Get Linked Up

• Can I send mail to campers at White Mills next week?  What should a camper pack?  These and more questions answered HERE!
  
  
• How many hours per day do you spend on Facebook?  How about our kids?  Thoughtful article on Facebook addiction.
  
  
• 6 Things Every Preschool Teacher Needs to Know. A few of these apply to ANY teacher of youth or children
  
  
• Guy by the name of Jon Acuff has a pretty witty church blog called Stuff Christians Like; LOTS of funny stuff!  Enjoyed this post on Church Signs this week.

Investment Opportunity at CCC

I am in search of individuals willing to make a small investment into children's lives on Sunday evenings from 6:30-7:00 pm.

I'm asking you to pray about leading a short devotion time for our children that would inspire them to live out basic principles of God's love in their lives.

The most vital qualification is a willingness to be present in their lives and make an investment in their spiritual growth.

If you have questions or want to express interest, please contact Blake via email or cell phone (270) 403-7723

Taking Root,
Blake

This Week's Wins at CCC

I wasn't with you all Sunday as I took a weekend to celebrate with my family before the summer began.  However, still a couple of cool WINS this week!

Ms. Debbie's class finished a great semester with a trip to Miller Park! Ms. Debbie has made a HUGE investment into a ton of kids lives this semester by committing to her class every week!  They finished a great semester with a Scripture Hunt at Miller Park.  What a great idea!  If you get a chance, thank Ms. Debbie for her commitment to this ministry.

Some of the coolest electrically charged hair I've seen in quite some time!

Want another good reason to get your kid signed up for KidServe?  Picture this EVERY Wednesday night in the gym!

What other WINS did I miss?  Share the WINS I haven't heard about so we can celebrate together!

Taking Root,

Blake

6 Ways to Invest in Your Child or Teen During This Holiday Weekend

Families have a little more time together this weekend than usual.  

Take advantage of it and invest in your teen or child by trying out some of the following:

1. Read together from Matthew 7:24-27.  Build some kind of house (cards, sandcastle, legos, lincoln logs..) and then destroy it.  Use the building time to talk about some of the things that could destroy our spiritual "homes."
   
   
2. Talk about a loved one who has passed on and remember their good qualities.  Pray with each other asking God to help bring about some of those characteristics in you.
   
   
3. Purchase some flags to remember a fallen veteran in your family and take your kids with you to place it on their grave.
   
   
4. If you're making some kind of a dish for a Memorial Day party, include them in the process!
   
   
5. When the crowds start to separate after the big meal on Monday, try to be intentional about spending some of that time playing with your child/teen instead of sipping lemonade with the adults.
   
   
6. Work with your child/teen to make a plan to serve at your family get together.  Maybe you will plan to be the ones who gather the trash or clean the dishes.  Maybe you can be the ones to serve drinks or sweep the floor.  Whatever it is, process it ahead of time so that your son or daughter understands their serving others!

Which one(s) will you try? 

What are some other ideas for connecting spiritually with our children?

Get Linked Up

I've collected a few useful links that came through my blog reader, email, and social media that you might want to dig into yourself.  Take a look!

• 5 Suggestions to Make Family Time More Effective
• Cool use for Mayo especially if you've got little ones that like to color on your walls!
  Use Mayonnaise to Clean Crayon “Art” From Your Walls
• Powerful Video on Internet usage/safety for our children:  Just One Click

Signed up to Serve in our Summer Programs? Come Hear the Gameplan!

I had no idea what to expect when I asked for 75+ people to invest in the lives of our young people through our 2 main programs this summer, but CCC responded in a HUGE way! We have 2 great teams of people lined up to serve on Sunday and Wednesday nights!

If you were one of those people who said I'm in, you're going to need some more information about the specifics of these programs and what your role and responsibility is.  Here's the Details:

Youth Program
(Grades 6-12)
Sunday 5:30-8:30 pm

Expedition Orientation for Leaders

Wednesday, May 30
7-8 pm

Children's Programs
(Birth-5th Grade)
Wednesday 6-8 pm

KidServe Orientation for Leaders

Wednesday, June 6
7-8 pm









If I have you listed as a volunteer, you should be getting a reminder postcard with these dates soon.  If you are interested in serving and have not signed up, please feel free to attend these meetings to learn more!

Taking Root,
Blake

Exciting Announcement for White Mills All-Elementary Week!

I'm excited!

Megan Hall, an upcoming senior at TCHS, will be serving at All Elementary week June 3-8!

