Camp Grace Summer Camp Registration is underway!

June 22-24 •  Look Up Lodge  • Travelers Rest, SC  

$120 (A minimum $50 payment is required with registration.)

Elementary Summer Camp is a three day, two night getaway for completed 3rd–4th graders (by summer 2012) to experience their familiar Camp Grace program in the setting of REAL CAMP! Nestled in the beauty of the Carolina mountains, Look up Lodge is the perfect setting to learn and grow in our faith. Your kids will enjoy Bible study, lots of laughter, high adventure recreation, crazy camp competitions, and worship that encounters God in an unforgettable way!

Our theme this year will be “OVERBOARD!” Campers will study the Biblical story of Jonah, and will be amazed at how this crazy Old Testament story applies to our lives today. In both big group and small group settings, this theme will provide a platform for children to grow in their understanding of obedience and what it means to trust and follow God.

Register online

ParentLink - Hosted at the Pelham Campus May 21st

Parents of kids of all ages, don't miss the second offering of Parent Link...a Quarterly Parenting Conversation on May 21 at the Pelham campus.

Parenting in today's world is one of the most difficult things we are called to do.  If you're anything like me, you have more questions than answers, and "HELP" is the daily (sometimes hourly) cry of your heart. Parent Link is an offering for parents with kids of ALL AGES who want to hear from others in their shoes.  Relevant and current topics will be addressed candidly as we hear from a panel of seasoned parents who have learned much from their past successes and failures.  

Join parents from each of our campuses as we tackle some tough issues and grow together towards loving and leading our kids toward Jesus.  This parenting conversation is being offered quarterly this year, continuing with our second gathering on Monday evening, May 21, at 6:30 PM on the Pelham campus. 

Passover, Past & Present

Bill and Shannon Wilson share their most recent experience of leading elementary students at our Downtown Campus in the Passover meal of Seder:

On Palm Sunday morning, my wife Shannon and I led the children at Downtown Camp Grace in a Passover meal. This was a special moment for both of us because of our own experience celebrating the Passover with my stepfather, Hy, who is Jewish. As a result of my Episcopalian mother marrying Hy when I was eight years old, I grew up celebrating a number of Jewish and Christian holidays. I particularly enjoyed the mingling of the two faith traditions in December when I could look forward to presents at both Hanukkah and Christmas. Another ceremony that I enjoyed every year that seemingly had no Christian counterpart was the Passover meal in which Jews all around the world gather with their families to remember the Lord delivering them from slavery in Egypt. The meal and ceremony together are known as the Seder (which means “order”) and bears many similarities to the liturgical worship service I grew up experiencing each Sunday morning. There are readings, songs, Hebrew blessings (always translated into English), wine (juice for the children), bread (matzah), and traditional foods signifying various aspects of the Passover story. The meal incorporates children. The youngest child reads aloud the “four questions,” which inquire into various ways “why this night is different from all other nights.” Also, during the meal, a special piece of matzah known as the afikomen (off-ee-co-men) is hidden. The father brings forth three pieces of matzah and breaks the middle piece in half. One of the halves, the afikomen, is wrapped in linen and hidden in the room for the children to find. At the appropriate time the children search for the afikomen, and the one who finds it returns it to the father for a prize.

Photo of Seder table set for volunteer training.

There also are several traditional foods eaten at particular times during the Seder, each having its own symbolism for the Jews’ deliverance from Egypt. Maror, or bitter herbs (usually horseradish), symbolizes the bitter lives of the Jews in Egypt. Charoset (an apple, nut, and honey mixture) symbolizes the bricks and the clay that the Jews were forced to make for Pharaoh. Karpas, a vegetable (usually parsley), is dipped into salt water to symbolize the tears of the Jews in slavery. Matzah, or unleavened bread, represents the hurriedness with which the Jews left Egypt, not even having time to allow their bread to rise. The four cups of wine represent the four expressions of God’s promise in Exodus 6:6-7 to deliver the Jews from Egypt. And, most importantly, a lamb shank bone represents the lamb that was sacrificed in order for its blood to be placed on the doorframe so that the Lord would pass over the homes of God’s people while carrying out the tenth and final plague – death of the firstborn. Throughout the meal, the Passover story would be told, and the foods would be eaten in ceremonial fashion. There is much more to this meal, but these are the highlights. These meals always felt important as I celebrated them growing up. It is amazing to think how the Jewish people celebrated this same meal for centuries prior to the coming of Christ and continue to celebrate it today, thousands of years later, despite being scattered throughout the world. What came to light as Shannon and I took part in the Grace training for leading the children is how Jesus is intertwined into every aspect of the Seder. Most of us probably see and understand that Jesus was the lamb of God – “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us” echoes the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:7 and is stated every week during the Holy Eucharist, or communion, that I celebrated growing up in the Episcopal Church.

