Happy New Year!  

Holiday have passed, reminders of Christmas are boxed up and stored away for another year.  Now what?  In Children's Ministry, it has always been the greatest challenge to help our little concrete thinkers understand that Jesus wasn't born in December to die in March or April!

How can the church partner with families to help give Jesus more of a presence in the life of kids? After all, He did have a life as a child, teen, young adult and an adult.  His ministry did not last very long but it continues to call us to follow Him, even today!

Parents can talk about Jesus as a real person.  Wonder with your kids about what Jesus' life might have been like.  Go to the library and pull a few books on what life was like in "Bible" times.  Begin to grow the world that Jesus lives in from a "good story" to something that is more tangible.  Make a strong memory for your kids to hold on to as they continue to grow in their own faith.

Here at Hillside, we have invested in so many ways to bring your kids into a faith-filled experience each week.

1)  Dedicated leaders, parent helpers and other volunteers bring faith to life each week.   I cannot say enough wonderful things about these Hillsiders who have committed themselves to the discipleship of young children at Hillside.  If you see someone in a HillsideKids shirt on Sunday, be sure to stop and say thank you.  When you see an announcement for the needs of helpers so that the dedicated volunteers can have some time off, please step up.  One of the best ways to show your appreciation and to encourage others to continue in their ministry is to sub for them once in a while.  Don't assume that someone else is going to do it.  If God is nudging you, then you are the one we need!

2) Amazing curriculum to present us with a framework for discipleship is such a gift.  As a children's ministry leader for over 25 years, I know what a gem we have been given using the materials from the reThink Group or Orange Curriculum.  It is easy for the volunteers to use, it is consistently good and on target for discipling the kids at all the age/grade levels and it is parent friendly.  Being able to put tools in the hands of the person who most influences the child is huge!  Parents, please take what we give you and use it.  It will grow you and you will find out how amazingly close to God your kids really are and how much more they want to be.  God created each of us with a God-size hole that can only be filled by a relationship with Jesus.  Knowing the Son is knowing the Father.  Please, this week, commit to doing at least one thing on the take home paper "ParentCue" or helping your elementary child work through a day or two of the "GodTime" devotionals.  You might even find that your love and passion for the Lord is strengthen and revived as well.

Here's what you have to look forward to from HillsideKids!

In Waumba Land (preschool ministry), we continue to focus on three core principles:  God Made Me, God Loves Me and Jesus wants to be my friend forever.   January finds the kids learning about how they can talk to Jesus (pray).  The Waumba Land team wants to encourage parents to use the tools that our leaders send home with them: the monthly scripture verse with hand motions, as well as the ParentCue sheet with a full month of activities on it for parent and child to do together.

UpStreet and Avenue252 (elementary-aged ministry) is looking at the virtue of Determination. Determination this month is being defined as "deciding it's worth it to finish what you've started."  Who doesn't want their child to learn this principle early in life.  To help kids connect to the Life App/Virtue  we are using a "sport/running" theme each week to make it fun and interesting. We have a theme slogan this month:  Bthe1.  It means: Be the One who makes a difference (Noah), Be the One who does what God says (Moses), Be the One who sticks by someone in need (Ruth & Naomi), Be the One who works hard because God sees your heart (a work principle from Colossians 3:23-24).

There is a take home "widget" for this month, an orange terrycloth wrist band with the logo "Bthe1" embroidered on it, this will help kids remember to Bthe1 wherever they are this month.  Make sure kids where it back to church each week!   We also want to encourage families to have their elementary aged child bring a Bible to UpStreet or Avenue252 each week.  We actually use them!  They are learning how to navigate through the Bible and it is best if it is the one Bible that they use at home.

Parents might also want to go to the App Store and download the ParentCue App by Orange/reThink Group.  This app will allow you quick and easy access to many of our videos, songs and parenting tips and helps.  It also give you access to activities that you can do with your kids to reinforce what our leaders are sharing with them on Sunday mornings.  Your child's spiritual growth and future can be greatly enriched if parents and church can work together to bring the lessons of Sunday into the rest of their week.  Please go now and download the app.  There is a small one-time fee for this app. If you have already downloaded the app - please comment below on how you are using it and the impact it is making with your kids spiritual formation/growth.

Easter comes early this year, so let's all work together to share Jesus' life with our kids so that they have a better understanding of who wants to be their "friend forever"!

Blessings to each of you in this new year!

Terri Woodard, Pastor Kids & Family
Hillside Church of Marin
terri@hillsidemarin.org

BOTTOM LINE:
1. Talk to your kids about Jesus in a way that speaks to him being a real person.  Imagine what His life might have been like to help give Jesus context to our little ones.
2. Show your support of the dedicated volunteers of HillsideKids by being an age-level helper, parent helper, baby cuddler throughout the year. Consider stepping in when the regular volunteers need time off.  Say thank you to those you see in their HillsideKids shirts.
3. Grab hold of the partnership that we are trying to form with you as parents.  Use the materials that we send home to increase your faith-based dialogue in the house, to grow your child's understanding of your family values as well as to hear what they have learned so far in their small groups. Download the ParentCue App to your smart phone and start using it.
4.  Make sure your elementary child has a Bible (with their name in it, please) and brings it on Sundays.  (questions? talk to me.)
5. For Most: February Mid-Winter Break is 2/18-22, Spring Break is 4/8-12.  Easter is March 31.  Take your GodTimes, ParentCue sheets with you on your break or use the ParentCue App to lead conversations with your kids during the breaks.