Trick-Or-Treat October 30, 2010
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A big thank you to everyone who picked up KIDstuff cards to pass out to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. We’ve distributed a total of 5000 cards! Please pray along with us that God would be present and glorified in all we do, for the logistical preparations, for the cast & crew, and for all the families in attendance, especially the ones who come for the first time through this Halloween outreach. And be sure to join us, too, for the next KIDstuff show on Sunday, November 7, at 12:30 pm in the Smith Center. We’ll be learning about the virtue of Service.
Enjoy a look back at the October KIDstuff show opener.
P.S. On this weekend’s bulletin response card you’ll see volunteer opportunities for using your talents to serve in KIDstuff or Kid’s Quest Large Group. Consider joining our cast and crew!
Grief Support For Children October 28, 2010
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Earlier this year, a child who participated in Kid’s Quest died in an accident. I don’t know this family personally but my heart grieves for them. As a mother myself, I imagine they’ve been experiencing a wide range of emotions as they cope with their loss. But what I can’t even begin to guess at is how this child’s brother is coping. I’ve seen a lot support resources available for adults, but what about children? How do they find the help they need to cope with the loss of a loved one?
MBC Caring Ministries has noticed this need and has begun support groups for children and teens, aged 7-18 years, called Eagle’s Wings. Using games, music, and art, peer groups, ranging in size from 4-10 members, explore topics such as “identifying emotions,” “coping with change,” “preserving memories,” and “moving forward.” Emphasis is placed on God’s comfort, faithfulness, and grace through His son, Jesus Christ.
For more information about joining a group, contact Sandy Praske at 703-639-2000, x1083 or eagleswings@mcleanbible.org
If you know someone with a child coping with the loss of a loved one, would you please share this information with them?
“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” - Isaiah 40:31
Pray With Your Child October 26, 2010
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This is a follow up on our last post. If you need to catch up, click here.
If you missed the 10 Plus ONE or 2 Plus ONE cards distributed in main services and Kid’s Quest this past weekend, you can click here to download them off our Family Resources & Links page.
This month, MBC is focussed on a month of prayer and those who have signed up for the 31 Days of Prayer blog are receiving daily posts and prayer requests written by our MBC Pastors and Directors. If you would like to join or review the archive of the past days, visit http://mcleanbible.org/prayer. On Day 18, our Tysons Campus Pastor, Dr. Joe Henriques, shared the following:
When Choosing A Prayer Partner, Why Not Choose A Child?
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
When just a young boy, my oldest son, Ben, said to me, “Dad, Jonathan accepted Christ today!” Ben had been praying for his little brother and one day explained Jesus’ love for him, and Jonathan believed! A couple of years later, our third son, Justin, gave the same exclamatory report regarding his younger brother, Matthew. Does God do things in response to a child’s prayer that otherwise would not have been done in the history of the world? Really, does God answer the prayer of a little child? Don’t give a quick answer. Think about it. Does God Almighty, the Creator of the universe, the Sustainer of all life, the Savior of all who believe, the Judge of all mankind really listen to a little child talking to him? If your answer is yes, do you realize the astonishing enormity of truth that you are agreeing to? We don’t think in terms of children being the movers and shakers of the world. Indeed, they may not be able to be by talking with grownups, but they can certainly be by talking with God.
Why not become a prayer partner with a child and pray together for certain people to believe in Christ? Explain to your prayer partner who the people are that you wrote on your list, how you came to know them, and why you want them to believe in Christ. Then, at certain times, pray together. Join the power of a child’s simplicity of faith in God with your depth of understanding about that person. Watch God bring about miraculous new birth in the lives of people that you have been praying for.
Lord Jesus, you had confidence in the faith that children had in you. Thank you that while increasing our knowledge of what it means to have faith and to live by faith is very important, the simplicity of faith is all-important. May we, your older children, join with your younger children in prayer, together trusting you to help other people believe in you In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Take Action: Find a child (perhaps your own) and pray with them and for them today.
