Gratitude is a choice

“Being grateful is a choice. It’s not a feeling dependent on our circumstances”  -Barbara  Rainey

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of stuffing turkeys and our faces this Thanksgiving. I can smell the turkey now…mmmm..mmmmm…. Or maybe you are the type  to just blow right past this neglected holiday like our fellow retail and radio station friends like to do. So before you join in singing your fa-la-la-las and get lost in the whirlwind of  wrapping paper and tree ornaments this holiday season,  I challenge you to take time out these next few weeks to spend time giving thanks and maybe spreading the gratitude (instead of the swine flu)  through our families

Click the link check out Barbara Rainey’s Family life article titled “Grumbling or gratitude..”   And check back next week on more encouragement for gratitude in your families.

http://www.familylife.com/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dnJHKLNnFoG&b=3781339&ct=4638443&from=hpflash1

Feel free to leave what you are thankful for as a comment.

Thanks for making this year’s Halloween Celebration a Success!!

Another successful evening of fun and free activities for the community. With what seemed to total nearly 2000 participants who came out to enjoy an evening of Free food, fun and candy.  Main street wants to thank those who made the Halloween celebration a success!

Special Thanks to Geoff Besecker!

Thanks to all those who participated in the chili cook 0ff

First place- Cindy Maren

Second Place- Robin Felty

Third Place- Carole Miller

Thanks to those who participated in the Trunk- or – Treat

1st place car-  Pumpkin Princess Tea Party- Thomas family

2nd place boat- Fish or Treat- The Trapp Family

3rd place car- Charlie Brown- The Hamilton Family.

Thanks to all the team leaders:  Connie Hervey, Emily Hamilton, Marvin Haigis, Holly Kuhl, Kim Maschinot, Paula Zechella, John Grooms, and Kenny Rath.

If you did not have the chance to make it out for our Fun and Free event this year make plans to see us next year!!

Free Community Halloweeen Celebration This Saturday!

 

Come out to Main Street Baptist Church this Saturday for the Free Community Halloween Celebration. Everyone can come and enjoy, free food (chili cook-off, BBQ pulled pork, and all the sides), music, games, bon fire, inflatable bounce houses, tethered hot air balloon rides,  trunk or treat, and prizes !!!  Hope to see you there!

 

Main Street is located:

11093 Alexandria Pike Alexandria, Ky

2 miles south of Campbell County Highschool on U.S. 27

Crazy Love

I am sure that all Main Streeters  recognize this title, maybe you were wondering when I would get on board and finally write something on the subject, or maybe you are thinking… how can anything better be said about Crazy love.  I surely can’t articulate as well as Pastor Bob on the subject. I have been bouncing around the book in my head for at least the last 12 weeks and I think I have something to say…

If you have not been to Main Street lately, you are missing out, Crazy love is a book by Francis Chan,truly a book worth investing your time in. We all know or have heard that God is love, but Fracis’ take on this crazy relentless all powerful love —- WOW , you should make a point to get here next  Sunday.  (www.seivechurch.org)

So what does all this Crazy love stuff have to do with the family ministry blog?  It’s pretty simple actually, and  it comes from last weeks staff meeting.  It’s great advice and I have taken a week to mull it over and it makes perfect sense.  We are all called to love. we have the greatest example, and we still seem to miss the point.

 It does not matter if you have a horrible day at work. If you completely blew a huge project, or if you lost your job. If you feel like you are not making a difference or If your employees are listening to a thing you suggest….

 It does not matter if your four kids have been complete terrors for the entire day, defying any type of rule you have set. Pushing your buttons and not eating their lunch, refusing to bathe.You probably feel like you have had an unsuccessful day. God gives you the opportunity for success each day. 

We measure our success by a clean house, well behaved children, promotions at work, money in the bank, the new clothes in the closet….

You have the chance to show love to someone each day, and if you could measure your successful day on the love you share with someone— the bagger at the store, the cashier taking your money, the bank teller, or the person tailgating you on the way home… your children, your husband, your wife, your parents…. have you shown that Crazy love to anyone? That’s what we really should use to measure our success.

Follow the link to this encouraging story about the power of a hug, that turned one young persons life around forever—Crazy love– What a success!!

http://relevantchildrensministry.blogspot.com/

The BIG picture

Most kids see that Bible as a book of magical stories that don’t have a whole lot to do with reality.  I am reminded of a bible adventure class that I taught this summer. Each week we would go on , through the books of the Bible, but before we went we had to go through a series of clues to try and guess what story we might be learing that evening.

I would start by saying, “What we are learning about comes from the Bible and it is part of history”  Then I would give clues,  This particular week we were teaching about not telling the truth and the story reference was Adam and Eve in the garden. When our first clue was lying, a few kids raised their hands made guesses,  I reminded them this was a true story of something that happened.

I got answers like Noah and the Ark…  Jonah and the Whale ( kids usually hit on the basic stories that they are told over and over again) Then one little girl shot her hand up in the air and began jumping up and down as if she were about to burst.

When I ask  her for her response she shouted  “She said it is a true story, It has to be  Pinocchio”!! 

Children believe in monsters under their beds, in wooden puppets that become real children, that their toys come alive when they are not in the room, but the bible…. that CAN”T be true….

