wayzata free kids ministry

2011-07-21T12:24:00.000-05:00

History Camp | August 9 - 12 | 9:30 am - 11:30 am | $10 | grades 3 - 5 (completed)

BRAND NEW summer camp for kids! Ollie Skurdahl, one of our gifted 4th-5th grade teachers has built some amazing props, sets, and structures for his class on Sunday mornings. He has also done a dozen or so History Camps involving various time periods and historical figures. This year Wayzata Free will be offering The Amazing Life of Abraham Lincoln: Biblical Applications from Lincoln’s Life. This camp includes hands-on projects, reenactment of key moments in Lincoln’s life, awesome biblical applications, and a fun field trip on the last day. This camp is open to a limited number of kids, so sign up soon!

2011-06-20T14:45:00.000-05:00

Preschool Vacation Bible School

July 11-15 | 9:00 - 11:00 am | $20 | children who completed 2's-5's classes

Preschoolers join on a Big Apple Adventure as we explore God's word and have fun doing it. We're sure to have a blast, as we sing, create, learn, play and who could forget snack ;) Don't forget to mark your calendar for our family lunch event on Friday after VBS. Be sure to register by June 20 to ensure your t-shirt order. Register online at www.wayzatafree.org/#/web-resources/online-registration Registration closes July 5. If you have questions, contact Lindsey Dahlin @ lindsey.dahlin@wayzatafree.org.

2011-05-17T15:38:00.005-05:00

Vacation Bible Camp June 13-17

9:00am-1:00pm Cost $30

This isn’t your grandmother’s VBS. Join us for our second year of Vacation Bible Camp, where we will JUMP into the middle of Paul’s journeys and watch the story of his radical faith unfold! From the moment his faith was sparked by the light on the road to Damascus to shipwrecks, jailbreaks, and courtroom drama—you’ll have a front row seat to Paul’s story of faith!

Some of the activities include: scavenger hunts, a giant slip n’ slide, archery, tie-dye, awesome music, lunch with friends, camp crafts, quiz show and more! Mix this in with an awesome staff of adults and youth from Wayzata Free and you have an amazing week you won’t want to miss out on!

You can register at www.wayzatafree.org/#/web-resources/online-registration. Credit card payment is required. You can access the “online registration” by visiting the “web resources” page. If you have any questions, contact Sara Galligan at sara.galligan@wayzatafree.org.

March storms hopefully bring April showers

2011-03-23T14:37:00.003-05:00

Due to the weather conditions Adventure Club, Adventure Land, youth electives and choir are cancelled for tonight, March 23. Please stay safe!

Whip out those calendars, it's time to save some dates!

2011-03-15T15:20:00.007-05:00

Here are a couple things you may want to note that are just around the corner…

MOCHA, a support group for mothers of children with hindered abilities, meets every 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm in C103. This week the speaker will be sharing about the nutritional link to asthma, attention deficit disorder, autism and 90% of the health problems kids face today and the vital role proteins, real fats and carbohydrates play in giving your kids the foundation for lifelong health.

Sunday, May 1, kids who are in 1^st-8^th grade will have the opportunity to sing with the worship team in a special performance. If your child is interested and you would like more information about practices, please reply to this email.

Mark your calendars!!! VBC (elementary VBS) will be June 13-17 from 9am to 1pm. It’s open to kids who have completed K-5^th grade. Online registration will open in April. More details to come!

BRAND NEW summer camp for kids! If you’ve never heard me talk about History Camp, I hope I can convey my excitement through email! It’s one of the best camps I’ve ever been involved in and this will be the first year we do it here at Wayzata Free! My good friend, Ollie Skurdahl…you may have heard of him…he’s been teaching the 4^th-5^th grade Grapple class and has built some amazing props, sets, and structures on Sunday Mornings…anyway, he LOVES history and is a very gifted teacher! He has done a dozen or so History Camps involving various time periods and historical figures. This year will be The Amazing Life of Abraham Lincoln: Biblical Applications from Lincoln’s Life. This camp includes hands-on projects, reenactment of key moments in Lincoln’s life, awesome biblical applications, and a fun field trip on the last day. Save the dates! It will run Monday, August 9 through Thursday, August 12, only costs $10 and is open to 3^rd-5^th grade. More details to come!

