Christian Momma

I was asked to be on the Women’s Ministry Leadership Team a couple months ago.  I was so excited to become involved in helping Women get connected with each other…to strengthen the bond of friendship in our church.

Friday was our first meeting of the New Year at The River Church.  The title of the meeting was “Have a Soup-er New Year”.  It was a Soup dinner…there were lots and lots of yummy soups and breads and desserts!  We talked about Friendship and did a devotional called A Recipe for Friendship.  Then we spent some time doing a few “get to know you” type of mixer games.

One of the first things we had the women do as they entered was write something unique about themselves on a slip of paper along with their name and put it into a basket (folded of course).  We used these as a transitional type of thing.  One of the leaders read a couple of the slips of paper (one at a time) and everyone would just throw out names trying to guess who it was!  It’s funny the things you get to know about other people…and who knew one of my friends from church had the same talent as I do…zyxwv…

We also went around the room and told our names, a little about ourselves (how many kids, how long you’ve been attending the church, the city you live in, etc.), along with a “Truth or Lie”.  We had to come up with a statement that everyone would guess would either be a truth or lie.  I now know those women who really can’t lie.

However, I think the best game, by far, was another get to know you type of game we did.  We all got into a circle, the first person would take a small stuffed animal and throw it to someone while saying their name.  Then that person would throw the animal to another person saying their name.  As that animal went through a couple people, the first person would grab the next animal and throw it to the same person.  One rule about the game is that you ALWAYS throw it to the same person and you ALWAYS receive it from the same person.  Just imagine a circle about 25 women large and 6 stuffed animals flying through the air and people yelling each other’s names.  It had us all laughing…mine (and a few others) stomach hurt from laughing so hard!

We are also starting a Secret Sister program in the church.  We are hoping to get all the women in our church involved in this.  Each member fills out a form, then they will be matched up with another member that you will pray for, send encouraging notes to (using a designated return address of one member who has graciously agreed to helping), and gifts.  We will be revealing at our Women’s Retreat (May 7-8), or that weekend for those who are unable to attend.

Next month, we will be doing a Service Project.  We are making those No-Sew fleece blankets and giving them to one of our local ministries.  So, if you are planning on attending, please remember to bring your 1 1/2 yard or 2 1/2 yard fleece.  If you are making a double layer one, please remember you need 2 pieces of fleece the same size (one solid color and one print that match each other)

I hope and pray that all the Women in our church will be blessed by our Monthly Meetings which are the 2nd Friday of each month with the exception of April (Spring Break) and May (Retreat).

What an awesome time!

The River Church hosted a Woman’s Retreat this past weekend (Friday evening – Saturday afternoon).  It was a great time of fellowship.

My car load arrived later than I was supposed to, but still early.  We hustled through the set up and registration then headed off to dinner.  I was in charge of the media…I was so grateful to have other women there who had done this type of thing before!

W was so happy to get to know the women of our church.  We spent time in the evening on Friday just talking.  A couple of the women I already knew fairly well, and a couple that I didn’t know well at all.  I have never laughed so hard…that’s what it’s all about.  Making friends and bonding with other women!

On Saturday, before lunch, there was a question and answer time.  At breakfast we were all given index cards to write a question on…the question could be about ANYTHING you wanted.  I was so excited when the question of “When is the next retreat?” came up!  How exciting that the women had so much fun that they were ready to start thinking about the next retreat!!

For those of you who didn’t attend, I strongly encourage you to try and attend the next retreat.  It was SO MUCH FUN!!

So I have been spending a lot of time looking for the 2010 VBS’s that are out there.  Do you know there are a lot to choose from?  Choosing is overwhelming me right now.  I will sit down with a group of people from church in a few weeks to talk over the different options that are available to us.

Here’s what I’ve found so far…

Lifeway is offering 2 different VBS’s this year…Saddle Ridge Ranch and Route 254.   Then there’s Group who is offering 2 different ones as well…High Seas Expedition and Egypt; Joseph’s Journey from Prison to Palace.  Answers in Genesis is also offering 2 different VBS’s…Amazon Expedition and Operation Space.  As if those weren’t enough to choose from, Standard is offering Hero HeadQuarter’s….Cokesbury is offering Galactic Blast…Gospel Light is offering SonQuest Rainforest…WordAction is offering Deep Sea Adventure…Concordia Publishing House is offering Planet Zoom…Sunday School Publishing Board is offering Xtreme Spiritual Makeover…Bogard Press is offering Soul Survivors on Danger Island…

I know there are more out there that I haven’t mentioned…but those are the ones that I’m taking a closer look at for the moment.  I will probably look into others after I process all those listed above!

So the question is…How do you choose?  What I’m doing is listing out all the information for each VBS so that I can present it to those who will be helping me choose.  Of course Prayer is the MOST IMPORTANT part of choosing.  Once you decide the reason you have a VBS in your church…the purpose for your VBS, and then through prayer and all the information given about each VBS on their web site, you can start to rule out different curriculums for your church.

I am currently compiling a spreadsheet overview as well as a detailed sheet for each of the above VBS for our church.

Overwhelmed??  Why, yes I am!!

Another year has come and gone with VBS.  At the VBS Finale’ on Friday night, we had a total of 175 children and adults.

After our characters went through the closing ceremony, they handed out prizes for those children who brought a friend….we had so many prizes donated that every child who got their name into the drawing got something!

After the closing, they showed a video slide of all the photos taken at VBS.  It was great seeing all the things that have happened.  Once that was over, everyone filed out to get some ice cream before heading home!

