June News

It's June and it's finally warming up in Central Oregon! Woo hoo!

EVENTS:
There are lots of great things happening in the City Kids world and lots of great summer opportunities for your family to get involved. Our Summers in the Park will host lots of fun family events including:

Monday Fun-Days "Day Camp": Over the course of four Mondays this summer, kids have the chance to join us for a super fun morning "camp" in the park to learn art, Bible Stories, build community and enjoy being a kid in summer! There are 15 spots per session and the cost is $10 per session.
July 11: Puppet Making/ Story Telling
July 25: Paper Mache
August 15: Clay Sculptures
August 29: Self Portrait Collage

To register, call the church office, or sign up at the Children's table downstairs on Sundays. We are looking for great volunteers to help with this fun program!

Family Picnic is also coming! This will be on Sunday August 14th  following church so be watching for more information to come! Sack races, hula hoop contests, water balloon toss and good old family fun!

I hope you are all out enjoying the sunshine, and spending lots of family time together! See you soon!

Family Memories

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fantastic Mother's Day! I just got home from a weekend at the Oregon coast with my family in the town we have spent every summer in since I was a baby. So many memories walking the trail in front of the little house we spent many summers in, climbing over the rocks looking in tide pools at starfish and laughing together. These are the family memories that shape us, the times we spend together. As we start to gear up for warm weather (it is coming despite the little bit of snow we woke up to today), I'm curious, what are your favorite family memories? Where do you spend your quality outdoor time? Have a great week!

CELEBRATE FAMILY WEEK: Get Outside

Getting outside with your family is a great way to spend time together, be active, spend time in our beautiful Central Oregon backyard, check out this great article for more ideas. All ages of kids can enjoy the outdoors with walks/hikes along the river trail, at Shevlin Park, Pilot Butte without really even leaving town! There are hundreds of hiking trails just outside of Bend as well.

Another great resource is the book The Children's Travel Guide to Central Oregon. Some of my favorite outdoor family activities include Shevlin Park, The Community Garden at Hollinshed Park and the new community garden going in at the Environmental Center on Kansas Ave. If you are looking for more ideas on getting outside with your family, why not join lots of local families for Earth Day this weekend? The Environmental Center is hosting the "procession of the species" parade, and you can look back a few posts to create your own animal mask and join in the parade on Saturday. You can find details about the parade and Earth Day Fair here.

What are your favorite family outdoor activities? Mine includes gardening...I'm starting veggie seeds inside in containers and eagerly looking forward to moving them out into my garden when the weather finally warms up enough. I hope your family is having a great week!!

CELEBRATE FAMILY WEEK: Serve Together

Good morning, everyone!

 Today I want to talk about teaching our kids about service. There are so many opportunities to serve in our community and it is a great way to bond as families, but also when kids see their parents serving it demonstrates to them the importance of helping other. Here is a list of resources your family can use to find great opportunities to help in our community.

With little ones: have them help you bake cookies for a neighbor, or help clean up leaves in an elderly friend's yard; make cheery kid are with a note saying "thinking of you" to send to family and friends.

With Older Kids: Take a family trip to the soup kitchen to help serve a meal, find a project on Volunteer Connect.

More information and tips on planning a great family service project: Article

"What do you gain by volunteering together as a family? First of all, you assure that elusive but much-sought goal of "quality time" with each other. You share a common bond while doing something worthwhile for others. You get to know your children in new ways, and vice versa. The process of demonstrating skills and learning new ones gives both age levels the chance to respect one another, work together towards the same goals -- and have something to talk about all week! " (http://volunteerguide.org/volunteer/motivation/volunteering-with-your-family.htm)

CELEBRATE FAMILY WEEK: Praying Together

How are you, families? Getting some good laughs and time together? After some technical difficulties last week we are back to the last few posts that didn't get go up last week. Sorry about that! Enjoy!

 Today is all about the significance of prayer as a family. We have focused so far on having fun together as a family through games, cooking and laughter, but prayer is also a very special gift we can give to our kids. Just as we teach kids the importance of brushing their teeth, being kind to others, we also must teach them to practice the habit of prayer. By making this part of your routine, not only does it give your family great connection, but also builds the practice into your children. God promised that if we "Train up a child in the way he should go ... when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6 KJV )

Some great ways to incorporate prayer into your families' daily life is to pray together in the morning before everyone leaves for the day, then when kids come home from school ask questions about their day and what things they might want to add to the prayer list for the evening. Spontaneous prayer throughout the day is also a good thing for children to see. If something happens during the day to stop and pray about it in the moment helps kids connect that they can talk to God anytime during the day.