More information about online registration and costs will be coming in April! Email me at sara.galligan@wayzatafree.org with questions!

legacy bible ceremony

2011-02-04T12:59:00.004-06:00

This winter, families of 2nd graders have the opportunity to take part in a very special Wayzata Free tradition! The Legacy Bible Project is designed to preserve for future generations a rich and unique gift of faith, wisdom, and personal stories. Instead of our church gifting Bibles directly to the kids, we've created a project where we gift the Bibles to the parents first. Parents will take the Bible and record their faith journey, including thoughts, hopes, dreams and insights and then present this Bible as a beautiful and durable gift that will be read, reread and cherished for years to come!

Many of our families are moved in a special way through this project and the ceremony. Check out one parent's experience...

The Legacy Bible Project presented us with a purposeful way to pass the baton of our spiritual heritage to our daughter, Lauren. It also provided an opportunity for us, as parents, to really contemplate what it is that we have learned over the years from God’s Word, and what portions of the Bible have been most meaningful in our individual faith journeys.

As we revisited our own Bibles, we realized they created a bit of a roadmap for where we had been in life. Verses were highlighted that had specific meaning for that period in our lives. Some of them reminded us of joyful times, and some of them reminded us of times when we might have been experiencing pain, challenges or difficulties. Regardless, it is the faithfulness of God through His Word that is what stands out in each instance.

It was also a wonderful opportunity to transfer some of the knowledge that we had learned over the years as students of God’s Word. It was interesting to read again the notes taken in the margins of our Bibles gathered over the years from Bible Study Fellowship, Community Bible Study, and neighborhood Bible studies. These are little jewels of knowledge from a wide variety of people thoughtfully and prayerfully studying the Bible. It was a joy to pass some of these “nuggets” of information on to the next generation believer.

Finally, it was fun to demonstrate to our daughter that the Bible is God’s love letter to her. She is a special gift in His eyes, and He loves her and has a special plan for her life. The presentation ceremony at the end of the project was especially meaningful for us as parents. We were able to sit down with our daughter, explain the Legacy Bible Project, and share with her some of the verses that we highlighted. It was a very special time of sharing and passing on a legacy. We believe it was also very meaningful for our daughter that we had taken the time to prepare this Bible especially for her.

We truly appreciated the Legacy Bible Project and thank Sara Galligan for initiating this important faith heritage transition opportunity at WEFC! We look forward to creating a second legacy Bible for our youngest daughter, Megan, and sharing God’s love letter with her.

The Legacy Bible Project begins this Sunday! If you are a parent of a 2nd grader, you can pick up a Bible and detailed information at the 10:45AM class this Sunday. The Legacy Bible Ceremony will be on Sunday, February 27 at 10:45AM in B115. A short reception with refreshments will be offered following the ceremony. All family, friends and Wayzata Free community are welcome to attend and pictures are encouraged!

Christmas Schedule

2010-12-21T14:10:00.002-06:00

Here is our Christmas Schedule for Kids Ministry...

Sunday, December 26 we will have one service at 10:00AM and NO Sunday School classes (only nurseries)
Sunday, January 2 we will have Family Services at 9AM and 10:45AM and NO Sunday School classes (only nurseries)

Have a WONDERFUL Christmas with family and friends! See you next year!

Winter Weather Announcement

2010-12-10T20:36:00.007-06:00

We've decided to delay our Dress Rehearsal until 10:30am to give everyone time to shovel out the driveway and make the trek from their house to church. Nativity and Drama kids should come at 10:30am and Choir kids come at 1:00pm. We will aim for the same ending time.

Thanks!

Sara & Cindy

family services at wayzata free

2010-11-01T13:44:00.003-05:00

Check out our article from this November's Encounter...

What is a family service?
A family service is a time when all ages meet together in the sanctuary to experience worship as a body. All ages are welcomed (infant and waddler nurseries will be provided).

How are family services different from other Sunday services?
Our team works really hard to have a little something for all ages. Child dedications are held on these Sundays (as well as on Mother's Day). There is often a kids' message, kids/youth involvement, a special kids bulletin and many other exciting service elements that we don't' want to spoil in this article ;)

How often does Wayzata Free have family services?
Family services are planned four times a year. The upcoming services are November 28, January 2, Palm Sunday and July 3.

Why are family services important?
Family services are vital in educating our younger generations about the value of a congregation and showing them what a service is like. We want our children to see their parents and grandparents worship and to have a positive experience in the sanctuary where they feel welcomed and valued.

What is the goal of a family service?
The purpose of a family service is be intentional about our goal to be a multigenerational church. Through it we seek to help everyone to take their next step in knowing and following Jesus.