After thinking over VBS, I think my favorite part of the whole program is when the children offered prayers.  Our music leader would ask for a volunteer child to come forward to pray for the whole group into a microphone.  The amount of children raising their hand was so neat to see.  These children were anxious about being the one chosen to come forward.  Yes, they were “fed” the prayer from the music leader, but the point of the whole thing is getting those children used to praying in front of a group of people and being comfortable.  It was just so touching to see them pray!

Today, I have sorted and put away items for this year’s VBS.  Now onto the next task of finding a church willing to purchase/switch VBS programs so we have more room in our storage.  Our set was AWESOME, our decorating committee went above and beyond what Standard told us!

I’m currently compiling my list of things that worked and didn’t work and those who have said they wanted to help out next year.  If God leads me to run VBS again, I will have a head start, however, if it is someone else God wants to lead it, then they would have the head start!!

Day 4 has come and gone.  We ended up with 82 children last night!

You should have seen how crazy it was when 2 of our characters got slimed!  The kids went wild!!!

Finale’ is tonight…if you live around the Northern Cincinnati area, you ought to come check it out!  www.hittheriver.com If you come, let me know, I’ll be the one running around with the clipboard!!

Day 3 has come and gone.  We ended up with 82 children last night!  Things seem to be going a bit smoother, but that’s probably because the Registration table hasn’t had many at it.

The children are having a blast, and you could see last night that they were more comfortable with their crew leaders than the night before.

Day 4 is tonight…if you live around the Northern Cincinnati area, you ought to come check it out!  www.hittheriver.com If you come, let me know, I’ll be the one running around with the clipboard!!

Day 2 has come and gone.  We ended up with 84 children last night!  That’s great!!

The children are having a blast, and you could see last night that they were more comfortable with their crew leaders than the night before.

Day 3 is tonight…if you live around the Northern Cincinnati area, you ought to come check it out!  www.hittheriver.com If you come, let me know, I’ll be the one running around with the clipboard!!

Last night our church ran our first night of VBS.  We are doing Standard Publishing’s Studio Go!

It was crazy at the beginning…but, it went very well.  We had 79 children show up for our 1st day!  Last year at our biggest day we only hit 88 children (by day 4)…I suspect this year will be a lot bigger!!

This year, my job was again to direct VBS, but I have help…I have a co-director and an Elder and his wife to help run it.  Also, we have chosen a good group of Characters to do the opening and closing along with a lot of other wonderful volunteers to run each station!  VBS just doesn’t run without the wonderful volunteers!!

Day 2 is tonight…if you live around the Northern Cincinnati area, you ought to come check it out!  www.hittheriver.com If you come, let me know, I’ll be the one running around with the clipboard!!

Our Monday night ladies Bible study has started a new study…it’s a journey really, 90 days to be exact!  We are studying the book:  Becoming the Woman God wants Me to Be by Donna Partow

We are on day 9.  To be honest, I’m enjoying the study, but me being the kind of person who likes to see what’s coming up next, I’m a bit nervous about week 3.  It’s all about diet and food.  This is something HUGE that I struggle with.  I know I need to work through and at least try, but part of me just wants to skip the whole week 3.  I won’t though…I will try, as hard as it may be…I guess that would be the time that I need to lean more on God.  But that’s something I’m not going to worry about, because, frankly, I need to learn what we are doing NOW, and not worry about what tomorrow will bring.

As the book says in the beginning:  “…if at any moment you are discouraged, stop and focus on what you are learning.”

So what have I learned…I’ve committed to setting my alarm for 6 am and not hitting snooze for an hour getting up at 7 am.  I have been able to memorize Proverbs 31: 10-11 (by the end of the journey I should have Proverbs 31:10-31 memorized).

A wife of noble character, who coud find?  She is worth far mor than rubies.  Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.  Proverbs 31: 10-11

Yep, that was from memory?  Impressed?  I know I am!  I wasn’t sure if I would be able to memorize it or not, but apparently when you read the same verse every day for a week, it sort of sticks!

I am learning to be positive…an optimist thinker!

“A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.”  Proverbs 17:22

When we lived in CO, we used to sing a song in church based on that verse.  I can only remember the chours of the verse though.

I am excited to be learning to be the woman God wants me to be.  1 day at a time, I’ll learn something new each day.  I will be a changed person…I will become the woman God wants me to be!

First let me start by saying Happy Father’s Day to all my daddy readers.

My husband is the most wonderful father in the world…besides my own dad! (I’m a bit biased, I know).

Today’s service was such a beautiful service!  Worship was wonderful, I was able to worship with my oldest son.  What a great feeling.  He’s learning still, but I see it starting to click (Worship, that is).

Speaking of my son, today was “Move Up Sunday” where all the kids move to the next grade level at church.  Michael goes from the Pre-teen (Grapple), to the Jr. High class (Rush, I think it’s called)…and then starts KAOS (the Jr/Sr High youth group).  I don’t remember him growing up like this, but I guess that’s what happens…I mean, he will be 12 in a couple weeks!

Anyway, back to church.  After worship, we had a special music…it doesn’t happen too often, and when it does, the special music always seems to be so beautifully sang!  A gentleman of our church sang Steven Curtis Chapman’s Cinderella.  I sat there and listened as tears sprang up in my eyes…it was just so beautiful!

Then they played a video…it was great, God’s Love Letter, I wanted to share it with my readers…I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

FYI…all local readers, come visit  The River Church next week for a Night of Worship…I’m sure it will be awesome!