It was not until I experienced Passover in preparation for Camp Grace that the full meaning of this amazing ceremony hit home. Weaved throughout the traditional elements of the Passover ceremony is Jesus, our Lord. He is in every moment of a ceremony that far predates his coming. Consider Exodus 12, which required the Jews to bring an unblemished lamb into their homes on the tenth day of the month of Nisan (with the Passover occurring on the fourteenth day). Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the tenth day of Nisan, and then celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples on the fourteenth day, which we now call the Last Supper. As he celebrated this Passover meal, he knew that he was the unblemished sacrificial lamb, and he used the very elements of the Passover meal to signify his body and blood, which we now partake of when we celebrate communion. Also consider how the matzah is striped and pierced. Jesus was striped with whips and pierced with a spear. Also, recall how the center piece of three pieces of matzah is broken, wrapped in cloth, hidden away for a little while, and brought back out later. Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, was broken, wrapped in linen, hidden in a tomb for a little while, and then rose from the grave. And even more amazing is that the name of this hidden piece of matzah, afikomen, is a Greek word that can be translated as “He came.” We now see the full meaning of this aspect of the ceremony. Also consider how Exodus 12:46 commanded that the bones of the lamb to be sacrificed must not be broken. And John 19:36 tells us that none of Jesus’ bones were broken. And finally, at the time of judgment in Exodus, God looked for the blood of the lamb in order to pass over. Similarly, at the time of the final judgment, God will look only for the blood of Jesus the lamb.

The parallels are stunning and reveal the creativity and awesome power of a God who is sovereign and working throughout history to tell his story. The story has always been about Jesus. And it was this story, through a traditional meal that is thousands of years old, that we were able to teach the children of Camp Grace about God’s deliverance – both the deliverance from Egypt of the Jews and more importantly the deliverance from their sin of those who trust in Jesus.

- Bill Wilson, Camp Grace Volunteer, Downtown Campus

Trystan Sings - The Value of Families Worshiping Together

Ryan Donell, Grace Student Ministry staff, reflects on a recent worship service with his six month old son.  What a great reminder of the value of families worshiping together and what can been learned at all ages through worshiping together.
 


I’m watching God shape my son through the community of Grace Church.

Every day it seems like I uncover some new fear or weakness in myself that I don’t want to pass on to my son. Then I think of the biological fact that he already has my DNA! So, it’s too late in some ways. He’s already got a mixture of his mother’s and my strengths- and weaknesses. I mean, is it really too much to ask for a perfect son?

One of the ugly things I’ve uncovered is the fact that I want my son to be more than a son. I want him to be a god! Not literally of course. I’ve just realized in me the desire for him to hold a position of glory, which no human being can substantiate. That’s where I’ve needed the story of Jesus to inform and reorient my emotions.

Trystan is fallen. He’s fallen because of me. And he will fall because of me. But when he does, God loves him through me, and I can be a resource of grace and emblem of God’s love to him. That’s how it has to work. And this is actually the best way for it to work.

Photo by Sabrina Fields

While I swim in the middle of those tensions, I’m reassured by something Jesus has put in place for us: the Church. Jesus has gathered a people to reign with him, like him, and for him over his creation (King and a Kingdom). Jesus has created a people for himself, a community through which we are being shaped.

I got a glimpse of that this past Sunday. Lydia and I had debated whether or not to bring Trystan into the service, but we are always looking for appropriate opportunities for Trystan to be molded by gathered worship.

We decided to bring him to the service. It was going to be a more casual atmosphere with lots of music. So, we took the risk of him sitting with us, even though we might have had to take him out. There was once or twice that he said something out loud between the songs, but 99.9% of the time he was cool. And the best part of all was when we were singing.

He watched wide-eyed and mouth open while everyone around him belted out gospel songs and lifted their hands to the Creator. Lydia and I took turns holding him as he leaned forward with his chest firmly planted in our hands his eyebrows as high as his little forehead could push them. Then, somewhere during the choruses of “Holy” he joined in. He focused his 6 month-old face and just started making a joyful noise! He smacked his mouth, and filled his lungs with baby-praise.