2 plus ONE October 22, 2010
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Have you heard the phrase “Start Where You Are” being mentioned here and there lately? It was first introduced by Pastor Joe Henriques over the summer months and you’ll likely be hearing it more over time. That’s because Start Where You Are is a Tysons Campus initiative to encourage our congregation to take advantage of opportunities to reach out to others with the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. You may not be able to hop on a plane to go on a missions trip overseas but you can start where you are, right here and now, to reach out to those God has already placed in and around your life.
In main services this weekend, 10 plus ONE is being announced as a way of beginning to put this initiative into action. The 10 plus ONE directive is to pray for 10 people in your life who do not know Jesus Christ as their personal savior and then to add one more person, believed to be “impossible” to reach. This correlates directly with Pastor Lon Solomon’s previous message on Sept 18/19 in which he said prayer is the only evangelism tool we need. If you missed that message, click here to see it.
We believe it’s important to teach kids, too, to be praying for those God has placed in their lives. Therefore, we are rolling out an adapted kid’s version called 2 plus ONE. In small groups, kids will have an opportunity to think about 2 people in their lives who need to know Jesus and write their names down on a card provided which will come home with them. At home, discuss the names your child selected and together, determine the 3rd name, the plus one, your family will pray for. We encourage you to use this exercise to prompt spiritual discussions with your child, such as:
- The importance of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
- Jesus’ heart for the lost. Look for examples in the Bible together.
- How prayer can grow their love of God and trust in Him.
- Patience for God’s timing and perseverance to keep praying.
- Opportunities for them to share Christ with others, whether it be a direct conversation, an invite to an outreach, or simply a kind act.
Feel free to adapt this exercise to fit your family. For example, you might opt to make a family 10 plus ONE card instead of separate cards.
By the way…Kid’s Quest has a few immediate Start Where You Are opportunities:
- Starting Zone: start where you are, literally! If your kids don’t know Jesus yet, start in your own home. Starting Zone is a 4-step program to present the Gospel to kids, equip parents to guide their kids in making their own choice to follow Jesus, and to declare their faith publicly through baptism. The next classes are this weekend, Oct 23 at 5:30 pm in Room 1207 and Oct 24 at 9:30 am in Room 1207. It’s not too late to come. Just show up!
- Missions Projects: every month we present families with opportunities that reach our local community, the Washington D.C. region, or worldwide. We look for projects that are easy for kids to relate to and, when possible, tangible in some way so they can be encouraged by seeing real results. Visit our missions website at mbctysons.org/kqmissions to learn about new projects.
- KIDstuff: a fun, family event in which the Bible comes alive on stage to teach kids Godly virtues through live theater, dynamic worship, video, games, and dance. This is a great event to invite school friends and neighboring families to. The next show is Nov 7 at 12:30 pm in the Smith Center. Cost is free. No tickets required.
Can a Shoe Box Really Make A Difference? October 19, 2010
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What is the power of a simple gift? Can a shoe box really make a difference? Watch the moving story of Lejla Allison who received one of the very first Operation Christmas Child boxes during the Bosnian war and see how a simple gift changed her life forever. It’s an incredible story!
Your family can also give a simple gift that God can use to change a child’s life forever. We’ll be collecting boxes and supplies for Operation Christmas Child for just 2 more weekends, Oct 22/23 and Oct 30/31. This is an easy and tangible way to teach kids about giving. You can either make a complete box or give individual supplies. Here’s what we’re collecting:
Empty shoe boxes. If your family is unable to make a complete box, that’s ok! Bring us your empty shoe boxes to fill on Assembly Day, Saturday, Nov 6, at 10:00 am in Room 2400.
Toys & fun items like small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, musical instruments, jump ropes, slinkys, stickers, etc.
School & craft supplies like pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, crayons, markers, stamp & ink sets, writing pads, solar calculators, coloring pages, picture books, etc.
Hygiene items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, mild bar soap, combs, washcloths, etc.
Clothing like shirts, socks, hats, toy jewelry, sunglasses, watches, etc.
Hard candy, lollipops, mints, and gum (please pack in plastic bags).
Wrapping paper
Drop off all donations in the collection bins at Kid’s Quest check-in stations by Sunday, October 31.