The Park Children's Ministry

by Brian Leach

     A lot happened last week and a lot is on the way for our CM here at Parkway so I thought that I would make this a random blog so you could hear what is up.
     Speaking of know what is up...if you are reading this and are NOT getting our monthly email blast...well...you are probably missing a lot of info of what is going on.  We do our best to keep the blog up to date but many people would rather have a one pager of the stuff happening...If you want the blast then we need you to fill out an paper that we will be passing out this weekend with your email on it. We send the blast out once a month with all the happenings.  Look for that this weekend and tell your friends.
     If you missed the Trunk or Treat...you missed an awesome event!  We had well over 4000 people there and loads of fun.  If you went and have a story or picture or something to share...please send it to me at brian@parkway.cc.
     Stuff you need to know for the immediate future is this...we are going to be pushing really hard over the month of November to learn our Christmas songs.  The plan is for our group to sing at the Sun City Church on the Sunday, December 4 and then our big weekend to sing at every service at Parkway is December 11/12.  Plan on having your child sing at at least two services.  The preschool have already been working on it and the elementary will begin this weekend.
      Camp this year is just around the corner.  We are planning on going  back to Forest Home in CA...it was a total blast last year!  The dates for camp this next year are June 19 to 24.  Spots will be able to be booked after the new year.
      Ok...that's about all I can think for now....thanks for being a great place to serve as children's pastor at...I really appreciate you all!

Brian

By Brian Leach

I was reading to my 8 year old last night out of Genesis about when Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for his son Isaac.  He sent him along and told him that if the girl wouldn't come back with him then he was off the hook and wouldn't get into trouble.

So if you and me were that slave...we wouldn't have tried very hard to bring one back cuz we would know that it didn't really matter....but this slave was a little different from normal everyday people like me.

The account goes like this...the servant prayed to God and said:  "Dear God of my master Abraham...please help me be successful in this search for a wife for Isaac.  Help me find a girl and when I find her...just to be clear...have her give me water to drink and then water for my camels too."

OK...you may be reading this and wondering why I am talking about this and it didn't dawn on me after reading this a dozen times before until I realize how specific this servant was in his prayers.  He asked God down to the detail of what he wanted and how he wanted it.

I was then hit with this question....When has God answered me specifically?  When have I prayed so specifically that the only way it could have worked out was that it was God? 

I asked my kids this and they couldn't think of a time and, to be honest, it hasn't happened to me in a very long time.  So I realized something....I have been praying wrong!  I haven't been specific enough.  I have not been really relying on God but just talking to Him casually.

So here is the challenge that I have received and I want to pass onto you....pray specifically....be specific with God and if it is His will then see what happens!

---This Friday is Trunk or Treat....it starts at 6pm so don't be late...if you can give us some time to volunteer...shoot me an email at brian@parkway.cc

Have a great week!
Brian

By Brian Leach

So last week...I asked for some testimonies about the Children's Ministry here at Parkway and I got some really good ones, but not many overall..so I am going to call you all out again.  Give us some good things that are happening in your lives that our CM has helped you with.  Let us know.

Aside from that, there are a lot of stuff happening in the next weeks at Parkway:

First - this THURSDAY is Parkway Golden Spoon Camp Fundraiser Night from 3 pm to Close.  If you have never had Golden Spoon...it totally rocks and is low in calories....so go on Thursday and eat some frozen custard and hang out with Parkway people.

Next Friday, October 29 is our Trunk or Treat.  We need about 25 more cars to have 100.  We need tons more candy. We need volunteers to help man games and activities.  BUT more than that, we need you to all invite at least 10 friends to come out to this event.  Flyers will be passed out this weekend and make sure to send them school with your kids and  go to all your neighbors to have them all come out... it is going to be a blast.

Lastly, tell your friends to check out the blog.  It has all the low down on all the stuff in CM. 

Have a great week!

Brian

by Brian Leach

Ok...I'm not really begging...but really I am...

We are having an All CM Meeting tomorrow at 6:30 pm.  We are having food, childcare and some good team building stuff.  You may be asking yourself..."Why would I come to this meeting?"  Well, let me tell you why...
1.  You will be in the know of what is going on in the area you serve.
2.  You will get to see that the ministry is really big and that you are a part of something really special.
3.  You will get to hang out with people and develop more of a team atmosphere.
4.  You will have a chance to win a prize if you win the opening crowd-breaker game.
5.  You will get to hear Brian's heart on how the ministry is going and where it is headed.
6.  You will get to eat some great food and have some fun with people without your kids...yeah...just adults...
7.  You will be provided with some training that will help you to be better at what you do.
8.  You will hear about how much we as staff appreciate what you guys do!
9.  You will get to ask questions and find out information that you might need to know.
10. You have the opportunity to invite someone who you think would be great at serving in our ministry.

