On Sept. 11 from noon to 6pm at Mission Bay Park there will be loads of activities for kids, including face painting, carnival games, crafts, and inflatable jumps. There will be a special guest appearance from Veggie Tales Bob and Larry and a clear Gospel presentation by ventriloquist Mark Thompson and a call for response at 1, 2:45 and 4:30pm. This is a great opporuntiy for your family and to reach out and invite other families. Volunteers are needed for the Family Fun Zone and to be counselors to talk to kids that respond to the Gospel message. KIDSWORLD will be participating and training counselors so contact Derek if you are interested in volunteering. You can also visit www.festivalfriend.com for online training.

We are looking for some people with passions in these areas: Boy small group leaders for Sunday mornings, DVD based worship leaders who sing with, play with, and do handmotions along with the DVD, Jamul Sonshine Club Director, and Wednesday night preschool leaders. If you are interested please contact derek@jamul.org or be praying that these positions to be filled by the right people.

On August 22nd all kids entering first to sixth grade will be promoted to their new grade and new class for those it applies to. Sixth grade kids will now be part of Thrive Middle School on Sunday mornings instead of apart of The Galaxy. From now on The Galaxy will be our fourth and fifth grade class. The Galaxy will also now be covering the same Bible truths as the first to third grade students instead of using a different curriculum as in the past with the fifth and sixth grade class.

So here is how the new structure will work. First to Third kids will get their name tag, check in and go to The Island for Power Up relationship building while the fourth and fifth grade students will check in without a name tag and go to The Galaxy for Power Up. Then all first to fifth grade kids will join in The Island for Plug In time where we engage the heart. Our third and final segment will be Catch On small groups where kids will make connections to the Bible truth and their lives. There will be four small groups: first to third girls, first to third boys, fourth to fifth girls, and fourth to fifth boys. First to Third grade kids will be checked out at the designated table to the person with the matching tag and fourth to fifth grade kids will be checked out at their classroom by their parent.

83% of parents believe they’re the most responsible for their child’s spiritual development; only 35% say their faith is one of the most important influences on their parenting. (LifeWay Research, Taken from Children’s Ministry Magazine)

In 2010, these names are most popular: Aidan, Noah, Caden, and Ethan for boys. And Isabella, Ava, and Emma for girls. New baby trends also include unisex names, alliterative sibling names, and even traditional baby names, according to babyhold.com. (Taken from Children’s Ministry Magazine)

A U.S. Census Report in 2008 revealed that, “minorities, now roughly one-third of the U.S. population, are expected to become the majority in 2042… By 2023, minorities will comprise more than half of all children.” Americans will continue to see more and more diversity so we as individuals, families and churches will have to continue to work hard at building our unity together in Christ amongst those characteristics that make us unique.

Probably a lot! Probably more than you actually desire or ever thought you would be doing. The truth is that many people have a hard time doing a little or moderate amount of activities in their life. We are constantly adding or pursued to add more things into our lives but rarely is it easy to subtract. So how can you and your family know what it should do and what it should avoid doing? I think each family must operate like any successful organization, in the sense that it has a clear purpose, with well defined core values. Without a purpose a person, family, or organizing will wander aimlessly. When you take time to figure out your family’s purpose it will keep you from doing things that will lead you away from that goal. It is also crucial to determine a few core values that will define what your family will or will not be like while on your purposeful journey of life on earth. There are many good, even great things your family should not be doing or start doing. We know the bad things we should avoid and how to avoid them but what about those good, fun, meaningful opportunities? This can be difficult but it becomes easier when we clearly know our purpose and core values. Need help figuring those out for your family? Let me know and we can talk about it over lunch or coffee.

I have been checking out the new family resource called “Cue Box” that  is coming in September. Cue Box is going to be the most useful family spiritual resource yet!

This summer, bring your kids to SonQuest Rainforest VBS—an experience of discovery they’ll never forget! Based on five key Bible verses that will change a child’s life—including John 3:16—SonQuest Rainforest VBS transports young minds into a vivid rainforest environment of jungle sounds, sights and smells, where they’ll dig into the Bible and meet Jesus in every day’s story.    Registration Form