Teen Night - Jan. 11th

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE SMOKE FADES?

When you have problems, what do you turn to?  Smoking, drinking, zoning out to music, working,

reading, playing sports?

Caleb shared with teens about this topic on Friday evening.  Part 2 comes this Friday, with a special guest speaker (an Aim Right alumnus!).

Several teens had fun playing Uno inside after the teaching time since it was quite frigid outside.



And, finally.....a photo from Kids Klub yesterday evening.  Our weather is on the warm-up (thankfully!), and kids enjoyed playing with the parachute while they waited for the bus to arrive with its load of children.

The Mobile Pantry 1.10.13

Another hoppin' Mobile Pantry morning has passed!  Since the "shoppers" are encouraged to bring their own boxes and containers, you'll notice quite a variety of carrying devices below, from cardboard boxes, to trusty laundry baskets, to shopping carts (I'll let you decide the ethics of that particular choice!), to small rolling carts. 

January's Mobile Pantry served 170 families, with 12,000 pounds of food distributed.  

Potatoes and Brisk tea were given out by the house, with bread and bakery items nearby under the canopy.

The small blue boxes below contained Pop-Tarts -- a new flavor, I believe.

The check-in process and boxes of large bell peppers:

Boxes and boxes of melons:

Bags of citrus fruit:

A Second Chance

The flyer for Kids Klub this week included the question below.  It was meant to be rhetorical and get the kids' attention, but one girl announced that her mom told her to write the answer on the back of the flyer and bring it to Kids Klub. 

This is what she had written:

You could try to disobey God but he would forgive you and give you a second chance if you change your ways and pray and aske hem to forgive you.

A Powerful Message: One, Not Everyone

How can you make a difference in a big world with big needs when everything you have to offer seems, by comparison, small and inadequate? 

Click on the image below to view a powerful message by Pastor Andy Stanley and be challenged to find that one ministry, that one person, that one cause you will invest in deeply, sacrificially, and faithfully.  It's a great 39-minute message to share with a small group (discussion questions are available at the website) or e-mail to a friend as well.

A Winter Siesta & Undaunted

The last few weeks, Aim Right's programs have been on "Christmas break" so staff can enjoy time with family.  During this winter siesta, I read this new release from the local library and would recommend it:

It's called Undaunted:  The Early Life of Josh McDowell, and it's written by Cristobal Krusen and McDowell himself.  You might already know of Josh McDowell as an apologist, author, and youth evangelist, but you may not know much about the abusive childhood he experienced.  It's not far-fetched to say that he was an at-risk youth.

A DVD has also been released by the same title.  You can watch the movie trailer, purchase the book or DVD, and find a downloadable study guide here on Josh McDowell's website.  I haven't personally seen the movie, but it was awarded Best Evangelical Film of 2012.  While the film is not rated, it is Dove-family approved as suitable for ages 12 and up.

Wrapping up Christmas

Three kings came to the Kids Klub classes bearing gifts of treat bags, sodas, and brownies.  One of my students thought he was being very funny when he asked them if they could also bring him a "golden BB gun."  Apparently the "gold" part of the wise men's gifts we had just learned about had stuck with him.



We were blessed with a Toys for Tots donation of several new games and toys .  On Tuesday evening, volunteers helped choose and wrap gifts for all of our Kids Klub children.

Frankie spoke to the Teen Night crowd on Friday.  Quite a few had not heard her story yet, and those that had still listened intently.

 

A Blended Bible Story

As a bit of background, some of the recent Bible lessons we have had in Kids Klub have included stories about Gideon, Elijah, and Shadrach, Meschach, & Abednego.  So keep that in mind as you read what I will call a "Blended Bible Story," courtesy of two of my 3rd grade students who randomly shared this story yesterday evening.  It was a little more detailed than this, but this is what I remember:

Boy:  Gideon was the leader, and he and his friends were put into the fire, but they didn't burn up because God was with them.  He sent his angel.

Girl:  Yes, the angel came and hugged them and protected them...well, something like that.

Boy:  Then they threw water all over them, but GOD WAS WITH THEM [he emphasized this point]. 

At least some aspects of all three stories we studied are mixed in somewhere, and the main point seemed to resonate:  GOD WAS WITH THEM!

It's a good thing to remember when life gets mixed up and messed up:  God is with you.