PLEASE NOTE: The Sunday school program in The Loft (5 years to 5th grade) and Jr. High CrossTraining (6th to 8th grade) will be taking a month off in August, resuming on Sunday, September 8 when we will have our annual Fall Kick-Off!

Our nursery program in Tiny Town (for infants through 4 years old) will continue as normal, being offered at all three morning services. Email me or see me if you have any questions: children@calvaryop.org. 

Be on the look-out this month for our Kick-Off info in the mail!   Lot of stuff is planned for Sunday, September 8 in both The LOFT and Tiny Town! If you have been on vacation and all over the place this summer, September is Homecoming month. Come back to your Calvary home and check out all the exciting things we have planned for our families! This is a great time to invite friends and neighbors as well!

Yvonne VanBeveren is going to step down from our KidsLife Assistant Position, effective August 1st.

So, we are seeking a part-time paid position for our KidsLife Ministries Assistant. Applicant must have experience working with children, be mature in the Christian faith, have an outgoing personality with great communication skills for both kids and adults, and the availability to work two days during the week and two Sunday mornings a month from 8:30am-12:30pm. This position is 10 hours per week and would include a three month trial period. Please send your resume to Rich Schuler, Executive Administrator, at rich@calvaryop.org by Wednesday, August 7.

We would like to ask a small favor. We want to keep improving our Vacation Bible School experience for each family that comes through our doors, so we are asking all parents to fill out a short survey - no more than ten minutes - and help us understand where we excelled and where we need to improve.

You can access the survey by clicking on this link (or copy the link to your browser): https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CALVARYVBS2013

Thank you for taking the time to do this short survey for us! If you have any additional questions or concerns that you want to share with us, please contact us at children@calvaryop.org.

Momtourage
WILL RETURN IN SEPTEMBER!

Momtourage is the new name of Calvary's ministry to moms! We meet two Friday mornings a month for discussion, speakers, crafts, and activities as we explore some of the most important issues affecting our lives and our kids. While the group is geared towards moms of young children, all moms are welcome! New this year is Momtourage "After Hours"-evening and weekend activities designed with the working mom in mind. Join us for our registration night on Thursday, August 22 from 7-9 p.m. to learn more or email us at momtourage@calvaryop.org.  

Our official kick-off date will be Friday, September 6 from 9-11:30 a.m. You can also download the Momtourage flyer right here! 

Simply print and fill out this Volunteer Interest Form and we will get you plugged in! One simple way to volunteer is to be a greeter once a month outside the LOFT! Contact Tiffany for more information at children@calvaryop.org. 

Does your child show interest in drama, dance, or singing? Spotlight Theater is a great place to get them plugged in to learn more skills in this area. Calvary hosts 10-week class sessions throughout the school year. Children ages 6 to 14 are eligible! Go to their website at www.spotlight.org and click on Orland Park to register your child and find out more information!

It is almost that time for PNO to start back up! Sign-up sheets or online registration for our Kick-Off PNO will begin Sunday, August 25. For more info, check out www.calvaryop.org/pno.

Cadets

We are excited to kick off the new season on Wednesday, September 4. We would like to welcome our new Cadet Coordinators, Mark Sullivan, drpaulmarksullivan@gmail.com, and Mike Sluis, sluismichael@sbcglobal.net. Online pre-registration is an option this year and will begin on Monday, August 5. Don't forget, dads/grandpas are welcomed to join the Cadet team as well! Please contact Mark if you are willing to serve.

GEMS

We are excited to begin our season on Wednesday, September 11.

THE HANGOUT

As you plan for the Fall season, don't forget that on Wednesday nights we offer The Hangout from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Your child can be engaged in an activity at Calvary every week, not just twice a month!

Tiny Town News

Choices. We have to make them EVERY day. Do I want to wear this pair of shoes or that pair of shoes? Do I want this sandwich or that sandwich for lunch? Those types of choices aren't life altering, but some of the choices we make are. Do I want to take this job or do I want to move and take that job? That's a big decision. And, where can we go for help making that decision? Why, God, of course. Because God knows what's best for me.

Now, preschoolers aren't deciding where they need to move yet, but they are making some important decisions in their world. Should I obey Mom? Should I share with Suzy? Even they can look to God for help with answers. We want to teach them to look to Him now with the easier stuff (although it's not easy for them) so they will look to Him for the harder stuff later in life.

