Stirring Kids

Who do you need him to be this season?

2010-12-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

I like to write blogs, but more than that I like to read blogs. I follow a LOT of blogs about different things. Blogs about creative ideas, blogs about kids, blogs about leadership, blogs about church, blogs about family, blogs about animals, blogs about books. I love to read blogs. While reading one of my favorite blogs (Northpoint Church's Kids blog) I came across a question that completely stopped me. "Who do you need Jesus to be for your family this Christmas?" Each year, this church sends each family home with all of the ingredients to bake Jesus a birthday cake. In their blog, they made the point that Jesus came on Christmas to be our Savior, but he also meets the needs of his people every day.

So my question for YOU, is who do you need Jesus to be? For yourself? For your family? For your children? Who do you need him to be? Mighty God? Wonderful Counselor? Everlasting Father? Prince of Peace?

Isaiah 9:6 tells us that he is ALL of these... "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,... And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

My prayer is that God will show up exactly the way you need him to this Christmas season. That he will make the impossible possible. That he will give you wisdom. That he will show you how to forgive. That he will give you courage. Whatever you need, my friends, I pray that God shows himself to you in that precise way.

(If you're a parent at the Stirring, and would like to get our monthly e-mail that lists current events and contains a copy of our monthly take-home packet, please e-mail me at emily@thestirring.org.)

Worship

2010-11-24T14:15:00.000-08:00

All of our classes this Sunday learned all about Worship. The Toddlers made Praise-a-phones, as did the Pre-K class, and the 1st-5th graders made some pretty sweet Praise-shakers. The kids had a blast. I could hear singing and laughter from all of the rooms. It brought me so much joy. There's something so incredibly genuine and pure about children singing their praises to God. They don't hold back. They worship with their whole hearts. I captured the last little bit of the 1st-5th graders Worship time with Heide Cox. They were all having such a fun time, including the teachers. In fact, I'm not sure who was more into the song...

Why we worship.

2010-11-16T11:37:00.000-08:00

I spent a little bit of time in the Pre-K/Kindergarten classroom this past Sunday. What a fun age. These kids are so excited to learn, to share, to enjoy God and his promises for them. On Sunday, the kids were learning about Solomon and David, and their journey of building a temple for God. The lesson really landed on the idea of giving God our praise because He is SO worthy and SO good. At the end of the lesson, there was a response time, where children could come forward and collect a paper heart... here is what that heart signified to these kids:
"Today, if you feel that God is worthy of all your worship, then when you’re ready, you can come up, take a heart, and place it on the magnetic board. This heart is a way of telling others—and God—that you choose to worship God because He deserves your worship." -TruWonder Curriculum.

Our kids wanted to decorate their hearts first, so we whipped out the craft supplies, and had a God-heart decorating party!

I was so touch and moved to see these kids so freely giving their Worship to God, without hesitation. I asked one little girl what she was doing with the heart, and she simply replied "We are Worshiping God because he loves us. He ALWAYS loves us!" WOW. That blew my mind. These three, four and five year-olds get it. They're grasping ideas it takes adults YEARS to fully understand and believe. The things these kids are learning now are shaping their futures. What an honor and blessing to be part of each Sunday.

I was able to snap a few pictures of the kids decorating their God-hearts.

On a different note: We're looking for kid-sized (preK-elementary aged) animal costumes for a small "performance" the Stirring Kids will be doing for Christmas. Send me an e-mail if you have anything you think might work, and you'd be willing to let us borrow - emily@thestirring.org.

My favorite part of Sunday...

