March 2018 Parent Cues

This month we’ve GONE FISHIN'! We can’t wait to see all the fun our preschoolers reel. Our Big Truth this month is all about Jesus and how He taught the disciples to be fishers of men. How did they learn to be fishers of men? Well, they followed Jesus! And, we want our littlest Westsiders to know that they can follow Jesus too! Blessings, Rebecca Ruble *|MC:SUBJECT|*
March 2018 - Monthly Preschool Parent Cue

   MARCH

        2018

WEEK 1

MATTHEW 3:3-4, 11, 13-15
John the Baptist tells people to get ready because Jesus is coming.

WEEK 2

MATTHEW 4:18-22
Jesus tells Andrew, Peter, John, and James to follow him, and they do.

WEEK 3

MATTHEW 9:9-10
Jesus tells Matthew the tax collector to follow Him, and he does.

WEEK 4

MATTHEW 21:1-11, 15-16
Jesus enters Jerusalem riding a donkey, and the people praise Him.
SAY THIS:
Who can you follow?
I can follow Jesus.
 
REMEMBER THIS:
“'Come and follow me,'
Jesus said."
MATTHEW 4:19, NIrV
BASIC TRUTH:  Jesus wants to be my friend forever.
DO THIS:

 MORNING TIME

When you go into your child's room this month, say, "Good morning, [child's name]! Give me a big hug. (Give child a hug.) Today's a great day to do things Jesus' way!"
 

 DRIVE TIME

As you drive, ask your child to name the color of the car you are following. Each time the car changes, ask your child to name the color of the new car you are following. Talk about how we can follow Jesus and He will show us the right way to go.
 

 CUDDLE TIME

Cuddle up with your child this month and pray, "Dear God, thank you for giving us Jesus to show us how to love you and love others. I pray as [child's name] gets older that [he/she] will follow Jesus so [he/she] will know the right way to go. Help me be a good example for [child's name] of what it means to follow Jesus. We love You, God. In Jesus' name, amen."
 

 BATH TIME

As you bathe your child, drag your finger through the water. Ask your child to follow your finger with their finger. Have fun making circles and figure eights. Talk about how we can follow Jesus and He will always show us the right way to go.
For more parenting resources visit www.ParentCue.org
 
Download the free Parent Cue App
Copyright © 2018 The reThink Group. Inc. All rights reserved. www.ParentCue.org

 

Monthly Parent Cue for Preschoolers

Jesus loving everyone is the sweetest news we will ever share with our preschoolers. Since sweets are a HUGE part of this month, Westside's Early Childhood Ministry decided SWEET SHOP is the perfect theme for February!!!

This month, your children will hear the stories of the woman at the well, Zacchaeus, the unloved woman, and Peter. Jesus showed love to all of these people, and it’s the same kind of love He has for you and every preschooler at Westside. We want our preschoolers to grow up knowing that Jesus loves us all, no matter what, and He will never stop loving us. 

Blessings,

Rebecca Ruble 

*|MC:SUBJECT|*
February 2018 - Monthly Preschool Parent Cue

 FEBRUARY

        2018

WEEK 1

JOHN 4:1-30
Jesus is a friend to the
woman at the well.

WEEK 2

LUKE 19:1-10
Jesus has dinner with Zacchaeus and forgives him for the wrong he has done.

WEEK 3

JOHN 8:2-11
Jesus saves a woman from
being hurt and forgives her of
the wrong she has done.

WEEK 4

MATTHEW 26:31-35, 69-75;
JOHN 21:15-17
Peter denies knowing Jesus,
but Jesus forgives Peter and
gives him an important job.
SAY THIS:
Who does Jesus love?
Jesus loves everyone.
 
REMEMBER THIS:
“Love each other as I
have loved you.”
JOHN 15:12, NIV
BASIC TRUTH:  Jesus wants to be my friend forever.
DO THIS:

 MORNING TIME

When you go in your child's room this month say, "Good morning, [child's name]!" (Hold arms out wide.) "Mommy/Daddy loves you SOOOOO much! And Jesus loves you even MORE!" (Hug child.)
 

