FBC Lansing Children’s Ministries

Can you believe our High Seas VBS has come to a close? What a week it has been. Our highest number was Wednesday with 176 kids. Our final offering count was $400.22 collected for our Blanket Project. Kids that brought visitors took home rubber duckies, we shot cannon balls, OK corn filled balloons, and had a giant party in our Story Room as we learned that God’s Word Is For Everyone. Our preschoolers left sidewalk chalk pictures for everyone to see and everyone crunched away on blue snow cones. Our leaders sang their own rousing rendition of “We Are The Leaders Who Will Do Anything, a spoof on the Veggie Tales Pirate Song, and Sailor Jack was finally promoted to first Mate! Ahoy! To say High Seas VBS was a success is an understatement. High Seas was exactly what God had planned for us to experience this week. His power and grace was everywhere as we saw Him move and work in our lives as well as the lives of the kids He brought our way. He even allowed us to lead 1 precious child into His Family today! Thanks for checking with us each day, thanks for praying and thanks for sharing your kids with us. We had a blast!

Children’s Ministries: We’re Changing The World One “Sailor” At A Time

When was the last time something changed your life? Today at High Seas we learned that God’s Word Is Life Changing. Our closing was a touching reminder that Jesus came to earth to change our lives. His death on the cross has the power to make us Children of God when we confess our sin to Him. Talk about life changing! Kids made life saver banks today to remind them that Jesus saves us from our sin when we ask for His forgiveness. Our story was about an awesome life change for a crippled man that was healed and decided to follow Jesus. See, change is a good thing, especially when it changes your life in a powerful way. 160 kids came to High Seas VBS today and have brought in $317.00 for our Blanket Project for World Vision. We all had a blast wearing crazy hats, walking the plank and watching Sailor Jack try to win the rope tying contest. Our preschoolers enjoyed caring for their crippled stuffed friends and made their own crazy hats to wear in the closing. Only one day left! Don’t miss the final chapter tomorrow.

Children’s Ministries: We’re Changing The World One “Sailor: At A Time

SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE! Today our kids learned God’s Word Is Surprising and the day was filled with some of the best SURPRISES ever. Our message in a bottle (daily verse) was empty today, but when we opened the Bible a butterfly flew out. SURPRISE! Our Story Room SURPRISED kids with a snake that came right out of the fire and Game Time was one huge SURPRISE as our kids played in a Giant Inflatable. Crafts gave kids a chance to create a fun SURPRISE to try on family and friends. Watch out when you open those envelopes. Are those real snake eggs rattling in there? Preschoolers hunted for SURPRISES in a pool of paper shreds and Sailor Jack gave us all a SURPRISE when his head popped out from the middle of a table! SURPRISES can be fun for everyone but there’s nothing like the SURPRISE of opening God’s Word and learning something new every time. I believe that the 176 kids that came to High Seas VBS really got that point. So open His Word right now and see what God has to say to you. It just might SURPRISE you!

Children’s Ministries: We’re Changing The World One “Sailor” At A Time

Aye Aye Captain rang through our High Seas VBS today along with sweet praises to God as we worshipped Him. Today our kids learned that God’s Word Is Comforting. As they sat aboard a sinking ship they were reminded that God is with us IN the storm. No matter what comes our way He is right there in the thick of it. Our preschoolers made their own storm as they blew in a pool of water trying to sink the ships within. 164 kids ate 14 pounds of fish crackers. Hey,swabbing the deck makes you hungry, especially when you have to do it with toilet plungers! This year’s offering will purchase blankets we’ll tie together and ship off to World Vision for needy kids around the world. To date we have collected over $97.00. Check back tomorrow to hear how we’re doing in our ocean of fun.

Children’s Ministries: We’re Changing The World One “Sailor” At A Time

Ahoy Mates! “The journey begins, we’re all getting in, in to the Word of God.” 147 kids sang out our theme song and began their first day at High Seas VBS. They met Sailor Jack who thought he was on a cruise ship but was quickly made into a sailor and shown how to swab a deck! Kids created treasure chests stuffed with the best treasure of all, verses from God’s Word. We had a few things blow up but it’s OK. it was only Coke during Game Time! Kids experienced what it was like to be in jail like Peter and learned  first hand of his miraculous escape with angels. Knowing that God’s Word is true puts even more awe into our lessons. Angels at midnight make for a cool story. Knowing that every word of it is true makes for a fantastic real life adventure that brings comfort through our hard times. Today was a fantastic first day! Can’t wait for tomorrow!

