Babies Room - Leader Opportunities

Looking for a chance to get your "baby fix?" We have several opportunities to do so in our Babies Room (ages 6 weeks-walking). Come play with, hold, rock, and love on the babies during the 8:15 service! We are looking for adult leaders that wish to serve on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. Please contact Katie Miller, 913-704-8375 or kmiller@westsideleavenworth.com if you'd like to sign up to serve!

Parents - Check This Out!

Parents -

Check out this website (http://theparentcue.org)  for some really great resources, info, blogs, podcasts, etc. from our curriculum company, Orange. The Parent CUE will also connect you to what your child is learning about on Sundays!

There’s an app for that:
Parent CUE App– centered around a monthly topic, this app sends weekly CUEs that remind us to connect with our kids whether at home or on the go. You can even watch Bible story videos during drive time using the app.

Download the Parent Cue App from ITunes

Download the Parent Cue App from Google Play Store

 

 

Kids Gig (July 18-20)

This summer take your kids on a journey to learn how to . . .

  • Listen to God
  • Talk to God
  • And share their faith.                                               

We will hit the road with Paul and ask the same questions he asked while making some incredible discoveries along the way.

Grab your gear, check your GPS and get ready to Walk This Way!

Kids will enjoy an engaging and interactive experience while growing in God’s word and building relationships with others! KidsGiG is for kids entering Kindergarten through kids entering 5th grade.

Kids Gig will be held in the yard of two homes in Leavenworth. One in the North Side and the second in the South side of Leavenworth. 

Promotion Sunday | June 26

We will promote children and students to their new classroom or age/grade level on June 26th.

If your child will NOT be entering kindergarten or promoting to the next grade level in the fall, please email Katie Miller, kmiller@westsideleavenworth.com before June 26th. The following is a break-down of each room and age group.

Room 1 (Walkers) - Babies that start walking regardless of age. 

Room 2 (Babies) - Babies age 6 weeks and older that are not walking yet.

Room 3 (3's) - Children that are 3 years old or will turn 3 by Sept. 1st.

Room 4 (2's) - Children that are 2 years old or will turn 2 by Sept. 1st.

Room 5 (PreK) - Children that are 4 years old or will turn 4 by Sept. 1st.

Room 6 (Kindergarten) - Children who will be entering Kindergarten in the fall.

The Landing: Kids entering into 1st-5th grades in the fall. 1st-2nd graders are grouped together and 3rd-5th graders are grouped together.

The Loft: Students entering 6th grade through 12th grade in the fall are able to attend the youth service in the Loft.

The Landing - Where in the World Summer Theme

Summer is one of those times of the year when you hope to escape your normal day-to-day and head off on a family vacation. Perhaps you have a passport and hope to fill it with stamps and visas from around the world or maybe you keep albums filled with photos from the places you’ve seen and the people you’ve met along the way. But when you think about it, these aren’t just passport stamps and travel photos, they are stories capturing moments we lived. As we travel the world and experience the different landscapes and cultures, often we can’t help but notice that no matter where in the world we are, God is already there and up to something amazing. The prophet Isaiah writes, “The whole earth is filled with God’s glory.” And that glory was made real when 2000-some years ago a REAL human was born, lived a perfect life, died, and rose again. Of course, that man is Jesus. And throughout the past 2,000 years since, His story—His LIFE—has been changing the world. This summer, we’re excited for kids to experience that life-changing story of Jesus first hand and put their faith in Him. We’ll talk about faith like this: Believing what Jesus did can change me! Our hope is that kids discover that no matter where they are in the world, the story of Jesus can change them, too. We will view the story of Jesus through a man whose life was RADICALLY changed when he encountered the story of Jesus. He went from a person who did whatever it took to stop the message of Jesus from spreading to one who ended up writing most of the New Testament of the Bible and dying for his faith in Jesus. This man, as you may have already guessed, is Paul. He went all over the known world preaching the Story of Jesus. We’ll explore where in the world Paul was and how we fit into his story, too. This weekend kicks off Week 1 of our summer adventure and we'll keep you updated on our journey! 