 DRIVE TIME

As you drive, say the memory verse together: "Love each other as I have loved you." Take turns replacing the words "each other" with the names of people you know.
 

 CUDDLE TIME

Cuddle up with your child this month and pray, "Dear God, we want to love everyone the way Jesus loves everyone. Please help [child's name] and me to love others no matter what, just like Jesus loves everyone no matter what. In Jesus' name, amen."
 

 BATH TIME

Tell your child you're giving him the very important job of turning the water on and off. Show him how to do his important job and then encourage him when he does it. Talk about how Jesus gave Peter an important job to do, because He loved Him.
For more parenting resources visit www.ParentCue.org
 
Download the free Parent Cue App
Copyright © 2017 The reThink Group. Inc. All rights reserved. www.ParentCue.org

 

Introducing Our New Early Childhood Director, Rebecca Ruble

rebecca-family-1.jpg

We are excited to introduce you to our new Early Childhood Director, Rebecca Ruble! She will be overseeing our KiDS ministry to KiDS in Kindergarten and under. Her passion for building strong families led her to get her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Park University.  She is also a Registered Behavior Technician. Her educational background and her passion for Jesus will be influential in equipping and inspiring parents to lead in a KiDS classroom.

Rebecca and her husband, Milt, have been members of Westside Family Church since 2011.  Before joining our efforts to launch Westside Leavenworth in January 2016, her family attended the Westside Family Church Speedway Campus.

Rebecca and Milt have two adult children, Emily and Isaac, and in June 2016 they adopted Jacob—who had been in their home since May 2014. 

Rebecca enjoys reading, working out, and eating healthy.

I know you will enjoy getting to know her more and that you will be greatly encouraged and blessed as she leads us in building stronger families.

Please feel free to contact Rebecca at rruble@westsideleavenworth.com.

Family Baptism Class - October 22

Hey Families! We're excited to partner with you as you guide your child in their walk of faith! Join us for our Kids & Family Baptism Class if you have a child that is asking questions about baptism and exploring what it means to follow Jesus! This class will take place October 22 during the 9:30 am service time.

Please follow this link to register: https://wfclv.ccbchurch.com/form_response.php?id=56

Taking a Stand for Your Children By Praying for Them

On Sunday, we talked about taking a stand against the opposition to our lives hitting the bullseye that we and our children know Jesus, trust in Him, and follow Him. 

As parents, we take our stand in prayer. We encourage you to take the challenge to pray for your children in your life at least 1 time each day. It's a way you can take a stand for them.

At the end of the teaching we gave out a prayer that Pastor Kasey and his wife pray over their children each night. It's a prayer of who they want their children to be and the character they want their children to have so their children can personally take a stand against the opposition they face.

If you missed the teaching, you can watch it with the link below. You may also download a copy of the prayer here. 

A_Warriors_prayer-1up.jpg

The Landing - RESPECT (AUG)

We loved having your kids at church in the Landing on Sunday! Check out what they learned at Studio252.tv.

This month, kids in the Landing are learning all about RESPECT! 

When it comes to people, everyone is important for two reasons: God made them in His image and Jesus died for them. That’s why respect is also a reflection of the character of Christ in us. When we see people like Jesus sees them, we can show everyone they matter to God. 

RESPECT is a response to the character of God.        

 At dinner tonight, talk about ways you can show respect to someone who is important to you.    

 

At bedtime, read James 2:1-5. Ask God to help you show respect to someone who is different from you. (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+2%3A1-5&version=NIV)

Kids Promotion - JUNE 4th

Promotion Sunday - June 4th

We are promoting children and students to their new age groups and classrooms on Sunday, June 4th. Please check your child's name tag to confirm any room changes. If your child will not be moving up to the next grade level or starting Kindergarten in the fall, please text or email Katie Miller (913-704-8375, kmiller@westsideleavenworth.com) by June 1st. We promote according to the school year with a cut-off date of turning (X) by August 31st. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! 

 

Kids Gig 2017 - Save the Date!

KidsGiG 2017 | Gadgets & Gizmos!