Then at the end of the day find some time for your family to gather, pray together and enjoy the instilling the pattern of prayer into your daily routine. Here is a great resource from NavPress on Creative Family Prayer Time. What are some of your favorite family prayer times (kids do pray the cutest prayers)?

CELEBRATE FAMILY WEEK: Let's Get Crafty

It's Wednesday and what better way to spend some quality family time than getting crafty together...for some inspiration check out The Crafty Crow Children's Craft Co-op...great ideas!

To get your creative juices flowing try one of these great ideas:
Pirate Newspaper Hats
Sew Cute Little Monsters

Or one of my personal favorites...paper plate masks...simple cut out holes for the eyes and let kids decorate with pipe cleaners, buttons, construction paper, magazine pictures etc.

With older kids, a great family idea, is to have everyone make a self portrait using images from magazines and words that describe you. Glue the images and words to a piece of construction paper  and then have each family member share theirs...you may be surprised what you learn about each other and this is a great opportunity to talk about how we are uniquely and wonderfully made in God's image.

Celebrate Families Week: Cooking Together

Happy Tuesday! Today is all about getting into the kitchen with your family to whip up some delectable treats the whole family will love! Invite your family to a cooking party...you could go on a scavenger hunt through the pantry and come up with the most creative meal and dessert out of what you have, or take an adventure to the grocery store and each family member has to pick one ingredient to use in the dish then come up with a wonderful recipe to use them all! Your kids will love the hands on involvement of getting to help create the meal, and you can use this opportunity to teach them about nutrition, health and about how God provides! The possibilities are endless!

You can also find a great article on getting kids involved in healthy eating from Chef Pete Solomita

"Safe & Easy Kitchen Tasks for Little Fingers...Cooking with your kids will be fun, easy and safe with these tips: Many chefs got their start hanging onto Mom's apron. Giving your kids a few simple tasks in the kitchen is a fun way to teach them about cooking and nutrition. They may not decide to be star chefs, but you can rest assured they'll know their way around a kitchen — and hey, you never know!

• Planning the Meal. Dinnertime doesn't have to be a battle over broccoli. Planning a meal with your kids is a great way to introduce some healthy ingredients into their favorite foods.
• Washing Fruits and Vegetables. Start your kids' culinary education with this simple but important step.
• Shredding Lettuce. Kids love working with their hands, so they might have so much fun tearing the lettuce that they actually eat the salad!
• Assembling. Let your kids stack their burgers and sandwiches just how they like 'em.
• Measuring. Teach your kids how to measure and they'll have mastered one of the fundamentals of baking.
• Stirring Dry Ingredients. Just make sure their aprons are firmly tied on — you want your kids to stir the dry ingredients, not wear them.
• Separating Eggs. What child doesn't relish the opportunity to get their hands gooey?
• Whisking. This job can be tough on little arms, but it's a great way to teach older kids one of the trickier techniques of the kitchen.
• Frosting a Cake. Encourage your kids to come up with their own frosting designs.
• Tasting — the best part! See what your kids think of their culinary creations and get some insight into their personal tastes." (from The Food Network)

Also, read about the great benefits kids gain from cooking in the kitchen from Quaker Oats

Happy cooking! I hope your week together is off to a good start! Blessings on your family!!

Announcements for the Week of 4/11/11- FAMILY CELEBRATION WEEK

Greetings families!

We are embarking on a very special week, CELEBRATE FAMILY WEEK, in honor of the people who support and love us. Everyday this week I encourage you to make some special time for your family to spend together; I will be providing ideas on the blog to help ignite your imagination on ideas for good fun quality time!

Monday night is a great time for Family Game Night! Grab some of your favorite games and spend the evening laughing together!

