teach your children. I pray they are as beneficial to you as they are to us as you continue to teach these timeless lessons of truth to your kids.

Read Acts 14:8-20. Before starting any task, most people will decide on some limits. Consciously or subconsciously, we will decide how many problems we are willing to deal with before we will give up. “I’ll work until I feel tired. I’m sorry, I didn’t expect it to be so hot today. I need to take a break. Oh, it looks like it’s about to rain, I guess I need to quit working for the day.” It’s easy to invent excuses if it gets us out of doing something unpleasant. However, when it comes to doing what is right, excuses and quitting should be the last thing on our minds. In this Bible Story, Paul had what most would call a legitimate reason for giving up. The people had tried to kill him! But bloody and bruised, Paul got up and went back into the city. He continued telling others about Jesus no matter what. We should have that same attitude. We have the same mission that Paul had: To tell others about Jesus. And we should never give up on that mission.

Read 1 Peter 4:19. What are some of the ways that you are suffering as you do what is right?

Spend time in prayer this week asking God to help you to endure. Pray for the strength and patience you will need to continue. Put your life into His hands knowing He will never fail you.

Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus

This week, we kicked off our new series, DoJo, 6 weeks of exploring what it means to have a godly character….you know, living our lives in a way that brings honor and glory to God. As we think about the life that is pleasing to God, I can’t think of a more appropriate time to show all of you how some of our kids put their faith into action recently. Remember when we sent the grocery bags home to be filled with food items for the hungry in our area. Well, those items got delivered to Golden Harvest Food bank by one of our KidzStuff families. The Still family has three children in KidzStuff and are committed to teaching their kids what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Not only did they deliver the food, they also took time to hear about how many hungry children live in the CSRA and see how Golden harvest helps those families. Take a look at some of the pics below.

You too can be a part of helping needy families in our area through organizations like Golden Harvest or through Local Impact at TNC. If you are interested in getting connected, contact mikef@truenorthchurch.com.

KidzStuff Water Day

Check out KidzStuff Water Day Pics. We had a great time beating the heat, building friendships, and making memories!!

MARK YOU CALENDARS, JUNE 26TH, FOR A GREAT DAY OF WET FUN ALL 3 SERVICES AND FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY FROM 2-4

Listen, Obey, Change Lives

This week, we taught our kids how important it is to listen to God’s word and even more important it is to do what God says. I happen to love the story we told to teach this valuable lesson. It is the story of Josiah, found in 2 Kings 22 and 23. Josiah was just 8 years old when he became king and he happen to come from a line of evil kings…kings that did not obey God.

Josiah was different. We can only imagine what influences he had in his life to help shape him. What we do know is that King Josiah made a very intent and passionate choice at the age of 26. He decided it was time to repair the Temple of the Lord. During the work on the temple, the men who were working found a scroll. This scroll contained all of God’s commandments and guidelines for His people. The scroll was quickly brought to King Josiah and read to him. When Josiah heard the Lord’s commandments, he was sad because he knew that the people of Judah had not been doing everything that God commanded. Josiah gathered all of the people of Judah and Jerusalem together at the Temple. There he read God’s words to the people and pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul.

After that, Josiah removed the idols from the Lord’s Temple and had them burned. He tore down all the altars and burned the remains. Josiah did more than just listen to God’s Word. He knew that God’s laws are to be taken seriously. Josiah’s commitment and obedience benefitted thousands and thousands of people.

This is an amazing story of how one king made such an impact for the kingdom of God on a nation that had followed pagan worship and evil practices under the prior influences.

Even more amazing, moms and dads and KiidzStuff Leaders, is the fact that Josiah was a mere child when he took the throne….and still very young when he decided to make a difference in the nation he led…a decision to change the present path of evil to a path of godliness.

What that tells us is that our kids have the ability to make Josiah type impacts in their homes, their schools, and their communities. Our kids, with the proper instruction and guidance can and will make kingdom differences.

Let’s train them up in the way they should go and expect to see God use them for great things!!

Words are Powerful

Have you ever hear, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” Wow, really? That could not be further from the truth!! Words have the power to bring harm and the ability to bring healing, love, and encouragement. Words are powerful. That’s what we learned in KidzStuff today!! I would say, that’s a great lesson for us adults too. I found the following blog at gospel.com and it fit our lesson for today so well, I thought I would share it below. Don’t forget to visit the KidzDevotions for some practical application to further learn together as a family this week! And here is the gospel.com devotion:

“The writer of Proverbs describes an unwise person as “one who speaks like the piercings of a sword” (12:18). Our tongues can be like a multi-bladed Swiss Army knife when it comes to the variety of ways that we cut and destroy each other.

Unhealthy attitudes of anger, irritation, frustration, and impatience—even disappointment, stress, guilt, and insecurity—all contribute to our damaging speech. And as we cut with our words, we wound and divide friendships and relationships. It’s no wonder that the infamous list of seven things that are an abomination to the Lord includes anyone who “sows discord among brethren” (Prov. 6:16-19).

How do we stay off that list? For starters, we need to watch what we say. Gossip and slander are out, and words that hurt instead of heal are not welcome. Boasting, lying, and all the rest of the ways we use words to hurt and divide need to be gone as well. In their place, words that extend love and the healing power of forgiveness, mercy, and truth should rule our words and relationships. After all, where would we be if Jesus hadn’t spoken words of forgiving love and grace to us?”

Great stuff!! Can’t wait to hear how our kids used their words this week to help others!! See ya Sunday!