Friday, June 29, 2012

Friday Faith Builder-5th Grade Mission Trip To NYC



This past week, eight of our KiDS COR fifth graders each brought one parent along to share together in our very first mission trip to New York City! Wow—were they all amazing! We filled our days with opportunities to grow in knowing, loving and serving God and others.


We learned about immigration as we visited the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Tenement Museum, a place where immigrants came to live after they were accepted into America. We cleaned up a couple of community gardens, delivered Meals on Wheels (actually they were Meals on Foot ), worked in a food pantry and prepared a meal for 400 people at a soup kitchen.

The group listened to people’s stories of becoming homeless and how they are working their way out of homelessness. We visited the World Trade Center site and the Museum of Jewish Heritage to learn about the horrors of hate and the hope that comes when people seek to understand and love one another. We were warmly welcome as we worshiped in a synagogue and a church in Harlem.

We spent time at the Church Center for the United Nations where we learned about the importance of being involved in both charity and justice efforts as we serve others. We also were visited by the top official of the United Nations World Food Program who taught us to share the story of freerice.com, a website where anyone can play games and earn grains of rice for people around the world.

We thank God for this amazing opportunity to grow in our faith, and as we return home to Kansas City, we will be exploring ways to build relationships and serve here, as well. We feel blessed to have been a part of this journey.

-Pastor Lisa

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

A Day At KiDS COR Basketball Camp

Every Summer KiDS COR has two great weeks of Basketball Camp! Led by Coach Eddie Rogosich over 400 kids attend camp over these 2 weeks. We thought you might like to see what a typical day at camp looks like.

Our campers begin in their team lines each day for instructions from Coach Eddie. Each camper is placed in a team of 8-10 kids and has 1 coach for the entire week.



Follow the opening instructions, campers participate in a fun camp wide camp game. Today was Relay race day!




Next campers rotate through instructional and competition stations. Stations include ball handling, speed & conditioning, and of course some one on one games.




Camp would not be complete without a snack. Today was animal cracker day!



Each day at camp we take time out of camp to have a halftime devotion. Guest speakers from Resurrection take 15 minutes to talk about about the most important reason we are here at camp and that is to know and love Jesus a little bit better.



Following the halftime devotion we play one more camp wide game and then all campers meet with their team for a closing praying and any words of wisdom.




Camp is so much fun both for the avid basketball player and for those who just like to have fun. We hope to see everyone at our next basketball camp sometime soon!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

5th grade-NYC Mission Trip Update!

KiDS COR 5th graders worked at St. Paul's Church in the food pantry and delivering meals on Friday.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

5th graders at World Trade Center


5th graders at Ellis Island

On Wednesday, we visited the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the 911 Memorial Center, St. Pauls Chapel, The Tenament Musuem, China Town, and Little Italy.

5th graders learn about "Going Green in Queens" with host Mark Christi

Our team cleaned up a street by the East River in Long Island City.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

5th Grade Faith Passage Trip - 2nd day in NYC!

Greetings from the 5th graders in NYC!

Jenna and the crew say hi from New York City. We have been very busy the last two days. We learned about immigration today. Check back tomorrow for more!

VBC Kids Making A Difference!



Vacation Bible Camp 2012 has just finished but the stories of the week keep coming in. Here's a great story about a couple of girls making a huge difference for the people of West Africa. Their names are Ellie and Emma. On Thursday afternoon after leaving VBC, Ellie and Emma, along with their siblings and some friends, went around their neighborhood knocking on doors to collect shoes for Rerun shoes in West Africa. In one afternoon they collected 263 pairs of shoes along with some monetary donations!! Here is a picture we took of them in their third grade "Green Gracers" classroom. We are so proud of them!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Drum Roll Please!

And the winner in the Amazing Grace Race is......
Everyone!

Missions Totals:
Money for Jamaica - $9,447.83
Shoes for Africa - 2,398

VBC Sonflower Camp!

Matthew's Ministry, in conjunction with VBC, held its Sonflower Camp this week. Sonflower campers participated in drama, missions, and music. After all that fun, they headed off to make birdhouses, help teachers organize supplies, and do a little yoga.

Day 4 Missions Totals!

A big thank you to everyone!
We have collected $4,670.94 for St. Anne's school in Jamaica!
We have collected 1,469 pairs of shoes for Africa!

Face painting was a big hit last night at VBC Family Night!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Day 4 - song time!

It may be summer....

but there is a whole lot of learning going on!

Craft volunteers rock!

Craft volunteers have been busy helping campers make beautiful picture frames and handy keychains!

Shoes & More Shoes - Day 3 Totals!

Way to go VBC campers! Here are our missions totals so far:

$2,542.94 for St. Anne's Bay school in Jamaica and
995 pairs of shoes for Africa!

The cheers could be heard across town

Ted, a great man of faith, has inspired so many campers this week that he needed bodyguards, aka the Men in Black, to get by his adoring race fans. Hundreds of campers turned out to cheer on the Amazing Grace team competition. It was Chuck and Buck versus Ted. Ted may have stood alone, but as a great follower of the Lord, he sent Chuck and Buck "a packing".

Official VBC Music!



