Reminder for Coaches

Hey, Bible Trek coaches!  This is just a reminder that we have our Training Day this Sunday!  Please come to the service you usually volunteer in for the full hour to receive relevant training, as well as some surprises!

Parents, just a reminder that we have no Bible Trek this Sunday, December 30, 2012.  You get to enjoy the service as a family.  We will be back to Bible Trek next Sunday, January 6, 2013.  Happy New Year!

Thanks, all!

 

Jesus is the Reason for the Season

You've heard it before - - and you've been searching for ways to instill this in your children.  Well, look no further!  Here are some ideas of how you can keep Christ the center of Christmas!!

Make a Birthday cake for Jesus

• Here are some ideas for your birthday cake
• Put a candle in your normal Christmas morning breakfast and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus - - an easier way to celebrate during the craziness of the Christmas season

 

Read the Christmas story from the Bible (Luke 2) before opening any presents

 

Make an Advent Calendar together to be used every year. This is a set of things to read/do each day of December leading up to Christmas. Make them Christ-centered!

 

Put up a nativity set

• For younger kids: use toys!!  Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set
• Make a felt one for the wall, kids can peel off and put back up
• Gingerbread Nativity instead of a gingerbread house
• Simple Cardboard Nativity
• Recycled Nativity
• Dress-Up Nativity
• Nativity ABC Matching Game
• Try a printable nativity set that your kids can color
• Make these blocks!
• Magnetic Nativity (DIY)

Christmas Activities

• Click here for Christmas counting activities and an ABC book

 Do a service project together

• Have your kids give away ten gently used toys
• Homeless Blessing Bags
• Sing Christmas carols at a nursing home
• Ring bells for the Salvation Army (sign up at church this weekend!!)
• Host a Christmas dinner for a few people from the church
• Send Christmas cards to the military overseas
• Leave a Christmas card and small treat for your mailcarrier
• Pay for someone else at a restaurant
• Donate books to your local library, or to our Rest Area (as long as they're Jesus-related)
• Donate coats to Goodwill or Salvation Army
• Invite someone to join you for your Christmas feast who might not have somewhere to go otherwise
• Give a gift to Jesus

When decorating the tree, hang hand-made and other sentimental ornaments that show kids that they are a part of the Christmas story.  Talk to them about how other people might not know the true meaning of Christmas.  What can you do to help them?

 Decorate Christmas cookies to be baby Jesus, manger, angel, etc. that have to do with the true Christmas story!

Do you have any other ideas for us?  Share them here!!

Welcome to the Stage, Mr. Chris E.!

We are so excited that Mr. Chris is teaching our lesson this week!  The kids loved it when he taught his first lesson several weeks ago, and we can't wait to learn about Mary and Joseph this week.  You're not going to want to miss it!

Double-Feature Movie Night!

We're having another movie night!  Sorry it's short notice, but we hope you can come.  It's this Saturday, December 8, 2012 at 6:00pm in the Bible Trek room.

We'll be watching Arthur Christmas.  You can watch the trailer here, and read a Christian review of the movie here.  Bring a blanket and pillows to sit on, we'll provide popcorn and candy.  Enjoy some laid-back time with your family this Christmas season!  Kids who bring a friend will receieve a Commitment Coin.

 

After Arthur Christmas, we'll show a short classic Christmas movie.

 

Hope to see you there!!

3 Commitment Coins!!

This week we gave out TWO memory verses for your kids to work on!  If they have BOTH memorized by next Sunday they will get 3 commitment coins!!  Here are the verses, in case you lost your Weekly Reflections.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders”
~ Isaiah 9: 6

 

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
~ Psalm 27: 14

Reflection 1: On the drive home... Parents, ask your kids what their toys have to do with this week’s lesson.
Reflection 2: With your family... Talk about how waiting to open our presents for Christmas can remind us to wait for God to work in our lives. Is that hard or easy? What can be fun about it?
Reflection 3: In your quiet time... Read the parts of Luke 1 that we skipped over today (Luke 1:26-56). This is what our lesson will be about next week!

This Week's Field Guide Notes

We know how easy it is to loose a little piece of paper - - especially when it is haphazardly handed to you along with multiple other papers from other kids.  So, here is this week's Field Guide Notes.  You'll have two weeks for this one, since we're off this weekend for Thanksgiving.

Weekly Reflections

Today’s Lesson: God wants us to love others because He loves them. (Jonah)
Memory Verse: “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” ~ Matt. 5: 44
Memorize this verse for next week to receive a Commitment Coin to buy something from our prize locker!

Reflection 1: On the drive home... choose a person, place or thing you love. Tell your family which category it is, they need to ask questions until they guess what you are thinking of.
Reflection 2: With your family... Everyone in your family choose a person from Jonah’s story: Jonah, God, sailors, people of Nineveh... Read the whole book of Jonah. When you are finished, say how your character felt during the story.
Reflection 3: In your quiet time... Think of a time that you have needed a second chance this week. Pray and thank God for his love that gives you a second chance. Tell Him what you will do next time.

This week's announcements

Our new memory verse quarter begins this week!  We are in quarter two.  To learn more about our memory verse quarters, click here.

We will have no Bible Trek next Sunday, November 25.  Have a happy Thanksgiving!!  We'll see you in December!

So Far...

So far we have 31 kids who are headed toward being Verse Masters!!  Their names were on our chalkboard last Sunday, so have them tell you if they saw their name!