PreK & Kindergarten - Leader Opportunities

Have you ever seen the excitement in a child's eyes when they learn that Jesus loves them?? Or heard a 5 year old recite the month's memory verse, while doing the hand motions? Have you ever just sat down on the floor with a kindergarten child and listened to what that young mind had to say? It is such an amazing thing to be part of watching children learn and develop in their relationship with Jesus and their trust in God! We have weekly, bi-weekly and even monthly serving opportunities in our PreK and Kindergarten classrooms that are open right now! Can you be a part of this? Absolutely! We would love to find people with hearts for children that would like to lead in these rooms. Our curriculum provides everything for you including the activities, crafts, and even what you say! Lessons are organized and emailed each week for the leaders that are signed up to serve. If you would like more information or would like to become a leader in one of these age groups, please contact Katie Miller at 913-704-8375, kmiller@westsideleavenworth.com. 

 

  

Grade School - May's Life App is Contentment

Do you ever notice that you define yourself by specific things or circumstances that show up in your life? Maybe it’s like there’s this box you carry around with everything that defines you: your stuff, your work, your family, your kids, your gifts and talents, or your home.But there’s a problem with looking at life like this because if this is how we see our lives it’s all too easy to become preoccupied with the wrong thing.Think about all the stuff in the box. It’s “your” stuff, right? Or is it? We tend to talk about our lives using words that highlight our ownership of those things and circumstances. Words like my, ours, and mine. And those words can make a huge difference on how we see the world. As long as we keep using these words, we can tend to believe that our stuff will make us happy and that putting more stuff into our boxes will make us even happier.  But the truth is just the opposite. Something radical happens when we look at our life as not really ours. When we view our life as really God’s gift to us—it changes everything. When we see that all the stuff we have is somehow connected to God and the story He wants to tell with our lives, it begins to change the way we see everything. When our world doesn’t revolve around us, our situations look a lot different.That’s why this month, we want to explain something to kids about contentment. It is deciding to be happy with what you’ve got. In other words, you can choose to be happy because of what God has actually given you. You can choose to shift your focus away from what you don’t have and toward what God desires to do with the life you have. When you trust Him with your life, you become more focused on being grateful for everything He’s already given to you. The Bible has a lot to say about contentment. This month, we’re going to unpack several of those moments where people learned something about contentment as well as some key principles about how we can live our lives focused on trusting God no matter what. See, when it comes right down to it, contentment is a heart issue. It can’t be solved by getting the thing that’s off-limits, the thing that someone else has, or even more of a good thing you already have. In other words, contentment happens when we place our trust in the One who is able to meet our needs each day. When you teach kids to see their life as a gift from God it sets them up for a life of contentment and fulfillment. There will be no reason to be distracted by what others have, or what’s off limits, or what we had in the past. And when all of us really trust God, we will be content with exactly what He has put in our box for today and won’t worry about the future.    

Early Childhood - Better Together

Is there anything more precious that watching two three-year-old friends walking around the room doing everything together? They don’t care if they’re a different gender, race, or socio-economic level. They just know they enjoy each other’s company, and that they’re “Better Together.” It’s a joy to watch. God gave us a very precious gift when He gave us the gift of friendship, and we’re celebrating that all month long. We’re even having a friendship day party at the very end of the month. While we celebrate friendship, your preschoolers will hear about David and Jonathan. Their story is one of the greatest friendship stories ever told and truly teaches us all what friendship is all about. Our preschoolers will hear that friends do lots of fun things together. We eat together and play together. Friends take care of one another too. And, friends help one another. Finally, friends praise God together. It’s a month full of friendship! Celebrate each and every of your friends!    

Early Childhood - Love God & Love People

In this week's lesson, Jesus teaches the greatest, most important things God wants us to do: Love God & love people. During bath time this week, make heart shapes out of bubbles. Talk about how Jesus said the greatest things we can do are to love God & love people. During play time, show your child how to draw hearts on white paper. Let her leave them as a surprise for her family. It's a fun way to show love!  

Here’s a sneak peek at what your child will be learning in May: http://bit.ly/1QFH806

 

Early Childhood Leader Meeting Coming Soon

We are having a meeting for all leaders that currently - or anyone who would like to -  serve in any of the early childhood classrooms, including the Babies and Walkers. The meeting will be in The Loft at 12:30 pm on May 1st. Lunch will be provided and childcare will be available! We will be sharing classroom procedures, discussing curriculum goals, and taking a look at Planning Center. Please use this registration if you plan to attend. Contact Katie Miller, kmiller@westsideleavenworth.com, (913) 704-8375, if you have any questions.

