Danville Blog & Events

Summertime is almost here. That means swimming pools, popsicles and best of all, the drive-in. This summer the Big Picture Show Children’s Ministry will be hosting another drive-in movie event for preschool and elementary families to come out and make some memories. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and invite some friends to join us Tuesday, June 11th, 6:30 pm in the Auditorium at the Danville campus.

We’ll be watching the Dr. Seuss’, the Lorax, and there are two different ways you play along to win a prize:

1. Decorate a home-made Seuss car.
   Just like we did at last year’s event, we’re challenging you to make your own family “car” that kids can sit in for the night. But since we’re going Seuss this year, we’ll be giving prizes for the wildest, wackiest most Seuss-like home-made vehicles you can create. The sillier the better!
    
2. Come dressed as your favorite Seuss character.
   Dress up as the Cat In the Hat, Horton, Cindy Lou Who or anything that looks like it comes from the world of Seuss and you will have the chance to win.

Just like last year, we’ll kick things off with worship, popcorn, give-aways then get straight to the show. No, we won’t be out under the stars, but we do want to create an opportunity for your family to connect with other families and each other.

So come on out and make some family memories with us before the summer passes you by.

Despite the stormy weather, we'll be having our annual Spring Family Picnic tonight, but indoors!

Instead of meeting at Milliennium Park, we'll gather in the Connection area. Same time, food and games – just a whole lot less mud.

See you tonight!

Spring is in the air and it's time to get together for a good old-fashioned family picnic! Our Children's Ministry is hosting a Spring Family Picnic on Friday, May 10, from 6-8:30pm, at the Kroger Shelter (Millennium Park).

We're providing everything for a cookout, plenty of games and activities, face painting, and even some carnival-type food. All you need to provide are the blankets and/or lawn chairs!

See you May 10!

This past January, my friend Emmily started a once a month Bible study and prayer time for kids at the Woodlawn Elementary School. There is about 40 kids so far that meet in the library on the third Tuesday of each month. Different people from the community and all different churches have had the opportunity to lead the kids.

This past Tuesday, three of our Boyle County High School girls, that serve in the children's ministry every Sunday, spoke to the kids and led them in prayer. I was so proud of the way they were each on time, prepared, smiling, and confident in what God had given them to share. Our kids were hanging on every word, because they could relate to them. The girls shared their favorite scriptures and how they try to lead out at school for God.

I thank God for the opportunity to know and serve alongside these girls.

It's that time of year again… Students are finishing up school and gearing up for summer - a time for sleeping in, having pool parties, eating a lot of junk food, and, OH YEAH, moving up to the next grade in school! Starting Sunday, June 2, all current 5th graders will be officially considered 6th graders at Southland! We know it's a big transition to move from elementary school to middle school, so here are a few dates and events coming up that we'd like you to be aware of:

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Is It Time to Do Something Big?

We live in a world that loves big. The biggest roller coaster in the world is almost 500 feet tall. The biggest cruise ship is over 1,000 feet long. The biggest building? Almost 3,000 feet tall. Bigger seems better.

Deep down we all know God has put us in the is world to do big things. Make a big impact. Change the world. Big, planet shaking stuff.

But what if we discovered we could actually make the biggest difference by going small instead? What if the most astronomically huge thing we could do in God’s kingdom is invest in the tiniest people?

God’s kids.

When Jesus’ disciples were fighting over who was the biggest among them, Jesus pulled a kid over to stand beside him and basically said, “You want to know who’s biggest? Let me tell you who’s biggest. Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you who is the greatest.”

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As the temperature outside warms up, it's time to turn our attention to all of our students moving up a grade. That's right, it's transition time again at Southland!

The vision of Southland is that students will grow up to be disciples of Jesus that make disciples of Jesus. In order for this to happen, they must move on to the next environment that has been intentionally designed to help them grow in their faith.

While your student’s environment will change from children’s ministry to middle school, it will have the same basic format of a large group time and life group time. During the large group time, there will be Bible teaching, worship and maybe a game or two. In life groups, a space has been created where students have a safe place to discuss what God is saying to them and where they are in life with a smaller group of friends and a trusted adult.

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What impact can my child make while volunteering?

HUGE!

Look at this smile. Vincent Casale is a three year old in our Animation Station environment. He has made friends with Izzy Miller (age 11) who helps her mom lead a life group on Sunday mornings. Izzy has gotten to know her group’s likes and dislikes. It became quite apparent that Vincent has a love for Fire Trucks. Izzy took it upon herself to draw Vincent a picture as well as bring him a small fire truck for him to keep. Vincent was beaming from ear to ear. You see, Izzy has grown up in our Children’s Ministry. She has learned where she fits into God’s story. And now she is teaching precious Preschoolers that they are important and they fit perfectly into God’s story too.

I don’t know about you, but as a dad, I’m thankful for the experts in the world who help my kids learn to do cool things. For example, just over the last couple of years, my girls have had the chance to experience:

• Swim lessons
• Dance lessons
• Piano lessons
• Drama camp
• Gymnastics
• Horseback riding

Not only am I grateful for grandparents who made most of this possible through birthday and Christmas presents, but I’m also grateful for the teachers and coaches who helped my daughters discover talents that I never could.

