Without you VBS would be a big ol' empty building decorated really pretty. Marsha Roach, one of our awesome directors always reminds us that we do VBS for THE child. Not the masses but for the one. The one who is having a tough time, the one who has no friends, the one who is the baseball star but whose family is falling apart, the one with cute pigtails, the one who has never heard of Jesus. We do it for the one.
Thank you for allowing us to serve your ONE this week. May God bless you and your family.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Day 5 - God's Word is for Everyone!
Whew - what a week! We are so thrilled with all God did. Thank you for being a part and for sharing your children with us. We truly believe our job is to partner with you to help them grow closer to Jesus.
Today we interacted with Acts 2:42-47 which describes what the very first church was like. (Read it here!) We learned that God's Word is for everyone and that we should share it and we should grow with other believers.
We want to encourage you and your family to be active with a community of believers. Whether that is Westwood or another church home, the important part is to be plugged and to keep your kids plugged in. It is easy to let church become "just another thing" that your family does. Help your kids see the unique value in living life with other believers.
If you don't have a church home, we would LOVE to have you at Westwood. You can find out more at ewestwood.org.
What to Talk About at Home:
- What was the best part of the VBS week?
- What is the most important thing you learned?
- How can you share God's Word with other kids?
- Leave a comment with your thoughts as we wind the week of VBS to close.
Today we interacted with Acts 2:42-47 which describes what the very first church was like. (Read it here!) We learned that God's Word is for everyone and that we should share it and we should grow with other believers.
We want to encourage you and your family to be active with a community of believers. Whether that is Westwood or another church home, the important part is to be plugged and to keep your kids plugged in. It is easy to let church become "just another thing" that your family does. Help your kids see the unique value in living life with other believers.
If you don't have a church home, we would LOVE to have you at Westwood. You can find out more at ewestwood.org.
What to Talk About at Home:
- What was the best part of the VBS week?
- What is the most important thing you learned?
- How can you share God's Word with other kids?
- Leave a comment with your thoughts as we wind the week of VBS to close.
Don't Forget Family Night!
Tomorrow Night! Meet in the worship center for a final VBS celebration and prize giveaways!
Morning VBS - 6:30 PM
Night VBS - 7:30 PM
Morning VBS - 6:30 PM
Night VBS - 7:30 PM
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Day 4 - God's Word is Life-Changing!
Today we discovered the greatest truth about God's Word - it can change our lives! We studied Acts 3:1-4:12. (Read it here!) Peter and John were two of Jesus' followers. They explained to crowds of people why they believed in Jesus and what He had done for them.
We learned that God's Word tells us how to go to Heaven.
1. We must ADMIT that we are sinners.
2. We must BELIEVE that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave.
3. We must CONFESS that we want Him to be in charge of our lives.
All kids were given a chance to make this decision to trust in Jesus. We will be talking one-on-one with those who said they did tomorrow. In the meantime, talk to your kiddo about this. Have they asked Jesus to be in charge of their lives? Have you?
Westwood Kids wants to partner with you as a parent to help your kid grow closer to Jesus. Click here for more detailed information about this important decision in your child's life.
What to Talk About:
- Click here to watch a really cool video together.
- Spend some time talking with your child about this important truth. If you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior, share with your child about that experience.
- Write a letter to Jesus, thanking Him for what He did for all of us.
We learned that God's Word tells us how to go to Heaven.
1. We must ADMIT that we are sinners.
2. We must BELIEVE that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave.
3. We must CONFESS that we want Him to be in charge of our lives.
All kids were given a chance to make this decision to trust in Jesus. We will be talking one-on-one with those who said they did tomorrow. In the meantime, talk to your kiddo about this. Have they asked Jesus to be in charge of their lives? Have you?
Westwood Kids wants to partner with you as a parent to help your kid grow closer to Jesus. Click here for more detailed information about this important decision in your child's life.
What to Talk About:
- Click here to watch a really cool video together.
- Spend some time talking with your child about this important truth. If you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior, share with your child about that experience.
- Write a letter to Jesus, thanking Him for what He did for all of us.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Day 3 - God's Word is Surprising!
