DANCE YOUR SHOES OFF SELMA!

I am ridiculously excited about this upcoming event! If you want to know why, go to youtube, and type in "second baptist church houston dance your shoes off" and watch the video. Wow.

Now...imagine it all happening like that at Bloch Park, inside the walking trail. Then, get excited, because it's GONNA HAPPEN at Bloch Park on April 17th, at 6pm. Even more exciting- YOU are gonna be one of those dancers! :)

We are dancing our shoes off, and donating them to Soles 4 Souls and Pine Glen Ministries. This donation is two-fold because we want to have a local impact as well as a global impact, for Christ! But this is bigger than just donating shoes, because we're also spending an evening together as a community, enjoying each other and glorifying our awesome Savior, Jesus Christ! There are already about 8 churches involved, and several other organizations in the community. Any individual is invited to come too, and we want you to invite your churches, schools, businesses, clubs, etc!

Stuff we still need: lots of photographers and videographers, bottled water, shoes, dancers!

Please visit www.danceyourshoesoffselma.com and also our facebook page: Dance Your Shoes Off Selma for more information. You can also register online.

T-shirts are available for order as well! The proceeds from the sale of shirts go directly to Pine Glen Ministries! Download and print your order form right from the website!

Luke 2. It's not Christmasy now, I promise.

Whoa.

I just read Luke 2, in February. Anybody else? I'm really loving reading Luke. It's a nice organized account of the gospel, and according to Luke, it's the story directly from eyewitnesses who saw it all unfold while Jesus was on the earth. That's pretty cool. He also tells his buddy, that he's written it so he would have a chronological account that is the EXACT TRUTH of what he's been told. I like it.

But that's all Luke 1. On to Luke 2.

So Jesus is born, and then angels appear (BAM!) in the sky to some shepherds. Just regular guys at work. They aren't at church, or church camp, or VBS. They're at work. The angels tell the shepherds what's up- that they have to go to Bethlehem, and find this baby. and then (WAY BIGGER BAM!) there are TONS of angels singing praises to God in the sky!

Then it's all gone. (bam.)

Well the shepherds who are still conscious somehow, look at each other, and are like, dude- let's GO! So they take off in a hurry for Bethlehem! They find Jesus, and tell Mary and Joseph what all the angels told them about the baby.

Then they leave, go back to work, and are praising God for all they had heard and seen and what had been told to them.

Okay. I know it's not Christmas, guys, but do you see what I see here?

1. Angels tell Shepherds about Jesus.
***WE are supposed to tell others about Jesus!***

2. The shepherds weren't intentionally seeking God. They were just at work!
***We don't have to choose to minister to only those who are sitting in a pew, on a van to camp or dropped off at Vacation Bible School. We are called to tell people "as we go along" through life!***

3. Shepherds, after hearing about Jesus, book it to go see him!
***The appropriate response, after hearing about Jesus, is to RUN to him!***

4. When faced with Jesus, the shepherds immediately confessed who He is.
***When we realize who Jesus is, it's important that we tell him we know who he is! Just look at Romans 10:9-10. Kind of an important step in choosing to follow Him!***

5. After meeting Jesus, the shepherds were changed. They went away praising God and talking about what they had learned!
***Are you a Christian? Is it because somebody said you are, or because you have encountered the incredible, awesome love of Jesus??? It is far too easy to be a complacent Christian, and sit back and feel secure in our salvation. Folks, we need a fire under us that causes us to PRAISE GOD for our salvation, and talk about what He has done in our lives! We need to grab a hold of everyone around us, and bring them with us to see Jesus. I don't just mean invite people to church. I mean put our NOSES in the Bible, and then share the truth that we see in it's pages with those around us. God has put you RIGHT where you are, with people around you who NEED the Gospel! Won't you give it to them? Father help me open this hole in my face known as my MOUTH and use it to glorify you, and share the truth of the gospel with those around me!***

Random questions that require an answer...

Test...test...is anybody reading this blog?

Do you think Cait Welch should open a cupcakery in Selma?  Comment on this post and tell me why or why not!

What noise does a deer make?

How in the world do you get rid of ladybugs in your house? Yuck!

Kids Disciple Now 2013

It's time for Kids Disciple Now!

