Thanks to Pastor Dave Van Kley for taping both of our programs and Matt Aggen for putting them both on ONE DVD! They are available outside The LOFT and Tiny Town to pick up. We request a $1 donation towards the cost of the DVDs. Enjoy the memories! 

Calvary's staff has been training and working through how to handle emergencies and other non-emergencies issues that could occur during a worship service or during the week when ministries are in session. Our emergency plan covers procedures on fire alarms, tornado warnings, severe weather and snow warnings, disruption of individual(s) to a service or program and the temporary closing of Calvary Church.

If a fire alarm is activated please exit the building and follow the instruction of staff. Please do not try to retrieve your child(ren) from a program or nursery. Our leaders will gather them, exit with them and await your arrival to dismiss them properly by ID tags. Tiny Town children will be evacuated through the gym west doors and taken to the back of the west parking lot.   Children upstairs in The LOFT area will evacuate out the south office doors and will be taken to the back of the west parking lot. You are free to join us in the evacuation process to assist BUT please do not leave with your child until you have officially checked them out with their teacher/leader. We want to make sure we have everyone accounted for first.    

In the event of a "lock-down," we will lock all classrooms and outside doors of Tiny Town and The LOFT. We WILL NOT release children to their parents until given authorization to do so.

We need some folks to care for us every other Friday morning for a few hours while our mommies attend the MOPS & More programs. To qualify, all you need is a comfortable lap and the ability to sit in a comfy rocking chair. Knowledge of lullabies and the knack for understanding cooing is helpful but not required. Interested? Please call Corinne Ufferman at 708-597-6857 or email cmu117@hotmail.com.

You may have missed the deadline for November's PNO, so make sure not to miss January's! Make sure to sign up your infants - 5th graders for Parents' Night Out! Cost is $5 per child for the night. Dinner (served at 6 p.m.) and snack (served at 8:30 p.m.) included.  

You must reserve your child's spot by calling the church office, emailing Tiffany at children@calvaryop.org, or signing up in the church lobby, no later than the Monday prior to PNO (Jan. 14th).  

Spots are limited, so sign up fast! 

The Worship Team, Youth Pastor, and KidsLife Ministries is praying over our families and seeking more relevant ways to worship as a church family and teach our youth the meaning of "big church" and how they can begin to serve their church family. For 2013, 4th Sunday Family Worship will be quarterly, NOT monthly. We will let you know of the dates and how your child will be involved and serving in these worship services.

Looking for more information as to why we value 4th Sunday Family Worship at Calvary? Check out our article here.

Cadets

The Cadets just had their annual "Bring a Friend Dodgeball Night" last month They had a huge turnout of 88 boys, 41 of those being visitors! Thanks to all those who invited their friends!

They started with a Bible lesson learning that God keeps ALL his promises and that Christmas reminds us of the promise that his son, Jesus, came to earth as a baby, died, rose again, and will one day return. Then they began the dodgeball games, and of course, ended with ice cream sundaes!  

The Cadets are also looking forward to the Pinewood Derby Race on March 2! They handed out blocks of wood and materials on the December 19 meeting. Missed it? Don't worry, more wood blocks will be available at the next meetings too.

GEMS

The girls are kicking off 2013 with a sleepover at Calvary THIS FRIDAY, January 3. A lot is planned for the night and hopefully at least a few hours of sleep will occur!    

They are also preparing for their big GEMS/Gents Night on Wednesday, February 13 where they will once again be having the Pinewood Derby race. Their blocks of wood and instructions will be sent home within the next week!

THE HANGOUT

Don't forget that on Wednesday nights we offer The Hangout from 6:30-8:30 p.m. This is a safe place for 2nd-8th graders to come together to "hang out" as well as grow together as Christians. This group works with the rotating schedule of GEMS and CADETS. When CADETS meet, bring the girls to The Hangout and vice-versa when the GEMS meet. Your child can be engaged in an activity at Calvary every week, not just twice a month!

Throughout the year the kids are digging into "Answers in Genesis," a great curriculum that helps the kids learn how to defend their faith and stand solidly on the Word of God.

January Dates:

9th - Boys Night

16th - Girls Night

23rd - Boys Night

30th - NO HANGOUT 

The Art of Marriage event is a video experience designed for church and community settings. It consists of six video sessions held on Friday and Saturday. These videos combine dramatic stories, real-life testimonies, expert interviews, humorous vignettes and other teaching methods to lay out God's design for marriage in a fresh, engaging way. Guests attending the event are each provided a manual with projects to help them apply the principles taught in each session, augmented by dozens of articles and additional content to help them dive deeper. For more information, visit the table in the lobby during the month of January or visit our website here.