It was in that moment of spontaneous joy and awe that I realized: the church already molds his behavior. His young humanity is wobbling in the current of God’s people- a people being transformed. In that moment I was reminded of how essential it is for us to be in the midst of a body of followers bigger than just my family. And I take hope that someday, during a song, a prayer, a sermon, or an act of service, that he finds himself giving his breath in a “hallelujah” to the Lord from a heart of faith.

Ryan Donell, Grace Student Ministry

Easter Passion Week Parent Take Home

In case you missed this weekend or have misplaced the Passion Week handout from this Sunday, we have made it available on our website.

Praying you have time this week to reflect on the life, death and resurrection of Christ this week and have an opportunity to share it with your family.

Why I as a Christian celebrate the Passover - Part III

This is the final of three posts on the Passover Seder, written by Amy Ramseur, a member of our church and volunteer in Children's Ministry. Here is Part I and Part II if you have not yet read them.

Aspecial series of questions are asked by the youngest child at the table. Answers are given and a traditional song is sung, "Dayenu", meaning "it would have been sufficient". All of this was intended to teach the children and remind the adults of the Israelites’ bondage and redemption.

The second cup, the Cup of Praise, is raised and consumed with a toast of thanksgiving to God and the recitation of a portion of the Hallel, which means "praise", Psalm 113 and 114.
What follows next is a prayer of thanksgiving for the bread and the Lord’s commandment to eat it, then a piece of mazto is eaten. Next the host instructs everyone to make a sandwich of sorts, using matzo, the sweet charoseth mixture, and the bitter herbs (horseradish)…this is traditionally called the "sop". It was at this point that Jesus spoke sober words to His disciples, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me…He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped [it]. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave [it] to Judas Iscariot, [the son] of Simon." John 13:21, 26 (KJV).
At this point, the Seder pauses while a banquet is served. Rich foods, from appetizers to desserts – all without leaven – are enjoyed.
Finally, it is time for the search for the aphikomen! Jewish tradition holds that the aphikomen should be the final portion of the meal, in memory of the Passover lamb. In Temple times the roasted lamb was the last to be eaten. Since the destruction of the Temple, sacrifices are no longer a part of Jewish life. But every Jew longs for the Temple to be rebuilt so that the sacrificial system can be restored. And so the aphikomen is eaten as a memorial. To believers, it is eaten as a memorial to the Final Passover Lamb, our Risen Savior!
So the final taste of food in the disciples’ mouths should have been the roasted lamb.  However, Jesus, not surprisingly, breaks with tradition. It is at this point that Jesus holds up a piece of matzo, pierced and striped, and breaks it. "Take and eat; this is my body." Matthew 26:26. How fascinating to me is the tradition of the aphikomen that has come to
be in Jewish Seders. It has nothing to do with the Messiah, and yet it points directly to Him in deeply symbolic ways.
Finally, Jesus, as in the ancient Seder as well as in the modern, raises the third cup, known as the Cup of Redemption, offers thanksgiving to God the Father, and tells His disciples, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the many for the forgiveness of sins." Matthew 26:27-28
A fourth cup traditionally follows, called by some the Cup of Elijah. Others refer to it as the Cup of Hope, while some may call it the Cup of Acceptance.
May we accept the Body broken as payment for our sins and the Blood spilled for our redemption. And may we find the Gospel written between the lines of the traditions, ancient and modern, of the Passover Meal. Jesus chose His Father’s ancient ritual, something so familiar to His followers, to help them remember and pass on to generations to come the new covenant He was about to make: He would give His life as a ransom for many and give eternal life to all who believe.
Do this in remembrance of Me.

Why I as a Christian celebrate the Passover - Part II

This is the second of three posts on The Gospel in the Passover Seder, written by Amy
Ramseur, a member of our church and volunteer with Children's Ministry.  Here is Part I if you have not yet read  it.