I'm so excited about our guest pastor Wes Patterson, who along with his family, has stepped out in faith to do something God called him to, whether or not it seemed like the safe, sensible option. So proud of my friends! I hope they'll get to share with you some of what they are doing now.

House57 is coming to lead worship, and they're already in preparation for the weekend, practicing and more importantly praying over our kids and our time together. Sweet brothers in Christ are so encouraging!

Our youth leadership, children's committee and others in our community are working hard to put a great weekend together. Now we just need the KIDS. So please go to www.fbcselma.org/d-now and download the release form. Fill it out and drop it by the church with $35 to register your child for D Now. This is the last form I'll make you fill out for children's ministry events all year (unless you go to camp, and those are camp forms, not mine!) so take a few minutes and register your child for D Now today!

DEADLINE to register is January 20th! I can't guarantee I can squeeze your kiddo in after the deadline, although I will always try. :) But shirts and materials and host homes require a little time for us to prepare, so please try to get signed up by January 20th.

We'll be studying the Fruit of the Spirit, and I really love the materials our leadership will be using to disciple your children. I hope your child will come away with a fuller understanding of what it is to walk in the Spirit, as well as a deeper love for the Gospel! Above all, I am praying that this is a weekend that glorifies God, and that everything we do points to Him, and points others to Him!

Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law." As I have been studying the materials, and typing and re-typing these verses, I have meditated on the fruit of the Spirit, and praying it is exhibited in my own life. I can certainly tell you that I have an easier time with some aspects than others! Please be in prayer for this special weekend!

Here's a basic framework of the weekend:

Friday: This is new! From 5-7pm, we ask that parents and kids come together for a time of worship with Wes Patterson and House57. We'll handle all the check-in details so that Saturday morning runs smoothly. You can even drop off your child's luggage if you like! Kids go back home with you at 7pm. Don't forget them! (FBC Youth Center)

Saturday: Drop your child off at the youth center at 10am. We'll stay at the church all day, besides leaving campus for recreation. Lunch will be provided at the church, and the kids will be involved in several worship sessions and small group Bible studies. At 6pm, we'll ship them off to their host homes, for supper, free time, showers and hopefully at least a little sleep!

Sunday: Kids will come to the church for breakfast, worship, one last small group and church. Our Kids D Now group always sings and leads us in our call to worship, and my full heart always makes my eyes leak... please join us for the morning worship service. It begins at 10:45am. Wes Patterson will sing during the service, House57 will lead the kids in the call to worship, and Dr. Jerry Light will bring the message. When we are dismissed from worship, please collect your child and his or her belongings, which will be located in the youth center building.

Packing list:

A snack to share with his or her small group (This will go to the host home with luggage)

Sneakers

Shorts and t-shirt for recreation on Saturday afternoon

A Bible, pen, and a great attitude!
A small bag to carry these items in, as well as the materials they'll receive (small backpack or purse)

Pajamas, underwear, toiletry items, bath towel and wash cloth

Sleeping bag and a pillow

Jeans for church on Sunday

Socks

*We will provide your child with a long-sleeved shirt with the above design on it to wear Sunday. 

PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING WITH NAME!

Remember to check lost and found before you leave Sunday!

Student Life for Kids Camp 2013!

I don't know a theme yet.

I don't know what color squad we'll be on.

I DO know some stuff... every 3rd-6th grader alive should go to this camp. It's fun, and it's a great way to get in the habit of doing a personal quiet time. It's a good place to get away from the world and all it's yucky worldliness. It's at Shocco Springs! And it's an opportunity for your child to make his faith his own. (or her own, as the case may be!)

Basic info you need to know:

www.studentlife.com

You can read about the camp and see pictures if you'd like more information.

While we're at camp, you can find pictures of us on the website, as well as join in for a live webcast of worship one night while we're there!

FBC Selma is going to camp July 25-28!

If your child has completed 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th grade, he or she can come along!

The listed camp cost is over $250. With scholarship money we have available, we are working on lowering that cost for everyone! We also have scholarships available to FBC Selma families who want to send a child to camp but need help with some or all of the cost. Financial details are confidential, so please don't hesitate to ask me or Elaine about a scholarship. I promise we want your child to go to camp more than we want you to pay for it. :)

Included in camp cost: t-shirt, camp Bible study notebook, all meals except two lunches while we travel, all camp activities!