Why is that? Children connect to the characters in the movies, they pretend to be them, then it becomes real to them. What if we  helped them imagine themselves as those people in the Bible, help them understand, see and feel the stories that they have been taught. Don’t  just read to them make it an adventure.

 

Make the Bible irresistable to your kids,  help them to see the big picture, that the Bible has more twists and turns than the Harry Potter series. Show them how the stories connect with one another, that these are real life and part of our history… Hey you might even learn something.

 

If you want more information on making the bible irresistable to your children follow the link:

http://www.childrensministry.com/article.asp?ID=2333

Halloween Celebration

Everyone is welcome to come out to this year’s Halloween Celebration at Main Street Baptist Church! We are located in Alexandria off of  U.S. 27 for more information on Main Street or for directions visit our website at www.sievechurch.org.  For questions about this event please contact Magen Niece at magenniece@sievechurch.org

This year Main Street plans to have another Halloween Celebration! It’s on Halloween Saturday October 31st from 7-9pm.  There are many ways the people of Main Street can get involved. If you missed the sign up for teams, it’s not too late!  We need donations of candy for the trunk or treat,  chili cook off participants and door prize donations! If you are interested in donating or would like to join a team please contact Magen Niece at magenniece@sievechurch.org

Already Gone: Feedback Anyone?

 

I know that a few of you here at Main Street have read or are currently reading this book. I decided to pick it up and read it a little while back. I would love to hear some feedback or to get a conversation going on this topic.

 

If you have not had the chance to read this book it is coauthored by Brit Beamer ( a highly respected market researcher) and Ken Ham (from Answers in Genesis the organization responsible for the Creation Museum). They set out on a mission to figure out why 20 somethings leave the church. So they served 20-29 year olds and what they found was shocking to them. 

They discovered that 40% leave by the end of middle or elementary school and another 40 +% leave by the end of high school. ( That’s 80+%) We are losing them BEFORE they go to college not BECAUSE they go to college…

 

Also they foun that those who attend sunday school are more likely to:

I don’t know about you, but I am not really a fan of “statistics” but though out this book, I was astonished, confused and even shocked, and  I don’t even have  my own children…  yet.  Parents check out this book, share what you think.

 

For additional information on this book click the link below:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/aroundtheworld/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/already-gone-front-cover.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/aroundtheworld/2009/05/19/a-shock-to-the-church/&usg=__ADz5plKaMHDIs1hwWXzdqitmbdI=&h=640&w=425&sz=65&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=YAOunFybjTgePM:&tbnh=137&tbnw=91&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dalready%2Bgone%2Bbook%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

Parenting in HD

As I was reading the relavant children’s ministry blog I subscribed to,  I came across this link to a service on Parenting in High Definition. The service is from Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach, Florida. Here Dale Hudson serves as the Director of Children’s ministry and is a good friend of our Elevate coordinator, Jan Martin.

The talk shares way to have clarity and effectiveness as a parent and in the spiritual formation of your children. A lot of great  information Check it out!!

 

http://vidego.multicastmedia.com/player.php?v=u99c4dps

Questions about the Swine Flu?

Got Flu?

Well it’s here.  H1N1 (better known as the swine flu).   The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) are doing every thing they can to help us prevent the spread of the disease.  For up to date information, go to the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov.  Click on diseases and and conditions, then H1N1.  Everything you need to know is on their site.  Click on the following to go directly to the page that describes how you can care for your loved ones with the flu at home, guidelines for cleaning, etc.   http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm

The staff here at Main Street are doing their part to help prevent the spread as well.  You will see boxes of Kleenex as well as hand sanitizer placed in several areas throughout the building.  Please be kind to one another, God understands illness, and will excuse you from church during your illness.  The best way to prevent the spread of any disease is PROPER HANDWASHING (washing your hands for at least 30 seconds with soap-about how long it takes to sing the ABC’s.   If you can’t get to wash your hands, use the alcohol based hand sanitizers.  Avoid touching your hands to your eyes, nose, and mouth, if possible.  You are considered not contagious when the fever is gone for at least 24 hours (without the use of fever medications).  If everyone does their part, the H1N1 doesn’t stand a chance to keep spreading.

Have and safe and illness free autumn and God Bless,

Holly Kuhl

**The information contained in this letter is for educational purposes only.  This does not substitute care from your physician.  .  For any concerns that you might have, please consult your physician.

The great outdoors: Are you children missing out?

Think about  your childhood? My parents are always telling me grand stories about the adventures they encountered outdoors. Long days spent exploring the world around them, experiencing first hand the mysteries of nature.

Although I spent more time in front of the television playing video games and watching tv than either of my parents did,  my sisters and I still went out and explored the world around us.  Something that I See as almost non existant in the life of my youngest brother, who is now 12. He has a bicycle, barely used, unexplored woods and creeks all around his home,but a lack of desire to explore those areas.   He would rather, even on the sunniest of days sit in front of a tv with a video game controller in his hand, exploring the un opened levels of his video games.

I found an article that was very interesting, it’s from the blog of Albert Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky, Where i have recently started taking classes. He says in his blog:

“ many children have almost no contact with nature. They play indoors, focusing on electronic screens that produce an artificial experience. They are surrounded by creature comforts and watched over by anxious parents who are afraid that violent criminals are lurking behind every green tree.”

 

to read his blog on this subject follow the link below:

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=4137