Playtimes are an awesome tool for reaching out into your local community. Playtime ministry at a time when raising a young family can be daunting, overwhelming and exhausting.

Finding a nurturing community to help cope with these challenges is a God-send, literally. Playtimes can be just that. At a season when parents are looking for answers, the church can help them find The Answer: Jesus.

Bring your playtime/playgroup team along to be encouraged, equipped and trained at this conference.

For more info and to register, see the Christian Playtime website.

KCO Refresh – (NSW/ACT Synod run Kid’s Camp Out)

Imagine… space to breathe, space to think, space to explore …

That is what Refresh KCO 2011 is all about!

Elanora is a beautiful environment in which to explore God’s creation, nurture children’s faith and be part of an exciting program.   Children will have opportunities to be part of small and large groups.  The experiences will include walking, swimming, games, craft and eating meals together.

KCO allows children to be part of a wider Christian community, to meet other children and leaders and share in worship and Bible study as part of that community.  It also provides leaders with a chance to talk to others,  be encouraged and enjoy the weekend with minimum preparation but maximum fun.  Young leaders in particular are able to take responsibility with guidance and a special time on Saturday night is set aside for them to be mentored and encouraged.

When: Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 March 2011

Time: Saturday 1.00pm until Sunday 1.00pm

Where: Elanora, 19A Wesley Street, Elanora Heights NSW

Who: Children in years 3-6 in 2011 (Children in years 7-12 can come along as assistant leaders and congregation helpers)

Costs will be $75 per person (children and adults), and this includes lunch on arrival, afternoon tea, an evening meal, supper, breakfast, morning tea and lunch before leaving.  Generous serves, healthy meals and food preferences and allergies catered for, if notification is given on forms.  This also includes a bed and pillow in a shared cabin (with ensuite) or camping.  It also includes all of the program, including entertainment, activities, booklets etc.

Not included is linen – bedding and towels.  These can be included for an additional $15.  Otherwise campers need to bring a sleeping bag or sheets and blankets, and towels as required.

Download your forms below:

Leaders Handbook 2011

Individual Rego form 2011

Group Registration Form 2011

All Campers Form – KCO11

KCO COMMISSIONING SERVICE 11

Advent Treasure Hunt

If you have a nativity scene, this is easy but you can make your own figures from cardboard tubes.  Wrap the pieces in tissue paper and hide them around the house.  Create a treasure map either by drawing a map or creating clues (for example: This animal was surprised to find a baby where its breakfast should have been.  Now it is to be found where you get breakfast.  The donkey is hidden in the breakfast cereal cupboard.

This is great fun for a family, and older children enjoy helping prepare the clues. The nativity scene can be put together and the story shared.

Advent Story Box

In a decorative box, bowl or jar, put verses of the Christmas story from the Bible – I like the  story as told in Luke 1 and 2.  Print it out using red, green and white paper and cut the verses into small strips.  Fold or roll them up and put them into the container in the middle of the table.  Take turns as a family to pull out a verse and read it out loud and guess where in the story it fits in.  These can then be stuck onto a magnetic whiteboard or the fridge or some cardboard to make the whole story during Advent.  On Christmas Eve or Christmas Day you can read the whole wonderful story together!

Advent Chain

Using red and green and white paper, create a chain with 25 loops, or however many days there are until Christmas.  Each day a loop can come off as you say a prayer – on red links say a thank you prayer, on green links pray for others, on white links, pray for your family.

This can also be done in reverse, with a link being added each day and a prayer.

Advent Fridge Calendar 1

Day 1  Make (or purchase) an Advent Wreath. Make a circle using playdough, plasticine or real branches from a gum tree or pine tree.  Decorate with gum nuts and seed pods.  Add 4 candles (HOPE, PEACE, JOY and LOVE) around the edge and put one big one (CHRIST candle) in the middle.  Light one candle – the HOPE candle and write down something you hope for and talk about your hopes as a family. (see www.whychristmas.com for lots of ideas about Advent and Christmas)

Day 2  Read Luke 2:14  and make a dove decoration and hang it in the house.

Day 3  Make some Christmas cards  http://www.kidscraftweekly.com/simple_cards_issue.html

Day 4  Make a list of the wonderful things God has given you and your family and be thankful

Day 5  Do something to help someone without being asked.

Day 6  Make some Christmas food to share – like biscuits, sweets, cakes or chocolates) – see edible Christmas story

Day 7  Sing a Christmas song together (Christmas karaoke on http://tistheseasonto.be/)

Day 8  Light the HOPE and the PEACE candles. Pray for peace in your family, neighbourhood and country.

Day 9  Make and hang an angel decoration. Read Luke 1:28-38

Day 10  Decorate some plain paper to make Christmas wrapping paper (http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/)

Day 11  Pray for people who don’t know the true meaning of Christmas

Day 12  Make a Christmas paper chain using red, green and gold paper..

Day 13  Ring a friend or write a Christmas email.

Day 14  Make a star decoration and hang it up. Read Matthew 2:1-12

Day 15  Light the HOPE, PEACE and JOY candles.  Spread some joy by smiling at everyone you meet.

Day 16  Make a nativity scene and read Luke 2:1-7

Day 17  Go outside at night and look at the stars and imagine following a star.

Day 18  Make a present for someone you love.( www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/)

Day 19  Write Christmas cards to your neighbours

Day 20  Donate a Christmas gift to charity. (UnitingCare have a GivingTree and other charities like the Salvos are at most large shopping centres)

Day 21  Look at some old family photos

Day 22 Light the HOPE, PEACE, JOY and LOVE candles. Thank God for each member of your family.

Day 23  Make a Christmas poster to decorate a room.

