September 2015

Our Next Year of Ministry

With the beginning of school, I

often feel like a chicken with my

head cut-off. Meetings for PTO,

girl scouts, cheer leading and

church fill my calendar. I often

have come to the place where I

have to pick and choose what

will be most important or what I

can devote my time to for this

next year. While you may be

pulled in a variety of areas, I

want to encourage you to make

our parent meeting a priority on

September 13th. I often hear

parents say how they don’t feel

equipped to help their kids make

their faith come alive. I

understand this weight and

burden as a parent myself and I

want to encourage you that you

are not alone! As we planned

out this next year of ministry,

we were excited about the tools,

resources and classes that we

are offering to help you grow

deeper spiritually with your

children and as a family. One of

the great things you’ll discover

is that many of our resources

and classes are small time

frame commitments because we

know how busy and pulled you

are in different directions. I’m

excited to share my heart with

you and provide you with a

calendar that can help you pick

and choose which events will be

most important for your family’s

spiritual needs. I look forward to

seeing you there!

Community Covenant Church 15700 W. 87th St. Pkwy | Lenexa, KS

www.cccks.org | 913.631.0215

Save the Date

Sunday September 13th at 10:00 am in

The K we will be having a Kaleidoscope

Kids Ministry Parents Meeting. . In this

meeting we will provide you with our new

calendar, including all dates for retreats

and summer camps/trips. We will also

share with you some exciting new

resources available and various elective

classes that will be offered throughout

the next year.

Prayer TeamPrayer Team

Each week the children in kWORSHIP write and share prayer

requests. If you are interested in becoming involved in this prayer

team, committing to pray weekly for these children and their

requests, please respond to an email jessica.s@cccks.org.

HomeFront MagazineHomeFront Magazine

Homefront is a great spiritual parenting

resource magazine FREE to all

parents. This publication contains great

ideas for fostering spiritually-forming

times in the home, in the midst of

already active family lives. You can

receive this magazine two different ways:

Download this magazine by

searching homefrontmag on your iPhone/Tablet or Android.

Pick up a hard copy at the magazine rack near the

children’s check-in station.

kSchool/kWorship Offering Project Our kSchool children are working on a new offering project for the

Johnson County Christmas Bureau to raise money for Christmas gifts.

Our goal is $100! Currently we have raised $9.92! Please encourage your

children to bring their offerings to kSchool (10:00am) or kWorship (11:00)

each Sunday.

KFAM CLASSES

Baby Dedication/Baby Baptism Class: On Sunday,

September 20th at 10:00am in Room 210 we will offer a baby

dedication/baby baptism class for expectant parents and

new babies. In this class we will look at the differences

between these two options, look at specific things you can

do to make this milestone more memorable and what it

means as a parent after your precious one has been

baptized or dedicated—in other words, what’s next and how

to best prepare! This class is important for first time parents

or as a refresher course as you learn new spiritual resources

to help you with your new child.

I’m a new Christian, What does that Really Mean? Class:

On Sunday, September 27th at 10:00am in Room 210 we will

offer a class for children (Kindergarten and older) and their

parents about what it means to have a relationship with

Jesus. Whether your child accepted Christ at VBS this

summer for the first time or on multiple occasions, in this

class we will look at what this decision means and what are

the next steps in walking with Christ. At least one parent,

grandparent or significant adult is required to attend this

class with their child. This class will have time for formal

instruction/teaching and also time for family conversations.

On Wednesday September 2nd, kHub begins for children infant

through 5th grade.

Nursery: 0-3 years Room 104

Early Childhood: 3 years-preK Room 107

Elementary: Kindergarten-5th Grade the K

Elementary kids will be broken into two groups

(K-2nd and 3-5th) both groups will have 30

minutes of gym time and 30 minutes of Bible

study.

September 23rd: SERVE Night (Elementary age kids

will participate in service projects throughout this

evening. 3-5th graders will go off-site to Vintage Park to

serve the residents at this assisted living complex. A

new current off-site permission form will need to be

filled out to go on this outing).

