Family Ministry

Welcome to the New Family Ministry Blog!

Welcome to the new Prairie Lakes Church - Family Ministry blog!  We've completely redesigned the layout of this blog to allow our readers easier access to information they need.  Above you will find a new menu bar.  Each of our family ministry areas is located above and this will allow you to click on each to find out current information within each area.

We hope this helps you find what you need to know faster and that you can continue to use this blog as a valuable resource with your families.

If you have any questions you can feel free to contact me at: dan.phillips@prairielakeschurch.org

Thank you, and enjoy!

Dan Phillips
Prairie Lakes Church - Web Services Coordinator 

Zapped and Bump-Up Weekend!

This weekend, Kidventure is starting summer programming called Zapped! We will be spending 8 weeks learning about Peter and the main idea of, "plugging into God's power helps me see and do what I should do". Your K-5th grade child does not want to miss Kidventure this summer. 

REMINDER: This weekend is bump-up weekend at all of the PLC Campuses.  

• Any child who will be starting Kindergarten this Fall will be moving into our Kidventure programming.  
• All children who currently attend Kidventure will be moving up one grade level. 
• 5th grade children will be moving out of Kidventure into theRock Wednesday Night Programming. This summer your children can either go to church with you or serve alongside you on the weekends. 

The Summer of...GROWTH!

At the end of April we talked about growth at theRock and theRoad. Remember that? I (Kyle) talked about making this a summer of growth. We looked in the Bible at John 15 where Jesus talks about growth happening in our lives. He talks about how we grow when we stay attached to the Vine, i.e. Him.

If you remember, we had a stubby weed looking plant that was in the middle of a large planter box. We used that plant to symbolize our growth for the summer.  After the talk, you wrote down an area in your life that you wanted to grow and stuck it as a label in the planter box (check out the picture above). As you labeled the area you wanted to grow, you committed to taking steps in that area this summer. Now with school being out, what’s this summer going to be for you? Is it going to be a summer of growth? Or, is it going to be a summer of stagnancy?

After just a few weeks the once stubby weed looking plant we had in the planter box at theRock and theRoad is now a blooming and growing plant getting taller and taller, growing more and more every single day (see the picture below). My encouragement to you is to make this a summer of growth, everyday growing a little more, so that by the end of summer you will have grown into something new and great, someone looking more and more like Jesus!

Rhythmic Changes...

Tis the season of open houses and graduation parties which means that it's the end of the school year and the beginning of summer. This time marks one of those rhythmic changes that all families experience. As a family, you go from school to summer, structure to freedom, 6th grade to 7th grade, 12th grade to well...graduated; and with all of the rhythmic changes this season offers we just don't ever seem to be fully ready for the looming transitions in our families. It's even mournful and somber to think that the family just won't be the same.

I read a fantastic article written by Reggie Joiner titled Parents in Transition. You've got to read it, but just in case you only have 2 min, here are the two take aways.

1. It's a complicated time: While your children are transitioning from being dependent to independent, you are transitioning as a parent from having authority to a place of leveraging your influence. You can’t parent them the same way you did and that is a complicated journey.

2. It's an urgent time: Time is running out. If they're not out of the house yet, they will be soon whether it's a few months or a few years. And as the time for them to move on, out and away gets closer and closer, everything (grades, friends, choices) seems more and more urgent and important. 

Simply knowing those two take aways opens us up to navigate these rhythmic changes well.

So, here's your homework; answer this question: What is ONE thing you can do this week to embrace this season's rhythmic change? OK...now do it!

This week at theRock & theRoad...

 

Water Fight!

Wednesday is our last night at theRock & theRoad before we jump into summer and we will be having a massive water fight at the Cedar Falls Campus! Water balloon war, dunk tank, and other water activities...it's going to be a blast! Come join us as as we celebrate the closing of another great year at theRock & theRoad.

Students will need to wear appropriate clothing that can get wet. Trunks or shorts, and a t-shirt or tank top will need to be worn at all times during our water activities. We do ask that all shirts and tank tops not be white. Girls can wear swim suits under their shorts and shirt if they desire to do so. Please bring a towel to dry off with as well.

See ya Wednesday for the Water Fight!

Thanks, if you have any questions please email students@prairielakeschurch.org

Family Movie Night - Wednesday April 4th

Come join us on Wednesday April 4th for a family movie night at our Waterloo & Cedar Falls campus locations.