Ages: 4 years old to 5th grade

This summer, discover how the creator of all things created us to know and love Him through the theme Gadgets & Gizmos! This theme is geared to capture kids' imaginations about their Creator so they can discover they are....
MADE by God
MADE for a relationship with Jesus
and MADE to love others.

Memory verse for KidsGiG: 

“Let your light shine so others can see it. Then they will see the good things you do. And they will bring glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (NIrV)

June 19-22 | 6:00-8:00pm

 

Spring Fling Family Fun Morning

Families - We hope to see you at our Spring Fling Family Fun Morning this Saturday, April 1st, from 9:30-11:00 am! Parents will have the opportunity to engage with their kids through hands-on activities, crafts, and songs/video, all centered around our theme, "Build It: Building a Love for Jesus and Others," and will also get a taste of what their kids experience on Sunday mornings!

Don’t leave too early, plan to stay and feed the family after the event is over! Food will be available for purchase from the Lansing HS DECA students and will help support their fundraiser! 

Kids & Family Baptism Class - March 26th!

Hey Families! We're excited to partner with you as you guide your child in their walk of faith! Join us for our Kids & Family Baptism Class if you have a child that is asking questions about baptism and exploring what it means to follow Jesus! This class will take place during the 9:30 am service time. Please follow this link to register: https://wfclv.ccbchurch.com/form_response.php?id=56

Say Yes to serving with Kids

We are looking for parents that can "Say Yes" to serving alongside your child in their class/group. Serving in your child's room is a GREAT opportunity to connect church to home and build relationships with other leaders and kids in the church! We have many opportunities to serve with kids ages babies - 5th grade...even if it's just once a month or every other month, choosing to "Say Yes" will make an impact on a young heart! Click HERE to sign up!

 

 

New!! Monthly Take-Home Placemats!

We are excited to announce starting this month and the first Sunday of every month, we will be sending home placemats in our kids classes ages Babies - Kindergarten! This is a GREAT tool for reinforcing the monthly message with your child(ren)!

You can find the same key question, bottom line, and memory verse with hand motions that the kids are learning each week in their class! In addition, there's also a space for preschoolers to draw as well as questions to ask. Turn the mat over and discover a fun game or activity to play together that connects to the monthly lesson!

We have slipcovers available for only $1 to make these re-usable for the WHOLE month! 

Stop by Check-in to purchase a slipcover for only $1 and then your child can use dry erase markers or washable crayons and re-use it for the entire month!!

January's Life App: Knowledge - Grade School

Knowledge is a response to the character of God.    

When kids turn about four years old they start asking, “Why?” It’s like suddenly a switch flips and they begin to string together their questions in an attempt to understand everything around them. And this continues throughout life. Watch an eight-year-old for very long and you can become convinced that everyone is wired with a natural curiosity to discover what we don’t know and go where we haven’t been.

God designed people in such a unique way—different from the rest of creation—to pursue finding the answers to life’s hidden secrets. The very fact that we naturally pursue knowledge is proof that there is a God. It’s actually genius that God would make us in such a way that we are always discovering, wondering, exploring, innovating, improving, and solving. He wants us to pursue knowing more, because He wants us to know Him more.

The most important thing you can do for young kids is to invite them into the story about a really big God. It’s a story that will always be bigger than they can explain or imagine, but God invites them to spend a lifetime discovering who He is and how He loves them.

Jesus helps us know God better.

If you want to know who God is and how God loves, look to Jesus. When Jesus stepped foot onto the planet, God was once and for all with us. John writes this about Jesus, The Word became a human being. He made his home with us. We have seen his glory. It is the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father. And the Word was full of grace and truth. (John 1:14, NIrV) As we dig deeper into the story of Jesus, we discover more about how God desires a relationship with us and invites us to help Him spread the message of Jesus throughout the world. To do that, we need to know God through Jesus.

That’s why we think it’s important for us to help our kids and families discover more about knowledge—discovering something new so you can be better at whatever you do. We want kids to know that God is real, God made them and all things. We hope they leave this month believing that when they discover something new about God, they are learning the best way to win at life.

Our Memory Verse for January comes from Psalm 119:105.

