Christmas in the Classroom!

We spent an entire day undecorating and redecorating our class.  We still need to add some banners, so check back for more pics in a few days!

This gift covers almost the whole wall.

Treasure Hunt!

We ran a promotion in our Sunday School class for a couple of months:  Children received points for attendance, bringing their Bible, and Scripture memory.  Those who earned at least 10 points received an invitation to look for buried treasure in our woods.  I'm told that some in particular were so excited they kept "bugging" their parents for weeks about the "big day."  Finally, one chilly Saturday afternoon in November, the Great Treasure Hunt in the Woods began! Twelve ecstatic children tumbled out of the church van into the gorgeous woods, dressed for the chill and ready to dig.  They weren't disappointed!  We hunted for nature's treasures, and then some treasures that weren't so natural (yummy candy). 

Getting ready for the acorn hunt! The child with the most acorns in their bag after 10 minutes won a prize!

Keep looking!

Hurry! Time is running out!

 This li'l lady won by a landslide--er, I mean, an acornslide. 

Warming up by the fire.

I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but I'm sure looking cute!

The "Biggest Leaf in the Woods" hunt, followed by the "Tiniest Leaf in the Woods" hunt.  And, of course, the best place to look is in the giant leaf pile!

Following the rhyming clues to the red X yielded large bags of candy to share!

The children were excited, but this was the happiest hunter in the woods!

Digging for gold--literally!  The box that contained the gold covered chocolate coins got spilled into the ground in the hunt...we dug out what we could, but I'm sure our great grandchildren will find some

"antique coins" when they come over to play in our woods in about 50 years.

Guarding the (candy) treasure.

Lining up to pick out their prizes.  Everyone took home a prize, along with theri bag of acorns and candy.

After the prizes were chosen, everyone headed into the house to enjoy hot cocoa with marshmallows, popcorn, and brownies. 

Thank you Kid's Club leaders!

If anyone needs to hear "Thank you" it is the Wednesday night Kid's Club leader in your church. Many hours are spent preparing, planning, preparing, and planning some more. And when the big moment arrives when the children begin piling off the bus and roaring down the hallway into an overcrowded classroom, all the preparing and planning in the world does not always make you feel as if you prepared and planned. Coordinating stories, songs, goodies, prizes, treats for the "quiet" kids, games, object lessons, puppet skits, and some sort of system for keeping the volume at an acceptable decibel requires skill, diligence, and dedication. And PATIENCE! God bless those of you who have decided to give of your time and talents to further the Kingdom on a Wednesday night. We all know you have 131 other things you could have been doing all day besides preparing for this evening. God sees and keeps record even when the rest of us forget to say "Thanks." So to all Kid's Club leaders out there, "Thank you!"

Thought for the day

Mt 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.


Thank you Jesus, for giving Your life as a ransom for me!

Fall Harvest Party

Our Annual Fall Party/Halloween Alternative

Gourds for the children to paint.

Satisfy the sweet tooth!

Our Children's Ministry Leader, who planned and pulled everything together for the event.  Great job!

Lots of helpers!

A much deserved coffee break.

Registration personnel tearing their hair out.....WHO invited all these kids????

Unending energy.

 

This pumpkin's got a story to tell!

Angie, the Children's Ministry Leader, told how we are like pumpkins.  God puts a light in our hearts.  When you put the eye, nose, and mouth pieces back into the pumpkin, you cannot see the light inside.  When we have too much junk in the way, others cannot see the light of Christ in our lives. 

Bales of straw make a great obstacle course!

Hurray for hay rides!  It took 3 trips to give everyone a ride.

 

I found this li'l "jewel" waiting for a hay ride.

Face painting was a big hit!  Even the grown up kids enjoyed turning their epidermis into an easel.

Some of the big kids couldn't decide what the artists should paint on their faces.....BIG decision!!!

Looks like they got it figured out!

Two nearly inseparable l'il ladies showing off their decorated faces.

 Cute cat!

 

Cute bat!

One of  the artists wised up and looked up design ideas on his phone.

Yum!

Bird seed relay.

This was supposed to be a pumpkin ROLLING contest, not a pumpkin SITTING contest.

Ummmmm...........I think the sugar is getting to their brains......

OR it could be the face paint!....Did anyone check the label for side effects????