"Different Options for Different Ages

Well, the sky’s the limit. Bear in mind that all good games have a few things in common: they’re easy to understand, they’re different every time they’re played, and they take an appropriate amount of time. For younger kids, games that you can play several times in an evening are ideal. Older kids may enjoy a game of Monopoly that can take the whole evening. In all cases, make sure that everyone feels involved and engaged in the process. If you’re trying out a new game, you might want to have an old favorite as a back-up in case the new one isn’t right for your family.
Game Types for Every Family
Now, the fun part: playing! With over 5,000 games on the market at any time, the choice can by dizzying, but here are some ideas:

• Classics The advantage to these is that everyone knows them, or almost -- and they’ve stood the test of time. Check age gradings, but some suggestions are: Monopoly, Clue, Sorry, Othello, Battleship, Boggle, Parcheesi, Operation, Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, Trouble, Sorry, Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit. Many of these have special interest editions now.
• Strategy Games These games are great for families that like a little more substance to their games. Often story-based, one of the best we’ve seen this year is Parthenon from Z-Man Games where players race to build their civilizations.
  
• Multi-Faceted Games These are games that combine different kinds of skills. Great for diverse families where everyone gets a chance to shine. For older kids and adults, check out Cranium. Cranium Family Fun, Hoopla and Whonu? work for the whole family.
  
• DVD Games Definitely one of the hottest trends in the whole game business Our favorite is Scene It? from Mattel in different versions that cover movies, TV, music, sports and Harry Potter. Pop in the DVD and you simply play along. Choose the version that’s right for the group you’re playing with.
• Skill and Action Games For when you just want to have some silly fun. Try Captain Bones Gold from Spin Master, and Ker-Plunk from Mattel. These are great for kids with tons of energy, and the different outcomes keep families engaged.
  
  Have a fun and relaxing time together!" ( article from Kaboose).

My prayer for your family this week is that you would have lots of quality time together, lots of laughter, lots of great discussions and lots of celebration about the fact that you get to share life together! Coming up this Sunday, it is Palm Sunday. We will be talking about how God gave His life for us in City Kids, the memory verse is "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13 NIV). Make time this week to help your family memorize this verse and talk about it. The greatest faith development in kids starts at home. Your kids will love the talks you have with them about God.

Happy Monday!

Announcements for the week of 4/4/11

This is a very exciting time with lots of great things going on! Last Sunday's passover lesson was a lot of fun for the older kids and the littles learned that they are made in God's image while making picture frames.
Memory Verse"'Hosanna to the Son of David!' Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! - Matthew 21:9

This Sunday is slow down Sunday, so our usual children's activities are not happening. Instead, kids are invited to be part of the big group for a fun potluck breakfast. After Kevin's discussion about children last week (listen to it here if you missed it), this is a great opportunity for our community to interact with kids and for kids to be a part of the larger church community. Invite your kids to help make a dish to bring with you to the potluck and they will really feel involved!

Also, beginning Monday April 11th for the whole week we are celebrating a new tradition: FAMILY WEEK! This week is all about connecting with your family and I will be posting special activities, ideas and reflections on the blog and Facebook group to help fire up your creativity to spend more time together as a family celebrating the people who make your family complete (whether biological or chosen family). This is a great opportunity to spend some intentional time together and reflect on what it means to love others as God first loved us.

Let the countdown begin! Easter is only three weeks away and City Church is planning a very special celebration centered around our kids! There will be delicious treats, coloring Easter eggs, and a super fun Easter egg hunt! Invite your friends and come prepared for a morning of fun, laughter and talk about the importance of this special day! This is a great time to invite your neighbor, your child's school friend, our co-worker and their family to experience our community. Pick up some fliers to invite your friends on Sundays at church. We are so excited for this great celebration!! Woo hoo!

*Please save your egg cartons for us to carry eggs home in! Drop them off to Sarah on any Sunday morning prior to Easter. Thank you!! *

Announcements & Updates for the Week of 3/28/2011

Happy Monday everyone!

"'Hosanna to the Son of David!' Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" ~ Matthew 21:9 (Memory Verse for the Week)

Great things are happening in our City Kids program! As we gear up for the Easter season at the end of April kids will be learning about why we celebrate Easter and the story leading up to it. This first week leading up to it we will be learning about Passover, sharing a passover meal together and learning about the meaning of a traditional passover. We will be snacking on unleavened bread, apples, walnuts, grape juice and "...looking at Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey. This fulfills the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9, "Your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt" (NIV).