Children’s Ministries: We’re Changing The World, One “Sailor” At A Time

I became a grandmother for the first time last week! Everyone told me it would be the most amazing experience but I had to live in the moment myself to fully grasp how amazing it is! So what’s all the hype about? Seeing your daughter in the face of her newborn sorta rocks your center of gravity for a bit. I don’t always have the best of memories, but at the moment of first holding my new granddaughter, so many pictures came flooding back to my mind. It was a bit like holding my own baby girl so many years ago. I found myself doing the baby dance without even realizing it. Bits of lullabies I had forgotten escaped my lips at 3 AM and like riding a bike, you never forget how to change a diaper in the dark! And don’t get me started on that new baby smell!  Not only do you get to pour yourself into a new life but you get to recall the joys and heartaches of raising your own little ones. People tell you it’s unspeakable joy to be a grandparent, but it’s hard to comprehend until you’re in the moment.

It’s a bit like telling people about entering into a relationship with God. I can tell you it’s the most amazing thing you’ll ever experience but you’ll never know until you enter into it. The best part about this relationship is you can claim it for yourself now. There’s no need to wait for others to make it true in your life like waiting to be called “Grandma”. It’s available now. Walking with Jesus will rock your center of gravity, it will change your world, and like holding a newborn it will bring you unspeakable joy.

It’s Holy Week! What are you anticipating? Time with family and friends? Maybe a little spring cleaning or yard work? A bit of cooking for your Easter feast? Perhaps filling a basket with presents and goodies for your kids? Do you ever wonder how God prepares for Easter? I know He anticipates time with us, the ones He created and longs to have a relationship with. He’s already done the yard work as you see trees budding and daffodils pushing up from the ground. And His Easter basket has the greatest present of all, His One and Only Son Jesus. God’s Easter preparation is the ultimate. He gave His Son to die for our sins then brought Him back to life as our glorious Savior, the only One who can redeem us in God’s eyes and make us clean and pure. How disappointing it would be for us to work all week and then have no one come for dinner or enjoy the clean house and raked yard or take the goodies out of the lovingly prepared basket. Don’t disappoint God this Easter. If you know Jesus as Savior acknowledge the ultimate gift and share it with others. If you have never trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord it’s not too late. Simply believe He is God’s Son, acknowledge and confess you sin and enter into the relationship He has prepared for you. What better way to spend Easter Sunday than with your Savior!

We’re Changing The Word One Child At A Time

We asked our kids what they would do if someone asked them a question about God they couldn’t answer. Some of the kids responded with, “I would tell them I’m sorry I don’t know that answer.” But…. when in doubt ask a child because a couple of their responses were priceless. One child said, “I don’t know the answer but here’s my Bible you can look it up in there!” Another child responded with, “I don’t know but I might when I’m bigger so come and ask me then!” At the risk of dating myself there use to be a show called Kids Say The Darndest Things. In my experience Kids Say The Most Profound Things! Their simple faith and trust in the God who made and loves them often puts us adults to shame. While we go on and on for hours about all the things we don’t understand about God, our kids simply trust Him and tell what they know about Him to all who will listen. So the next time you question something about God, ask your kids. They might have the answer, although you may have to wait till they grow just a bit!

Children’s Ministries: We’re Changing The World One Child At A Time

Have you ever been in a room with more than 80 kids in it? That environment generates alot of noise! We recently took our Friends Club families to an indoor play place. As I wandered the rooms I heard alot of sounds. Giggles, a few tears with “I don’t want to leave”, shouts of “Look out!” and even a few angry rebuffs for cutting in line. For the most part one child’s voice was undecipherable from the rest. Yet when someone shouted “Hey mom”, ears perked up. Not all ears, just the ones of the mom being called for. Parents have this innate ability to recognize their child’s voice above the noise of others.    It was such a great picture to me of our relationship with God. We are His children and when we call, He hears us and immediately knows who we are. Kind of amazing when you think that all over the world, since the beginning of time, God has been listening out for His children. Millions and millions of people and God knows each one of their voices, our voices. He loves us that much. When was the last time you called out to Him? He’s listening.

We’re Changing The World One Child At A Time

Isn’t God’s power amazing! When I think of all the miracles the Israelites experienced it almost makes me wish I was there. Almost, cause I’m not too keen about living in the desert without a shower! Those Israelites sure struggled with trust. They had so many doubts and fears wandering around the desert. Even through God’s miraculous workings they continued to doubt. Yet it seems that by the time they got to conquering the city of Jericho they had a better handle on the whole trust thing. Marching around the city walls set them up for ridicule and even possible attack, yet they trusted in God’s promised outcome and obeyed His orders. It wasn’t a blind obedience or trust but rather one built on past experiences of miraculous events. And God was faithful. The walls of Jericho crashed around them and the city was theirs!

When God asks us to step out on faith, to do something that appears ridiculous, to trust  Him enough to obey, He always provides! His power is far greater than our doubts and fears. All He asks is for us to trust Him. Now based on our past experiences with God’s love how hard can that be?  Just a thought!