AWANA: Expanding the Kingdom
RBC’s AWANA club has been around for over 25 years. AWANA, which stands for Approved Workmen are Not Ashamed (not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ) provides children 4 years of age through the 6th grade with opportunities to memorize Scripture and create Christian friendships that end up spanning a lifetime – there’s a whole lot of fun in doing it!
If you are new to RBC and are not sure what the AWANA program is, or if you have never considered enrolling your children in the program – here are a few things to consider.
AWANA meets every Sunday night during the club year. This year, we will go start September 15th, 2013 and go through May 6th. We meet every Sunday evening from 4:30 to 6:30 pm here at the church. All programs – Cubbies, Sparks, and T&T – meet at the same time so if you have multiple kids, all can come and participate!
The AWANA program stresses Bible memorization for all ages. Now, how many verses can you say that you have memorized over the years? Some of our clubbers memorize up to 60 or more verses each year… Just think of how much of a lasting impact this can have on them as they grow up and navigate their teen years!
During our club time, we also have a special portion set aside for games. Even our 4-year old clubbers share in an involved games time and learn the meaning of teamwork and fellowship.
Finally, each club offers a council time message that is age-appropriate. They learn about the Bible, how to apply God’s Word to their lives, and most importantly, see how God is moving in their own lives! We bring in special speakers, watch skits, and hear from our volunteers about what God is doing in our midst.
I have been involved with the AWANA program for 16 years. Both of my children participated in the program, and are now volunteering alongside me and my husband. I did not come to know the Lord until I was 18, and I am always telling the clubbers how fortunate they are to be able to learn about God and how to walk with God at such a young age. What a blessing it is to work with these young children, walk alongside the parents, and instill a real love for God in their lives!
Please don’t just consider registering your children – but consider your involvement in this important Children’s Ministry as well. AWANA continues the work that Mike Meyers (Director of Children’s Ministry at RBC) and his team do on Sunday mornings.
Pastor Paul Goodnight has often referred to our program as “organized chaos.” Well, when you put 300 kids in one place, yes it is. But it is fun. It is rewarding. And most of all, the Kingdom of God is expanded. Please join us!
Links to register children, to volunteer and to donate scholarships can be found at www.restonbible.org/awana.
-Marci Kinter, AWANA Coordinator
Kids Camp 2013 Update
Radically trusting in the promises of God.
“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” (Psalm 62:1-2)
RBC Kids Camp is a week-long day camp open to all children between the ages of 4 and sixth grade and takes place the last week of June.
Through quality Bible teaching, art, drama, music, and a ton of awesome games, Kids Camp (formerly VBS) is a unique opportunity for children to begin or grow-in their relationship with Jesus and to learn to share their hope and joy with others.
This year we hosted more than 500 children and 200 volunteers for our 2013 edition of Kids Camp called, “The Rock.” Against the backdrop of a rock climbing adventure, the children learned that when we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God guarantees certain things to us. These “promises” are things we can trust in completely. As we put our weight on these promises we see that God is faithful and we will grow in our faith. With each passing day we grow to trust Him more and more.
We are very thankful to the parents and volunteers for their commitment to making this event a success and to raising a generation that knows the goodness of our God.
Stay tuned for Kids Camp 2014!
Countdown to Kids Camp 2013!
With less than two weeks to go, preparations for Kids Camp 2013, The R.O.C.K., are coming along great. We are quickly filling up and we have only a few days left for registration. So, here are my two messages for you and your children and any friends they’d like to invite.
1. Registration for Kids Camp 2013 closes this Monday (June 17) at 9 AM so please if you haven’t registered yet or if your child has friends they’d like to invite, please register ASAP at https://www.restonbible.org/kidscamp (If money is tight, you may apply for scholarship by emailing me.)
2. We need more VOLUNTEERS! We need at least 80 more volunteers in order to handle the 500+ children who will be in attendance at Kids Camp this year. Men, take your mornings off that week to come lead a group of young people. Women, get to know the other moms of the church in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. We need small group leaders, photographers, welcome team, break-down team, and more. Don’t miss this opportunity. Register now at https://www.restonbible.org/kidscamp and click on “Click here to Volunteer”.
