Posts filed under 'Favorite Resources'
Our Support Ministry provides a wonderful program called Broken Promise, for children who have experienced the stress, sadness and uncertainty of divorce. It begins on Tuesday, February 2nd at West Side Christian Church. It meets every Tuesday from 6:45-8:00 for 13 weeks.
Broken Promise is for children 4 years old through 8th grade. One of the parents (not both) attends with the children. Parents meet in a separate room with other parents to learn about what their child is experiencing and ways to help them. Children are divided up by age group and will learn about the grief cycle and the emotions that everyone goes through when they experience a loss. They will also learn appropriate ways to express their anger, as well as tools for coping with difficult emotions.
One of our parents wrote this about Broken Promise:
My son went through Broken Promise when he was 4 years old. At that age, he didn’t have a clue what being married was or what the word divorce meant. While going through the program, he had a conversation on the phone with his daddy. His dad was telling him that he missed him and that he wished that we could all live together again. My son responded, “No Daddy, you and mom tried living together before and you couldn’t, so you got a divorce so now you have to share me. I love you both!” This just floored me because it showed how much my son was understanding because of Broken Promise. It was amazing. The program touched us so much, we are now serving other families through the Broken Promise ministry.
It is a life-changing program for children. If you would like more information click here. To register, call the church office at 793-2800. Registration ends February 1st.
January 15th, 2010
At some point in their lives, every child will cope with the loss of a loved one. As a parent, you may feel unprepared to answer your child’s questions and help them process their loss. Here are some great resources that can help you navigate this difficult road. Many of these resources are available in our church library.
Books for adults:
When will I Stop Huring? by June Cerz Kolf
Helping Children Grieve by Theresa Huntley
Books for teens:
Saying Goodbye When you Don’t Want To by Martha Bolton
Books for Kids of All Ages:
The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
The Invisible String is a very subtle approach to loss or seperation. I believe this is a great book to add to your child’s library now. It teaches children that even when 2 people are seperated, an invisible string of love connects them. It’s a great truth to hide in your child’s heart even before they have experienced a great loss.
Sarah’s Grandma Goes to Heaven by Maribeth Boelts
Grandpa is There a Heaven by Kathering Bohlmann
Gram’s Song by Karyn Henley
Papa’s Gift by Kathleen Long Bostrom
Books for Young Kids:
Let’s Talk About Heaven by Debby Anderson
Never Say Goodbye by Lea Gillespie Gant
January 8th, 2010
Our Fall session of Broken Promise, a ministry for children whose parents have divorced, is Tuesday, August 25th to November 24th from 6:45-8:00 p.m. Children must be pre-registered to attend.
Broken Promise is for children 4 years to 8th grade. One of the parents (but not both) must attend with the children and attend the parent part of the program (in a seperate classroom.) Children are divided up by age group and will learn about the grief cycle and the emotions that we go through when we experience a loss. They will also learn appropriate ways to express their anger, as well as tools for coping with other difficult emotions.
You can find out more by clicking here.
To register or ask questions, please contact Faith Watkins and Tina Neely at brokenpromise@wschurch.org or call the church office at 793-2800.
August 18th, 2009
We are really excited that 2 Sundays in a row ourfamily ministry sold out their copies of Revolutionary Parenting in the concourse. This is a great resource and we are thrilled that so many families took the opportunity to take it home. We’ve ordered a few more for thoseon the waiting listand those should be in this Sunday. If you missed out and would like to have a copy, please contact me soon.
We are also just 1 day away from another family fun night! This time we will be having some fun at West Side’s FAMILY FILM FEST! The registration date is past, but if you still want to come, just contact me. We’ll be watching the movie Toy Story as well as a few other cartoon shorts. There will be popcorn, candy and a few games to keep it really exciting. As always, there will be prizes awarded for…well, you’ll have to wait and see! Don’t forget that we are encouraging everyone to come dressed as their favorite movie character and you should also be sure to bring a chair or a blanket for your family to sit on. We’ll get started at 6:30 p.m. in the chapel!
This Sunday morning, there are 2 opportunities to become a little bit better equipped to handle the crazy world of parenting. At 9:30, a special elective Protecting Kids Online, will be held in the cafeteria. Led by our IT Director, Josh LeVeque, this electiveis a must for any family with a computerin their home. In addtion, the 4 week class, Revolutionary Parenting, finishes up this Sunday at 11:00 in Centennial Hall.
March 5th, 2009
Raising a spiritual champion takes revolutionary parenting. West Side’s Parenting Ministry will be leading a 4 week elective on George Barna’s book, Revolutionary Parenting, beginning February 15th at 11:00 a.m. in Centennial Hall. Come and find out what the research shows really works! Everyone is invited to attend.
Week 1: A Crisis in American Parenting
Week 2: Conditions for Revolutionary Success
Week 3: How Revolutionary Parents Behave
Week 4: Training Up Spiritual Champions
The book Revolutionary Parenting will be available in the church concourse on Sunday, February 22nd and March 1st. This book regularly retails for $17.95 but we believe so strongly that parents will benefit from reading this bookthat we are making them available for only $5.00. Read a review of Revolutionary Parenting inWest Side’s Thrive Magazine, comingthis month.
February 17th, 2009
Have you ever noticed the way preschool teachers use music to teach everything from the alphabet to tying your shoes? Educators have long realized that setting a concept to music helps a child not only remember that concept quickly but also long-term. A recent articlestated that there are over 10,000 songs stored in your brain by the time you are 18 years old.
Don’t believe me? Try this……”Gimme a break, gimme a break. Break me off a piece of that….______________.”
I guess educators aren’t the only ones who realized how memorable music can be!
Because we believe that music can reach the heart of a child in a way that few other mediums can, we strive to use music in a way each Sunday morning that is both dynamic and life-changing. Our worship time is anything but ho-hum.Our music is fun, energetic and teaches biblical truth in real terms. Here’s a sample of one of the songs we are using in the preschool area, called GULP!*
Use the time you have at home to teach through music too! Play great Christian songs in the car or while you are making dinner. Use it to get your kids going in the morning or to leave one last happy thought before bedtime.
There is a lot of great Christian children’s music available. We are offering some of these listed below at a discounted price.
Our Picks for Best Music For Preschool and Younger:
My Best Friend: Little Praise Party (available at the ECM counter for $10.00)
Touch the Sky (available at the ECM counter for $5.00)
Reach up High (available at the ECM Counter for $5.00)
Our Picks for Best Music For Kindergarten-2nd Graders:
Loud and Clear! Big Songs for Young Hearts by Yancy
Shout Praises Kids (any in the series)
Have You Heard?
Our Picks for Best Music For 3rd-5th Graders:
Rock-n-Happy Heart by Yancy
Make Some Noise
*Check out www.amberskyrecords.com as a great resource for downloading Christian songs. This new site has great music for kids of all ages and often has songs we use in the preschool department.
February 12th, 2009
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