Family

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 24, 2016 By tiffanyfrancis

I love Thanksgiving. I love getting together with family and eating more mashed potatoes than I should. We have a tradition of going around the table after eating dinner and saying one thing that we have been thankful for in the past year. Some years it is so easy to talk about how the Lord has blessed us, but other years it is a little more difficult to be thankful. Yet, there has never been a time when someone was silent when the topic of giving thanks was discussed. Even in the challenging days there is always, always something to be thankful for.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 107:1

Even when it is difficult to see the Lord’s work in our lives, we can be confident of His presence. The Lord is teaching me a lot about perseverance in this season in my life. This holiday season take some time and look for the glimpses of God’s presence, even in the hustle and bustle. Know that the Lord has you in the exact place that you are needed and be thankful that He guides every step that you make.

Here at CentriKid we are so very thankful for the churches, leaders, and kids that we are able to serve year after year. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and that God blesses this sacred time of faith, family, and friends. If we were all at my family’s dinner table, what would you be thankful for this year?

The Role of Kids Ministers in Spiritual Formation

September 28, 2015 By jeremyechols

There are so many roles parents pay “specialists” to fill outside the home. Things like music lessons, sports training, and after-school tutoring – but there is also a tendency for this mindset to apply to spiritual growth and discipleship too. Many kids ministry leaders that I’ve spoken to this past summer have expressed how they feel the expectation to handle the spiritual formation of kids while they are at church.

The role of kids ministers in spiritual formation at the church is important, but discipleship happens best when parents lead spiritually.

Parents need to hear this … yes. But kids ministry leaders cannot just sit back, fold their arms, and bemoan the fact that parents aren’t getting the memo. Church leaders have to understand and identify their function in spiritual formation of kids under their care.

3 Roles of Kids Ministers in Spiritual Formation

stand-in — You must sometimes stand in the gap to fill that role for kids with no home support. In every community there are broken families and unreached families. The way to reach these families may be through your role of spiritual investment in the kids, who will go home and talk with mom & dad about what they are learning.
cheerleader — There are families who may be under your care who excel at discipling their kids. Find every opportunity to encourage them for choosing to talk about the things of God with their children, and you may even see ways to partner them with other young parents who are hungry to grow in spiritual leadership with their kids. These families deserve your encouragement and affirmation, but you can still be available to them as a resource for conversations they are having with their children.
catalyst — Most often, I believe you’ll encounter families with a general idea that they should be doing something at home, but lack the vision, drive, or discipline to do it. These families are in danger, and they need your influence to help spur them towards spiritual growth. They are at risk of raising “cultural christians” instead of disciples. Don’t get discouraged – they won’t always “get it.” But seek out new ways to encourage and challenge them to lead their kids with an investment of their hearts, their words, and their time at home.

The role of kids ministers in spiritual formation cannot be overstated … you have been called by the Lord to shepherd families in your community. Know that shepherding different ones will look differently -but all of these families can benefit from your time and investment.

Taking Camp Lessons to School

August 21, 2015 By isaackierstead

The new school year has started and you are already taking your kids 100 different directions making it hard to remember the lessons that they learned this summer. How can you help your kids remember to be a disciple of Christ when they can’t even remember their lunch? I have been hugely blessed to grow up in a Christian home, so here are a few ways that my parents reminded me and my sisters how to be disciples of Christ. Try applying some of these to your family’s life as you grow in your faith.

1. A Disciple Encounters God Through His Word
My 8th grade sister’s favorite part of the day is lunch because she gets to talk to her friends and also see if mom packed her any surprises! At camp, we learned that a disciple encounters God through His word and that we are supposed to ingest it like food. Every once in a while slip a surprise snack into the lunch bag and write on a simple verse and note on a napkin that your child can read and be encouraged. On the ride home, talk to your child about how they used that verse during the day or how they were able to share it. Make this into a fun game and you will be surprised how fast your kids look forward to getting a Bible verse in their lunch box.

2. A Disciple Embraces God Through Prayer
Getting to school can sometimes be a hectic production of grabbing homework, packing lunches, and being sure all the kids are in the car. Once you are in the car, take time to say a prayer before dropping them off. The peace that comes from praying before you open the doors and start another crazy day will create a firm foundation for your kids. I still remember my dad praying for my oldest sister and I before we jumped out of the car for school and knowing that God was there with me no matter what happened that day.

3. A Disciple Engages with God Through Giving
As the kids go back to school, be sure that you are staying plugged into your church. We talked about how a disciple can give both their time and talents to Christ. Show your child that Christ is a priority in your life by being at church. You are the example that your kids will follow and when they see you giving your time to God, they will follow.

4. A Disciple Engages with God Through a Christian Community
Friends are a huge part of school and your children’s lives! Be intentional with those friends and their families. The friends your kids have will shape them and it is important that you invest in their friends.Creating a community of families that would hang out together has been a huge part of my walk with Christ. Having that group of Christian men that I could look up to and the support of so many people has encouraged me to grow as a disciple of Christ.

Parents, you are the number one example that your kids will be following. Starting school can be just as daunting a task for you as it is for them. Be sure to take some time to invest in your kids and their spiritual growth as you both grow as disciples of Christ.

Count Your Blessings

December 18, 2013 By henrydutton

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Count Your Blessings.” Bing Crosby made this song famous by singing it on White Christmas, and I particularly enjoy the version by the Ray Conniff Singers. I grew up listening to this song around Christmas, and there were even times when my mom or dad would sing this song to help me fall asleep. A few of the lyrics are below:

And when we’re worried and we can’t sleep
We’ll count our blessings instead of sheep
And we’ll fall asleep counting our blessings

And when our bank hold is getting small
We’ll think about the time when we had none at all
And we’ll fall asleep counting our blessings

As the song continues, the singers reflect on many of the true blessings in their lives such as family and friends.

This song is a special reminder for me to keep my focus on the important things in life. It also always makes me think about Matthew 6. Jesus teaches that we should not worry about what we will eat, drink, or wear; instead we should focus on the Kingdom of God: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:33-34, HCSB). Our focus should not be on Earthly things but on things that truly matter.

This Christmas, if you find yourself overwhelmed by the busyness and hectic nature of the season, take a moment to reflect on the blessings in your life. Last year I wrote about some of the true blessings in my life. Check out that post here. Comment below to share some of the true blessings in your life, too.

Happy Thanksgiving from CentriKid Camps

November 27, 2013 By centrikid

Happy Thanksgiving! Tomorrow is a special time to reflect on the many blessings that God has graciously given. We hope that you enjoy some quality time with family and friends, and we hope you enjoy a couple platefuls of turkey, too.

Over the past few days, we’ve asked many of you to create a hand turkey and tell us all about the things for which you are thankful. Check out some of our favorites below.

As you can see, we have a lot to be thankful for this year. We truly hope that this Thanksgiving is the best yet, and we pray that God will continue to pour out blessings on you as you continue to seek to become more like the image of his Son.

Before you start cooking the turkey, we’d love for you to check out one last hand turkey. We received this amazing video hand turkey from one of our staffers. Be sure to check out this super fun video from Isaac below.