Chilren’s Ministry TEAM Day

On Saturday, September 19th from 9:00-

11:30am we will be having an entire

children’s ministry volunteer TEAM Day.

Please come for breakfast, fellowship,

team-building activities and various

workshops. This event is for ALL people

who serve or help in children’s ministry,

whether you serve weekly, monthly or

occasionally we would love to have you

come as we encourage and support one

another as a ministry team.

kLead:

September 12th: Preteens (4-5th

grade) who registered will go to

Wildwood Challenge Course for a

day of leadership and team building

challenges. We will meet at the church

at 8:00am and return at 4:00 pm. *If

you have not registered for this event,

please contact Pastor Jessica by

Sept. 6th and we may be able to add

additional registrations. Cost is $30

which includes lunch.

2016 Missions Trip Kenosha,

Wisconsin (July 31-August 5th): This

year our preteens, 4-5th grade will be

traveling to Kenosha, Wisconsin for the

Week of Hope Missions Trip,

organized by Group Missions Trips. A

$50 non-refundable deposit is due by

October 25th to be registered for this

trip. We welcome ALL parents to

attend as sponsors for this trip.

Estimated Cost is $350-$425.

Fundraising will be available to help

cover the cost of this trip.

TEACHABLE MOMENTS

Guess Who’s Talking? Have family members take turns saying this line into a recording device: “God knows my voice when I talk to him.” Leave a brief space between each person’s line or make a separate audio file for each person. Have family members close their eyes. Play back the voices, and see who can identify each speaker the fastest. Then record people again, letting them use silly voices this time. Afterward, ask: What do you think it’s like for God to hear all our different voices when we pray to him? Read 2 Chronicles 30:25-27. Say: God doesn’t have to guess who’s talking to him. God knows the voice of each person. God hears us all when we pray! Close in prayer, thanking God for always recognizing us and listening to us.

Pray Without Ceasing

Prayer is an opportunity to talk with God at any time, for any reason. It’s also an attitude of always being aware of God’s presence, no matter our circum-stances. When you talk to your children about prayer, remind them that talking to God isn’t an obligation but a privilege. Because children’s perceptions of communicating with God change as they grow, use different approaches to prayer for different ages. Preschoolers enjoy saying and singing simple prayers together. Older kids can look up Bible verses about prayer and may benefit from reminders that no prayers are insignificant to God. Occasionally change up your approach to prayer by using these ideas.

Never Busy Pass around an old phone, and discuss what it’s like to get a busy signal, an answering machine, or an “out of service” message. Read aloud Psalm 4:3. Ask, “Why isn’t God ever too busy for us?” Pass the phone around again, taking turns saying one thing you’d like to tell God. Mime a Message Form teams, and act out messages for one another. Afterward, talk about what was difficult about acting out or trying to guess the messages. Read Psalm 116:1-2. Say, “I’m so glad we don’t have to act out our prayers. When we talk to God, he hears our message loud and clear!” Mighty God With younger children, sing this praise prayer to the tune of “Old MacDonald”: You, O Lord, are powerful. I’ve seen what you can do! But even though you’re mighty strong, You’re kind and loving, too! You help me out when I’m in need. Thank you, God, for loving me! You, O Lord, are powerful. I’ve seen what you can do! Prayer Squares Use chalk to draw several squares on a driveway or sidewalk. Label each square with cat-egories such as “family,” “friends,”

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great

power and produces wonderful results. —James 5:16

“animals,” “food,” “hobbies,” “nature,” and so on. Play music as family members walk from square to square. When the music stops, have everyone stop on a square and take turns sharing one item from that cat-egory they want to thank God for. Offer prayers of thanks for those things. Then play another round. Adopt-a-Leader God tells us to pray for people in authority (see 1 Timothy 2:1-4.) As a family, adopt a leader to pray for each month. It can be a community leader, a government leader, or a spiritual leader. Pray faithfully, and send encouraging notes to let the person know of your commitment and that you’re praying for him or her.

