Thanks to the Teachers of the Kids!

Do your know them?

I know a group of people. They are people who work full time, either at home or in businesses around our area. Some are married and some are not. Most have children. Most spend their mornings in a rush, feeling like they are behind even before they get started and they spend their evenings at games or practices with the kids. Some of the people, not only care for their children but also for their aging parents. They mow the grass, clean the house, shovel snow and pay bills. They sometimes get frustrated with their families or their jobs. They experience times of great happiness, times of sorrow, and spend a lot of their time just simply tired. Most feel inadequate. I know them well, because in their very busy lives they have made the decision to be “givers” to this body of believers here in Florence. They are volunteers with our children. Yes, on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings, they get up early and drag their families out of bed and rush to the church (regardless of the fact that one of their toddlers hid the car keys in the cushions of the couch or they completely forgot to allow time to scrape the frost off of their car windows.)

As you sit in the worship service they are singing “Father Abraham” at the top of their voices while kids follow them around in a circle. They might be speaking softly to a toddler who is screaming in their face and who refuses to be consoled. They might be encouraging a parent to just go on ahead to service while they serve the child. When a baby is dedicated in our church, I know that more than 1,000 hours of ministry will be gifted to him or her by volunteers….the gift givers…the time investors…by the time he or she moves out of the children’s department and into the middle school department.

Could I encourage you to look deeply into the eyes of your child’s teacher and just understand that in their hectic lives they took the time to be here for you? Will you say “thank you”, today and next week…and the week after that? After all they are giving you a gift that will remain with your child through the rest of his or her life.

Kids Count!

Selena

Do you have a 5th grade girl?

Until now, your child may have been reasonably happy for you to make most of the major decisions in her life. But as she grows, so she develops a strong will of her own. It can feel hurtful when an amenable, friendly child suddenly becomes moody and snaps at you over the slightest thing.
Some parents find these changes harder than others to deal with. However, some parents prefer having young people to talk to and spend time with. For the adolescent, it's an experimental time, working out what sort of teenager and young person she's eventually going to become.
Emotional signs include:
• Moodiness and rapid changes of temperament
• Strong feelings about many different things (embarrassment, love, hate)
• Worry over appearance, especially the unfamiliar body changes
• Becoming much more idealistic and aware of external issues
• Sensitivity over body appearance - never tease your adolescent over spots, body shape and other physical changes
From around the time a child transfers to secondary school at about 11 or 12, the influence of friends often begins to take on greater importance than that of parents. The clothes they wear, the school bags they carry, the music and films they like must all be slavishly copied. This is extremely important for adolescents - nothing is more vital to them than feeling that they belong and are accepted by their peers. (Information taken from “Adolescence and your relationship” by Claire Halsey).
5th Graders at the Vineyard Church

The truth is that this time of pre-adolescence can be crazy for any family. So how can the Vineyard help with your craziness? We have a club for 5th grade girls that meets about every other Sunday night during the school year. The club is called clX (pronounced “clicks”). This club was named by the first clX girls’ club and stands for “Chicks Loving Christ”. (The “X” is a Greek symbol often used to represent Christ).

The point of the club is to bring 5th grade girls together to build a group of peers that you want your child to run around with throughout their teen years. And when there is a quiet moment, Selena (our children’s pastor) inserts biblical instruction about their identity as designed by Christ.

We would love to have your pre-teen join us for clX. For more information about when the next clX meeting is happening, call Selena at (859) 689-0777 ext. 124, or email her at selena.newton@vineyardchristian.org.