Registration Form

Grade School: Perseverance

On Sunday, we looked to the great heroes of the Bible for inspiration to persevere. At dinner tonight, ask: When has someone helped you persevere? All of the heroes in the Bible had one thing in common. They were ordinary people who did extraordinary things, because they had faith in God. This week, read Hebrews 11-12:1. Ask God to use the stories of believers who have persevered with His help to encourage you to persevere with His help, too. 

 

 

My Neighborhood - Early Childhood

April is here and so is our new theme for the Early Childhood classes! Parents, you are in the process of teaching your little ones who their neighbors are. You are teaching them how to introduce themselves by saying hello, smiling, and saying their name. What if while introducing them to their neighbors, we also teach them that God wants us to love our neighbors the way He loves us?  What does it look like to love our neighbors? Well, Jesus teaches us that every time we treat someone with kind words and actions, we are showing God we love Him. Can you imagine how awesome it would be for a generation to grow up, see their neighbors and think - "Hey, I'm going to treat you the way God wants me to. I can show God how much I love Him by loving you." Wow! Talk about changing the world! 

    

Grade School: Bedtime talk

Last Sunday in Grade School, the kids started a new series called, "Night Light: See Through the Dark." It's all about having HOPE when we are surrounded by darkness and trouble in this world.

At bedtime tonight, read John 11:1-45 with your grade schooler. Think of a sad or difficult time in your life. Take turns praying that God will bring something good out of it.

John 11:1-45New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Lazarus Dies

11 A man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. 2 Mary would later pour perfume on the Lord. She would also wipe Jesus’ feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick in bed. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus. “Lord,” they told him, “the one you love is sick.”

4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory. God’s Son will receive glory because of it.” 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So after he heard Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. 7 And then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”

8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short time ago the Jews there tried to kill you with stones. Are you still going back?”

9 Jesus answered, “Aren’t there 12 hours of daylight? Anyone who walks during the day won’t trip and fall. They can see because of this world’s light. 10 But when they walk at night, they’ll trip and fall. They have no light.”

11 After he said this, Jesus went on speaking to them. “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep,” he said. “But I am going there to wake him up.”

12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he’s sleeping, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking about the death of Lazarus. But his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your benefit, I am glad I was not there. Now you will believe. But let us go to him.”

16 Then Thomas, who was also called Didymus, spoke to the rest of the disciples. “Let us go also,” he said. “Then we can die with Jesus.”

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

17 When Jesus arrived, he found out that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem. 19 Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary. They had come to comfort them because their brother was dead. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him. But Mary stayed at home.

21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “I wish you had been here! Then my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you anything you ask for.”

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again. This will happen when people are raised from the dead on the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if they die. 26 And whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied. “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God. I believe that you are the one who is supposed to come into the world.”

28 After she said this, she went back home. She called her sister Mary to one side to talk to her. “The Teacher is here,” Martha said. “He is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Jesus had not yet entered the village. He was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 Some Jews had been comforting Mary in the house. They noticed how quickly she got up and went out. So they followed her. They thought she was going to the tomb to mourn there.

32 Mary reached the place where Jesus was. When she saw him, she fell at his feet. She said, “Lord, I wish you had been here! Then my brother would not have died.”

33 Jesus saw her crying. He saw that the Jews who had come along with her were crying also. His spirit became very sad, and he was troubled. 34 “Where have you put him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

35 Jesus wept.

36 Then the Jews said, “See how much he loved him!”

37 But some of them said, “He opened the eyes of the blind man. Couldn’t he have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

38 Once more Jesus felt very sad. He came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone in front of the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad smell. Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days.”

40 Then Jesus said, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you will see God’s glory?”

41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up. He said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. 42 I know that you always hear me. But I said this for the benefit of the people standing here. I said it so they will believe that you sent me.”

43 Then Jesus called in a loud voice. He said, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of linen. A cloth was around his face.

Jesus said to them, “Take off the clothes he was buried in and let him go.”

The Plan to Kill Jesus

45 Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did. So they believed in him.