Fun in the Son - Birthday Party

What a beautiful day God gave us for our first Fun in the Son. 55 children came for an afternoon of fun. Kick ball, soccer, jump ropes, checkers, sidewalk chalk, balloon games, Uno cards, basketball, crafts, parachute games, cupcakes in cones, and a water slide were all part of the day. Check out the pictures and see the Human Birthday Presents that we wrapped. Our scripture verse for the birthday party was Jeremiah 1:5 - "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart."


I am pleased to be a part of a church family that cares about kids in the community. Many of the children that attended are not from FBC, but what a joy to care for them and share Jesus' love.


Next Tuesday will be a Star-Spangled Day in honor of the Fourth of July. Children are welcome to bring their bikes or scooters. We will decorate and have a parade. If they can't bring a bike, that's okay. They are still welcome. And don't forget the swimsuit. We will be on the water slide again and maybe have a "water" surprise!

Power Lab Has Ended

Five days of high energy is over at First Baptist Church. We averaged 175 children at Power Lab. The fifth and sixth grade students went to Michigan Adventure on Friday. The 7th & 8th grade students visited the fairgrounds and launched their rockets. They had been building them all week. Everyone signed a soccer ball that will be sent to the children at the deaf village and Caribbean School for the Deaf in Jamaica. Crews prayed for the children that would receive the balls.

Bible School is a huge investment in time and finances for a church family. Is it worth it? If you really want to know, ask one of the children to tell you about his or her week. Ask the volunteers who had the opportunity to answer a child's question about Jesus or had an opportunity to lead that child to invite Jesus to be their Savior. For me, it is worth every penny and every second spent in preparation and during the week. We sow the seed and God has promised to bless it.

Power to Live Forever

Today was exciting. The children had an opportunity to receive Christ. Several indicated that they did! A mother came and asked if she could come to worship with her 2 boys on Sunday. Yes! Everyone is welcome. It has been an amazing week as we have learned about the power that only comes from Jesus.

And if you are keeping track, there were 185 children at Power Lab today.

Power to Be Brave

Day 3 at Power Lab was exciting as we experienced walking on water. Jesus gave Peter the courage to be brave. In Test Tube Treats the children made Sink or Floats. Most of the children experienced " a boat ride" today. Jesus can give us all the courage to be brave. Yes, our attendance increased today. 181 children! Aha!

Power Lab Day #2

Jesus Gives Us the Power to Help Others! Jesus helped the blind man to see. We can help others too! Today at Power Lab we had 178 children. Wow! Lots of energy. Lots of excitement. Lots of laughter. Lots of caring and sharing.

Power to Be Thankful

169 children visited Power Lab today. The video will give you a glimpse of our day. Our Bible story was about the ten lepers that were healed by Jesus. But only one came back to thank Him. Jesus gives us the POWER TO BE THANKFUL! AHA! Colossians 3:15 reminds us, "Always be thankful!" Wonder what we will learn tomorrow?

Free Parenting Tips

This past January I attended the Children's Pastors Conference in Orlando. Many exhibitors were there and I registered for a lot of "stuff". The next month or so I received numerous e-mails about their product, curriculum, events, etc. While sifting through them I relegated many to junk mail but found some that could be beneficial to our ministry at FBC. Parenting Tips from National Center for Biblical Parenting was one of those. I was receiving two Parenting Tips each week by e-mail and they were GOOD. They are brief tidbits taken from seminars presented or articles written by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN . The Tips are insightful, practical and succinct. It takes no more than 2 minutes to read. The focus is on changing the child's heart, not just the behavior. I have listed the website, not so much for what is on the website, but so you can subscribe to the Parenting Tips. They are free! See if you find them helpful. If not, then it is easy to unsubscribe. The site is http://www.biblicalparenting.org/.

Summer 2008

Summer provides more leisure time for children than during the school year. That is why at FBC of Charlotte we do not take a "ministry vacation" the months of June, July, and August. Instead, we take advantage of the additional time to interact with children.

Bible School is June 16-20, 8:55 a.m. - 12 noon. We are prepared for children ages 4 - grade 8. Our staff is ready to experience the Power of Jesus with the children at Power Lab. The decorations are stimulating and the activites are energizing. Check for a new posting each day of Bible School so you will know what is happening.

We have 2 new opportunities for summer, 2008. We are not doing the "same old" things.

Fun in the Son is for children in grades 1-6 on Tuesdays, beginning June 24. From 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. children will play, experience Bible stories, have a snack, get wet on a huge water slide and just hangout at FBC. With the cost of gas, this might be the "funnest" thing the children do all summer. And it's FREE! Tuesdays, June 24 - August 12.

Preschool P.A.L.s is for preschoolers and parents on Wednesdays, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. beginning June 25. Yes, the children and parent will do everything together: play, crafts, play, story time, play, music, play. Did I mention that play is the way the child learns best? The leader will structure the experience but the key is the interaction with parent and child. After all, parents are responsible for their child's spiritual development. FBC wants to complement that growth.

We welcome the children of our community to all of our events. Enjoy the summer but don't neglect your child's spiritual growth. We want to assist what you are doing.

Discovery Class

This month I am leading the Discovery Class for 4 children who have been curious about what it means to be a Christian, what is the Lord's Supper and how does it taste, and why are people baptized. FBC of Charlotte offers this class several times each year but this is the first time we have required a parent or guardian to attend with the child. It has been a very positive experience. I have facilitated the class but the families have been experiencing it together. This week the "homework" is to review what it means to be a Christian and asking the child if he or she would like to invite Jesus to be their personal Savior. I am eagerly anticipating what is shared in class this Sunday as a result of their conversations.