2010-11-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

I'm going to let you in on a little secret; I love snack time. There are so many parts to a Sunday morning in any given classroom: craft time, story time, activity/game time, Worship time, free play, bathroom time, and of course snack time. Here's my reason behind my love for snack time; there a distinct hush that falls over a group of children when a hand full of cheese-its are placed in front of them. Don't get me wrong, we've got some amazing teachers who truly captivate their classes during story time, leaving the children hanging on every word they speak, but it's just not the same as snack time. While in the Toddler room this Sunday morning, one of the teachers announced that it was snack time and that all of the children needed to begin cleaning up their toys before finding a seat at the large, colorful tables. I've never seen a classroom cleaned faster. Those toddlers scurried to get their puzzles, blocks and play-dough put away and raced for the snack table. Once seated, they waited patiently for their napkin, sippy up and snack to arrive. Like I said before, there are a number or parts to a typical Sunday in every class, but I'd venture to say that the most fine-tuned of these parts is the beloved snack time. Here are a few shots I snapped during my visit in the Toddler room. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!!

Holy, Holy, Holy....

2010-11-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

We've been loving watching the kids grow and learn more about God and His great love for them. One of our Preschool teachers had the great idea of recording some of the kids doing their "Remember Verse." Each month, the kids learn a new "Remember Verse" and are given the chance each week to recite it. Here's a group of the Preschoolers doing last week's. I love how excited they all get when it's their turn to say it, and the pride on their little faces when they've successfully completed their verse. I've got to say, our team is pretty amazing. I am so thankful for the men and women who are giving their lives to show these kids what it means to love God, love each other, love the world and love the least.

Best. Toy. Ever.

2010-10-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

A big shout out to Kathy Stainbrook! Our Toddler Room was rockin' on Sunday morning at both gatherings, and all because Kathy brought the world's greatest toy for the kids to play with: A GIANT cardboard box. They used it as an airplane, a cave, a fort, a hiding place, a napping place... and so much more. Here's a picture of some of our 11:00 kids exploring the wonders of the box.

Stirring Kids Happenings

2010-09-30T16:31:00.000-07:00

We're now a month into our new curriculum, Tru, and the kids, teachers and parents alike are loving it! Here's a picture of our 11:00 first - fifth grade class in a fort they built for their lesson on Abraham and Isaac. I'm not sure who had more fun; the kids or the teachers!

We are also two weeks into our back-to-back services with Stirring Kids. Both Sundays we've had 100+ kids, so needless to say we've been busy, but the Stirring Kids team has been on it, making the overlap pretty much flawless!

I'm still finding it hard to believe that it's October (well, as of tomorrow) and we're seeing 100* weather!

So long Summer!

2010-08-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

Change is in the air, and the Stirring Kids team couldn’t be more excited! Here are a few dates to put on the calendar:

-August 29th: the 5:00 Stirring Kids (Toddlers-5th Grade) will be having a Water Day to end the summer with a SPLASH! Kids need to bring a towel and a dry change of clothes.

-September 5th kicks off the Fall semester. We are looking for people to help with Stirring Kids this Fall. If you love kids and you're wanting to get more involved, this would be a great way to give your life away! E-mail emily@thestirring.org for more information.

-September 7th: Stirring Life- An informational meeting to hear the heart and vision of the Stirring. We will be meeting from 6:00-8:00 at Vineyard Church on Bechelli Lane. Childcare will be provided for children through 5 years of age. Please contact amy@thestirring.org if you are planning to bring your kids.

-September 19th: We will be moving to 4 gatherings (9am, 11am, 5pm, 7pm) with Stirring Kids offered only at the 9am and 11am gatherings.
This week will also kick off our Fall Life Groups! Be sure to grab a Life Group list, and get connected!

As always, here are a couple pictures I snapped...

Summer Happenings

2010-07-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's July already! June seemed to whiz right on by, bringing with it crazy rain storms, and scorching heat! The Stirring Kids stayed busy with Father's Day and Graduation festivities. We took a day to celebrate all of our children completing a year in school. As a team, we prayed over all of the kids, asking the Lord to continue growing them in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God and all the people. It was a sweet moment to see the excitement in their faces as they realized they were growing just the way Luke 2:52 says Jesus grew!

Coming this month:
-Jesus Party (for Jr. High students) is in full swing.
-Our summer Baptism will be happening July 30th.

Visit the website for more information on both.

Here are a few pictures of what the Stirring Kids have been up to the past few months.