So now, let us return to the meal as it is celebrated today. Now that the home has been ridden of leaven, the meal is prepared. The Seder is the ritual or traditional meal composed of symbols of slavery, rescue and redemption, intended to teach the children about the Lord’s provision and promise (Exodus 12:26). In the midst of it, a lavish meal is served to the family. The ceremonial Passover meal is centered around the Seder plate, usually a plate with six divisions for each of the symbolic foods:
1) the roasted shank bone of a lamb, representing the Passover lambl
2) a hard-boiled egg, symbolizing new life and hope

3) bitter herbs
- parsley, representing the misery of life in Egypt
- horseradish, or "maror", a symbol of the bitterness of slavery
- charoseth, a sweet mixture of apples, cinnamon, honey, possibly nuts and raisins, representing the mortar and bricks the Israelites were forced to use to build for Pharaoh and the sweetness of the coming redemption
And then there is the matzo or unleavened bread and the four glasses of wine or grape juice.
A very specific order is followed in the partaking of the Seder, known as the Haggadah. For our purposes we will only make note of some of the significant moments during the reading of the Haggadah and the partaking of the Seder meal.
Candles are lit to set the evening apart from all others. Then the head of the family, serving as the leader of the Seder, raises the first glass of wine, known as the Cup of Sanctification and after his blessing, everyone drinks. Jesus would have led His disciples in this blessing.
Next comes the ceremonial washing of hands – or perhaps only the fingertips of the leader. Here Jesus took ceremony a step further and in an act normally devoted to a servant, stooped and washed the feet of His friends. "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you…not servant is greater than his master…Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." John 13Bitter herbs dipped in salt water are eaten next, a reminder of the Red Sea parted for the Israelites’ escape and the herbs themselves point to the new Nation God was establishing for Himself.
Next follows a curious tradition (added perhaps sometime after the 13th century), though for us it seems to shout of a truth that is difficult to miss! Three pieces of matzo, or unleavened bread, are placed on the table and are referred to as a "Unity". (To believers this clearly represents the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.) It is important to note that prior to being baked the unleavened dough is pierced (to prevent it from rising) and the browning marks from baking give it the appearance of being striped. The middle matzo is broken into two pieces and one portion of these is placed in a white napkin or a special white bag. This is known as the "aphikomen", which the leader then hides while the children are not watching. We will see this aphikomen, which means "that which comes last", later at the closing of the meal. But already, what images have been stirred in your mind regarding this aphikomen? This bread has no leaven. Recall that leaven is a picture of sin in Scripture. Jesus was without sin. The appearance of each piece of matzo may have caused you to recall Isaiah 53:5, "He was wounded for our transgressions…And by His stripes we are healed." The fact that the middle matzo, which we see could represent the Son, is broken and hidden away for a time, only to be revealed at a later moment!

- Amy Ramseur, Children's Ministry Volunteer

Why I as a Christian celebrate the Passover - Part I

On April 6th of this year, we will remember Good Friday: the day Jesus was crucified on the Cross, the spotless Lamb of God (John 1:29, 1 Peter 1:19), sacrificed as a ransom for our souls.
This year Good Friday happens to coincide with the Jewish holiday or feast, Pesach or Passover. To some who follow Christ, Passover may hold little significance, to others however, it holds great importance. Why should Christians give attention to or observe a feast sacred to those of Jewish descent and faith?
Because Jesus, who was Jewish, told His disciples, who were Jewish, "Do this to remember me," Luke 22:19. We obey this command each time we take communion, or the Lord’s Supper. Scripture describes and we share only part of this meal that observant Jews of Jesus’ day were celebrating the night He shared His final meal with those closest to Him. He was giving a new command, because to this point the meal’s purpose was found in Exodus 12, "This is a day to remember. Each year from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the LORD…for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day."
There have been slight changes over the years, but people of Jewish tradition and faith continue to keep this command, celebrating the Feast of Passover every year beginning at sundown on the 14th day of the first month on the Jewish calendar, Nisan. Why did Jesus give instructions to remember Him with the Passover meal? What significance does it hold for us as believers? Let us take a closer look…
During the seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread or Passover, traditionally leaven or yeast is removed from the home, following the command given in Exodus 12:19. This first detail is not without great significance for believers. Jesus warned His disciples, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees," or their "deceptive teaching." In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul reprimands his readers about their boasting, "Don’t you realize that sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?" He admonishes us to remember that "Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth." Yeast or leaven is a Biblical picture of sin that needs to be carefully and intentionally confessed and removed from our lives. We will later see another symbol of this truth from the Passover meal, or Seder, shared during the Festival’s observance. Significantly, the men, as the heads of their households, are the ones who proclaim, "Now I have rid my house of leaven."
In ancient times - before the sacrificial system ended with the destruction of the Temple in 70AD - at the beginning of the Passover Feast on the 10th of Nisan, the Passover lamb was chosen. It was to have "no defects" (Exodus 12:5). Migdal Eder was the "tower of the flock" where the sheep and lambs intended for sacrifices were pastured, between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Here shepherds watched over their special flocks, full of spotless, ritually clean, lambs. (Could these have been the very same shepherds to whom the angels appeared some 30 odd years before?) On the very same day Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem, riding on a donkey, as a king would when he came in peace, these flocks would have been led to the Temple. Families would come and select a lamb, which would then be carefully cared for in their homes (Exodus 12:6). These lambs were sacrificed on the 14th of Nisan, as the "Levitical choir chanted Hallel, the recitation of Psalms 113 to 118" and "Hallel Yah" (praise ye the Lord). Some of these verses will be familiar to you,

