Why Do We Call It Christmas - A NEW DVD!

This video is AWESOME!   This video is a part of a new video series that Phil Vischer (Creator of Veggie Tales) has created called "What's in the Bible?" I recently asked De in our Reflections Bookstore to order me the full volume set. The first 6 DVDs in the set are GREAT teachings on the Old Testament. I have been very impressed by them and will probably use clips of them in our teachings with the kids in Winner's Circle. The DVDs even come with a free Digital Copy! AWESOME! Way to go Phil!

But this week, I heard about a new DVD released for Christmas in the same series. The video is called "Why Do We Call It Christmas?"  I couldn't wait to get the DVD in to see it. So I went to www.whatsinthebible.com and found that I can actually download the ENTIRE DVD! Yahoo!

I just finished watching it and it is very well-done and teaches kids so many different things about our Christmas traditions that we all wonder about. I even learned new things from this video and I believe your entire family will learn a lot about the traditions of Christmas and why we do certain things in our Christmas celebrations.

• Why do we cut down trees and drag them into our houses?
• What does Santa Claus have to do with Jesus' birthday?
• Was Jesus born on December 25th 1A.D.?
• Why do we hang stockings on our mantles?
• What is Hanukkah?

"It's an educational, informational, Christmical Party!"

You can buy this DVD in our Reflections Bookstore. De is ordering them today and she says they will be in by December 7th. She said you can reserve your copy today and be the first to receive it when it arrives! She also said if you mention that Pastor Jason sent you, she'll give you 15% off! ;)

Or, if you're a techie like me and you just can't wait, you can download your copy from www.whatsinthebible.com

Check out the Trailer and other clips from the video

My favorite quote from the video... "It's a good thing I brought my flannel graph!"

Enjoy!

More Family Christmas Activites!

Children's Ministry Magazine just posted a bunch more great ideas for families to do at Christmas-time. Let us know if you decide to do them and how they worked for you. We'd love to hear from you!

JUST OUR FAMILY

• Look at a photo album of family memories. Or watch clips from homemade family videos. Begin conversations with "Remember when..." Tape-record a good memory and send it to the person who was part of it.
• Buy a new game as a family gift for Christmas. Open it early and play it together.
• Work on a jigsaw puzzle. Play Christmas carols in the background.
• Each family night, read aloud a few chapters from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens until it's finished.
• Have each family member choose a Christmas carol, read one verse, and tell why it has special meaning.
• Make special cards for grandparents. Together, write a message on each card.
• Have each family member think of something helpful to do for another family member. Write the idea on a piece of paper, sign it, and put it in a box. During the next seven days, do the helpful thing and present the box to the right recipient. Repeat this each week.
• Go for a walk together. Look for the brightest star, the largest pine cone, the most interesting house decorations, and so on.
• Help each other memorize a Christmas verse, a passage, or a psalm.
• Go through the alphabet naming gifts from God. The first person begins, "God gave our family an apple tree." The next person says, "God gave our family an apple tree and a basketball goal." Keep adding items. See how far your family can go through the alphabet and remember the gifts named.

FAMILY FRIENDS

• Invite a family that's different from your own to dinner. It may be a single person, a single-parent family, or a family who has a child with special needs.
• Decorate Christmas cookies with another family. Use a roll of prepared sugar-cookie dough or make your own.
• Take a Christmas lights tour of your favorite places. Combine with other families to use the church bus. Or you could rent a bus if you have enough people. End your tour at someone's house for hot cider and Christmas cookies.
• Get with another family and each share one holiday tradition.
• Have a simple supper together that symbolizes togetherness in the family of God. It may be vegetable soup or a salad that both families contribute to. Note the individual parts and how they make up the whole. Include a loaf of bread to "break bread" together. Read Acts 2:42-47.

FAMILY TO FAMILY

• Make hot chocolate mix, freezer jam, or a simple fruit bread. Give to neighbors or people who live near your church. Write a Christmas message on each item.
• Join with other families to sing Christmas carols to elderly people.
• Trade child care with another family for an evening or Saturday so you can shop, bake, clean, decorate, or sleep.
• Help children shop for gifts for their parents (particularly in a single-parent household). Help children wrap and tag their gifts.
• Adopt a needy family and provide gifts and food for their Christmas celebration.

Family Christmas Activity #3

12 Days of Christmas

What you'll need: an empty egg carton, wrapping paper, tape, scissors, a permanent marker, a flashlight, a pen, a soup can, a penny, paper clip, used staple, pebble, cotton ball, crumpled paper, heart sticker, thumbtack, aluminum foil, tissue, rubber band, and string.

