Mind Doodles

A Great Day!

Yesterday was a truly amazing day at Crosspointe Church.  I am so thrilled to be a part of a community where we can see evidence of life change in such incredible ways.  (It was even better than Oprah's Big Give reality show.) 

Our people accepted the challenge to give the $385,000.00 for the land that the Haitian Children's Home needed.  It was a big request.  We took up the offering last Sunday and yesterday we got to hear what happened.  If you want to see it yourself, check this out.  Not only did we get the $385,000.00--we gave $405,800.00 plus some change in just one week!   I must say it was one of my best ever moments in church.   Afterward, everyone was singing their hearts out in worship to the God who made this all possible. It was so much fun to be a part of.  It's a moment I will never forget. Now, that in itself it fantastic. . .

But, what made the morning even better for me was getting to be in Kidspointe North during the second hour. Kris Loomis, our Kidspointe North Director, had challenged the kids to participate in giving as well.  She does such a great job of communicating how they can make a difference, too.  They raised $390.00 all on their own!  It was so much fun being in there with them when they heard what their offering was and then how much the entire church gave.  One girl even asked the kids coming to her birthday party to bring money for the Haitian Children's Home instead of bringing  gifts for her.  I love stories like that!  

I am so grateful to be along for this ride that God is taking us on!

KIDSpace is coming!!

This Sunday, June 1, is KIDSpace! 

 

KIDSpace is an event designed for your whole family. 

Using comedy, sketches, zany situations, great music, and Biblical truths, KIDSpace is full of laughs, fun, and great moments.  It's not just for the kids (but don't tell them that).  It's really for the parents, because it helps you connect to what your children are learning and gives you a great shared experience to discuss.
Hey!  It's also a great opportunity to invite friends.

We'll start with some fun activities outside (don't forget the sunscreen) at 3:30.  There will be some inflatables, really great music and some killer snacks (okay, no nutrition involved).  You'll have a chance to hang out, visit with friends, play with your kids, dance and eat.  

Then, at 5:00, we'll move into the main auditorium for a one hour show focused on the virtue of COURAGE. It's going to be awesome.  You can always count on our team to do something off the wall--especially Nick and Dave.

And don't forget to check out the Family Time Virtue Pack, which is available at the resource table for $8.00. It takes a close look at the virtue of COURAGE and gives you the tools to talk about it with your kids:  at meal time, at bedtime, during the day, and even during the many hours in the car.  It gives you, the parent, the chance to have the biggest impact on your child's spiritual development!  

Can't wait!  Hope to see you there!

What Scares You?

KidSpace is coming up June 1! This time, we will be focusing on the virtue of COURAGE. So, here's something to think about. Do you have any weird phobias? Unusual things that you are afraid of? There may be an opportunity for you to share these at the event, so be thinking about it.

I have several--I'm a pretty extreme person--with lots of issues.
One thing I'm afraid of. . . when someone has something wrapped around the end of their finger. It sends me over the edge!

The Gang

Here we are last night in one of the main sessions.

So, this afternoon, we are listening to Donald Miller. He's fun to listen to. His book, Blue Like Jazz is a really thought provoking book, if you haven't read it.

There's a great evening session planned and then we're off to dinner. We're going out to enjoy a great meal together and celebrate me--it's my birthday!

Orange?

Today has been a great day. I've spent it hanging out with some of my very favorite people--the Children's Ministry Team! This morning, we got up and drove to Atlanta for a few days to attend the Orange Conference. We're going to hear some incredible speakers, get some fresh ideas and just spend some time dreaming big about children's ministry. What a great time!

We've already laughed so much that my sides hurt. It's 1:00 a.m. Things start at 9:00 in the morning, but, no one wants to go to bed yet. We're having too much fun.

I'll keep you posted. We've got a jam packed day tomorrow. Can't wait to see what we are going to learn.

Environments--Making every moment count

I think one question we should always revisit is "why we do what we do?"
Whether it's within the context of a marriage, or how we parent, or how
we run a business, if we don't keep this question in front of us constantly,
it's easy to lose sight of the vision of what we're trying to accomplish.

We try to do the same thing in Children's Ministry-making sure we're very
intentional about every detail, decision, and policy so that it we can be
the absolute most effective we can with the hour we share in a child's
life each week.

Our goal is to create an irresistible, fun environment where kids can
discover the reality of Jesus and His love in ways they can understand. And
so, we've structured Sunday morning with that purpose in
mind.

Therefore, 15 minutes before service begins....

the doors are open and kids are welcomed into their classes.  Each child goes to an age appropriate class because that is the environment that is created exactly for them.  This is when they have the opportunity to connect with other kids their age and adults who are invested in them.  During this activity time, we try to have a range of activities that would appeal to all types of kids, so that there is always something that will engage each child.

At the beginning of the hour, they begin an intentional KIDS CONNECT time with their small group leader. 
During this time, kids are still arriving.  We know that sometimes things are crazy on Sunday mornings for families.  So, we want to give you some extra time to get settled.  For 15 minutes into the service, we are still accepting kids into the classes.