So what are the tunes your kiddos are singing along to at camp this week? Here's your 2012 offcial song list of the Amazing Grace Race

Shackles by The Go Fish Guys
Movin' To The Beat by The Go Fish Guys
Wise Man Rock by Phil Joel
Ready, Set, Go by Songs from The Playhouse

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

All the kids love rec time!

VBC's awesome song leaders!

VBC KiDS make cool murals for our KC partner schools!

Jesus is ready for the stage!

No easy task getting Jesus ready to judge The Amazing Grace Race!

Nate & Duke versus Sammy & Delia


Brian Seacrest gave the first two teams their instructions. The goal was for each team to fill a treasure chest with things they believed important. Jesus was the judge. After all was said and done, Nate & Duke, through prayer, realized riches aren't material goods, but rather the love in our hearts for God.
Congrats Nate & Duke!

Future VBC camper donating shoes for Africa!

Day 2 Missions Totals
Funds for St. Anne's School in Jamaica - $1,278.80
Pairs of shoes for Africa - 414
Way to go campers - keep up the good work!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The Amazing Grace Race Day 2 - 4th & 5th graders!

The race is on for "Dollars for Jamaica" and "Rerun shoes"

Our goal is $9,000 for St. Ann's School!
Day 1 we collected $266.13 and 100 shoes!

Monday, June 11, 2012

VBC Mission Info


Each year VBC takes on multiple missions project. This first project is a collection of money for one of Resurrection mission's partners and the 2nd is a tangible item that kids can easily collect and bring in for people in need. This week all money collected during Vacation Bible Camp will go directly to St. Ann's Bay Primary school in Jamaica to help renovate 2 classrooms. For more info watch the VBC mission video and click here. All money your child brings in will be collected in the classrooms and go 100% towards our Jamaican project.

Second we are partnering with Rerun shoes and collecting gently used shoes to send to Africa. These shoes will be given to local small business owners in West Africa for them to fix up and sell. By giving these shoes to local businesses we are not only supporting a felt need in Africa, but also supporting the local economy which is vital to lifting communities out of poverty. Shoe collection bins are located in the narthex of the West Building and in the halls of the East Building all week long.

Be on the look for more info about this projects during the week! Thanks in advance for being so generous!



Song time - Day 1

Amazing Grace Race Day One!

Every camper is a winner when they come to VBC 2012!

Getting ready for the race!

The Amazing Grace Race for many VBC volunteers started Sunday afternoon as they prepped their classrooms for campers!

Sunday, June 10, 2012

VBC 2012 "The Amazing Grace Race" begins tomorrow!

The teams are organized. The clues are ready. The pit stops are in place. We look forward to seeing VBC campers on Monday, June 11. It'll be a winning week, where all who enter the race will learn about God's Grace. Look at all of these snacks!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Friday Faith Builder



Today , my brother and I are helping my parents move out of the home they have lived in for thirty-four years. I moved to that house with them when I was eight years old and my brother was seven. The house they/we are leaving holds many wonderful memories. Birthday parties, holidays, graduations, anniversaries and just everyday life have all been celebrated within those walls. My three daughters (who are helping, too!) have spent many nights with their grandpa and grandma at that house and have enjoyed chasing fireflies, eating bowls of ice cream, hunting Easter eggs and swinging on the tree swing my dad built for them.


We are all also preparing their new house. We are excited about their new adventure—no stairs, a new neighborhood, fresh paint, a pool and exercise room nearby, and their best friends living across the street. As melancholy and sentimental we are about leaving the old house, we are equally as excited about enjoying the new one. We know that walls don’t connect us, hearts and love do, and that many more memories await creation.

Change is a part of life. Transitions can be hard. Loss can be difficult. Newness can be filled with joy and excitement. And we sometimes feel it all at the same time. No matter what you are experiencing in life right now, trust that God is with you. God loves you. And God has a new adventure awaiting you.

-Pastor Lisa

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Pic Of The Week!

Yes, that is a lot of chips and that is just a portion of our snack supply for Vacation Bible Camp starting next week! We'll have over 1,100 hungry campers learning about the Amazing Grace Race!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Friday Faith Builder




With kids out of school, more hours of sunlight, and activities winding down, summertime brings about a whole new rhythm.  You might be planning on spending time at the pool, library, museums, parks, and traveling.  You might have several arts and crafts projects tucked away, outdoor games and play dates planned.  How about spending time focusing on your family faith life?  Could you create time for an additional time with God this summer?
You might get involved in a charity and volunteer somewhere.  Consider helping neighbors, community service people, or those in need. Sing or listen to music that is cheerful and uplifting. Find a new praise CD and learn a new song or two. Pray together as a family and by yourself.   Retell Bible stories you hear in church. Create a craft project and share it with someone who is lonely.  Cook a meal or bake a treat and bless someone else with it.  Invite people to your home for a time of fun and fellowship.  Spend time outside at different times of day and night. Thank God for the beautiful creations in this world. Continue to attend worship and KiDS COR.
You will have many opportunities to praise God and grow in your faith as a family this summer.  Pray that God will help you enjoy every moment!

-Pastor Lisa