During the summer months, our large group time will consist of learning the Bible Story through the use of video and music. We will continue with a craft or activity that corresponds with what we learned.

Check out this month's Bible teachings and "Parent/Child Small Talk" outside the 3's and 4's room. 

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

Fall is almost here! We are busily preparing our rooms and teachers for our wonderful weekday programs for infants through age 5!

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

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

Question: So, what goes on down there in Tiny Town on Wednesday mornings while the moms, grandmas, and "girlfriends" are having Coffee Break Bible Study and on Fridays while the MOPS and More ladies are meeting?

Answer: Well, first of all, our Tiny Town little ones are being lovingly cared for by an awesome group of faithful Calvary volunteers. By this time of the year, the children are well acquainted with their care givers and we hardly ever have separation tears.

The babies in the Garden Nursery are played with, rocked, patted, fed, and loved on each week.

The children from ages two and up get to play in their classrooms, engage in Bible study by hearing the stories that teach them about God's Love throughout history, work on crafts that will remind them of the day's story, have a snack, and then the most fun of all - visit Calvary's Playland!

This year the children have also been introduced to lots of "old time" songs that many of us learned when we were children. You may hear your young ones humming the tunes of such old standards as "This Little Light of Mine," "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus," " Zacchaeus," "Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho," " I'm in the Lord's Army," "Praise Him, Praise Him, All You Little Children," and of course, "Jesus Loves Me." You can download the music and words to many of these songs from the internet and enjoy having a sing-along at home!

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

August in The Loft 

Our LOFT Sunday School teachers for the school year will be returning on September 8th for Fall Kick-Off! Hope to see you all there! We will be getting ready for...

In the beginning of their relationship with Jesus, the disciples might not have been the most courageous bunch you've ever seen. Remember when the storm blew up and even the most seasoned fishermen woke Jesus in a panic (Mark 4)? But Jesus wasn't scared. He knew the power and reliability of God. Time and again, Jesus showed His disciples that God would provide whenever they needed Him. As they learned to trust God, the disciples' courage grew-to the point that Peter and John boldly testified before the Jewish government (Acts 4) about Jesus' life and resurrection.

Courage is being brave enough to do what you should do, even when you're afraid. Courage is not the absence of fear but how you respond in the face of fear. When we approach potentially scary situations, we can remember that God is big enough to handle anything, He'll always be with us, and He'll provide for our needs.

The monthly memory verse will be: "When I'm afraid, I will trust in You," Psalm 56:3, NIrV. Many of God's followers will tell you their greatest adventure started when they trusted God in a decision they were afraid of. But in the end, they never regretted living courageously and believing God's promises.

Get Your Weekly / Monthly Devotionals Here!  

Although we are not meeting for the month of August, you can still get August 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!  

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.  

COMING THIS FALL:

A PARENT BLOG, Pray Big for Your Child!  

All parents want what's best for their children. What better place to begin than by praying for them? Prayer expert Will Davis Jr. shows parents how to develop a prayer strategy for their kids.

Talking to your kids is important. Talking to God about them is critical.

If you're a parent, nothing touches your heart more deeply than your child. Whether it's learning to talk, choosing a vocation, or accepting the gift of salvation, every step in your child's life matters to you--and to God. His Word is filled with promises just waiting to be fulfilled on behalf of your child.

Using Scripture as your guide, discover how to confidently and powerfully apply the most effective parenting tool available--prayer. Learn how to boldly pray big, audacious prayers for any stage or circumstance in your child's life.

Pray Big for Your Child is packed with relevant prayers to get you started, including specific prayers for both daughters and sons. It includes a powerful thirty-one-day prayer guide and twelve around-the-clock reminders to help you pray for your child throughout the day.

I am very excited to see where God takes this vision He has laid on my heart. All the details aren't clear yet but I know that I personally need to be challenged more with praying for my kids...in all aspects of their life, including my parenting skills. =)  

I hope you will join me in this book study and together we can learn how to pray some powerful audacious prayers for our children!  

Need a babysitter and not sure who to contact or trust? How about giving one of our very own Calvary teens a call?! We have a list of Calvary teens who are interested in watching your children! If you want to obtain a copy of this list, please see or contact Tiffany. Additionally, if you know of anyone else who would like to be placed on this list, please send information to children@calvaryop.org. 

Have you checked out our Facebook page?

Come and join the KidsLife Ministries community online right here!