After that, Jesus and his disciples had a Passover dinner together. Jesus washed their feet and gave the first communion. We will be talking about what communion means so children will know what Jesus did for them and they will want to know God better. The Passover is celebrated in the spring of the year. It represents a time of birth, life coming from what is dead. The Scriptures prescribe that a lamb be selected on the tenth day of the first month. After being placed on public observation for four days, if the lamb is without fault, it can then be selected for use in the Passover Feast. Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was the tenth day of the month. He taught in the synagogue during the next four days. The spotless Lamb of God on public observation before His trial and crucifixion" (God's Path Curriculum for 4/3/2011). You can read more in Exodus chapter 12. The whole purpose of the Passover is to remember the bitterness of slavery and God's deliverance.

Announcements for the Week of 3/ 21

Happy Spring break! I hope you all are enjoying the tell-tale signs that spring is coming! Crocuses are blooming, the tulips are breaking through the ground and the quince outside my window is opening up it's budded leaves. Spring is here!

Last week was a crafty day with City Kids as paper was cut, glued and colored to make all sorts of wonderful treasures.

On Sunday:
This week we are continuing our creative Sundays through the Old Testament...nursery kiddos will be making be learning how God made the world (Genesis 1:1-31) and will create fun paper creatures to remind them of God's creation.

Elementary kids will begin a series related to Easter as we build up to the celebration in five weeks. This week we will be talking about "the greatest gift" looking at how Mary gave her most precious gift to God in Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9.

Middle Schoolers will be going through a series that navigates the big picture of the Bible over 12 weeks. This week will focus on 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Have a great week and see you Sunday!

Announcements & Updates for the Week of 3/ 14/ 2011

Last Sunday we celebrated the two year anniversary of City Church at McMenamins and had a great time! This Sunday we are back on schedule at the usual time and kids will be doing some great things! In our creative arts series:

On Sunday:
Nursery kiddos will be making paper bag costumes, so if you have any paper grocery bags at home, please bring a few to Sunday school!

Elementary Kids will be continuing our walk through the Old Testament stories looking at the story of Jacob and Esau and how God wants us to trust Him instead of taking things into our own hands to make something happen. We will be doing some acting this week, and kids will get to act out the story!

Middle Schoolers will begin a new 12 week curriculum that will include mentoring and activities around Bible stories and how the story impacts our lives.

FREE CHILDREN'S EVENTS IN BEND:

Did you know that Kiddoz of Bend offers free craft time on Tuesday mornings at 9:30. Get more info at  www.kiddozplaycenter.com 

Get more information on great family events from Central Oregon Family News.

Have a great week everyone!
- Sarah

The Week of 3/6/2011 Announcements/ Update

Last week in City Kids, the little ones in the nursery had fun with finger paint while the elementary and middle schoolers got a chance to talk with Sylivia, our visiting missionary from India about the differences and similarities between our countries and what she does in India. We had a great time! We also are continuing our journey through Old Testament stories, and looked at Genesis 24, seeing Abraham petition God to know His will for his son Issac. We talked about petitions as making a request to God, and then we petitioned God for Sylvia and the people of India to know God's will for their lives and our own.

The memory verse for this week is: Phillipians 4:6-7 which says:

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

City Kids is starting a new reward system for kids of all ages...they earn points during Sunday school for good behavior, memorizing the weekly verse and for bringing a friend.

REMINDER: There is no Sunday school on March 13th at McMenamin's, but there will be a children's coloing corner. Kids can recite the memory verse to Pastor Sarah this weekend, and can earn a point for bringing a friend to this extra special breakfast gathering!

Greetings!

Hooray! It's finally here!

City Church's family blog (which will replace our old monthly newsletter) and be filled with weekly updates on activities, resources, craft ideas, outdoor fun and local family friendly events in Central Oregon!

You will find that there are tabs for each age group in City Kids programs with ideas and resources specific to that age group. I will also be posting the Sunday school content from the week to the age-specific site.

Beginning in March we will be focusing on a creative curriculum which will incorporate art, music, movement and puppetry into our lessons, teaching kids regardless of their age, the joy of creativity and imagination! Be watching for costume making, craft projects and even storytelling!

There are also tabs about community events, and family resources you won't want to miss! Join the conversation! Comment, share ideas!

This blog is just in the beginning phases, and will have frequent updates, suggestions and ideas are always welcome!

Questions? Comments? Contact me!

Pastor Sarah, City Church: sarahm@citychurchbend.com