The movie will start at 6:00 p.m. at both campus locations, Cedar Falls will have a meal served at 5:00 p.m.

About the movie: A laugh-filled, heartwarming animated tale, "The Lion of Judah" is an Easter classic inspiration for the whole family. Join Judah & The Stable-Mates as they embark on a ROARING adventure towards freedom! This daring quest intertwines humor and troublesome situations, while delivering foundational messages with gentleness and breath-taking beauty. For Judah, a lamb with the heart of a lion, it is a story of courage that will lead you to the pivotal voyage of hope, and will leave you in awe of the power that one lamb can command. "The Lion of Judah" is rated PG and is 5-Star Dove Approved for the whole family!

Cedar Falls Wee Kids Parents - See You Sunday!

The commandments I give you today must be in your hearts. Make sure your children learn them. Talk about them when you are at home. Talk about them when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you go to bed. And speak about them when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7

We have all heard this verse. We know God commands us to teach our children about Him, but we don't know how. It seems overwhelming and scary. Afterall, we don't have it all figured out. Honestly, our day is so full and one more thing just seems like too much.

It doesn't have to be this big scary thing to teach your preschooler about God. It doesn't have to be something extra to try to cram in your day. We can incorporate God in the normal rhythm of our preschoolers lives. And we want to help you do it!

Please join us in between services on March 25th for Create a Rhythm. In the midst of a few laughs, we will encourage you as a parent, boost your confidence, and explain why we give you all those papers every weekend! You don't want to miss this.

All pre-k children are welcome to stay in children's programming while you attend. This event will last approximately 30 minutes. This is only being hosted at our Cedar Falls Campus. No registration required.

No Kidventure this Weekend, March 17/18

Just a reminder there is NO Kidventure at any of the PLC Campuses this weekend, March 17/18.        K-5th graders should attend the service with their parents. Wee Kids will be open for birth to Pre-K.

We will see you all next weekend, March 24/25th.

Parents, please visit the Kidventure tab above to get a glimpse of what your child is learning about Conviction this month in Kidventure. 

Have you checked it out?

Have you noticed that our blog has been redesigned?  We did this to give you more access to what your children are learning and to give you more tools to make an impact at home.  If you look across the top of the blog, you will see a tab for each age group that gives specific information for that age.

Let's use Wee Kids as an example.  When you click on the Wee Kids tab you will find all of the following items:

• An overview of what your child is learning this month
• A list of the bible stories your child will learn each week
• The bible verse your children are learning all month long
• A copy of this month's parent cue with bath, play, drive, and cuddle time ideas to do with your children
• A link to the songs your child will be learning and singing
• More family time ideas for creating God rhythms beyond the monthly parent cue
• There is even a link to this week's bible story your child will learn so you and they can watch it again at home.

All of this is there to help you each and every month!  If you haven't checked it out, you can click here to check it out this week. This will take you to Wee Kids, but you can click on Kidventure/FX and  theRock/theRoad tabs for more information as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Put theRock Tour on your summer Calendar!

 theRock Tour, June 27-29, are three jam-packed days of fun in St. Louis MO! Students (currently 5^th-7^th grade) will visit Six Flags, the Arch, and do some ziplining at Meramec Caverns.  Not only will theRock Tour be a blast, but it will leave a lasting impact on the lives of your students as they serve together, build relationships and take next steps in their walk with Christ.  Experience theRock Tour 2012, you don’t want to miss this opportunity!

 Cost: $205 plus additional funds to pay for 4 meals.

All Registration will be online at prairielakeschurch.org

theRock Tour brochures and registration information will go home with students in the coming weeks, but for now, get these dates on your summer calendar!

Questions? Email students@prairielakeschurch.org

Info for the GIRLS lock-in...

6th - 8th Grade GIRLS =  Friday, February 17th. 

Please bring $5 to help pay for food, activities, etc. for the night.

We are going to have a blast at theRock Lock-in, and we would love to have your child join us!  Your child is welcome to invite friends along for the night as well.  We will have plenty of leaders to take care of the kiddos, and this will also be a great opportunity for us to continue building deeper relationships with these students! 

The lock-in will commence at approximately 7:00 P.M. Friday night, and end at 8:00 A.M. Saturday morning.  Please pick up your child by 8:00 A.M.

Thanks!