Event Update: Daddy-Daughter Dance
The arrival to our annual Daddy-Daughter Valentine’s Dance was posh this year with valet parking, corsages upon entry, and a formal photo shoot before heading into the exhibits area for this year’s dance, The National Gallery of Heart: Love on Display. The girls and their dates visited several exhibitions, including the Hope Diamond room where they fashioned their own version of the necklace or the Portrait Gallery where dads and daughters could choose a frame to draw their own work of art right on the wall! A bit later in the evening, the Dessert Café opened with a sundae bar, and then came the big reveal in the auditorium with a freshly-installed wooden dance floor and a DJ showcasing some struttin’ music! With a little over 200 folks in attendance, the night was brimming with joyful laughter and sweet smiles.
At one point in the evening, everyone was assembled to discuss that there are lots of ways that dads can put “Love on Display” for their wives and children. However, the only perfect example of “Love on Display” in history was Jesus Christ’s death on the cross (John 15:13). Jesus took on the penalty that we deserve for the times when we don’t love perfectly, forgave us for the times when we turn away from Him, and opened the door for us to live with Him in heaven for eternity. All we need to do is trust in what Jesus has already done for us. Jesus truly is, always, love on display.
For myself personally, there was never a moment to sit as I poised my volunteers for the next transition in the evening’s agenda or checked on the maraschino cherry stash. I’m so thankful that my duties kept me in and out of every room constantly throughout the night so that I could witness the fun and the awed faces of the couples with each new reveal! My eyes vigilantly searched in the nooks and corners in each room and I was never disappointed in the findings as I saw dads and their girls involved one-on-one in their own conversations, whether it was answering some questions we posed in their Gala Guide, or telling their own stories as they worked their way through each gallery exhibit.
The girls and their dates were blessed with a dedicated crew of volunteers and several staff members who made this night shine! May we be blessed to continue this event for years to come.
Have a story from the Daddy-Daughter Dance you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or drop us an email at stories@restonbible.org.
VIDEO: Baby Quest Nursery at RBC
Baby Quest, the nursery program at Reston Bible Church, has traditionally run as a parent co-op. We are changing that to an all volunteer system to better serve our kids and parents. This video explains why.
You can get more information and fill out a volunteer form at www.restonbible.org/nursery
The Treehouse
Clearly you live in Northern Virginia when you can find a treehouse inside a building. This is your chance to take a peek inside… INSIDE Reston Bible Church’s Children’s Ministry Treehouse!
What it is …
The Treehouse is a special service time for children of all ages (toddlers through 5th graders) whose parents stay during an additional Sunday morning service to either attend an ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship) or to volunteer. It’s not always engaging for the little guys to be involved in their QUEST class twice, and so we offer The Treehouse during the 9:30am service as an alternative for the children who participate in QUEST and stay through the additional time.
What it is … NOT.
Although there is a time of teaching and relaxed activities, the Treehouse is not intended to be an alternative to QUEST, but rather an extension of the biblical base gained in the QUEST classrooms. If you spend one block of time on Sunday mornings attending a worship serve and another block volunteering or attending an ABF – and have children – The Treehouse is an awesome opportunity for your kids.
BUT WAIT, there’s more! This fall, the Treehouse’s older attenders (1st-5th graders) will be introduced to a new face that brings the focus more deliberately towards a missions-minded morning.
The Treehouse meets all year at the 9:30am service time, upstairs in Room 238. For further inquiry, find Hannah at the QUEST Desk on Sundays or drop me an email.