Well...there you have it...how could you not want to be at this meeting!

I hope to see you tomorrow night!

by Brian Leach

Ok...don't worry...I am not really going to ask to borrow your car.  And I know that with my driving record that most of you would say no....or at least you should.

But this year, we are bringing back the Trunk or Treat event to Parkway and we need 100 cars to fill the parking lot with cars filled with candy.  Our purpose for this event is to get people to come onto our property and realize what a cool place it is and then hopefully come check us out on the weekend and eventually come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

So...here's how it works.  You and some of your friends pick whose car that you want to A. Decorate as much as you like...it doesn't have to be over the top, but at least maybe some streamers or headless horsemen or something like that and B.  You and your friends stuff as much candy in the trunk, back of the truck or van that you can (note..you might want to clean the trunk out prior to candy or at least line it with plastic) and then C.  You show up on Friday, October 29 around 5 pm for set up and then we shower kids with candy.

We will also have things at the event like: food from the cafe, some fun games for families to play, we are opening up the CM wing so people can climb the wall or hang out, we are going to have live music and the youth are cooking something up really cool in Building A.

It is really going to be a fun night!  So make sure to tell all your neighbors and friends to come and check it out.  It shouldn't be a tough sell to the kids to be able to double dip on candy this year....they can fill their bags on Friday and then go out on Sunday to fill them again!

Please shoot me an email if you can offer up your car, volunteer to help us staff the attractions or just please bring in candy donations for the next few weeks.  You can email me at brian@parkway.cc.

Thanks for being part of such a cool place that we call Parkway.  See you this weekend!

Brian

by Brian Leach

I have heard it said that people run when they see me coming at church because they think that I am going to ask them to serve in Children's Ministry.  It's not something new that people run when they see me coming, but all the same, it is a bit concerning to me when I hear such things.

It hurts my feelings a bit, but then I think about the fact that what we do by serving kids is one of the most important things ever!  The fact that over 600 kids come through our doors weekly to build relationships and learn about a God who loves them and wants to know them personally, drives me daily to do what I do.

Now I don't want to diminish the importance of other ministries, I am not about serve only in CM or don't serve at all....but I am about serving the local church when the local church serves the community.  I truly believe it is our job as followers of Christ to help at the church that we call our home.  If you don't, then you are a consumer and you are missing out on one of the most important opportunities to reach the masses for Jesus.

We have tons of people who walk through our doors for the first time every weekend. For some, it will be their first time to hear about Jesus and unfortunately, for some it will be the only time they ever come if we don't make it the best experience they have ever had.

This drives me to make sure we are adequately staffed in our areas so that a first timer looks into our area and is properly greeted and feels like it is a safe and organized area.  If they see chaos without purpose then they say..."man, my kid isn't coming to this place again.."

So this is why I am not afraid to make the BIG ASK!  This is why I make our area sound like the greatest area ever...which I really think that it is.  So if you are reading this and thinking to yourself..."man, Brian is making me feel guilty..."  Think again...I am not making you feel guilty...YOU are making YOU feel guilty.

So...are you serving?  I could care less if it is Children's Ministry...if not there...then where?????

by Brian Leach

Well...as of today we have had five weeks in our new facility and I think the dust has cleared by now.  Over the last five weeks...we have battled sound, figured out how to do check in a variety of ways and processed and are still processing a ton of new volunteers.  The work seems to never end.

It has been a great start and we have jumped about 200 kids at times on the weekends which is awesome!  Now it is time to get better.  We need to get better at the way we use the space we have, better at how we get info to new people, better at preparing for teaching time with the kids and better at being on time to be there to welcome the kids to the areas.

With that in mind, we are going to have a volunteer meeting on Tuesday, October 5 at 6:30 pm.  This meeting is for all current volunteers, whether  you are weekly or flex and all greeters.  At this meeting, we want to break down your particular area as far as what is currently happening and how we can get better.  This is your ministry and you are the owners...of course when we have over 400 of you, we have to be united, but my point is that I am going to challenge you all to take some ownership in this gathering we call Parkway.

This meeting will include childcare to those who rsvp to brian@parkway.cc, food and both large and small group time.  Please make it a priority to come to the meeting and please rsvp...that means respond even if you are not coming so that we know.  You will be getting cards in the mail, fliers passed out and phone calls, if necessary to see if you are coming or not....so please let us know.

I truly believe that Parkway's Children's Ministry is one of the best in the country and that is because of YOU and the commitment that you show. Thanks for being a part.  If you are not a part of this thing called The Park...you don't know what you are missing...come check it out...we would love to have you as a part.

Thanks,
Brian