Won't kids in the service be a distraction to worship?
Jesus said let the children come and this is how we feel about the potential distraction. While we strive to provide ample outlets for the energy of little ones we welcome any additional energy or squirming that may occur. Please keep in mind that worship can and should be just as meaningful to our little ones as to our oldest.

a new adventure begins

2010-08-04T14:25:00.009-05:00

Adventure Club is a Wednesday night program geared towards Kindergarten through 5th grade students. Games, drama, dynamic worship, biblical values, service projects, relationship building, prayer and much more! These are just some of the things your child will experience at Adventure Club.

Our program is based on Luke 2:52, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.” We want every kid to know and understand these three incredible important principles, taken right from Jesus’ life!

WISDOM: I need to make the wise choice
FAITH: I can trust God no matter what
FRIENDSHIP: I should treat others the way I want to be treated

Here are some things you will need to know to get started…

We meet from 6:30-8:00pm in the lower level of the church

Cost is $40 per child, $80 max per family. Any friends invited will get the first year free! You can go online to www.wayzatafree.org and register today!

As godly role models, parents of K-2nd grade kids are asked to attend with their children unless they are volunteering in another area of club.

Join us this year as our crazy cast of characters venture into the unknown and take on a space adventure. You won't want to miss it! MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!! We kick off Wednesday, September 15. If you have any questions, please contact our Adventure Club Director, Cindy Johnson or our Kids Pastor, Sara Galligan. We look forward to another great year of clubs!

Cindy Johnson
763.473.9463 ext.223
vagabondent@msn.com

Sara Galligan
763.473.9463 ext. 213
sara.galligan@wayzatafree.org

Looking back...

2010-07-21T18:07:00.012-05:00

As I'm getting ready for the annual meeting tonight, I realize how blessed I am to work at Wayzata Free. I love my job and I love the community that makes up our church. Praise God for how he has taken care of us and given us wisdom through this period of economic unrest. Thank you for supporting us financially and through your prayers! Enjoy some pics from this summer and join us in thanking God for the way he has blessed us this year!

Sara

Preschool VBS

2010-07-12T22:04:00.004-05:00

SADDLE RIDGE RANCH Our preschool VBS has begun and it's such a kick, your kids won't want to go home! It was fun to see how our preschoolers (and volunteers) embraced the cowboy theme...some kids came dressed in cowboy boots and hats! A number of our new families that came to VBC had siblings that came today, so it was fun to welcome them back. Some new and exciting features this year...BIBLE VERSE BRADY--our very own Kids Ministry celebrity shares each day's Bible verse in our opening ceremony; MOO-LAH MISSIONS PROJECT--our preschoolers will raise money to buy cows through World Vision; and an awesome WEENIE ROAST--Friday, everyone is invited to join us for a great meal right after VBS is over! We are taking some great pics and will share them on the blog soon!

See y'all tomorrow morning, bright and early!

Sara

A WEEK OF VBC

2010-06-30T13:59:00.002-05:00

"I want to experience what it feels like to be doing exactly what God wants me to do and to feel His presence throughout this experience." These were the words I wrote down going into the week of VBC.

Our team took great efforts to break from the traditional concept of VBS and be open to a new way of reaching kids for Christ. We prayed that God would help us to seek out leaders who had a willingness to be led by the Spirit, a heart for building relationships, and a joyfulness that was evident in their personality.

We prayed that the message would be clear and relevant to the lives of the kids who came. We aksed that God would protect us from falling into the trap of "filling holes" or getting caught up in the details or challenges that would arrive. And inevitably, we did face challenges, but what an amazing experience to be in the presence of God and feel His hand guiding us throughout the week.

He orchestrated something beautiful that we got to be a part of and for that, I will be forever grateful.

Sara

Sign up for Adventure Club

2009-08-12T11:42:00.007-05:00

Adventure Club begins Wednesday, September 16, for all kids kindergarten through 5th grade. This year we will be using the curriculum 252 Basics. It’s based on the verse from Luke 2:52, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” It teaches three incredibly important principles . . . taken right from Jesus’ life!

1 Wisdom…I need to make the wise choice
2 Faith…I can trust God no matter what
3 Friendship…I should treat others the way I want to be treated

Club meets Wednesday evenings during the school year, 6:30-8:00 P.M., in the church’s lower level. Registration cost is $40 per child with a family maximum of $80. Any friends invited will have their first year free! Partial and full scholarships are available.

In order to continue providing godly role models and ministering through families, parents of K-2 kids are asked to attend with their children unless they are volunteering in another area of club.

Registration forms are available in the church office or at the Kids Welcome Center in the lower level.

Questions? Please call the church office at 763.473.9463 or contact Cindy Johnson, Adventure Club Director, at cindy.johnson@wayzatafree.org.