15 minutes after the service has begun, we move our classes to the large group storytelling room.  At this time, the doors to the lobby are shut and no one is admitted until the children have returned to their individual classes.  We do this for two really important reasons: 
1.  For the safety of the kids as they move from place to place. 
2.  To provide the very best storytelling environment with minimal distractions. 

During this 25-30 minutes, they sing songs that are just perfect for their age.  (Maybe you have heard your child singing some of these songs around the house.) Then, they get to hear and participate in an incredible story that engages them on many different levels.  It's absolutely awesome!  If you haven't been a part of it yet, we'd love for you to come and hang out with us. 

After the story, the kids all return to the classrooms for their small group time.  This is when the small group leader drives the lesson home--we call it the "so what" time.  I heard a great story, "so what" does this mean to me? 
Then, before we know it, parents are arriving to take them home. 

So, while I recognize at times, policies and guidelines can seem like
unnecessary red tape, Crosspointe parents-thanks for being on mission with
us. Thanks for trusting our intent to create the absolute best environment
possible every Sunday morning. And thanks for partnering with us to help
make Sunday morning irresistibly fun and relevant to children in every way
as we help them discover and walk with Jesus.

Environments--Creating a Great Space

Creating a great environment for kids is something we really value at Crosspointe. We want kids to walk in and say "Wow! This is where I want to hang out!" Before anything on Sunday is created and experienced, many hours have gone into the thought process of planning every single aspect of the morning. The reason this matters is because we only have 1 hour with these kids. That's it! The first impression kids have will determine their attitude for the next hour, so we want them to enjoy being with us from the start. If we want to make an impression, it starts with the environment.

So, here's some evidence of the work that has gone on behind the scenes to make this Sunday a home run for our WOW kids. Let me tell you--our prop team rocks!

Using scraps to create something new!

The team in action

The finished product! Isn't it awesome! WAY TO GO TEAM!!!!

More on environments later. . .

Things Don't Just Happen

I've been thinking about this all day--all week really.  There is SO MUCH that goes into creating a really great environment for a Sunday morning. 

Like--

Did anyone notice the giant rubix cube on stage for the past 4 weeks?  It was completely assembled and painted by a volunteer--Steve.  He spent HOURS and HOURS and lost many brain cells as a result of the spray paint.  He actually lost the feeling in his index finger from the constant pressure needed from pushing down the button on the can.  No kidding--but it's back--not to worry.  I've worked with Steve on projects a lot.  He is always so willing to take our dreams and make them a reality--no matter how far out there they are. 

Did you get a chance to walk down the WOW hallway?  I thought it would be a great idea to freshen things up for spring.  (I know, I know. . .we've hired a design team to create a brand new themed environment for that whole area.  But, that is a few months down the road and spring is here now.  So, I pitched the idea and people jumped on board--even though we will be painting over it soon.)  Thanks, Adrianne and Mara for coming in and getting the ball (or the paint roller) rolling.  Both are volunteers with young kids who worked it in to their crazy schedules to help.  And Kristy's fabulous addition of the flowers and bugs took it to a whole new level. You can really feel the excitement buzzing down there now. 

Did anyone see all of the people at church today?  And. . .kids were everywhere!  I love it that way!  It was so awesome to walk by each of the kids' rooms and see all of the people who had stepped up to make sure each room had plenty of adults caring for our kids.  Even a whole crew of students served as small group leaders. Way to go!  Both kids and adults looked like they were having a blast! 

It is amazing what goes on behind the scenes.  I've only listed a few, but there are a hundred other things that happen every week because someone decided to help out. We couldn't do any of these things without the huge army of volunteers that we have.
   . . .things don't just happen.

 

Favorite memories from the past

Okay--I can never get too much of these guys--Nick and Gwenn, some of our awesome teachers in Children's Ministry. Maybe you remember this great moment from Christmas Eve. If not, take a look. If it's over-the-top, then we're all for it.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qMmwP1l579M

And while you're at it--enjoy another look at "The Bucket Thing".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3yiCGaBGOw

Awesome! I love our church!

What's up with the kids?

Maybe you've been wondering what we've been teaching your kids at Crosspointe--Well, here's an update for the week:

WOW--Nursery/Toddlers
    Our youngest Crosspointers are learning about how God made ME!  This week's focus is how God made my hands.  Yippee! 

WOW--3 yr olds-Kindergarten
    Ivan Spyvan and his helper are teaching us that Jesus is loving.  We helped Ivan find the clues to reveal that Jesus loves the little children.  This Sunday, we'll be learning about Jesus and the blind man.  It's going to be great! 

Kidspointe South--1st and 2nd grade
    We have been learning how the Bible all fits together--like a puzzle.  Each piece is unique, but helps to complete the big picture.  We will hear the story of Jesus walking on the water and learn that Jesus is always with me so I can trust Him when I am afraid.  Wow!  Jesus is so awesome!

Kidspointe North--3rd-5th grade
    This is going to be a fantastic week!  We've been talking about Diving In.  And this week, Mr. Dave is going to be talking to us about what it looks like to Dive in to Jesus.  We've invited our parents to come and hang out with us for one of the services.  They can learn along with us and then we'll leave with some things to talk about as families at home.