1. Place each item provided in the kit in its own slot of your empty egg carton. Cut a small circle of wrapping paper and tape it over each hole as a cover.
2. Tell your child the egg carton is full of items that'll help your family get to know Jesus, your Savior. Beginning 12 days before Christmas, have your child choose one of the egg carton slots to open each day. Your child may remove the paper and discover the item.
3. Read the Scripture below and follow the directions for the item your child chooses.
   • Penny: Read Philippians 4:19. Have family members take turns naming a need God has supplied. See how long you can go before you run out of ideas!
   • Paper clip: Read Ephesians 2:13. Hook the paper clip to a keychain, zipper, or other item. Talk about how that resembles being united with Christ.
   • Staple: Read Romans 8:39. Talk about what a staple does, and how that compares with God's love.
   • Pebble: Read Matthew 7:24-25. Try to flatten the pebble with your finger. Then set it out as a reminder that Jesus is your rock and your firm foundation.
   • Cotton ball: Read John 10:14-15. Use a permanent marker to draw a face on your cotton ball. Move the cotton ball around like a sheep, and make sheep noises. Talk about why sheep need shepherds.
   • Crumpled paper: Read Philippians 3:8-9. Throw the paper in the trash and call out reasons why Jesus is more valuable than anything else.
   • Heart sticker: Read Romans 5:8. Stick the sticker to something dirty, like a shoe. Talk about why you think Jesus would love us when we were still sinners.
   • Thumbtack: Read Isaiah 53:5. Gently feel the tip of the thumbtack. Talk about the pain Jesus endured to show his love to you.
   • Aluminum foil: Read Hebrews 1:3. Shine a flashlight on the foil, and watch how it reflects off of it. Share ways you've seen God's glory.
   • Tissue: Read Hebrews 2:18. Write your sufferings on the tissue. Then crumple it up and offer it to Jesus in a prayer.
   • Rubber band: Read Ephesians 3:18-19. Wrap the rubber band tight around a can. Then see how many other things you can fit in the rubber band, such as forks, spoons, pens, pencils, and other items. Talk about how God's love never runs out.
   • String: Say, "Sometimes people tie string around their fingers to help them remember something." Have everyone take turns tying the string around their finger and naming three things they've done wrong. When each person removes the string, read Isaiah 43:25.

Excerpted from Children's Ministry Magazine

Family Christmas Activity #2

Take A Census

Read aloud Luke 2:1-5 to see how Mary and Joseph had to travel for the census. Explain to your children what the purpose of a census is and how it is done today.
Then answer the following questions as a family.

Census Questions
1. How many people live in our house?
2. What's the age of the youngest person in our house?
3. What's the age of the oldest child in our house?
4. Why do we have Bibles in our house?
5. What's the best thing about our family?
6. What do we like about our family praying together?
7. What's our favorite thing about Christmas?
8. What's each person's favorite Christmas decoration?
9. When are the best times for our family to talk about God?
10. How does our family's faith help us at school or work?
11. What's something you're thankful to God for today?

Excerpted from Children's Ministry Magazine

Family Christmas Activity #1

As I was reading my Children's Ministry Magazine this month, I found some fun activities for families to do at home to help teach children about Christmas. Here is the first one:

Five Golden Stars
You'll need: 4 small golden stars, 1 large golden star, 4 various pieces of clean "trash", a better item (such as a plate of cookies)

Follow these instructions to lead your family in celebrating Jesus' birth.

1. Get four pieces of clean trash, such as crumpled, unused tissues. Hide them around the house in somewhat obvious locations, and then place a small star sticker in plain view just above the hiding place of each item.
2. Get a better item, such as a plate of cookies, and hide it very well. Place the large star sticker above it, but make sure the sticker isn't easy to see.
3. Tell your family you're sending them on a treasure hunt as they let the stars guide them to look for hidden treasure. Walk with your family as they search, and let them know when they've found all the stars.
4. Ask: How did the treasure under the big star compare with the other treasures? How does the treasure of Jesus compare with other things about Christmas? What things can distract us from looking for Jesus?
5. Say: Jesus is the greatest Christmas treasure of all. He's the very reason we celebrate! This Christmas, remember to look for Jesus. Enjoy the tasty treat together as a family.

Excerpted from Children's Ministry Magazine

A sermon for parents

Yesterday, Pastor Farrell delivered a great message about parents' relationship with their children from Colossians 3.