If you haven't signed your child up for this week of camp, do so quick before it fills up! You can stop by the office for forms or download them here.

More Questions? Email Me.
Have you signed up for camp yet?

Taking Root,
Blake

Are We Working toward a Common Goal in Youth and Children's Ministries?

There's some things I hate about standard tests like the SAT or ACT.

I hate that in the weeks leading up to them students undergo semi-panic attacks.
I hate that studying for them often cause sleep deprivation.
I hate that the scores of those tests alone can often mean the difference in thousands of dollars of scholarships.

But they do provide something good for our school systems:  Something to aim at.

In all actuality, the preparation and steps of education that we take leading up to the end of our high school careers are geared towards achieving a successful score on these standard tests.

Don't get me wrong.

Teachers are all unique. Each teacher will have his or her own style. Often a teacher will have a niche that they like to dive into from time to time as well. Underlying these truths is the fact there is a standard that all teachers are striving to help students achieve.

As we think about the spiritual formation of our youth and children, do we have a standard?

Lucky for us, Jesus made it easy for us to understand the standard.  In Matthew 22 he cites what he says to be the greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.  Then he digs deeper and says to love your neighbor as yourself.

Love God.  Love others.  A Standard: To Be Rooted in God's Love.

• Are we creating systems that help students achieve success in living out the greatest commandment?
• Is everyone in our church's youth and children's ministries working toward this common goal?
• What are you doing to help students meet this standard?

Taking Root,Blake

Sunday's Wins!

A few things that reminded me this weekend that I LOVE MY CHURCH!

• Mary has a new life in Christ! Unfortunately, I don't have pictures yet, but it was really exciting to see Mary give her life to Christ!  Praying with her that her new life would get off to a great start!
• 99 in first service! Great number for early service!  How cool would it be if we started seeing triple digits both hours?
• 1st & 2nd graders learning Scripture! Excited that I had the chance to teach these guys Sunday morning!  Check out this video of them hiding God's Word in their Heart!


• Great Challenge Question from Joe: Am I seeking to have my will done in church? My brain started spinning thinking about the potential of a church if everyone could answer this question with a no!  What do you and I need to do this week to seek God's will for HIS church?
• Momentum Building Children's Ministry Meeting! Really exciting children's ministry team meeting yesterday led to some more great ideas for KidServe!  Make sure you get signed up!
• Great Volunteer Leadership! I was out of town Sunday night, but we still had GREAT programs here thanks to some great volunteer leadership!  Way to take something and run with it!

God is Good!

Taking Root,

Blake

Let's Celebrate our 2012 Graduates!

I challenge you to make a difference in these graduates lives by praying for them in 1 of the following ways:

1. Pray that they will be a light in the new "worlds" they are transitioning into
2. Pray that they would find engage in a community of believers that values their spiritual growth
3. Pray that they would be rooted in God's Scripture as they face many new trials and changes

What other ways can you encourage recent graduates?

Check out What's up on May 20!

Hey Gang!

All kinds of great stuff going on this weekend here at CCC!  Check it out!

• Graduate Sunday! We'll be celebrating our high school and college graduates in both services. Join us in celebrating as well as praying for each of them as they get ready for untraveled roads!
• KidServe Registration Opens! I am really excited about this new program for children of all ages on Wednesday nights.  If you missed what KidServe is, check this out. Registration opens this Sunday on the 2nd Floor.  Let's get everyone involved!
• Sonlight Kids & Tiny Tunes Cast Party! These guys have worked hard all year on several different numbers and they're going to close out the year partying!  Here's the details:

6:00—8:00 p.m. 

**We will meet at Kid-Wise.
**Parents will have to sign a waiver form for your child to
participate. Copies can be found on the 2nd floor or you
can sign at Kid-Wise. 

What to bring?Everyone--bring or wear socks
Tiny Tunes Girls--juice boxes
Tiny Tunes Boys--chips
Sonlight Kids Boys--dessert
Sonlight Kids Girls--finger food



• Final Grounded! Our Junior High and High School students will close out the Grounded program with a Pool Party/Cookout at the Blakeman's House.  Here's the details:

6:00-8:00 p.m. 

**Meet at CCC.  Buses will take students to and from event. 

What to Bring?Everyone--Swim gear if desired
Guys--Chips and Dip
Girls--Dessert/Baked Goods

Woo!  Should be a great weekend!

Taking Root,

Blake