A kid story

Here's a story from this past Sunday in The ReignForest.

A little girl comes in with her mom for the first time. She is not happy, she doesn't want to be here (unusual for us to hear that). She crosses her arms stomps her feet, puts out her lip and says, while crying, I want to go back to my old church. Her mom tries to calm her but she can't. The little girl takes her name tag off crumples it and throws it to the ground. I gently encourage the mom and daughter out of the hallway and into an empty room. She continues her verbal outrage at being at this church. Within a minute I encourage mom that she will be alright and to go ahead and go. Mom, very wisely, quickly exits the room. The little girl is now crying loudly and stomping and verbally telling me "I want my mom and I want her now!!!" After quite a few questions about playing with this toy or the sandbox I ask her if she attends preschool. She says she does. She attends "StrLt". Really, I tell her, that is where my granddaughter goes. Her eyes get big and she says that "She's my friend." Really I say, well you know she just came in 5 minutes ago and is in Canopy right now. Would you like to go sit with her?" No! she says. Ok, well maybe you would like to go peek at her through the window. She's alright with that and she sees my grand-daughter but still does not want to go in. I tell her that's ok we can wait out here for her. In just a few minutes my grand-daughter comes out holding the rope with her little table friends. The little girl beside me says "Hello T...." My grand-daughter just looks at her like Who are you? Great I think to myself...this might not work. We follow my grand-daughter to her room and I ask the little girl, "would you like to wear your name badge so they will know who you are?" She takes it from my hand and sticks it on her dress, walks in and sits down at the table beside my grand-daughter. I know there was Angels singing "Alleluia" at that moment. Somedays there are situations where even the angels must hold their breath wondering who is stronger, the grown-up or the child.

Continuing Story of Cassidy

A few months back I shared a story about sharing Jesus Christ with others ... so easy a 2 year old can do it. Here is the continuing story of what has happened to that woman in Wal-Mart as told by her mom.

"Cassidy’s WalMart woman came to see me in The ReignForest. She wanted to introduce me to her baby girl. She named her Grace Marie. Grace for God’s grace and Marie just because it came to her in the hospital. When I told her that Cassidy’s middle name was Marie, we both cried!
This woman has reconnected with her parents. She is moving right across the street from them and her Mom will help take care of Grace. Her job at WalMart transferred. She will be going to the church her parents attend—NorthPointe (this church is in Alpharetta, Ga. and a positive influence in our church model).
We hugged and she asked me if she could pray with me. She did the praying! (She thanked God for NewPointe, our ReignForest, Cassidy and good timing.)
I still do not know her name."

Cassidy is a 2 year old daughter of the Zone Co-ordinator in The ReignForest at NPCC.

The rewards of serving: Peace and Joy

I'm in a position at church where people want to volunteer to do something in The ReignForest and I get to help them get engaged. Sometimes it's holding babies. Recently I sat down in Origins Cafe' and introduced myself to Penny M. Her husband was busy tearing down (taking down chairs) in the auditorium. I found out after talking with her that they had been coming to NPCC for about a year. I asked her if she was ready to do something like hold babies. She said "Yes, I'm ready to start. I'd think I'd like doing that." I can't possibly express how much this encouraged me. She's serving in the Grasshopper room and has attached herself to one of the little ones who is very precious, a little guy waiting for a heart transplant. Can you believe it ! I believe that she is there at the right place and the right time. This little guy needed someone who wouldn't be afraid to care for him while mom and dad are hearing the message. That's cool, but there's more.

I was so excited that day to have taken the time to meet Penny and her husband and then talking with Penny later I asked her if she was in a Small Group. She said No, that they had not joined one yet. So I invited her to join one that we were joining. Well six weeks later, her and her husband Jerry are now in Small Group with us and they are so cool !! Jerry is just overflowing with the freshness of falling in love with Jesus, he's a new believer and Penny is excited that she has renewed her commitment to Christ. There's something about fresh commitments that makes me re-evaluate whether my Love is FIRST and FOREMOST to God.

I have another story to share with you...normally I like to keep things shorter, but this is really good. I hope you'll read on.

Many people don't realize that The ReignForest is setup in 3 different zones; a nursery zone: ages birth - 24 months, The Reign Zone: two year olds (25 months - 35 months) The Preschool Zone are those children who are 36 months (potty trained) and ready to be promoted the first Sunday in September of the current year. The various stages of preschool children can be lots of fun to engage children in activities. It can be challenging also. Two principles we implement is: we teach them what is relevant to their age and we teach "with the end" in mind.

Here's a story from a mom who is seeing the benefits of The ReignForest:

"Walking to our car after church on Sunday, Cassidy says “You made the world and everything in it! Sam 89:11!!” The smile on her face was just beyond words. I am so excited and blessed that my 2 ½ year old already knows a BIBLE VERSE!! Cassidy sees a tree, “God made trees”. She sees a cloud, “God made clouds”. Whatever is happening in Monkeys and Canopy is working and my child is learning and growing and feeling good about it! A happy 2 year old makes for a happy Mommy!"

Thank you Tammy for sharing this story. You have encouraged me and others.

Come serve in The ReignForest, learn memorization and application...it's so easy a 2-1/2 year old can do it.

Romans 5
Peace and Joy 1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Amazing...answered prayer

There are times I wonder how will all the things that need to be done by the week-end get done? There have been times I can barely pray about the needs before me, so I end up groaning prayers in my spirit. It's times like these that I'm glad the Holy Spirit makes intercession for me. The many little details to make The ReignForest (TRF) function properly on the week-end often goes unnoticed by many. But to make it a place where preschoolers can really connect with their Small Group Leaders and Coaches is hot on my list of success. It's not just that I want to win with the children but I want to win with families. It's also important to me that volunteers feel that what they are doing each week is significant in the lives of the families they serve. But that's not all, my newest "buzz" is all of the 5th & 6th graders getting involved in the North Canopy (theatre) and the teens that will soon begin playing live music there for the little ones. What is going on in TRF? Well, something is taking place...it's really cool, I think God is walking through our halls, checking in on the rooms, liking what He sees and He's finding He is being worshipped by preschoolers in a very genuine and enthusiastic way. This is way cool-it's the way in which innocent children do. I'm liking this worship time too. It's contagious, infectious an "I-wanna-be-like-them" purest worship time. I sometimes wonder how God's going to use these preschoolers... who are way cool future dudes and dudettes.
Well, all of this to finally say this, that today was a day of answered prayer with volunteers providing future support for many of the things that are needing to get done in TRF. I am so blessed with wonderful people who will come in through the week to help make a difference in our environment.
It's somewhat like the "chicken and the egg" question; "Which came first?". What made the change first - the preschoolers or the volunteers ? Ask some of the volunteers that serve in TRF, they will tell you that they receive more from the kids than they give. Funny thing, I've been saying that for five or six years now--who's counting. The week-end people who serve are awesome too. God's good...real good.