 

There is still lots of time, though, to become a Verse Master (or to fall behind and not become a Verse Master).  Verse Masters have learned 75% of our Memory Verses.  They come regularly to Bible Trek to recite their verses and receive their new verses.

 

We have started a new quarter, so refer to the link above (Memory Verses) to see what verses we are currently working on.

 

At the end of the year, our Verse Masters get a trophy.  Those who memorize 50-74% of our verses for the year receive a medallion.  This year we might even have t-shirts for our Verse Masters!!

 

Good luck, and happy memorizing!

Memory Verses Quarter 2

Your kids have to opportunity to memorize verses over the course of each Bible Trek year. When they memorize a verse they will receive a coin to spend at the prize locker! At the end of the year we tally up all the memory verses your child has memorized and the kids who have memorized 75% of our verses become "Verse Masters" and receive a trophy. We strongly encourage you to work with your kids on memorizing their verses throughout the year.

We will split the year into four quarters. During each quarter, your child has the opportunity to memorize any and all verses from that quarter of the year. Please don't get ahead of our lessons. Once a quarter is finished, your child will not have to opportunity to memorize those verses for credit again.

Here is our second quarter's worth of verses: (Date listed is the date we give out the verse, so they recite it a week later)
11/11/12 - Romans 12:9
11/18/12 - Matthew 5:44
11/25/12 - (No Bible Trek - Thanksgiving)
12/2/12 - Isaiah 9:6 AND Psalm 27:14
12/9/12 - Proverbs 3:5-6
12/16/12 - Luke 1:68
12/23/12 - (No Bible Trek - Christmas)
12/30/12 - (No Bible Trek - New Year's)
1/6/13 - Mark 16:16
1/13/13 - James 4:7
1/20/13 - Matthew 4:19
1/27/13 - Psalm 46:1

 

Memory Verses for Quarter 2 will close after service on February 3, 2013.

All of our verses are taken from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. This is so that when your kids are older if they want to get involved in Bible Quizzing they will already have a lot of verses memorized! The best way to help your kids keep God's Word in their heads and hearts is to practice with them throughout the week before each verse is due.

Lynn Northup is our leader in charge of Memory Verses this year. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them here or ask either Lynn or Elizabeth!

*New* Memory Verse Station!

We have a brand new station set up in our Bible Trek room!!

Starting this Sunday, your kids will be able to visit our Memory Verse Station to gain some extra help in memorizing their verses.

 

 

There will be someone in the center during centers time (15 minutes before and after services) to help your kids finish memorizing their verse for the week.

 

We have lots of activities for your kids to choose from, including crossword puzzles, word searches, decoding worksheets, songs, chants, and much more!

 



 

All of the verses for the quarter are posted so that if your child gets behind in his/her verses, they are accessible.  There are nine verses in this new quarter, which begins this Sunday (the 18th).

 

 

Each time your child memorizes and recited one of our verses to a coach, they will receive a commitment coin.  These commitment coins can be used to buy prizes from our prize locker.

 

If you would like to donate prizes to our prize locker, please speak with Elizabeth.  We can especially use small prizes (to be sold for one coin each), as these coins seem to "burn holes" in the kids' pockets. ;)

 

Can't wait to see you in Bible Trek on Sunday!

OCC Boxes

We found a blog with a fantastic idea to help your kids learn the importance of giving back!  If you're packing OCC boxes this week with your kids, be sure to involve your kids in conversations about helping others and being a light to the world.

Operation Christmas Child boxes are due back to the church by November 11.  Your kids can bring them in to the Bible Trek room, or you can leave it at the table in the lobby.

Happy packing!

Topics?

Hey, everyone!  We're new to blogging here at Northgate Kids, so we need you to let us know what topics you would like to read about!  Do you have any ideas or questions for us?  Post them here!

Also, don't forget to take our poll on the right hand side of the blog.  We'd like to know the best way to communicate with you.

Thanks!

Memory Verses Quarter 1

The first quarter of memory verses is almost done!  When the quarter is over, your kids will no longer be able to memorize these verses for credit, so help your kids catch up while they still can.

Your kids have to opportunity to memorize verses over the course of each Bible Trek year. When they memorize a verse they will receive a coin to spend at the prize locker! At the end of the year we tally up all the memory verses your child has memorized and the kids who have memorized 75% of our verses become "Verse Masters" and receive a trophy. We strongly encourage you to work with your kids on memorizing their verses throughout the year.

We will split the year into four quarters. During each quarter, your child has the opportunity to memorize any and all verses from that quarter of the year. Please don't get ahead of our lessons. Once a quarter is finished, your child will not have to opportunity to memorize those verses for credit again.

Here is our first quarter's worth of verses:
Verses are next to the week that corresponds with the day they were sent home.  So 2 Corinthians 5:17 was handed out on September 9 and due on September 16.
9/9/12 - 2 Corinthians 5:17
9/16/12 - Genesis 1:27
9/22/12 - Genesis 4:7
9/30/12 - Exodus 15:1a
10/7/12 - Psalm 119:2
10/14/12 - Proverbs 16:32
10/21/12 - 1 Samuel 16:7b
10/28/12 - Psalm 28:7a
11/4/12 - Proverbs 13:20

All of our verses are taken from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible. This is so that when your kids are older if they want to get involved in Bible Quizzing they will already have a lot of verses memorized! The best way to help your kids keep God's Word in their heads and hearts is to practice with them throughout the week before each verse is due.

Lynn Northup is our leader in charge of Memory Verses this year. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them here or ask either Lynn or Elizabeth!