Meeting #2

Meeting number two is in the books! Here is what we hashed out at the meeting:

The Station leaders are as follows:

• Belinda Crafts


• Julie and Debbie Snacks


• Gary Games


• Preschool Laura P., Stacey & Cindy


• Bible lessons Dave

The number of Shepherds needed from each church are as follows:

• 2 from Church of God


• 3 from Trinity


• 3 from Harmony


• 5 from the Nazarene


• 6 from the Methodist


• 6 from the Presbyterian

Other items

• We budgeted $4oo for crafts


• We will have kids handing out invitations and candy in the 4th of July parade


• We are still waiting to hear back from Instereo. If the band is a no go we plan to get some inflatables for the unity services and some "fun" teen stuff too.

We are in need of a leader for our teen helpers so please be in prayer for the right person for this ministry. God bless each and everyone involved and please continue to pray that God will save and empower many kids at this year's VBS! The world is a changin' so let's point kids to the never changin' God for the pilgrimage on this earth and into eternity!

Mark 10:13-16The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: "Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in." Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.

We finally had our first meeting and it was a good one! We met at the Junction (our new headquarters) and welcomed Harmony Road Church who will be joining us for VBS 2008 and hopefully many more in the future. Here is what was decided at our first meeting:

• VBS will be 3 nights - Wednesday August the 6th - Friday the 8th.


• Saturday the 9th will be a concert for our teen helpers and their friends


• The Unity Service will be Sunday the 10th


• We will be contacting the local pastors to organize a "follow up" committee for the purpose of discipleship


• Our VBS curriculmn will be Gospel Lights SonWorld!

It was great to see everyone and there was a lot of energy at the meeting. God is doing something special with VBS, the Junction and our town. What a pleasure to be used by God to reach His precious little ones who will one day be the leaders in the church!

Please pray for: God to draw kids to Himself, that He would draw the adult leaders for this summer, that He would draw the right band for the teens, that God would draw the right person to share their testimony with the teens, that He would draw the right people from the churches for the follow-up commitee and that everyone involved in leading VBS would exalt Jesus!

John 12:32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”

Is it that time already?

Yes it is that time again! It is time to start planning VBS 2008! Before you know it you wont be knee deep in Christmas bills and snow but kids! We are praying that this year God pours out His love, grace and Spirit on all the kids (teachers too!) so they will follow Jesus with all their hearts. Take time to pray about possible changes for this years VBS:

• 3 nights instead 5


• A teen concert on Saturday night at the Grove for youth workers and their friends


• Renting large inflatables for added fun


• Organizing a follow-up for disciple making

But before we start talking about all this possible new stuff we have to do two important things. First, we need to pick a VBS curriculum. A great website that will link you to most everything out there for this summer is -

VBS 2008 Guide http://ministry-to-children.com/vbs/.

Prayerfully check it out give your feedback. The second thing is we must have a meeting. Check your calender and make room for meeting #1. This year we will be meeting at the Junction. The Junction is located in the old Hofers' grocery store in beautiful downtown College Corner.

God bless one and all, and pray that God will draw many kids to Himself and build an even stronger church for tomorrow!

Prayer Requests for VBS 2008!

Hello folks!

It will be a while before we find ourselves back at the Grove so in the mean time here are some somethings we can pray about. Gospel Light has a theme that may be a good fit for us. It is a theme park idea centered around making choices centered on Jesus called "SonWorld." It has an outdoor feel and we could rent some of the big inflatables from Grandma's for a big finale or for fun after the Unity Service. please visit the website and pray for God's guidance.

Another prayer request is concerning a 3 day VBS. Due to busy kids, group leaders and the August heat we may want to consider only 3 days instead of 5 for VBS. We would pick the lessons that are most relevant and the best games, snacks and crafts as well. The teen helpers continue to grow as a support to the elementary children and we would like to have a Christian band one night as an outreach and a way to say thank you to those teens. We could do the VBS from Wednesday through Friday with the concert on Saturday night and Unity Service on Sunday. Pray about these ideas and please share some of your own at the bottom of this blog by clicking on the comment link.

Finally, I was wondering what would it look like if we started the summer off with a VBS as well as ending it with one? Hear me out before you log off this blog! Gospel Light in association with Athletes in Action has a really cool VBS called "PowerZone" that is set up like a sports camp. Why not encourage more kids to come sign up to play t-ball and softball by teaching fundamentals while sharing the good news! We could have our own Grove Sports Camp! I love baseball and have often thought about starting a pick-up game on Saturdays as an outreach at the Grove, playing ball and lovin', livin', and learnin' about Jesus! Would this not also be a great way to get more men involved in ministering to children? As Pete Rose would say "you bet it would!"

Pray about all this stuff, these are just my ideas but it is all our churches ministry that Jesus has given to us as an outreach to our community and His will is way more important than my ideas! God bless you all and thank you for all your involvement, support and prayers!

Water Project a Big Success and more!

The total for the African Water Project is in and it is a good one! The children raised $219 during VBS and the Unity Service Sunday donation was $216! That is a total of $435 plus some extra change! Great job everyone and to God be the glory! This money will be sent to World Vision to assist in providing life giving water to African children.

Speaking of children, our highest total of attendance for one night was 111 kids and 31 teens! The overall average was approximately 1oo kids and over 25 teens per night. Thanks again to everyone and praise God for the spreading of the Gospel to kids in our community.

Please pray for God's direction next year for a three night VBS. This idea is under consideration because of leaders and children's busy schedules. As we continue holding VBS outdoors in August the heat tends to wear folks down over five days. So please pray for the leadership so that God would lead us in the right direction.

Finally, there has been an increase in teens attending VBS and we are praying for God to help us put together a ministry plan for them. It would be nice each evening for a special devotional for teens that corresponds with the VBS theme lead by local youth ministers. I would also like to see us close out the last night with a youth concert by a Christian band jamming for Jesus in the Grove! There are some good bands in our area, help us pray for the right one and if the concert would be part of God's plan for the VBS.

Thanks everyone for all your prayers and help. Before you know it we will be right back at the Grove for VBS 2008, see ya then!

More Unity in the Community!

PRAYER AROUND THE FLAG POLE

Once again it is time to bring our community together in prayer for our children, and school staff, as they start another school year!

Please join us as we gather around the flag pole at Union School on Sunday, August 12, at 1:00p.m. for a time of prayer and fellowship.

PRAYER: It may be said that prayer is an indication of the spiritual condition of the soul; It being to the soul what breath is to the body.

With Love in Christ Jesus

An Answered Prayer

Did you realize that we were part of an answered prayer on Sunday? Yes we were, and not just any prayer. We were answering Jesus prayer for His church:

I'm praying not only for them But also for those who will believe in me Because of them and their witness about me. The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me. The same glory you gave me, I gave them, So they'll be as unified and together as we are— I in them and you in me. Then they'll be mature in this oneness, And give the godless world evidence That you've sent me and loved them In the same way you've loved me.

John 17:20 - 23 MSG.

The pastors did a great job as well as the kids! I thank God for His Spirit working in us to bring about the ministry of College Corner Community VBS. It is through Christ, by Christ and because of Christ that we are all in the family of God. Thank you all so much for your hard work and time spent in obedience to Christ prayer that we be one!