Echo, Echo With young children, pray aloud—one brief phrase at a time—and teach them to echo you. As kids gain confidence, switch roles and let them lead. Ways to Pray Pray together in a variety of postures, such as kneeling, standing, lying down, lifting your hands, and so on. Also vary the volumes of your prayers, from whispers to shouts. Let kids lead the prayers, thanking God for what’s important to them, even if it’s stuffed animals or video games.

MEDIA MADNESS

MOVIE Title: Fantastic Four Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Rating: PG-13 Cast: Kate Mara, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan Synopsis: This is the latest superhero series to get another reboot. After being transported into an alternate universe, the titular four return with incredible new powers—and must use them to fight Doom, a former friend turned evildoer. Our Take: The trailers suggest the characters must wrestle with what their responsibility is to humanity and doing “good” now that they have superpow-ers. Unlike the comic book, Reed and Sue aren’t married, though the film sets them up as a couple. Based on recent Marvel movies, expect little in the way of sex and questionable language.

MUSIC Title: This Is Not a Test Artist: tobyMac Synopsis: This former member of DC Talk has continued to top the charts—selling an estimated 10 million albums between his band and solo career. His new album, This Is Not a Test, features strong beats, stronger lyrics, and guest stars—including Capital Kings, and a reunion with DC Talk band mates Kevin Max and Michael Tait. Our Take: One of tobyMac’s greatest strengths is the way he champions diversity. He understands that God’s love is global, and wants his listeners to see that, too. His new album is catchy, loud, and full of lyrics that challenge people to give themselves completely to God.

Games, Sites & Apps

Mario Party 10 The first Mario Party game for Wii U includes 50+ mini-games. The most unique new feature is Bowser Party; one player controls Bowser, and others play against that person. As with nearly everything Mario-related, you can play this game with everyone.

NASA Kids’ Club

Space enthusiasts of all ages can learn about current missions, play interactive games, down-load puzzles and coloring sheets, and vote in online polls. Educational materi-al is tailored to various ages. Find this site at www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html.

Terraria In this game similar to Minecraft, you’re explor-ing, building, and craft-ing—and at night, bad things come to get you. It’s a side-scrolling game rather than first-person. Due to the 2D platform, room for creativity is limited. Some monsters might be scary for young kids but not for preteens.

CULTURE & TRENDS

Reduce, Reuse Back-to-school spending is expected to drop this year compared to last year, as budget-savvy parents inventory their kids’ existing supplies and see what can be reused. Experts say this applies to families with kids from elementary age to college age—and it includes high-tech supplies, too. (nrf.com) Game Time The amount of time kids spend playing video games affects kids’ behavior more than the type of games played—a University of Oxford study suggests. Kids who play more than three hours per day “are more like-ly to be hyperactive, get involved in fights and not be inter-ested in school,” while those who play less than an hour a day may actually improve in some social and academic skills. (videogamer.com)

QUICK STATS

Phone Home! According to a survey of nearly 2,300 parents, the average age of kids when they get their first cell phone is 6. The majority of parents cited “security” as the reason for the purchase. (vouchercloud.net) Kids vs. Goldfish Attention spans are dropping. In 2000, the average human attention span was 12 seconds. In 2015 it dropped to 8.25 seconds. In comparison, goldfish have an average attention span of 9 seconds. (statisticbrain.com)

This page is designed to help educate parents and isn’t meant to endorse any movie, music, or product. Our goal is to help

you make informed decisions about what your children watch, read, listen to, and play.

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September

8:45 & 11 Worship

10 kSCHOOL

FAMILY WORHSIP SUNDAY

8:45 & 11 Worship

10 kSCHOOL

8:45 & 11 Worship

10 kSCHOOL

8:45 & 11 Worship

10 kSCHOOL

Baby Dedication/Baby Baptism Class

10:00am Room 210

Parent Meeting 10:00am in the K

6—7:30 pm kHUB

6—7:30 pm kHUB

6—7:30 pm kHUB

6—7:30 pm kHUB

SERVE DAY

6—7:30 pm kHUB

kLEAD Wildwood Challenge

Course 8am—4pm

TEAM DAY 9am—

11:30am

“I’m a new Christian-What does that mean?” Class

10:00 am Room 210