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us Ps 115
but to your name be the glory…"
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; Ps118
his love endures forever…"
"O LORD, [Hoshia Na, or Hosanna] save us…" Ps 118

This event for the Jews of that day commemorated the lambs the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice while they were slaves in Egypt. They were to smear its blood on the on the top and the sides of the doorframes of their homes. When the Spirit of the Lord passed through the land of Egypt in the final plague, to take the lives of all first born sons and livestock, he saw the blood stains and passed over those homes, sparing the lives of those firstborn men and boys living there.
In Jesus’ day, the lambs that were sacrificed were then roasted and eaten according to the instructions the Lord gave the Israelites in Exodus 12. All of this background is important to our understanding of the Passover meal, or Seder, that is central to the Feast of Passover.

This weekend, our elementary program will participate in a Passover Seder.  Come back tomorrow for part two of the three part series about the history and meaning of the Passover Seder.

Amy Ramseur - Children's Ministry Volunteer

Young Men's Roundtable - Registration is open

 
Young Men's Roundtable is a parenting opportunity for fathers and sons (5th-8th grade) that will be starting up in just under a month.  As a staff, we are excited about the opportunity it brings to our families and to our young men.  Registration is currently open and can be found on the Men's Roundtable site.     Young Men's Roundtable is a four-week opportunity for our young men to learn about God’s design for authentic masculinity in a relevant and age appropriate fashion.  It is designed to equip your young men with some tools and language for Godly decision-making and healthy choices.  It is also an opportunity for dads to engage their sons at a deeper heart level on some real issues, and to lend strength to the father/son relationship that is so vital to this season of a young man's life.


Date: Tuesday Nights, April 17th - May 8th
Time: 7pm - 8:30pm
Location: Pelham Campus - 2801 Pelham Road, Greenville, SC 29615

Welcome, Heather!

Join us in welcoming Heather Scott to the Children's Ministry Team!  Heather moves into the role of Preschool Coordinator from her current volunteer position as Quest coach and curriculum writer.  She has also served in a 2 yr old preschool classroom and brings a great deal of ministry experience outside of Grace including being MOPS coordinator and mentor.  Welcome, Heather!   


- Children's Ministry Team

Remembering

We are a forgetful people.  You can read story after story in the Bible and see the trend...God does something amazing and maybe even miraculous, then God's people forget and do not believe Him to be trustworthy.  But when I reflect on my own life and the times God has shown Himself faithful to me, I forget, too.  As long as I'm here on earth, the battle to remember remains.

We must be intentional in our remembering.  The other week on the kids' S'more cards, after reading Joshua 4:19-24 one of the questions was: “Think about a time that God has been faithful to bring each of you through a difficult or uncertain circumstance.”  "What can you do to remember God's faithfulness?"   Which brings me to this idea that has helped our family.
A few years ago a friend forwarded an article from a Christian magazine with the idea to make a shadow box with different mementos that represent times you've seen God demonstrate his faithfulness to you as a family.  Her Faithfulness Box is really fun, and I love hearing the stories surrounding each symbol.  We started with this, too, but I found it difficult and time consuming to find little things to represent each time.


So we instead use thankfulness rocks now, or "Ebenezer stones". Our stones are not fancy; they're from a bag of river rocks. We simply write a word on the rock with a Sharpie, and that word represents a time we've seen God's faithfulness displayed.  I've tried to place our Ebenezer stones in a prominent place in our home, with the hope we can share God's stories with inquisitive guests.

