CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES MISSION STATEMENT To help children discover a closer relationship with Jesus Christ through worship, Biblical teachings, and friendships among peers and teachers and thereby creating the life-long desire for knowledge of the Holy Spirit.
Details for the listed events can be found in the articles below. .        February 10         Parents' Night Out        February 13   Children's Council Meeting        March 26   VBS Organizational Meeting        June 11-14   VBS:  Operation Overboard!        July 8-11   3rd / 4th Grade Camp        July 25-28   Music, Art & Drama Camp        August 5-9   5th / 6th Grade Camp      Kids in Christ’s Kingdom: SV’s Mid-Week, After-School Program The KICK program is for any child, kindergarten through 5th grade, who is interested in participating in active, exciting Bible study, as well as being part of the Children’s Choir.    *All participants are asked for a $25 donation per child per semester to cover supply and food costs.     *Parents need to sign their children in and out of the KICK program in the Life Center Gym.    *Parents need to make sure that they have completed a current registration and permission cards for all children.     *KICK begins in September and runs every Wednesday, 4:30-6:30 p.m., through April. The Sonshine Hour is available the same dates.    *Children, youth, and volunteers eat kid-friendly meals in the Life Center Gym from 6:00-6:30 p.m.    *Kindergarten and 1st-grade children will meet in the Children’s Building.    *Liturgical Dance and Hand Bell Choir are also available. Email or call the Church Office for more information! Parent volunteers are welcomed & encouraged to participate!    PARENTS' NIGHT OUT What:    Games, activities, movies, and supper for kids (Please be sure to report any food allergies!!!) When:       Friday, February 10, 2012, from 6 to 10 p.m. Who:  Parents and their children, birth to 5th grade. Where: Parents will sign-in their children in the Life Center gym; kids under age 5 will be taken to the Church Nursery. How much:  $30 per family. Supper is included. Why: To benefit Sierra Vista Youth. More:  Call the Church Office, or email kduke@sierravista.org.     OPERATION OVERBOARD: Dare to Go Deep with God! June 11 through 14, 2012 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 4 years through 6th Grade Sierra Vista’s children and friends will dive in and discover God’s underwater universe! Through interactive lessons that are easy for kids to apply to their lives today, they will “go deep” into God’s Word, exploring Bible stories of people who revealed deep faith.         VBS ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING Monday, March 26, at 5:30 p.m., Fellowship Hall. Pray about how you can help!     NEW ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS  This new class was conceived by children’s Sunday school leaders who wanted a group to meet with during the Sundays they are not teaching the kids. However, all are welcomed and encouraged. The class meets in Life Center, Room 106, during the Sunday school hour, 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., and, currently, the group hopes to stay a no-prep, self-guided class.          CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL 4th & 5th GRADE Primary Age Range 4th & 5th grade Meeting Location Building E Teacher Varies Curriculum age appropriate Other Info The lessons will focus on engaging and fun weekly studies that will help the students make Godly, Bible-based decisions in their daily lives.  * * * * * * * * * * ELEMENTARY Primary Age Range Kindergarten through 3rd grade Meeting Location Children's (Preschool) Building Teacher Varies Curriculum Power Express -- Cokesbury's Rotational Curriculum Other Info      CHILDREN'S SUNDAY SCHOOL, K-3RD!!!! New sign-in and  sign-out policy Because of requirements by the Southwest UMC Conference, we are implementing a new sign-in and sign-out policy for Sunday school, grades kindergarten through third grade. All kids of these grades must now be signed in and signed out at their Sunday school classroom doors. We appreciate the patience of all the parents as we work to begin implementing this policy! * * * * * * * * * *   SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR OUR YOUNGER ONES NURSERY Primary Age Range 2 through 4 year olds Meeting Location Nursery - Gathering Room Teacher Brenda Richardson, Nursery Director, and staff Curriculum Gospel Lights, "My Great Big God" Other Info Watch Vista News for "A Peek" into our Sunday School           June 6 - 9, 2010,  8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.   WRAP UP!   Share the joy of the week through the slideshow below. Music from the "Shake It Up Cafe" curriculum by Cokesbury. VBS shook things up at Sierra Vista this year.  Our church campus was overflowing with excitement, fellowship, and Bible stories, and Sierra Vista ministered to more kids than ever before.    Nowhere was God more apparent during VBS than in the hands, actions, and hearts of the 137 volunteers. They offered their energy, sacrificed time from their own busy schedules, and gave these children experiences that will have life-long impact. What a remarkable witness each of them is! FINAL VBS UPDATE  Here are the final stats for VBS, 2011:                   225 participating children                    65 youth volunteers                   72 adult volunteers                  $850.96 raised by the kids for Sonrisas Therapeutic Riding Thank you to McMillan Painting and Jason McMillan for donating the paper to protect the Sanctuary’s floor during VBS! Thank you, also, to the entire congregation of Sierra Vista for supporting this important and vital ministry to the children of this community!         