Tiny Town News

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy New Year! Tiny Town would like to send out a sincere THANK YOU for journeying along through our transition! Within these last 5 months we have had a lot of changes, including our new curriculum "First Look" and having regular Sunday school teachers! Our children deserve the best and we are planning to give them the BEST! Please continue to pray for our staff, volunteers, teachers and helpers! We cannot do anything without God's presence and your prayers! May 2013 be a very happy new year!

Our Memory Verse for the month is: Continue praying, keeping alert, and always thanking God. -Colossians 4:2, NCV

Click here to view January's ParentCue card for Tiny Town! The bottom line we are teaching the kids this month is that "they can talk to Jesus." 

Questions about our Sunday mornings? Contact Luz Lopez, Weekend Coordinator, luzl@calvaryop.org. 

Little Lambs & Story Hour 

Wednesdays, 9:30-11:00 a.m.

The light's on - come on in! 

While moms attend Coffee Break Bible Study, Little Lambs (2-3 yrs.) & Story Hour (3-5 yrs.) children will experience exciting Bible stories, crafts, snacks and interactive play with others their age. Care for infants is also provided. 

Moppets  

Fridays, twice a month, 9-11:30 a.m.  

Are you a mom with little ones? Then join MOPS and More and bring your kids to Moppets! Actually, no matter what stage of mommyhood you're in, from newly pregnant to kids in high school, there are moms who have been there and can help you with the most pressing issues you face at MOPS & More. We hear from nationally known authors, speakers and experts on discipline, parenting, love, cooking and many other life issues that affect moms. We also have a lot of fun making sure to take care of you-time with plenty of social time, yummy snacks and creative activities. Come and meet new friends, and have a break. You deserve it!

For more information, please contact Corinne Ufferman at corinneu@calvaryop.org.  

January in The Loft 

Our virtue this month is "Determination: deciding it's worth it to finish what you've started." Jesus says, "In this world you will have trouble." That's not very comforting is it? Jesus - the One who know everything - promises us that life is going to be difficult. We will face sickness, temptations, failures and rejection. We will have trouble that we won't see coming. And we will have trouble that we can't understand.

Even Jesus had trouble. He withstood so much to demonstrate to us determination. Paul says that Jesus showed determination by being obedient to death - even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:8)

We can have determination because we know that God is with us. We are able to trust Him and know that He will give us the strength we need. He knows the path marked out for us. Therefore, learn this memory verse with your kids.

KIDS: 

Don't forget your Bible. We use it a lot in The LOFT!!

Speaking of the Bible, what is the BEST BOOK EVER that contains 66 books that we are challenging your child to memorize? Like the song goes, THE B.I.B.L.E, yes that's the book for me!

These past few months we started laying it all out there and seeing how many books of the Bible your child knows! We're hoping you are listening to "Everything Fades" on the music CD we sent home!    

- 5's-1st graders are being challenged to know 5 at a time

- 2nd-3rd graders, 10 in a row

- 4th-5th graders, 20 books at a time!

When they accept the challenge and find a teacher to list off the books to, they get to mark it under their name on our "Books of the Bible" board.    

Won't they be proud when they accomplish this awesome feat! Challenge them in the car or at home! They can even challenge you to learn it as well! =)

Get Your Weekly / Monthly Devotionals Here!  

We at The Loft strongly believe that parents are the strongest teachers of God. We're committed to give you parents tools to help you succeed in teaching your children about Christ! Here are January's GodTime Devotionals. You can also download January's Parent Add-Visor card. You can download them and print them at home! 

Offering Update  

Abel

Dipali

We continually teach the kids what compassion is all about. To help them carry out compassion towards others, we challenge them to bring in their offering to go to our Compassion International children. To remind them, we have begun monthly voting ballots. When they bring in their change, they can put it the stoplight of their personal vote.  

JANUARY OFFERING CHALLENGE:

(Drum roll please!)

Crazy Hats VERSUS Crazy Socks   

Which will win the vote? On the 1st Sunday of February, the children will be encouraged to wear the winning garment! Please encourage your children to tithe their allowance they may receive or assist them in bringing offering for our mission children God is calling us to serve.

KidsLife Ministries would like to help support our families. One way we have decided to do this is to use this Parent iResource section to list job opportunities in addition to providing resources that you as a parent can use. You can give a description of what you have to offer (i.e. childcare) or list what you are looking for. We hope to foster a community where we can help each other connect. Any questions or descriptions should go to Tiffany at children@calvaryop.org.  

New Beginnings

Looking to help your child (or even yourself!) with some new resolutions for the new year? Here is an article about Christian New Year's resolutions. In it you will find five ideas to stir your faith in 2013! Check it out here. 

Have you checked out our Facebook page?

Come and join the KidsLife Ministries community online right here!