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Because I have the best job in the world, I often times have the opportunity to witness God doing amazing things through our kids. Before I came to Southland in Danville, God told me that the kids He was allowing me to lead were special. He told me that they were going to do big things and that this community would changed for Christ through our kids. God has been so faithful because I have seen it over and over again in our youth.

This week I got to go to Jennie Rogers Elementary school and see several of our kids perform at the school talent show. They all did great and I was so proud, but Lauren Lucas was a huge blessing. She is nine years old and chose to sing "All This Time" by Britt Nicole as a witness to her classmates, friends and even her teachers. I left there very proud of her for choosing a song that led people to think about God, but I had no idea the depth of her choice. Her dad told me that she chose that song because it reminded her of the day she found out that one of her soon to be born twin brothers was not going to make it and that her Mom would be in the hospital until her other brother was born. I read the lyrics of this song and teared up immediately because I realized the maturity of her relationship with Jesus and how she allowed God to comfort her and give her peace through her pain. Her relationship with Jesus is forever strengthened and changed because of her faith and trust in Jesus. Wow! Lauren doesn't just know the Truth, she is living it out. Did I mention that she also serves as a jr. worship leader in Animation Station? She comes prepared and ready to help teach younger kids about Jesus. I am truly blessed to know and serve Lauren Lucas.

I remember the moment, I remember the pain
I was only a girl, but I grew up that day
Tears were falling
I know You saw me

Hiding there in my bedroom, so alone
I was doing my best, trying to be strong
No one to turn to
That's when I met You

All this time, from the first tear cried
'Till today's sunrise
And every single moment between
You were there, You were always there
It was You and I
You've been walking with me all this time

I am so excited about what God is going to do and is already doing in 2013.

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to teach in the Backlot. I stood in the back during worship, at the 11:15 service as we were singing, "How Great is Our God". Mary was leading and I was overwhelmed with emotion, because all of the kids in that room were singing with their hands raised, in honor and praise to our God. At that moment, I realized that I have the best job in the world! I get to teach kids about Jesus and help equip leaders to lead our kids closer to Jesus. As I looked around the room, the Spirit was showing me the hurt and pain these kids are going through. Separation, divorce, bullying, new school, death, being a foster kid, and loneliness. Before I taught the actual lesson, I told the kids that I was so thankful to be with them and that our God is great! I told them that I knew they were going through some tough things, and then the Spirit prompted me to ask them, "has anyone asked how YOU are doing"? To my disappointment, they shook their heads no and seemed surprised that I would know. Which I didn't, God did. God led me to acknowledge that they do have hard things to deal with and that God would be with them where ever they go, no matter what. Our Bible verse for the day was Joshua 1:9:

"Be strong and brave. Do not be terrified. Do not lose hope.
I am the Lord your God. I will be with you everywhere you go."

God is so good and I love radically investing in our next generation.

Do you like a little friendly competition, hanging out with awesome people and having the opportunity to make new friends?

If you're a preschool through 5th grade family, join us for an afternoon of bowling fun! It's happening at Bowlarama on January 27, at 1:00pm.

Cost is $2 per game and shoes are included. Contact me if you have questions or need more info.

If your kids are anything like mine, they ask a lot of questions. Why do I have to go bed? Why can’t we get a dog? Why is the sky blue? Why is your hair gray? Why? Why? Why?

All of those are great. Asking funny, sincere and sometimes exasperating questions are how kids learn and grow. But let’s face it. Some questions are simply more important than others. Take these, for example:

How do I become friends with God?
What does it mean to follow Jesus?
When can I get baptized?

When our kids start asking us big questions about faith, that’s when we may feel like we’re in a little over our heads. I know I do.

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Melinda Stafford is a Life Group leader for elementary school girls on Sunday morning at our Danville Campus and as of recently, she is also the leader of “Girl Time”. Claiming that girls in her group wanted more time to bond and grow spiritually, Melinda created Girl Time, with the help of volunteer Mary Kutter. It is a meeting outside of church to build community, study the Bible, worship, serve the city of Danville and to have fun. She opened the invitations to elementary girls (grades 2-5) and their parents through a sign-up sheet. Although only eight or nine signed up for the first meeting, nineteen showed up; twenty-nine came to the second.

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Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, iPhones, iPads, iPods, Tablets, Hashtags, Caches, Texting, Filters, and Social Networking. If you have kids, chances are that they know a good amount about most of those things. But, as a parent, do you?

The reality is that our kids these days are more technologically-savvy than adults. Technology can be a huge gift! But it can also be very dangerous when it isn't handled well. Genesis 4:7 tells us that sin is crouching at our door and desires to have us. With access to pornography and other hazards as easy as a touch of a button, we need to be informed on how to protect our kids from the enemy.

So, how should we handle technology and the internet when it comes to keeping our kids safe from what could be lurking just a couple of clicks away? Ultimately God can best guard their hearts but we want to help. If your kid has a cell phone or will ever touch a computer, come join us! You will walk away with very practical tips on how to engage your student's technological world.

We've created this unique opportunity for you to come and gather some wisdom from a panel made up of an IT professional, a student pastor and a children's pastor. Join the conversation with other parents at this Technology Safety Workshop happening on November 14th.