We go through the rocks as a family every Thanksgiving. Some years we do it right before or right after. It's one of my favorite things we do. I just love adding a new rock.
What things have you done to help remember times God has been faithful to you?

Sara Fowler – Camp Grace Big Group Coach

Save the date! Elementary Camp - June 22nd-June24th

Calling all 3rd and 4th grade parents!

Mark June 22nd-June 24th for the Grace Church Elementary Camp at Look-up Lodge.  More details will be available in the coming months. 

Daddy Daughter Dance

Our world today is sending messages to our young women that are tragically far from the truth.  Beauty is defined only as what you see on the outside, and self-promotion is hailed as the way to get what you want out of life.  Fathers are equally confused about how to lead our growing daughters with strength and how to protect their hearts from the voices that threaten their unique feminine design.  Men's Roundtable is hosting an event that will give dads and daughters alike an opportunity to enjoy one another and be reminded of the beauty of God's design for each of us. 

This year's 4th Annual Daddy Daughter Dance promises to be a night to remember!  It is a perfect opportunity for dads to date their daughters and set the bar high for the future.  Dads are encouraged to start the night off right on a dinner date with your special girl (or girls), then finish strong with desserts and dancing at 7:00 PM at Larkin's Sawmill (directions).  Email us any questions you have and let us know how we can make this night perfect for you and your daughters.  And please feel free to invite anyone you think may be interested in joining us.  Can't wait to see you there!


Register online at www.mensroundtable.org/daddy-daughter-dance-2012.

Come join us at a new location:

Larkin's Sawmill at North Main
Friday, April 27th, 2012
Dance starts at 7pm

The Beauty of Her Heart

One of the things that I have found to be challenging in raising a future women is teaching and training a healthy view of beauty.  Since a very young age comments have been made by very well-meaning people about my daughter's appearance.  Things like:  “You are such a pretty girl”, “She is so cute”, “What a cute bow”.  Yes, she is cute but that isn’t the thing I want her to focus on.   Proverbs 21:30 says  Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,   But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.  As a mom, I want to focus on characteristics that will remain.

In the Ezer curriculum, we read that God creates women with a unique capacity to reflect His beauty and invite delight. 

“When we come to the nature of femininity, we find that God’s writing is not just in the sky, on the earth, and under the sea, but all the way down to the female DNA. Biblical femininity is uniquely designed to reflect God’s heart of invitation.  Women give voice at an essential level to God’s yearning desire to promote delight, welcome refuge, and catch the eye towards beauty.  Something about her person-hood is stamped with a desire to be looked upon with delight.  This can turn in on itself and become vanity, self-worship, or even exploited.  Nevertheless, in its original creation and redeemed condition, the inviting impulse beats right from the heart of its Creator - God.”

In an attempt to help teach balance to this topic, our family has used the following concrete, hands-on activity to start a dialogue around beauty and its right place in a girl or women’s life.

Admire the beauty created by God

Start with a heart shaped vase, filled with pretty cut flowers.  Admire the flower’s beauty, talk about how they are created by God to be beautiful.  Enjoy the way they add delight to the day, appreciate God’s workmanship in them. 

Recognize that the beauty fades

After the beauty has faded away, the heart remains

As the flowers continue to die and fade, take about Proverbs 31:30 and how beauty fades.  It will be evident to show how the flowers are not the same as they were and that this is true about our beauty.  Once the flowers die, the heart shape vase will be all that remains.  It will be a concrete way to share that we want to focus on the heart, we desire to appreciate that God has created us to reflect His beauty.  We should have a healthy respect that we are His workmanship, we were created by Him.  But that we should not allow it to become an idol, that we value our appearance over our heart.    

Enjoy this Valentine’s Day with your daughter.  Celebrate the beauty around you and remember to focus on her heart and her unique capacity to reflect God in a way that is uniquely feminine and uniquely hers.

- Lee Anne Cavin, Children's Ministry Director

Welcome, Tracy!

We welcome Tracy West to the Grace Church Children’s Ministry Staff!  Tracy has joined the staff this week as our Elementary Coordinator.  A graduate of Anderson University, Tracy brings years of ministry experience in equipping gospel-center ministries as well as the local church, a passion for the Lord and an artistic gifting to the team.  Please introduce yourself to Tracy and welcome her to our body.

-Children's Ministry Staff