Yesterday when we left Paul he was in a pretty tough situation, but he was comforted by knowing God and His Word. Today's story is found in Acts 28:1-10. (Read it here!) Paul had something surprising happen! Paul was on the island where his ship wrecked. He was gathering firewood and putting it on a fire when all of a sudden he was bitten by a snake - and not just any snake - a viper! It was hanging off of his hand! That's a surprise, huh? But the best surprise of all is that God took care of him again. Paul didn't die - he didn't even get sick.
God's Word is full of surprises. The Bible tells us about people who were stuck with no hope and God gave them a surprise way out. The Bible tells us about people who really messed up, but God used them anyway. Best of all, the Bible tells the story about how we were all lost in sin, but God sent His very own Son to take our punishment.
Make sure you come back tomorrow for even more surprises! And bring a friend!
What to Talk About at Home:
- Talk about the best surprise each of you has ever had!
- For icky fun - research vipers and see what some look like. What would you think if one was hanging off of you with his teeth sunk in???
- Pick one of the stories below to read together and find God's surprise:
- Practice today's memory verse: "Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions." Psalm 119:18
God's Word is full of surprises. The Bible tells us about people who were stuck with no hope and God gave them a surprise way out. The Bible tells us about people who really messed up, but God used them anyway. Best of all, the Bible tells the story about how we were all lost in sin, but God sent His very own Son to take our punishment.
Make sure you come back tomorrow for even more surprises! And bring a friend!
What to Talk About at Home:
- Talk about the best surprise each of you has ever had!
- For icky fun - research vipers and see what some look like. What would you think if one was hanging off of you with his teeth sunk in???
- Pick one of the stories below to read together and find God's surprise:
- Practice today's memory verse: "Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions." Psalm 119:18
Monday, June 7, 2010
Day 2 - God's Word is Comforting
So glad you came back for Day 2! We had a super time as we learned about how God's Word is Comforting! (Let's Go!)
Acts 27 was the focus of our day today. (You can read it here!) This story is full of drama! Paul was being held prisoner. He was on a ship, being taken to Rome for trial. All of a sudden, a great storm came! The ship was tossed about in the storm and eventually wrecked. Through all of it, Paul knew that God was in control and He was comforted. He also helped comfort the other people on board - including his captors.
We all go through tough times. Sometimes it may be something huge like Paul - a death of a family member, a divorce in the family, trouble in school. Sometimes it may be small things that bother us too. Whatever we are going through, God's Word is comforting!
What to Talk About at Home:
- Discuss a time that your child (and you) needed to feel comfort.
- Read some of these verses together. Pick one out that you think is very comforting. Maybe put it on a mirror or fridge in your house:
- Say today's memory verse together: "Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.." Psalm 119:150
- Leave a comment sharing your kid's favorite memory of the day.
Acts 27 was the focus of our day today. (You can read it here!) This story is full of drama! Paul was being held prisoner. He was on a ship, being taken to Rome for trial. All of a sudden, a great storm came! The ship was tossed about in the storm and eventually wrecked. Through all of it, Paul knew that God was in control and He was comforted. He also helped comfort the other people on board - including his captors.
We all go through tough times. Sometimes it may be something huge like Paul - a death of a family member, a divorce in the family, trouble in school. Sometimes it may be small things that bother us too. Whatever we are going through, God's Word is comforting!
What to Talk About at Home:
- Discuss a time that your child (and you) needed to feel comfort.
- Read some of these verses together. Pick one out that you think is very comforting. Maybe put it on a mirror or fridge in your house:
- Say today's memory verse together: "Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.." Psalm 119:150
- Leave a comment sharing your kid's favorite memory of the day.
Family Night - Friday Night!
Make plans now to join us this Friday night for a super night of celebration of all God does in VBS this week! We will be giving away some super cool prizes, including a Wii! You don't want to miss it! The morning VBS will meet at 6:30 and the night VBS will meet at 7:30. Both services will take place in our worship center. Bring moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandmas, everyone but the dog!!!
We will also be collecting schools supplies for our "We Heart Our Schools" community-wide service project. Supplies include copy paper, glue sticks, pens, loose leaf paper, #2 pencils, expo markers, etc....
