New Job Openings

We have two immediate vacancies in our Mom’s Morning Out program. Maybe you’re not interested, but you know someone who is. Tell them about it!

1) Teacher for our 4 year-olds class. Our teacher we started with got ill and resigned her position. So we’re looking for someone who can teach and loves kids. The class is small, but is a great opportunity for someone who has a bit of experience.

2) Assistant for our older 1 year old class. We’ve grown and need more help! If you love kids and want to have smiling faces tugging on your hands (and hearts) you’re welcome! Our lead teacher in this class is amazing and this bunch of children is a lot of fun.

Our program is M, W, F mornings from 9-12 (teacher time 8:45-12:15). We follow the District 5 calendar. If you’d like more information or would like to schedule an interview e-mail Michelle at kids4christ@dutchfork.com. Pass this info. onto someone you think might be interested!

It’s that time again!

Woo Hoo! We start signing up for volunteer positions again this week for FALL FESTIVAL! That’s right – it’s that time of year again. We had a GREAT festival last year and I expect the same. Things will be pretty much the same as last year with it being both inside and outside, 2 inflatables, Trunk or Treat, games, and concessions (not hot dogs). I am already contacting local businesses for donations. Unfortunately WMHK won’t be able to make it, but we’ll still have fun without them! Look at Grand Central this Sunday for a sign-up sheet to reserve your place to get involved and “demonstrate love.” The thing that makes Fall Festival as good as it is at Dutch Fork is YOU! The volunteers that are there giving selflessly of their time. Let’s welcome our community with wide open arms and show them what Dutch Fork is all about!

P.S. With Gateway moving, I wonder if we’ll have more than the 750 that came last year? If you have any suggestions for this year’s Fall Festival, leave a comment below!  

Volunteer Spotlight

I would like to highlight special workers from time to time and share how they are important to the ministry at Dutch Fork.

The first one I’ll start off with is Carol Crosby.

Carol has attended Dutch Fork all her life. She has been involved in the Children’s Ministry since before I came upon the scene in 2002.

Carol has a wonderful gift of organization. She also is great at teaching young children. For the past 2 years she has taught our toddler class and done an amazing job with the busy little bees in there. Her latest role of service is being the Preschool Coordinator. Carol is responsible for gathering the supplies each week for our 2nd hour teachers, making their copies, getting their lessons to them in advance each week, and helping to organize the large group time for first hour. She also oversees all scheduling for our classes on Sunday mornings – which is NOT a fun job at all!

Just this week she called and asked me if it was okay if she organized the Resource Room. Umh….yeah!

I appreciate Carol for her initiative, her patience with me , and her heart that so much mirrors a servant. She is a vital part of the Children’s Ministry and I truly know that she does it because she loves kids and loves seeing their lives changed.  Thank you Carol!

Week 4 – INITIATIVE: Leftovers

This week in The Clubhouse, the kids will be talking for the last week about Initiative – seeing what needs to be done and doing it. This week we’re looking at the story of the feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-14). The bottom line is: “Do what you need to do, then watch what God can do.”

Many times our kids feel they can’t do something. They may face problems too hard to solve – a test in school, facing a tough situation - a bully, a teacher who doesn’t like them, problems at home. This week will show them that beyond whatever is going on, all they have to do is their part – be a  peacemaker, study for the test, practice, etc. But then they can watch the amazing ways that God takes care of impossible situations. If He can take 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and make enough to feed a crowd of 5000 with leftovers, then we know He can handle our problems.

So, ask your kids about it this week. And if you know they’re struggling with something — remind them to “do what they need to do, then watch what God can do.”

Playground News

We are about 3 weeks away from getting our playground delivered, then we’ll do a few days of work before the kids can play on it. We are so excited about it for many reasons!

(1) A playground is an external thing that shows to people taht our church values children. The community can drive by and see that we are a place where families are welcome, and where we strive to give kids our best!

(2) In the 5 years I’ve been here, we’ve gone from a rusted swingset to our current, unsafe Wal-Mart special. The playground we have chosen to purchase is priced less than most commercial playgrounds (some can be the price of a mortgage for a house!), yet it will last 30+ years. The warranty on it is great, it will fill our growing children’s ministry, and will continue to be a safe, low maintenance object for our kids.

(3) Our influence with children is growing at Dutch Fork and it’s great to have the resources needed in order to minister effectively. Our children’s ministry currently comprises 1/3 of our church attendance, with early childhood growing the most. Our children in preschool and toddler classes will use the new playground as part of their programming on Sundays and First Wednesdays. Our Mom’s Morning Out program has 28 kids with waiting lists for 3 classes! We are bound by our facility space. These children play on the playground 3 times a week. Then we have program like Lunch Bunch, etc. which will be able to get their big energies out on the playground too.

We’re excited about this opportunity to further increase the quality of what we provide for our children. We still need approximately $6000 to pay the balance once it arrives. If you’d like to make a donation, mark it and put it in the offering on Sunday. You can also contact the church office.

Communion Room

Don’t forget that every Sunday, following worship, there is a Family Communion Room set up for families with baptized children. This is an opportunity for your child to take communion and to do so with you leading it. It is an opportunity for you to be a leader in your family as well. When children are dismissed from Children’s Worship, take them to the youth room (side closest to exterior door, there is a sign). It will only take a few moments, but what a great time to spend with your child!

Week 3 – Initiative

We’ll be going on week 3 of our new 252Basics curriculum this week as we continue to look at “Initiative” – seeing what needs to be done and doing it. This week the kids will learn about showing initiative in telling their friends about Jesus. It should be a powerful Sunday. We have some great worship coming their way with Skip and I know they’ll enjoy small group time as well. Remember to encourage your child to return their God Time card with them each Sunday for Bible Bucks. It’s a great way to reinforce what we’re learning at home during the week.

Baptism Celebration

This is an exciting Sunday we are getting ready for as we are having a service centered on baptisms. I love these services for a few reasons, (1) people are making life changing decisions – the biggest one and it is great to celebrate with them!, (2) I love the education that goes into teaching others about baptism, (3) It makes me look forward to the next one!

We are having 2 youth baptized this Sunday – Parker R. and Autumn L.

I always tell children and their parents – don’t feel like you have to know everything there is about God. You don’t know everything now that you’ll learn in school later. The same is true about the Bible, church, and God. You’ll always be learning.

If your child has expressed interest in making a decision to be a Christian and follow in baptism, let me know. If they’re asking questions that’s always great too! It’s a step in that direction. I hope to hold another “Now That I’m a Christian” class this winter to look at it more in depth.

Refrigerator Notes & God Time Books

This week and every week your child is bringing home 2 things:

1) Refrigerator Notes – a half-page paper briefing you on what we talked about in the Clubhouse. It has questions to ask your child, an activity, a verse to learn, and the virtue of the month/week

2) God Time book – a 4-day book for the child to use as a daily devotional/quiet time resource. It takes the virtue that is for that week and gives a brief daily write up about it. It also has active activities for your child to do to “live out” what they’ve been learning.

I have encouraged the kids to let their parents see the Refrigerator Notes and to complete and return the God Time books. Please do the same. These are a great resource to review and reinforce throughout the week what we have taught each Sunday.

Pink hair pic!

Here it is! Mrs. Michelle with pink hair! It was fun — thanks kids for letting me do it!