Calvary KidsLife Families are beginning a book study NEXT WEEK on Pray Big For Your Child by Will Jr. Davis. It's not too late to join us!

I have attached a reading outline here. This is the schedule that I'm going to be using to guide our discussion of this great book. Where is this discussion going to be? Glad you asked. I'm starting a NEW BLOG! Check out what I'm writing here. You'll be able to read what other people are saying about this book as well as post your own comments and stories. 

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 our kids.

Join us in this journey as we "unleash the power of praying Scripture for our children. It opens the door for bold, audacious prayers that change lives. This book includes a powerful thirty-one-day prayer guide and twelve around-the-clock reminders to help parents pray for their children throughout the day. Pray Big for Your Child teaches parents how to confidently use the most effective parenting resource available--prayer."

If you are interested in this book study, books are available in our Revelations Bookstore for $10. (Or you can download it on your Kindle for less.) Pick up your copy NOW and we will begin to dig in and challenge each other in this mission during the winter months.  

CAMEL LOT: Don't Miss the Manger

DETAILS YOUR FAMILY NEEDS TO KNOW!!!

Our first rehearsal for all 5 year olds and up starts THIS SATURDAY at 9am in The LOFT! A more detailed schedule is available here.

Questions? Email Tiffany Johnston at children@calvaryop.org (or just reply to this email). 

Childcare for infants through age 4 will be provided at both Thanksgiving services.

Additionally, Jody Van Kley, our Worship Director, and our AV/Tech guys are putting together a special video presentation to show at the Thanksgiving services which will include some of our very own Calvary kids!!!

The Pancake Breakfast in October was a huge success!! A big thanks to all the dads and Cadets that served that morning.

Over 250 supporters were in attendance and filled up on pancakes, ham, bacon, eggs and many other breakfast items!

Just a friendly reminder that it's never too late to join us or invite a friend to join! Go to www.calvaryop.org/cadets to see and share a promo video!

Questions? Direct them to our Cadet Coordinators Mark Sullivan, drpaulmarksullivan@gmail.com, and Mike Sluis, sluismichael@sbcglobal.net.

GEMS

Mexican Fiesta Fundraiser 

The GEMS are bringing back their popular annual Mexican Fiesta Dinner fundraiser! Please come out to support the GEMS ministry with your family and with your freewill donations!

All GEMS girls will need to assist in prepping and serving the meal.

PLEASE NOTE: GEMS will only be meeting once this month - November 13 - due to the Thanksgiving holiday.     

Just a friendly reminder that it's never too late to join us or invite a friend to join! Go to www.calvaryop.org/gems to see and share a promo video!

THE HANGOUT

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!

November's Calendar

Nov. 6th - Girls Night

Nov. 13th - Boys Night

Nov. 20th - Girls Night

Nov. 27th - NO HANGOUT 

Momtourage

Momtourage is the new name of Calvary's ministry to moms! We meet two Friday mornings a month from 9-11:30 a.m. 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 anytime! To learn more or to answer your questions, email us at momtourage@calvaryop.org.  

2013 Dates

Nov. 15th

Dec. 6th

Dec. 20th

Mark your calendar for the next PNO in January! Go online to www.calvaryop.org/pno to register your child(ren). Sign up forms will show up in the lobby and online starting December 29. The deadline to sign up is Monday, January 13. There are maximums on the grade levels, so sign up when the forms show up!

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!  

Label, Label, Label

We are now offering diaper bag tags to those in the infant room and 2's room. Please take a tag, write your child's name on it, and place it on your diaper bag for continued use. If you wish not to keep it on your bag at all times, please hold on to it to place on your bag when you arrive in Tiny Town. There are also other labels in each room to mark sippy cups and other belongings. With the great numbers we have, we don't want to mix anything up! Thanks for helping us in this organization process!

Serving Hearts

The expectation is that all families who regularly use the Tiny Town facilities volunteer occasionally to ensure that there are always adequate caregivers for each service.

If you have not already done so, please find Luz or Corinne to fill out a form indicating which dates and times you will be available to help out, and return the form to the Tiny Town office.

Sunday Mornings

This month, we're introducing preschoolers to the truth that God is always with them. When they're in the car, He's there. When they're at home, He's there. When they go to preschool, He's there. When they are making wise choices, He's there. When they're making not-so-wise choices, He's there. He is ALWAYS with us. Always.

As we unpack the stories of Deborah, Ruth, Naomi and Boaz, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and Daniel, we will show our preschoolers various situations where God was right there helping the entire time. Because they can't see God with their eyes, it is harder for preschoolers (and many adults) to understand that He's there with us every minute of every day. By learning and investigating these stories from the past, we hope to show them that God is with us even though we can't see Him.

Our Memory Verse for November is: "God is with you wherever you go." -Joshua 1:9

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

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

Fall ministries are here! Our programs are for infants through age 5!

