The Park Children's Ministry

We have a little video for you all to enjoy :)

by Brian Leach

Ok...there are a lot of things happening so I am going to give you a quick run down of upcoming stuff.


1.  Christmas Sing -  our rehearsal is tonight at 6:30 pm
The kids sing this weekend at all the services.  PLEASE arrive about 10 minutes before service so that we can get all the kids lined up and won't have to rush them and make them any more nervous than they already are.
Also, if you could have your kid sing in more than one service that would be great.  We will sing at all the services after the second song, so we have to line up immediately at the beginning of the service.
2.  After School Bible Study - This is for kids in 3rd - 5th grade and begins Wednesday, January 5 from 3:30 to 5 pm.  It will meet every other week and is for any kid whether they attend Parkway or not - it is absolutely FREE.
3.  Family Service Night - Friday, January 7, we are having a night where you can bring the whole family to the Elementary worship area to hang out and have some fun. We will also be doing a service night that night where we the families will be making lunches that will be passed out the next day to the homeless in downtown PHX. 
This is a great night to invite friends, have some fun and serve the less fortunate.  Watch for fliers with detials!
4.  Starting Point for Kids - Sunday, January 23 at 12:30 pm is our next Starting Point for kids.  If your child has questions about becoming a follower of Jesus,  please plan to attend this class. Children must be accompanied with and adult.

Have a great week and see you this weekend!
Brian

by Charity


…time for toys and time for cheer…

Oh come on, you know you were singing that song too… you know, the Alvin and the Chipmunks song…it wasn’t just me… Right? .....… Well, stores are hanging their Christmas decorations, radio stations are playing Christmas music, houses are glowing with lights and ironically, as I type my Pandora account is playing “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”

Here in CM, we are getting ready too! Rooms have been decorated, and plans for Christmas Sing are well under way… Here’s a few things you need to know as Christmas Sing is approaching.

Sun City sing has been canceled this year due to construction on their building… so don’t show up there this Sunday, or they will wonder what those tiny humans are doing. BUT we will hopefully be singing there in the Spring instead, so don’t be too sad! :)

Christmas Sing weekend is still on like Donkey Kong. We are going to sing on December 11/12 weekend. So get your kids in those cute little Christmas outfits that you love so much (and they don’t like at all) and come ready on that weekend.

Practice will be on Wednesday, December 8th from 6:30-7:30pm for ALL ages… make sure you are here that night, it will help the kids be more relaxed and comfortable on the weekend.

I think that’s pretty much it… :) I’ll post some pics real quick of the end result of our Christmas light decorations :) if you’re a CM volunteer, see you tonight at Brian’s!!

So on Sunday afternoon, my 11 year old and 9 year old  and I decided we were going to put up the Christmas lights outside.  The kids were stoked about it...which was odd...but it was the second year that it was us three doing the job so maybe we are establishing a tradition or something.
We all have our jobs to do...the two kiddos were untangling strands of lights while I was getting the ladders out and then we were testing them.  My daughter must have had electricity going through her veins because every time she touched a bulb it would blow the whole fuse on that strand...not sure why they put fuses on those things anyway.

When it came time to put them up...my son's job was to hold the lights and keep them from breaking on the rocks...my daughter was supposed to hold the ladder, although she forgot quite a few times....anyway after we got the house set - I did something new - I gave them both a couple of strands and told them to decorate in their own way a couple of bushes that we have out front.  My wife watched from the window as they worked together to figure out the cords and then begin the decorating process.  It was great....my son took his job seriously and interwove the lights into his bush and my daughter just kind of threw her strand on hers.....they don't look the best...but they did it and I hope they will remember it.

It got me thinking about a lot of stuff...my kids are getting older fast and soon they will be out of the house and gone.  I wonder what they will someday tell their kids about times with me and my wife.  What will they remember about us the most? 

This has motivated me a little.  I asked them all today..."what are some things that you do with your dad?"   They had some answers but...I have to be honest...I wasn't very happy with what they said that I did with them.  I began reminding them of all the stuff we do, but the fact is...these are not the things that I want to be remembered by.

So I am going on a little mission to spend time more wisely.  To make efforts to make memories that last.  To not be super dad...cuz I am not that by a long shot...but I want them to someday see something or do something and think back to a time when they were young and remember that this was something that was introduced or that they did with their dad.