Our first night of club on September 16 is Orientation Night. This is a mandatory night for all parents and children registering for Adventure Club. There are many new things that you will need to know if your child is participating in club this year.

Making an impact

2009-06-30T14:15:00.011-05:00

I would love for you to consider working with us during the week of our SportsLife Camp (August 10-13, MON-THURS 9am to Noon). SportsLife has a desire to work with our church to develop kid’s faith in Jesus through innovative sports and arts programs. This on-site camp is packed with creative programming and outrageous fun…and an added bonus for Miss Sara, they are very organized!!

Volunteers are an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT part of the camp experience. With this program, the volunteer is freed from the planning and prep and is encouraged to jump in with the kids and build relationships.

Here’s what we are looking for…

Volunteer “Coaches” will provide a strong, familiar presence for your assigned small group of campers.

Make connections with campers, dive in with them! Share yourself with campers. Consider leading a huddle time during a Main Event (sport or art choices)…not required!! Otherwise, it will be taken care of by the SportsLife team.

Arrive 30 minutes before camp to welcome kids and help check them in. 5-10 minutes before camp, attend the “Coaches’ Corner” where the SportsLife team will discuss the daily schedule, pray and answer any questions you may have about the day.

Attend a short training meeting the Sunday before camp.

If you have teenagers in your family or work with the youth group, we also encourage you to ask them to consider volunteering with you. This is a unique opportunity and a great way to not only encourage kids to be creative and healthy, but to develop their faith and witness to others! If interested, respond to this post or contact Sara at sara.galligan@wayzatafree.org

90 degrees and counting!

2009-05-25T21:41:00.003-05:00

The warm weather has been a great reminder that Camp Conquest VBS is almost here! If you haven't signed up for VBS yet, you still have time! I'm really excited to have the staff from Camp Victory come and work with our kids, but we would also like to have some familiar faces from Wayzata Free to welcome the kids to our church. If you could help us out by working at the registration table or welcoming families at the door, we would love to have you! We are also looking for some homes to host the camp staff during the week (Monday night through Friday morning). If you are interested in opening up your home and making some great people feel welcomed, please contact me at 763.473.9463.

Facebook, Twitter and more

2009-05-18T14:17:00.011-05:00

As most of you know, online social networking has become hugely popular. In the interest of moving forward, we want to offer up a few more avenues for you to connect with us and find out what is going on at Wayzata Free. As of right now, in addition to the church website and this blog, you can also connect with me (Sara Galligan) on Facebook and Twitter.

If you already have a Facebook account, you can join our group "Wayzata Free Kids Ministry" and get started right away! We've posted some new pictures from the derby night, so check it out!

Ask Questions, Share Thoughts

2009-03-12T15:17:00.003-05:00

Whether you're a parent, volunteer or a kid in our ministry we want to hear what you think! This is a great place to ask questions, offer up suggestions or just share what's on your mind!

Questions about summer programs (check out the information below)? Want to share what's been successful in your area of ministry? Have suggestions for ways we can support your family? Click on the "comment" link below and post!

Summer Stuff

2009-03-09T14:52:00.007-05:00

I know everyone says this, but I am amazed at how fast this school year is flying by! We have been blessed so many times in our ministry and we are so grateful for all that God has done. We are also excited for what is to come! Here are some of the cool things that are coming your way this summer...

JUNE 15-19
We're bringing camp to Wayzata Free! This summer Camp Victory and Wayzata Free will be partnering to offer our very first Camp Conquest Elementary VBS. This is a special week designed to give you all the things you love about camp and combine it with the Bible teaching, relationship building and excitement of VBS. Plus, we've extended our days (9:00am-4:00pm) to give your kids even more! Our fun loving counselors and staff will work with your children each day to help develop life skills, teach them from the Bible relevant lessons for their Christian life, and share with them a week they'll not soon forget. We believe this is a unique opportunity, one that we could not pass up!

This week is open to kids who have completed Kindergarten through 5th grade. The cost of this event is $69 per child, $200 max per family. Scholarships are available!!! Registration opens Sunday, April 5. Information will be available at the Kids Welcome Center and on our website.

July 13-17
We've decided to offer our preschool VBS as a separate program on a different week this summer. This will not only give our kids more space to move about, but a shorter day and curriculum that better fits the needs of preschoolers! Boomerang Express Preschool VBS will be offered to kids two through five years old and will run from 9:00am to 11:00am. Cost for this event is $20 per child. Registration will open Sunday, April 5 and will be available at the Kids Welcome Center.