Wednesdays, 9:30-11:00 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 Momtourage 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.  

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!

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

November in The Loft (5s through 5th Grade) 

When we look for wisdom and actually follow it, we'll make better decisions in life.

Wisdom is finding out what you should do and doing it. When we seek wisdom and ask God for it, He will give it to us. He will help us figure out the wise choice when we need to make a decision. We can find God's wisdom by reading the Bible and asking trusted Christ-followers.

The monthly memory verse is: "Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold." Proverbs 8:10, NIV.

PLEASE NOTE:

The LOFT will be held on all 4 Sundays this month. On Sunday, November 24 we will be having a review day of the many things we have learned in the LOFT since September. Please have your child wear their LOFT T-shirt as well! Don't have one? Email Miss Tiffany with the t-shirt size that you need.

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 this month's GodTime Devotionals. You can also get a hard copy outside the LOFT doors.

Offering Update  

Abel

Aniya

Thank you for teaching your child the importance of tithing and giving to others in need. Through your child's support, we continue to sponsor 2 Compassion International children. Abel is now 7 and lives in Mexico and Aniya just turned 5 and lives in India.

Our monthly sponsorship commitment is $38.00 per child, a total of $76.00.

We continually teach the kids what compassion is all about. To help them carry out compassion towards others and to remind them, we have fun monthly voting ballots. When they bring in their change, they can put it the stoplight of their personal vote.  

NOVEMBER'S OFFERING CHALLENGE:

(Drum roll please!)

What is your preference: Fruits or veggies? 

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.  

Thanksgiving 

Take some time with your family to reflect on the giving thanks this month.

Here are some resource ideas from speaker Kathy Stockman.

• Write & send thank you notes prior to Thanksgiving Day. Consider: teachers (classroom, Sunday School, music, etc.), coaches, pastor and other ministry leaders, neighbors, grandparents & other relatives, babysitters, or write them to each other.

• Do a project with your children that include a way to record things for which they are thankful.
  
  Examples:
  - Make a turkey - write or draw something for which they're thankful on each feather. (Make it out of construction paper or use an apple or small pumpkin for the body of the turkey.)
  - Make a centerpiece with fall leaves, writing or drawing on the leaves.
  - Make a paper chain decoration with links in fall colors. Write on each link.

• Let your guests use permanent markers to record what they are thankful for on your Thanksgiving dinner tablecloth. Reuse it for several years, providing a new color of marker each year.
• Make a Giving Thanks book or a video in interview form. (Interview extended family members on Thanksgiving Day.) Add to it annually. Be sure to read or watch highlights from previous years.
• Start or add to a collection of Memory Stones. (Ebenezers ~ I Samuel 7:12)
• Choose a book about the history of Thanksgiving or that emphasizes the concept of giving thanks. Read it prior to Thanksgiving.
• Give everyone corn kernels before the dinner. Pass around a bowl during dinner. Ask each person to put their kernels in the bowl as they tell what they are thankful for that the kernel symbolizes.
• Choose an activity that the family will do on Thanksgiving every year. It could be to play a board game, watch old family videos or a movie, take a walk, or read a story aloud. Some people like to have their own "Turkey Bowl"-- an early morning game of touch football at the park.
• Minister in your community-- Help provide food for or serve at a Thanksgiving dinner for poor or homeless people, visit people in a local nursing home, invite an away-from-home service man or woman, college student, or foreign student to join your family's celebration.
• Involve your whole family in Thanksgiving Dinner preparations. Let the kids help cook-especially items which can be prepared ahead of time. Encourage them to help set and decorate the table and especially to join in the clean up. Perhaps your children might want to choose one special task that they will do every year-- peel potatoes, make place cards, etc.
• Have an informal worship service. Sing a few songs, read a Psalm, share, and pray.

A DEVOTIONAL CHALLENGE! 

A challenge to dig into devotionals with your family throughout the week!  

God's Word is with you! Many families have smart phones, tablets, or even just a computer. There are so many resources at your fingertips to grow in your faith WITH your child!

We've got an app for that! Find it at: 

https://www.bible.com/app  

Download the app to the device of your choice. Or check out the tabs on the left side of the webpage for your computer viewing options.

Search for the "Family" plan and find the best devotional fit for your family. All devotional apps vary from study length; one may be for 5 days while others may carry you through the year!    

Some suggestions are:  

- Courageous Kids

- Parenting by Design Daily Devotional

- The Creation of Nature

Another idea is to receive a daily scripture verse by email on your phone, tablet or computer. Share the verse with your child and discuss its meaning more in depth. They may have a better understanding of it then you! "Faith like a child!"  

There are many available resources for this, some include:

http://www.klove.com/ministry/encouraging-word/  

http://www.verseoftheday.com   

http://www.thedailybibleverse.org/   

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!