In Psalm 119:105, we read, Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me. (NIrV) When we dig into God’s word, we start to know how God wants us to live. God’s words act like a lamp that shows us the next steps to take on our journey through life. God’s word points the way towards a growing relationship with Jesus.

We will spend the month of January taking a closer look at the way knowledge shows up throughout the Gospels.

Countdown to Christmas - Early Childhood

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS! We just love December! The sights, the sounds, the smells—all these things fill the days as we count down to the MOST important day of December, the day we celebrate Jesus.

That’s the plan for our preschoolers this month. We’re going to count down to Christmas with them as they learn the different parts of the Christmas story.

*** In this week's lesson, God sends an angel to tell Mary she will give birth to His Son, Jesus. http://bit.ly/2dxog9c

Grade School - Crazy Hair Day Tomorrow, November 13

This month in the Landing, we are having several just-for-fun things that are incorporated into our opening activities with all the kids ages 1st-5th grade! 

Tomorrow, November 13th, we are having a crazy hair day! Participation by your child in this is totally optional. Here's a list of the Sunday themes: 

November 13th - Crazy Hair Day
November 20th - Crazy Sock Day
November 27th - Crazy Dance Moves Day

Besides these crazy themes, the most important thing we're talking about this month is HONOR and how we can HONOR GOD and HONOR OTHERS! 

November's Life Virtue: HONOR - Grade School

Honor is a response to the character of God.            

Chances are if you have kids in sports or competitions of any kind, you have a growing collection of ribbons and medals, sashes and badges, certificates, trophies, or plaques. Some might hang on your walls or sit propped up on shelves somewhere. But if we’re honest, others get stuffed into a drawer and eventually thrown out. These were so important when they first came into our homes, but at some point they just lost their value. All those awards and medals can only mean so much, because honor has a deeper meaning.

People should not just be honored because of what they do; they should primarily be honored because of who they are. Stuff will lose value over time, but not people. At its core, honor is seeing people the way God sees people. We’re naturally wired to put ourselves first, but honor is the opposite of self-centeredness. It is something that flows from your relationship with God. In a sense, one of the best ways we can HONOR God, is by honoring those who reflect the image of God.

Throughout Scripture we see how much God loves us:

He created us in His image.
He knows the number of hairs on our heads.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
He pursued a relationship with us even when we wanted nothing to do with Him.
He sent His only Son to pay for our sins to make an eternal relationship with Him possible.
And He did all of this for us without us even asking. 

Jesus was the ultimate example of someone who showed others their value.

When Jesus came here, He showed us how to love and show honor to those around us. He taught us to love our enemies, care for the “least of these,” and become the servants of all who puts others’ needs before our own.

That’s why it’s important for us to help our kids and families discovery more about honor—letting someone know you see how valuable they really are.

Our Memory Verse for November comes from Romans 12. Throughout the chapter, Paul casts a vision for the church and how they can live as people transformed by God’s Holy Spirit.

In Romans 12:10, we read, “Love one another deeply. Honor others more than yourselves.” (NIrV) As kids memorize this verse, we hope they understand that honor includes seeing others how God sees them. When kids start doing that, they will be more willing to show God’s love to others and put their needs ahead of their own.

One place you can go as a leader or parent to help kids understand the concept of honor is the life of David. There are some powerful lessons about honor that show up all throughout David’s story. Here is a quick overview of what we’ll be covering throughout November.

Dive In - Early Childhood

We want to make sure our preschoolers know they can ALWAYS trust God. No matter where they go, what happens or who the people are in their life, they can always, always, ALWAYS trust God.

After all, we can always believe what God says. Just ask Noah. God’s the One who will always keep His promises. Noah can tell you all about that too! His way is always best. Yeah, Jonah learned that one the hard way. And God’s the One we can always trust, even when it’s hard. Naaman lived this one for sure!

The true stories of Noah, Jonah and Naaman will help you, me and our preschoolers get to know God a little better and see that He is 100% worthy of our trust. We don’t have to hold back. We can let go and DIVE IN! Because no matter what is happening around us, we can always trust God.