We will also be collecting schools supplies for our "We Heart Our Schools" community-wide service project. Supplies include copy paper, glue sticks, pens, loose leaf paper, #2 pencils, expo markers, etc....
This Week's Mission Projects
This year our kids have the opportunity to participate in THREE mission endeavors:
1) Each year we have a huge offering contest where we see which groups can bring the most change to support missionaries. This year we have the privilege of supporting two families from our community who are moving this summer to Swaziland in Africa to minister to orphans. Steve, Amy, Katie, Ellie, and Maggie McAdams and Mark, Alyson,Madalyn, and Emma Clyburn are precious families that we have the opportunity to serve. You can learn more about them by clicking here or here. Bring your pennies, dimes, and dollars to help!
2. We are also collecting school supplies for our community-wide "We Heart Our Schools" service campaign. Our goal is to provide supplies for every elementary classroom in Alabaster, Calera, Helena, and Pelham. You can bring items such as:
1) Each year we have a huge offering contest where we see which groups can bring the most change to support missionaries. This year we have the privilege of supporting two families from our community who are moving this summer to Swaziland in Africa to minister to orphans. Steve, Amy, Katie, Ellie, and Maggie McAdams and Mark, Alyson,Madalyn, and Emma Clyburn are precious families that we have the opportunity to serve. You can learn more about them by clicking here or here. Bring your pennies, dimes, and dollars to help!
2. We are also collecting school supplies for our community-wide "We Heart Our Schools" service campaign. Our goal is to provide supplies for every elementary classroom in Alabaster, Calera, Helena, and Pelham. You can bring items such as:
Copier paper – by the ream or by the box.
Loose leaf paper
#2 pencils
Pens (black or red ink)
staples
paper clips
washable markers
expo markers
Glue sticks
construction paper
Sharpie Markers
Lysol Wipes
Crayons
Hand sanitizer
Kleenex
3. During art this week, each crew will create a blanket that will be shared with underprivileged children in other parts of the world.Sunday, June 6, 2010
Day 1 - God's Word is True
What a great first day! We saw lots of excited faces and had a blast. Most importantly, we learned about how God's Word is True! (Let's Go!)
Today we experienced a Bible story from Acts 12:1-9. (You can read it here!) A man named Peter had been put in jail for teaching about Jesus. God sent an angel who freed Peter from prison! Peter knew that God had promised to take care of him, and guess what... God's Word is True! He does what He says He is going to do.
In our world today, it is hard to know what and who to believe. We often find out that celebrities, news reports, even scientific studies aren't what they claim to be. Sadly, even sometimes the adults that kids trust disappoint. Kids need a foundation. They need to know that God's Word is always true and that the can trust Him.
What to Talk About at Home:
- Discuss things that your kids used to believe were true but later learned were not.
- Talk about how it can help us to know that God's Word is always true. Some examples:
- Leave a comment sharing your kiddo's favorite part of the day.
Today we experienced a Bible story from Acts 12:1-9. (You can read it here!) A man named Peter had been put in jail for teaching about Jesus. God sent an angel who freed Peter from prison! Peter knew that God had promised to take care of him, and guess what... God's Word is True! He does what He says He is going to do.
In our world today, it is hard to know what and who to believe. We often find out that celebrities, news reports, even scientific studies aren't what they claim to be. Sadly, even sometimes the adults that kids trust disappoint. Kids need a foundation. They need to know that God's Word is always true and that the can trust Him.
What to Talk About at Home:
- Discuss things that your kids used to believe were true but later learned were not.
- Talk about how it can help us to know that God's Word is always true. Some examples:
- His Word can help us make choices - and we know they will be the right ones.
- His Word can help us know how to behave - and we know it will be the right way.
- His Word tells us what God really thinks about us - and we know that is true.
- His Word tells us the one way to go to Heaven - and we don't have to wonder!
- Leave a comment sharing your kiddo's favorite part of the day.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Welcome to the High Seas!
We are so glad that you will be joining us for this voyage. This year we are taking a vast voyage through God's Word and you don't want to miss out! Check this blog everyday for updates and for discussion starters for your family. It's going to be a great trip. See you there!
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