Summer Review: Kids Camp
Five days, over 500 children, 200+ volunteers, 2500 snacks served, tons of fun, more than 4,000 combined volunteer hours and, best of all, God showed up! Can it get any better than that? If you have never participated in an RBC Kids Camp (formerly VBS) then you are missing a unique experience in the life of this church. Kids Camp has always been a time for the children of the church to grow in their faith, but with 180+ visitors at this summer’s event, this has become one of RBC’s largest evangelistic outreaches as well. This year the children at Kids Camp were learning to “fly” at the Amazing Wonders Aviation flight school. They learned that in order to “soar on wings like eagles” they must be fueled by the power of God and that His power extends over nature, our circumstances, our sin, and our lives. Our desire is to see them make a smooth take-off and a God glorifying flight.
We were blessed to see so many sweet stories unfold throughout the week. Let me share just two of them with you. First time Kids Camp volunteer Curt McGowan decided to take off a week of mornings from his full-time job to be a small group leader. In no time he and his group of cadets were a tight squadron. Seeing them all march in with the very cool aviator shades that Curt had picked up for them was priceless. His enthusiasm grew throughout the week and by the end he was talking about plans to tell other men of the church how they can join him next year and share in the blessings.
This year we were privileged to host a large number of children from Guilford elementary school at Kids Camp. Thanks to the hard work of Barb Ruffner and her team, these special visitors were treated to a delicious lunch each day following camp. By day two this had turned into a banquet for the students, their parents, siblings and grandparents in some cases! Each family received a Bible as well as a personal invitation from Children & Family ministry Director Jason Goetz to return and visit Quest at our weekend services. Imagine our excitement when several of these families showed up Sunday morning.
Jesus said, “whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” At Kids Camp 2012 the body of Christ at Reston Bible Church welcomed the presence of Jesus in a big way!
Parent-Child Dedication Service
Last Sunday, our church family was privileged to see eleven families publicly proclaim their desire to raise their kids for the glory of God at our Parent-Child Dedication, held during the 11am service.
At RBC, dedicating your child allows you to proclaim before our congregation your desire to raise your child(ren) for the glory of God. Dedications serve as a vessel for parents to express gratitude to God and to acknowledge their responsibility before Him in raising their children. Dedications are done during a weekend service and follow in the spirit of Hannah who offered her son Samuel completely for the Lord’s work (1 Samuel 1:27, 28).
For more information on Parent-Child Dedications at Reston Bible Church, click here.
Father-Daughter Dance Recap
In the spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of (sigh) baseball.
It’s true. But before spring hits, February 14th peeps around a wintery corner and we find an affectionate group meandering the Children’s Ministry halls for the 2nd annual Father / Daughter Dance. This is my personal favorite event of the year for our little ladies who come with hair curled, cheeks blushed and a curtsey-worthy gown for a night of fun and conversation with their fathers or special date (who also dress the part in a suit and tie). The evening starts off with fathers tokening their young ladies with corsages and a formal photo shoot. From there, it’s delightful chaos as they spend their evening walking through a couple hundred helium balloons while visiting crafts rooms, eating desert, and finally, dancing the night away!
Yes, it’s meant to be fun and enjoyable (and I think it’s safe to say, it is!), but there is something much deeper at work on this special night. Gavin Long, an RBC dad who attended with his lovely ladies, shares from his perspective:
“The worlds of a father and his young daughter can sometimes be vastly different. Dads are battling in the marketplace, while their daughters are concerned about who likes them at school. Dads are anticipating March Madness, while his daughter is dreaming of a new dress. The Valentine’s Dance creates a common experience to let those two worlds converge. Dads are not always the best when it comes to expressing their feelings, but events like the Valentine’s Dance provide fathers with an environment to connect with their daughters in an intentional and intimate way. Simple events like this go a long way in bridging the potential divide between the worlds of fathers and daughters, providing us, as fathers, with a powerful, but accessible way of communicating love to our little girls. It is that experience of fatherly love that dramatically shapes how our girls think about themselves, their families and God throughout their lives.”
Last year, we received numerous responses back from dads telling us that this night was a springboard for them to initiate a deeper relationship with their girls. Praise the Lord! This year, I was able to see some of the benefits before the night even ended. You’ve got to love overhearing a 2nd grade daughter asking her dad, “I have three things I really like about you. Can I say more than one?”