August 10-13
We are also excited to offer a NEW kind of sports camp this year. SportsLife is an innovative sports AND arts camp that works with kids to develop their athletic and artistic passions and skills while teaching from the Bible and modeling Jesus' love. This camp is open to kids 1st through 5th grade and will run from 9:00am to Noon (Mon-Thurs). Cost for this camp is $60 per child (includes t-shirt and sports bottle) and $160 max per family. Registration will open Sunday, April 5 and will be available at the Kids Welcome Center.

JellyTelly, Tim Kimmel and much more!

2009-02-10T15:48:00.007-06:00

If you've never been to a kids ministry conference it's a great time of refreshment and it gives you a renewed sense of purpose! And then there's the added bonus...you get tons of free RESOURCES!!! So, of course what kind of Kid's Pastor would I be if I didn't share the resources and knowledge I gained at said conference.

Phil Vischer, creator of Veggie Tales, has come up with a new project called JellyTelly. This is a website that is made to bring the Bible to life to kids across the world. Every day they will post a video clip (similar to a youtube clip format) that creatively presents the truths of God's Word in a fun and interactive way. Mix in some silly characters and skits and you're good to go. It's also a safe place to play games and interact with the creators and characters of JellyTelly. Go check it out by going to www.jellytelly.com

Tim Kimmel is an author and speaker known for his series entitled Grace Based Parenting. We were fornutate enough to hear him speak at the conference and hear his revolutionary parenting philosophy that takes the stress out of parenting and puts the fun back in! Grace Based Parenting lays out a road map for parenting the way God parents us--with grace! Check out his website at www.GraceBasedParenting.com We would love to offer a parenting seminar or class using this curriculum. If interested, please comment on this post and let us know when would be the best time (day of the week, evening, etc.) and the best format (one day seminar, elective on Sunday, eight week class, etc.).

We have tons of resources that we picked up and we want to make them available to you! Take a look at the books and samples that will be available to check out at the Kids Welcome Center later this month!

Sara

"I'm a Christian Now"

2009-01-07T19:14:00.006-06:00

It is exciting when a child feels and accepts the invitation to follow Christ. Becoming a Christian is a decision that affects every decision. Given the importance of that decision, we would like to invite you and your child to be a part of a discipleship process that will complement what you are currently doing to assist your child in growing in Christ. This study is entitled "I'm a Christian Now." The process will include a book to use in your home along with this four week class for your child. You are your child's best teacher and we want to equip you to guide them on this journey to follow Christ.

Please take a few moments to consider enrolling your child in this class. It will require time during the week to follow up on each session, but it will be time well spent-time that will impact your child's life from this point on and to eternity.

Your child will receive a journal to work in each day during the week. This will be valuable time for you both. Also, you will want to commit to see that your child attends each of the four sessions except for illness or other crises. Each session will cover important information about what it means to be a Christian.

We will be eating dinner together (suggested cost $2) and meeting in B202 (the old blue room) from 5:15pm to 6:15pm on the following dates:

Wednesday, January 14
Wednesday, January 21
Wednesday, January 28
Wednesday, February 18

If interested or if you have questions, please contact Sara at 763-473-9463 ext 213 or email sara.galligan@wayzatafree.org

Adventure Club

2008-12-12T14:22:00.001-06:00

This section is a place for Adventure Club leaders to post questions, comments, or suggestions. If you are doing something creative in your small group or maybe you have discipline tips that have worked, take a moment to post a message and pass it on to the rest of our team! This is a great place to post questions about upcoming events or make an announcement to others. Just click on the "comments" link below and you're ready to go!

Christmas with Family and Friends

2008-11-19T19:04:00.000-06:00

I know it's a cliche to say that Christmas is my favorite time of year, but it's really true. I love that it begins in November with cutting down our Christmas tree and continues into December with caroling and cookie decorating. I love that we keep up a childhood tradition of coming home from the church service and having Tombstone pizza for dinner before opening presents on Christmas Eve. I love that for a moment in time we are all reminded of that day when Christ came down and lived amongst us.

In the spirit of spreading that joy of Christmas, we would like to invite you, your family, your neighbors and friends to come to a very special evening on Wednesday, December 17. Our church will be hosting a night filled with beautiful Christmas carols, story-telling, cookie-decorating, and activity stations where each family will make a gift that can be given away to someone who needs it.

The night will begin in our sanctuary at 6:30pm, activities will follow in the lobby and fellowship hall. This event is geared towards all "ages and stages" and we encourage everyone to invite friends and neighbors!