Friday, August 8, 2008

Why do Kids Love the GAC?


Leisa is on the Great Adventure Club Leadership Team. She is amazing in all she does - and the kids absolutely love her. It is obvious that her success is because the kids see Jesus in her! When asked what her secret was in being so accepted by intermediate school children, Leisa responded:
"Being silly is my secret to winning these kids over for Christ. They get lectured and talked down to all day long by teachers and staff so when we get there, it's time to let them speak and voice their concerns and just "let their hair down". Then we can give them Christ-centered feedback and guidance they may not get at school or at home!
With all the pressures these kids may have bearing down on them, we have to tell them and keep reminding them how much Jesus loves them!!!" ~~~ Leisa
Pray for Leisa and the other volunteers that will lead the after school Bible club this fall.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Fall Adventure Club Dates


Here is the schedule for this fall's Great Adventure Club


"SaFaRI Treasure"




Planning meeting for the volunteer leaders will be


Thursday, September 18th


3:30 PM


In the Indian Creek Intermediate School Cafeteria


The "SaFaRI" program will be explained


and some prep projects shared.


Pray, Prepare and Promote the newest Great Adventure Club!




The "SaFaRI" Treasure Adventure dates will weekly at:


3:15 PM

October 2nd,

October 9th,

October 16th,

(fall break - NO GAC on the 23rd)

October 30th,

November 6th,

and the exciting Closing Club Party Celebration is - November 13th,


MARK the dates on your calendars


and Please PRAY for God's Blessings

for every facet of

planning,

preparing

and executing

the "SaFaRI Treasure Adventure"

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

The GAC LOGO



We introduced the "Great Adventure Club (GAC) logo 2 years ago. So far, God has provided funds each semester for our "adventurers" to receive a shirt with the theme we are using. The front of their shirt has our featured theme logo as a large imprint. On the back is a small GAC logo along with our chosen Scripture boldly printed.


Our clubs themes and verses thus far have been:
  • Faith Race - Hebrews 12:1-2,
  • FBI (Faithful Bible Investigators) - John 1:1,
  • C.H.A.M.P. Camp (Christ Has A Mighty Plan) - Jeremiah 29:11-14,
  • and Expedition 16:15 - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Praying for Shirts

We are hoping to have T-shirts printed this fall for all of our adult leaders with our GAC logo shining on the front - and a Scripture message on the back - trying to decide which Scripture to use before ordering them. Any suggestions would be appreciated.


Saints that have heard about our club, and believe in what we are doing, have blessed our effort with monitory donations. The shirts are a ministry within the ministry!

The kids and adults wear God's Word in a lot of places; home, school, church, while playing, sporting events, restaurants, and while their family vacations and shopping. God promises that HIS Word will not return void. (Isaiah 55:11). Who can look at a T-shirt and NOT read it? The shirts may possibly be the only Bible scripture some folks will read on any given day.

The exciting thing is that the kids that we have ministered to have been sharing the Word of God through t-shirts for 6 years!

We average about 20 leader volunteers and 80 - 90 kids in each club - in 2 clubs a school year. 6 years x 2 clubs a year = 12 club themed shirts x at least 100 shirts a club = over 1200 opportunities to share God's Word with the world! AND - those shirts are passed on to siblings, sold in garage sales, or passed on to local ministries to pass on to people needing clothes. One shirt with Scripture has quite a life of witness! All God needs is a willing person to wear it!

A special THANK YOU BLESSING goes out to those that have invested in the mission to kid's in our local public school!

Monday, August 4, 2008

Great Adventure Club Plans

School starts soon!

PRAY for the Leadership Team of GAC (Great Adventure Club) as the plans for our next after school Bible club are finalizing. We will start promoting the club in the school in September and begin receiving permission slips from parents and guardians around the middle of the month. It seems like every year there is more competition for kids to participate in other after school activities other than GAC. We are working with 3rd - 5th graders - so bringing the new students in is a challenge as well as keeping the interest of the 5th graders. They really grow up fast in the 3 years they are in intermediate school. It is our prayer to have the opportunity to reach all the students with the Truth of God's Word. It is truly a privilege - "For Such A Time As This" - that God has allowed us to be in public school in our community!

This year's theme will be "The SaFaRI Treasure". SaFaRI is an acrostic for Savior and Friend and Redeemer Immortal. The "Treasure" is eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven given to all that recieve Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Our prayer is to clearly teach each of those Truths to the kids during our 6 club meetings this fall.

PRAY for our Leaders, Guides, and "Adventurers" as we embark on this "SaFaRI" together.

PRAY the children discover Jesus as their personal Savior, Friend, and Redeemer through this Great Adventure; that we guide them in discover these Truths in the Bible for themselves; that they will better understand and internalize the Truths through the object lessons; that they hide the Truths in their hearts through memorizing Scriptures; and that we, the Leaders and Guides, show them the love of Jesus through our interaction with them.

PRAY the lessons we write and present will be blessed by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the goal of honoring and glorifying God and bringing children into the Kingdom of God.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Why Great Adventure address?


The Great Adventure Address may be a bit confusing as it opens my blog to the title "For Such A Time As This". Let me explain.


"For Such A Time As This" is the name of a community ministry I have been a part of for 5 years. Within that outreach ministry - one of the things we do is minister to children in the local public school with and after school program, teaching Bible Truths in a Good News Club through Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). After 2 years of using CEF materials, we decided to become an independent club for our intermediate school, developing our own program and lessons. We now have introduced approximately 80 children a semester to Jesus with 4 different and exciting themes to draw the children to come to our "Great Adventure Club". They are learning Bible Truths, about a personal relationship with Jesus, and the salvation HE offers to all that believe. It is a Great Adventure as we help equip the kids to handle the Bible, hide God's Word in their hearts, and that 'Every Word In The Bible Is....ABSOLUTELY TRUE! We have an acrostic for that catch phrase --- E.W.I.T.B.I.A.T. It has, not only caught on with the kids in the club, but also kids throughout the school, as well as teachers and other adults in the community. Anywhere we see kids from our club - we simply say, "Every Word In The Bible Is....." and the response comes back (sometimes quite loudly) "Absolutely TRUE!"


That statement is the basis of why we do what we do for Jesus with the kids. In a world that tells them there are no absolute truths - we share the one place they can trust to find that TRUTH every heart seeks. TRUTH is a man - the GOD/MAN, JESUS. We desire, when they hear that non-sense of "there is no absolute truth" - they will be prompted to remember that no matter what the world says, there is Truth - and that Truth is GOD - and the Bible will equip them with the Truth their life needs.


Above is a photo of the "Great Adventure Club" taken in March of 2008. Our theme was "Expedition 16:15". Each child was equipped to understand what a missionary does, the message they take, and to be a missionary - to share the gospel of Christ - starting in their world - where they live and play.