They Got Their Game On

What a night! This last Fridays Rock was incredible, with 200 kids, a bunch of parents and tons of fun. This was by far the biggest event we have had and it's exciting to see kids bringing their friends to an event at church.

For those of you who who don't know what Fridays Rock is all about, it's a time for kids to be kids. Essentially it's an evening event where we invite kids to come hangout, play games and just have a good time. This is a great opportunity for neighbors to be invited to church or family members who aren't quite so sure about this church thing.

We put on Fridays Rock four times a year, two of which are very similar to our event on Friday with inflatables, food, games, prizes, etc. The other two we include parents and make it a little more familiy oriented.

If you know of some elementary age kids who enjoy having a good time, make sure you bring them to the next Fridays Rock.

Spiritual Emphasis Week

I had the opportunity a couple weeks ago speak for Renton Christian School's "Spiritual Emphasis Week." This was a great opportunity because I was able to connect with both kids who attend New Life, but also those who either go to another church or don't have a church home. Over the course of the week we talked about what it means to live lives more like that of Jesus' and on Friday the kids had an opportunity to respond and have their teachers pray for them. Some asked for prayer for family members, some prayed to become more like Jesus, some asked Jesus into their hearts; all of which are incredible prayers. But the thing that was most amazing was the fact that these were kids; elementary age kids. Not adults, but kids who want to live their lives in a way that reflects God's love. It is my prayer that this excitement will continue into their teens years and follow them throughout the joys and struggles of their lives.

Pastor D.

Baptism

So often we focus on the initial act of "accepting Jesus into our heart" but we fail to talk about the importance of living a truly changed life. Perhaps it's because we don't want the accountability that comes along with publicly declaring that we have in fact accepted Jesus as our Lord. Or it might be because we are unsure about how to live a life reflective of Christ. Whatever the case may be, it is a mistake for us to ignore the next step in our Christian walk; it is a mistake for us to ignore baptism. For that reason, we (The Great Kid Adventure) are making a point of focusing on baptism with the kids of New Life. We are looking not only for Christ to dwell in the hearts of each and every child but also for him to be seen through their actions.

In God's Firm Grip,

Pastor David

Reflecting on November

Wow, what an absolutely amazing month. Over the last few days I have been reflecting on just how amazing the month of November was and two things in particular standout to me as absolutely incredible highlights. First of all Children's Ministry as a whole brought in 150 shoe boxes filled with gifts for Operation Christmas Child. This means that kids all around the world , will be blessed with a gift this Christmas and these are kids who normally would not be so fortunate. The second highlight has been the Breakout worship team. This group has grown to over 20 people and now includes elementary, jr. high and sr. high students. It is so exciting to see kids take seriously the acts of service and worship. These kids are genuinely taking to heart what it means to be Christlike, and it is my prayer that this will continue to take place over the coming months and years.

New Life Gladiators

For those of you who came to "Fridays Rock" you know just how awesome it was. For those of you who didn't let me fill you in...

For three hours on Friday we had 130+ kids running around the church multipurpose room screaming, laughing and having a blast with each other and their small group leaders. IT WAS INCREDIBLE! With our New Life Gladiator theme kids competed on a variety of inflatable events, had a fun playing Nintendo Wii, played a bunch of group games and had their pictures taken on at our photo booth. This all preceeded a "brilliant" display of atheletism by our small group leaders as they themselves competed against each other on the inflatable events. What a night! There really is nothing quite like watching a huge group of smiling kids at play; or a group of small group leaders for that matter.

For those of you who were a part of making the event happen, Thank you!

Baptized

Last Wednesday I had the privilege to baptize eight of our kids and what an incredible experience it was. It is always a wonderful experience but this particular baptism was wonderful because of the support shown by the Church. People who had no personal connection to those being baptized took part in the celebration. I couldn't help but wonder, what would it look like if that same energy and excitement was displayed in our daily lives and we passionated sought out opportunities to celebrate the works God is doing in lives of poeple all around us?

For whatever reason we often are too timid, ashamed, shy, self concious...busy, to really celebrate the movement of God in a person's life. Perhaps as much as anything, we need to be teaching this next generation how to celebrate. How to recognize the hand of God in the lives around them, and to celebrate the simple fact that He is there.

Back In The Swing Of Things

Now that school has started there is a great deal of energy around the church. Students have resumed their classes, sports team are assembling and school lunches are being packed. It is exciting to know that over the course of the next 9 months kids will have the opportunity to influence those they come in contact with at school for Christ. Let's keep them in our prayers.