JOIN SIERRA VISTA'S  CHILDREN'S MINISTRY GROUP  ON FACEBOOK  The Children and Family Ministries can now be found on Facebook. If you are on Facebook, be sure to join this special group: Sierra Vista United Methodist Church: Children's Ministries	KELLY'S KORNER CHILDREN'S SUNDAY  DVD’s Recordings of the services from Children’s Sunday on Oct. 23 are now available. If you would like a DVD, donations to cover costs of the DVDs would be appreciated.  * * * * * * * * * * Sonshine Hour--Snacks Needed:  If you are interested in providing or helping with snacks and drinks for the approximate 40 children that Sierra Vista’s bus picks up after school on Wednesday, please contact the Church Office. All offers will be considered! Worship Bags: Helpers are need to replenish the denim, worship bags that the children use during Sunday services each week. This important ministry is really flexible. The bags can be refilled anytime, so long as they are filled before services on Saturday evening at 5:30. The supplies will be all in Room 211 of the Life Center, and directions will be there as well. Sunday School: Helpers, guides, snack leaders, and general, crowd-control assistance are needed with the kids each week. Mid-week Program: After-school snack help, playground supervision, and homework tutors for Sierra Vista children are needed each Wednesday, especially between 3:00 and 4:30 p.m.  If you feel led to help with any of these important ministries, please contact Kelly!  KIDS' PICTURE SHARING Pictures from VBS and other children’s events are available for ordering prints, viewing, or downloading at our picture-sharing website,   http://svumckids.shutterfly.com    Contact Kelly for connection information.     LOOK INTO KELLY'S NOOK Christian author, Gary Thomas, has written books on many topics – everything from parenting to physical fitness to forgiveness – but one of his works, Sacred Marriage (Zondervan, 2000), resonates in a culture fixated on living happily ever after. The book’s thirteen chapters don’t focus on Prince Charmings or closing-credit sunsets; instead, they do talk about how the genuine objective of marriage is to bring us closer to God – to force us into becoming the most Christ-like we can be. As Thomas’ sub-title suggests, Christian spouses should be considering the question, “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?” Thoughtful readers will finish this book with renewed patience and fortitude to embrace the concept of marriage.      Children attend camp to relax and experience God’s creation, love and grace through outdoor activities, crafts, scripture activities, music, art, drama, and guided play. All camps are at Mount Wesley in Kerrville, and children should plan to attend the camp for the grade they will be entering in the fall, 2012. 3rd/4th Grade Camp July 8-11, 2012 5th/6th Grade Camp August 5-9, 2012 Music, Art & Drama Camp July 25-28, 2012            During the school year, volunteers are needed to lead Children's Church for kids in Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, and 3rd grades during the Sunday worship services – both 8:30 and 11 a.m. Weekly lessons for Children's Church can be found on www.sermons4kids.com, and each volunteer will be emailed the lesson weekly. Please volunteer to help with this  important ministry to our kids!          A Peek into the Children’s Center Nursery  In January and February, during the Sunday School hour (9:45 am – 10:45 am), we will hear the stories: Jesus Tells of God’s Love Jesus Stops the Storm Jesus Heals a Blind Man Jesus Feeds 5,000 The Forgiving King The Good Samaritan The Good Shepherd The Active Games will be: Clapping Clues Boat Race Cups Galore! Fish Walk Ladder Walk Big Board Game Balance Spoons The Bible verses are:   “I will sing of the Lord’s love” Psalm 89:1 “Great is our God and mighty in power” Psalm 147:5 “The Lord is good to all”  Psalm 145:9 “God gives us what we need” Philippians 4:19 “Be kind to everyone” 2 Timothy 2:24 “Jesus said, love each other” John 15:17 “We love because he first loved us” 1 John 4:19 In the Art Center: Love Bracelet Sea Scene Color Petals Edible Jewelry Dough Money Mural Montage People Banner Sheepish Faces We will be making a joyful noise singing:  “I Will Sing” “Help Me Be Kind” During Worship Time, we will circle up, hold hands, pray and dismiss with the song, “Go Now in Peace.”  May our Loving God bless you and yours in 2012. If you need childcare for a Life Group, Bible Study Group or church function, please contact me five days in advance so that I can set it up for you.   Peace, love and joy! Brenda Richardson,  Director of Nursery Ministries    CHILDREN'S COUNCIL MEETINGS The regular meeting time and date for the Sierra Vista Children’s Council is the 2nd Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.  The February meeting will be held on the 13th. All parents and Church members are welcome and encouraged to attend!              Please Complete PINK 2012 Registration Cards   All Sierra Vista kids need new permission and registration cards completed. Please make sure to complete BOTH SIDES the 2012 registration/permission form for children, grades K through 5th. This pink card can be picked up and returned to Children’s Ministries in the Church Office.      For additional information on any children’s activity, please call the Church Office or email kduke@sierravista.org