So I ask you...what do you want to be remembered for?

by Brian Leach

Ok...lots to tell you guys about Christmas at Parkway for Children's Ministry so I won't waste your time with many words...here goes...


1.  Open House Christmas Party for all Volunteers is at my house this year on Friday, Dec. 3 from 6 to 10 pm.  You should be getting an evite, but if you don't please rsvp to me asap
This year is different than the past...we are doing a pitch-in so please bring your favorite holiday dish to share.
This evening is for the volunteers so if you can get childcare for the kiddos that would be great, but PLEASE don't let that be a reason for NOT coming...I would rather you bring them than not come.
Please RSVP and come hang out with the team.

2. Children's Christmas Sing Weekend - The kids have been working hard on the two songs we are planning to sing to the adults. If you don't have a CD, please pick one up this weekend.  Our weekend to sing is December 11/12. 
We would like for children to sing at least at TWO services if at all possible.
Our REHEARSAL is Wednesday, December 8 at 6:30pm - This is a great time to get your child acquainted with the surroundings and for you to know where your child will be standing in advance.

3.  NO SUN CITY SING WEEKEND...due to the Sun City Churches construction, we are postponing this until March.  Please don't go there expecting to sing on Sunday, Dec 5.

4.  CM Weekend OFF -- Merry Christmas and enjoy  a weekend off. There will be NO Children's Ministry programming the weekend of Dec. 25/26...ENJOY!

I know this is a hectic time for everyone, but please remember that if you serve in our CM, that you are a valued part of what we do and we can't do this without you. Please know we love and care about you and need you to be a part of our team.

Merry Christmas!

Brian

by  Tim Cox

So some of you may have noticed this tall, goofy looking guy lurking around the P.A.R.K.  You may have asked yourself, “Is he lost?", or maybe “Did he just get out of Jail?"  SO, I guess it is time for my introduction, my blogiduction. 

My Name is Timothy Cox. No, I am not related to the cable company.  I was born and raised in Arizona. 
I was 16 when I dedicated my life to ministry.  I grew up going to church regularly and have certain skills that, to me, were meant for ministry.  I left high school in 2000 a 1/2 credit shy of graduating.  I felt that I knew enough to make it out in the "real world." However, I quickly found out that I was wrong.  I of course made sure to get that high school diploma, and then I joined the Army.  I spent just under 5 years in and learned a lot about life and what God wanted me to do.  I am married to my "high school sweetheart" Shannon Cox.  We have 2 kids- Preston (5) and Emma Marie (1).  My Wife has been my rock on this journey and is 100% supportive of my choice to volunteer my time 40+ hours a week.  It is so amazing to have the partnership that we have and to both understand God's plan for us.

My main goal is to become a Children’s Pastor.  After some long talks and a lot of prayer, I have come to realize that this is what God has planned for me.  All this honestly was very scary for me! I feel a person has to be crazy to accept that they're supposed to teach God's children about Jesus Christ; to instill all the right tools to take with them through life.  That to me is huge.  I feel God has shown me through all my life experiences leading up to now that this is what I am crazy enough to do and succeed at.  I am not scared now.  I am excited to teach kids about Christ and lead them in worship.  Nothing I have done in life fills my heart with as much joy as this job. 

So to close this blogiduction, no I have never been in jail, and no I am not lost.  My name is Tim Cox and I am here to teach your kids everything I can possibly teach them about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.




My name is Tim Cox and I approve this message.

by Charity

Family time was a HUGE thing for me as a kid. My family loved to spend time together, and we did a lot of fun things growing up. My parents always made it a point to spend time with us individually, and for us to spend time as a whole family unit. We had Family Night at least once a week and we would play board games, wrestle with dad, roller-blade around the neighborhood, or just watch a movie.

I am young and unmarried [but only for a few more months :)] and I am not a parent, but I know how much having a night of the week that was spent with my family helped shape the person that I am today. So we here at the Park have decided to help make this a little bit easier for you. There are many opportunities coming up here at Parkway to spend time as a family....

During the month of November we are doing a Food Drive. You can make a list of non-perishable food items, then take the kids to the grocery store and let them each pick out something on the list to buy. Bring it to Parkway and put it in the Food Drive bins. Then, talk to your kids about line-of-sight, and what it means to help those in the community.