This year, we'll worship with the SL4K Band, and the camp pastor is Chris Poe.

'
SL4K BAND beside the lake at Shocco Springs

The SL4K Band is comprised of a team of worship leaders who specialize in kids' worship. Moreover, they have a genuine desire to help teach kids about worshiping God, how we worship, and why we worship Him. Unlike years past, the SL4K Band is a part of the Student Life For Kids staff and spends the entire summer traveling and leading worship at kids camp. The band members are all very accessible and available at camp, and they love spending time with kids in the cafeteria, at recreation, or anywhere in between. The band is produced by Chris Orr, a long time friend of Student Life For Kids.  He currently serves as Pastor of Worship and Arts at Riverbend Baptist Church in Gainesville, GA. Chris has produced two albums, "Just Becuz You Asked 4 it" and "Children of God". One of his albums, "Children of God" was produced last summer for Student Life for Kids. You can find this kids album here. Chris auditions, trains, and mentors the band members before and throughout the summer.




For years, Chad has been speaking biblical truth into kids' lives. Chad preaches God's Word through story telling, media, and visual experience, which we believe is a great way to teach the Gospel to children. As someone not simply called to speak, Chad believes in the importance of relationship and seeks to get to know people when he is away from the stage. Ultimately, Chad hopes to see students and kids moved into a deeper relationship with Christ. In turn, those kids will live lives of action that impact their community and world. Chad is married to Hope and they have two sons, Shepherd and Charlie. To find out more about Chad and his ministry, visit http://www.chadpoe.com.www.chadpoe.com.

Operation Christmas Child progress update!

Well FBC, we're working toward our goal of packing a record number of shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, and after sorting items today, I believe we have enough donated items to pack at least 50 complete boxes already! We have lots of school supplies, and need more toys, clothing items and chapstick to add. I think we have enough school supplies to pack 150 boxes! I would love to see a bunch of really exhausted GAs packing 150 shoeboxes. Think we can do it? I believe 150 is a completely reasonable goal that we can blow away, if we work together!

All monetary donations should be delivered to the church office or dropped in the offering plate, specifically marked for Operation Christmas Child. It costs $7/box, and we'll make our monetary donation online. By doing this through the Samaritan's Purse website, we can print our box labels with a unique bar code. Every box we send will have the same bar code, and THEN we can track all the shoeboxes we send across the globe, online! How fun is that?! I'm excited about this missions opportunity for the GAs and RAs and Mission Friends, and can't wait to give them reports on where these boxes will be headed. Thank you, church family, for participating in this children's ministry opportunity which is impacting our own children as well as children around the world.


Please keep an eye on this blog, the children's ministry facebook page, as well as all of our paper communications (Mid-Week Messenger, Worship Guide, Evangel) in order to help with items we need more of to fill in boxes as we approach our deadline!

Who's Ready for Fall?

Churchwide effort toward Operation Christmas Child:

We will begin September 2nd!

Collection buckets will be located by the elevators in both educational buildings for dropping off items!

The whole church is asked to bring specific items for the shoeboxes, rather than a completely packed shoebox, over the course of a few weeks as follows:

Sept 2-15: Please bring personal hygiene items!
Sept 16-29: Please bring school supplies!

Sept 30-Oct 13: Please bring small toys!

Oct 14-27: Please bring shoeboxes, and monetary donations to mail the boxes!

GA's will pack the boxes!

Church members can still bring their own complete boxes, but this is one way the church can work together to accomplish an important missions opportunity, and the kids can participate in a churchwide effort.

Fall Festival: October 31st:

5pm-7pm - this will be a special Wednesday night! Supper still served at FBC as usual.

STILL TO COME... Auburn vs. Alabama Food Drive, Christmas events, etc!

Mark your calendars now: 

Children's Christmas Program (Choirs, Missions and Bible Drills presentations): December 9th

Kids Disciple Now: February 2nd - 3rd

Preschool Easter Egg Hunt: March 24th

DANCE YOUR SHOES OFF! April 17th

Children's Spring Program (Choirs, Missions, and Bible Drills presentations): April 24th