"Living in relationship with Jesus Christ must positively enhance and impact our relationships with others."

"Parents are directed to build discipline and encouragement into their children." Colossians 3:21, Ephesians 4:6

Click here to listen to the podcast

Click here for the sermon notes

Great Movie! Especially for dads

Go see it!

Kids serving other kids

Yesterday morning I was met by a beaming 4th grade girl in the Studio.

She said, "Pastor Jeff, guess what?"

I looked at her for a few seconds thinking about what the "what" could have been.

I responded, "I don't know. What's up?"

She said, "I brought in $63.00 for the African Children."
She was referring to the African Children's Project we've been giving our kid's offerings to.

I asked her where she got the money. I wasn't expecting the answer I received.

Her response was simple. She said, "Yesterday, I sold lemonade for it.

Wow! It's awesome to see our kids learning that they can make a difference now. They don't have to wait until they're older. How exciting is that?!

Online Chore Chart

Do your children have chores to do around your house?

Do they get an "allowance"?

How do you keep track of their work on the chores?

One of the parents at our Community Group shared this website with us on Friday. www.myjobchart.com

This looks like it could be a great tool for families who might be looking for a way to help track chores.

Thanks Mario!

Do you have to be as tech savvy as your kids are with the internet?

A parent from our church shared this blog post with me today. It is a great article about living in a culture where our kids may know about technology than we do and what we need to do about it. I think you may be surprised at Jon Acuff's recommendation.

http://www.jonacuff.com/blog/do-you-have-to-be-as-tech-savvy-as-your-kids-are-with-the-internet/#more-748

Thanks Melanie!

Parenting Help - Great stuff!

Here’s a link to some great articles on parenting.

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting.aspx

Selfish Box

I was talking with a parent in Winner's Circle the other day about a discipline teaching technique they use at their house and I thought it was worthy of sharing:

Whenever the children in their house fight over or argue over a toy, the parents take the item away and put in the the "Selfish Box" for a period of time to remind the children of their selfish attitude towards that toy.

This really helps children to understand that they shouldn't fight over things, but it also gets to the heart of the problem - selfishness.

Thanks Chris!

Daily Audio Bible

I heard about this website and podcast last night: http://dailyaudiobible.com

They have an adult version and a kids version

Devotional Books for Winner's Circle children

God and Me!: Devotions for Girls Ages 6-9 by Lynn-Marie Ittner Klammer (Legacy P)
God and Me!: Devotions for Girls Vol. 2 Ages 6-9 by Lynn-Marie Ittner Klammer (Legacy P)
Gotta Have God: Devotions for Boys Ages 6-9 by Lynn-Marie Ittner Klammer (Legacy P)
Gotta Have God: Devotions for Boys Vol. 2 Ages 6-9 by Lynn-Marie Ittner Klammer (Legacy P)
Seeing is Believing, Playing for Keeps, Running the Race www.famtime.com

Recommended Bibles for Winner's Circle Children

Versions: NIrV, NCV, NLT

Kids Quest Study Bible

Adventure Bible

Hands-On Bible

Honey Word Bible

NIrV Kids Devotional Bible

Recommended books for Winner's Circle Parents

801 Questions Kids Ask About God (Heritage Builders)
The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell (Moody)
Teaching Kids about God by John Trent, Kurt Bruner, and Rick Osborne (Focus)
Teaching Your Child How to Pray by Rick Osborne (Focus)
Creative Correction by Lisa Whelchel (Focus)
Creative Family Prayer Times by Mike Nappa and Amy Nappa (NavPress)
Have a new Kid By Friday by Kevin Leman (Revell)
Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce A. Ware (Crossway)
Visionary Parenting by Rob Rienow
Parenting Beyond Your Capacity by Cary Niewouf and Reggie Joiner

Leading Kids to Jesus by David Staal

The Spiritual Growth of Children (Focus on the Family)

It Starts at Home by Kurt Bruner and Steve Stroope

Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmell

Music we use in Winner's Circle and Studio

Hillsong Kids

Yancy (www.yancynotnancy.com)

PlanetShakers

Uncle Charlie

Purpose Statement for Generational Ministries

Grace Covenant Church unites with families to lead their children, teenagers and young adults into an authentic, lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ

Together, we commit to…

                incite wonder (generate excitement)

                provoke discovery (identity in Christ)

                fuel passion (to serve)

in children, teens and young adults to love God and love others.