Christmas Sing weekend is going to be on December 11/12. Parents- we know how much you LOVE to watch your little babies up there on stage, being all cute :) Invite grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends to come and support your kids. Practice the moves as a family by clicking on the link on the side <------ that says "Christmas Sing" for more info. We will also be singing at Sun City West Christian Church on December 5th. Sign up today by shooting me an email! :)

January 7th, 2011 we will be having a Family Service Night. This is a night where you can show your kids by example what it means to serve. We will be making PB&J sandwiches for people in need. Bring the kids and have them help pack the lunches, or make a little card/note to put in the the bag and help make their day. Check out the Upcoming Events page for more info, or be looking for a flyer.

In February 2011, we will open up our Children's area for you and your kids to come and hang out. We will play a movie on the big screen in the auditorium, and have all the fun stuff in The Park open for you!! You can play board games, play basketball, rock out to Rock Band on the Big Screen, or climb the rock wall together. We want you to spend some time just having fun with your kids... The Cafe will also be open, and will be having a special menu- just for family night!

Vote for what you want on the menu at Family Night below!

Don't wait for Parkway to provide opportunities for you to hang out as a family. Talk to your kids about things they would like to do with you, trust me- they'll have PLENTY of ideas!

by Brian Leach

So I am reading the book of Acts now and I just finished reading about how Paul changed and how he was received by others when he did change.  Some didn't trust him, others wanted to kill him and finally some did accept him.

It is odd to me how he was perceived and how it seemed to take a long time to be accepted by others.  But one thing that really impressed me about him is in Acts 9:20...after his conversion...it states that "at once" he began to preach in the synagogues about Jesus.

It is clear that Paul didn't care what others thought of him all he cared about was doing the right thing and his thing was to preach about Jesus.  Granted..it almost got him killed a few times and eventually did, but he couldn't do anything about how others perceived him all he could do was to make sure he was doing the right thing.

I have constantly struggled with this. As many or you know, I am "sorta" an intense person...okay...I am actually a really intense person and sometimes that can be construed in a negative way and can rub people in a wrong way.  I really try not to, but it just happens.  I have heard a few times the phrase..."this guy is a pastor???"

I realize that how people perceive me and maybe you too, matters...I would never want to make anyone think negatively about Jesus because of something stupid I have said or done, but all I can really do is exactly what Paul has did...keep serving Jesus the best way that I know how....and that is all out and sometimes a little over the top...

You may be reading this and wondering..."what did he do now...?"  Nothing really...just living a life that includes a lot of passion and a loud voice...and if I offended you in anyway...please always come and talk to me...I probably didn't even realize it:)

My challenge to you is this....live a life for Jesus with a lot of passion...give everything you have to influence others to know Him...and always be willing to go back and apologize if you need to:)

Have a great week and I personally want to thank all those who picked me for the person that should be pranked here at the office...I will keep my eyes open for you....

Peace,
Brian

by Susan
 
Anyone out there fans of "The Office" ?  It is becoming a popular show amongst the Children's Ministry staff here at Parkway.  I think that the pranks that Jim pulls on Dwight have somehow subliminally inspired us around here lately.  This week it seems to have been all out pranking war in the CM office.  I came in to my office on Tuesday to find most of my stuff rearranged and balloons stuck to my office windows.  Tim and Brian's offices got covered in left over fliers.   (That is not an admission of guilt ) There has been "tagging" on office doors, windows and whites boards.  Ping Pong Balls stolen with ransom notes, and much more.

   There have been alliances made, scheming, planning and vows of revenge.   So.... I need your help! I need some good pranking ideas.  Have you pulled off good pranks in the past?  Or have an idea of one that would be fun to pull off ??? Comment below and let us know.  We will see if one of your ideas gets carried out. OR, if you could play a prank on anyone in the Children's Ministry office, who would you choose to prank?  Maybe the one with the most votes will have a special surprise one day :) Comment below and let us know !!!!! 

  To close it out I am just going to leave you with a few announcements about Children's Ministry.  As much fun as we have, we do have to get some serious stuff done :) Thank you to everyone that helped at Trunk or Treat!!! Really!! You made it an awesome night.  The feedback we got from people who do not go to church here has been incredible!   Also, this weekend we are going to have sign ups for the Parkway Children's Ministry Email Blast.  This email has tons of cool info about what's going on and fun stuff to get your kiddos involved in.  So make sure you get a card at the kiosks and sign up.

   Last but not least, I leave you a truly inspirational video that I like to call Merry Christmas !!!

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