Day 24  Read a favourite Christmas story.

Day 25  Light all the candles and the Christ candle.  Thank God for sending Jesus to us.  Read Luke 2:1-20

Alternative Advent calendar

Download the alternative Advent calendar – 250kb Word document

Imagine… space to breathe, space to think, space to explore …

That is what Refresh  KCO 2011 is all about!

Elanora is a beautiful environment in which to explore God’s creation, nurture children’s faith and be part of an exciting program.   Children will have opportunities to be part of small and large groups.  The experiences will include walking, swimming, games, craft and eating meals together.

KCO allows children to be part of a wider Christian community, to meet other children and leaders and share in worship and Bible study as part of that community.  It also provides leaders with a chance to talk to others,  be encouraged and enjoy the weekend with minimum preparation but maximum fun.  Young leaders in particular are able to take responsibility with guidance and a special time on Saturday night is set aside for them to be mentored and encouraged.

When:            Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 March 2011
Time:             Saturday 1.00pm until Sunday 1.00pm
Where:          Elanora, 19a Wesley Street, Elanora Heights NSW
Who:              Children in years 3- 6 in 2011 (Children in years 7-12 can come along as assistant leaders and congregation helpers) Please remember NO group is too small, all are welcome!!

Costs will be $75 per person (children and adults), and this includes lunch on arrival, afternoon tea, an evening meal, supper, breakfast, morning tea and lunch before leaving.  Generous serves, healthy meals and food preferences and allergies catered for, if notification is given on forms.  This also includes a bed and pillow in a shared cabin (with ensuite) or camping.  It also includes all of the program, including entertainment, activities, booklets etc.

Not included is linen – bedding and towels.  These can be included for an additional $15.  Otherwise campers need to bring a sleeping bag or sheets and blankets, and towels as required.

Registration packs will be on our website for download in early January.

As we don’t want anyone to miss out because of the cost, we are offered ‘KCO Scholarships’ to subsidise the cost. If your church has children who might not be able to attend KCO due to the cost, please contact Judyth Roberts on 8267 4289 or email judythr@nsw.uca.org.au

Kids Vision and Baptist Union join together to present @ctiv@te Children’s Leadership Conference

@ctiv@te runs in conjunction with their Children’s Camp, which attracts over 200 children from schools, churches and the community. Part of your time at @ctiv@te will be spent learning through participation in the camp. You will have the privilege of putting @ctiv@te Workshops and Electives into practice as you observe, journey, teach and experience ministry first hand with these children.

Venue: held in the beautiful bushland setting of
The Tops Conference Centre, Stanwell Tops NSW just 56kms south of Sydney.

Cost: $250 (includes accommodation and meals for the 4 days

WHY THIS CONFERENCE? BECAUSE…

• busy ministry leaders NEED time out to pray and think about their ministry
• they LEARN from sharing their joys and challenges with other leaders
• they LOVE to sit back and watch top class ministry with real kids that they haven’t had to plan
• they GROW in skills and confidence by trying new skills in a safe setting

 AT CONFERENCE YOU’LL…

• See effective ministry to primary aged children modelled
• Learn skills through practical application and evaluation
•  Have hands-on experience in a safe, supportive environment
•  Be challenged and equipped to minister to children with special needs
•  Have time and space to think about and evaluate your ministry goals
•  Get lots of support and encouragement!

Download the Activate 2010 Flyer for more information and to register.

Here are some suggestions and your ideas and feedback would be appreciated.

For babies:

Baby Blessings Bible by Alice Joyce Davidson

A board book with removable soft cover. Brightly coloured and textured, so babies can look, hold, chew, taste and get to know this Bible. A great gift at baptism because it is likely to be read and enjoyed by the family and not put on a shelf to gather dust.

For young children:

The Little Children’s Bible retold by Anne de Graaf and published by Scandinavia Publishing House

A charming version of many Bible stories with things to do that help children relate to the story.  For example at the beginning of Genesis when God changed the darkness into light, it suggests turning the light off and on again. When Mary is visited by an angel, it invites children to close their eyes and hold their breath and imagine an angel standing next to their bed. Or when talking about the fact that nothing is more important than the love of God, to hug someone you love.

Scripture Unions

The Big Bible Storybook by Maggie Barfield contains 188 Bible stories to read with young children.

Another good one is The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm.

Zondervan have recently published a version of the Bible for children called Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones and they also have Faithgirlz and The Adventure Bible for older children in backpack versions.

For children who are learning to read there is the Learn to Read Bible for Rocket Readers by Paul Bellet. For children who are visual learners try The Lion Graphic Bible and for older children the Comic Book Bible and Manga Bible.There are a range of magazine format Bibles (Biblezines) for different age groups including preteens and these make good graduation presents for primary age children starting high school: Blossom for girls and Magnify for boys, and Refuel for teen boys and Revolve for teen girls.

Of course most children now get information from a computer screen and so the Sandbible.com website and the Zondervan Jesus Storybook Bible are available on line. The Children’s Animated Bible is available as two DVDs.

It is a high quality resource to support families to share their faith with their children. Faith Family is produced by a national team of people from various Christian faith traditions including Uniting Churches, Lutheran, Anglican and Catholic.

Faith Family is an A3 glossy sheet folder over to A4 size. Each copy costs 25c and 4 copies are produced each year. It is distributed to congregations, schools and organisations who present it as a gift to families associated with them.

To find out more, to get a free sample copy or to subscribe please fill in the form below.

The stories are told very simply, with simple props, and without interpretation or moral instruction. After a story is presented, the children and the storyteller wonder together about aspects of the story that draw their interest.

For more information go to the website: http://www.godlyplay.org/