Spring Time

2010-04-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung! The sun is out, quickly followed by the cloudy cover of rain, only to be followed by the warmth of the sun once again. The good news about the spring time is that it's not summer heat yet (and if you've been in Redding for the summer, you know what I'm talking about!!), but it's still sunny enough to get the kids outside to play. One of the treasures we adults often forget about during the cold winter months is the novelty of bubbles. Kids LOVE bubbles. While cleaning out our outdoor toy box, we stumbled upon a pack of bubbles. I thought it would be fun to pull them out for the kids, not thinking they would be much of a hit but figured I'd give it a try. Boy, was I way wrong. The kids FLIPPED for those bubbles. The Toddler class especially spent the entire outdoor time blowing, chasing and popping bubbles. I love the joy and laughter that come with the determination each time a new batch of bubbles is released. Think about what the world would be like if bubbles had the same effect on everyone... Here's a picture of Emilee, one of our AMAZING leaders at our PM campus entertaining a group of Toddlers. I could have sat out there all day and snapped pictures!

One thing for Stirring parents to remember: We're going to be setting aside time at our May 23rd gathering for Child Dedication. If you're interested in dedicating your child to God or have any questions please shoot me an email at emily@thestirring.org

Dear Jesus...

2009-12-22T14:00:00.001-08:00

Right around this time of the year we really begin talking about Jesus with the kids. We really want them to leave on the Sundays leading up to Christmas with a firm understanding of WHAT and WHO Christmas is all about. On this particular Sunday in the Pre-K/Kindergarten room, the kids were writing letters to their friends to share the love that Jesus has for them. Some of the girls at the PM gathering decided to write a "letter" to Jesus, about their love for Him. I got a great picture of a few of them with their "letter."

Merry Christmas everybody! I hope you have a blessed holiday.

Birthdays, quilts, puppets and MORE!

2009-11-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

I am constantly reminded of the tenderness and sincerity of children and their prayers. Just this past Sunday morning, I overheard the 1st-3rd graders praying for each other. I was extremely moved by how genuine and heartfelt their prayers were. I think we can really learn a lesson in love and compassion from these kids!! There was one special prayer on Sunday that melted my heart: All of the children joined in on praying for Elizabeth, the birthday girl. They prayed protection and happiness over her on her special day. Elizabeth is such a blessing to all of us, with her contagious laughter and joyous smile. Here's a picture I snapped of her with her best buddy, Ava.

The Kindergarten class was busy with a fun craft on Sunday. They were building a quilt out of construction paper squares. The kids each thought of one way God cares for them, then carefully illustrated their idea. Their teacher them came by and added a caption of this idea. Here are the proud students in front of their quilt.

The Kindergarten class at the 5:00 gathering was busy creating puppets! They had a blast decorating their puppets, gluing hair on them, and using them during their lesson that evening! Here's a picture that captured the moment:

As winter time approaches, it's fun to see the kids all bundled up in their jackets, scarves and hats. Here's one of the youngest members of the Stirring Kids dressed for the chilly occasion:

JUST A REMINDER:

This Sunday marks the Stirring Kids Thanksgiving celebration! We're planning a fun day with special crafts, games and food! If parents would like to participate, we'd love for you all to bring tasty snacks for the kids to share. Feel free to drop any food off with your child's teacher on Sunday. Let the celebration begin!!

We have FUN

2009-11-09T13:56:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, I took some time to chat with a few of the Stirring Kids. I asked them all the same question: What's your FAVORITE thing about coming to the Stirring? I believe that I got the same answer, more or less, from each child. Each of them said, in their own way, that their favorite thing about coming to the Stirring is that they have FUN. They told me how much FUN their teachers are, how much FUN Kids Worship is, how much FUN the crafts and lessons are. They all love having fun. One of the main goals we have here at the Stirring Kids, along with making disciples, is to create a place where KIDS can be KIDS. Where they can have fun, where they can laugh, where they can express their creativity and individuality, where they can make friends and a place where they are SAFE. I don't know about you, but it's sure hard for me to have fun in a place where I don't feel safe. We love. We make disciples. We have fun. Here are some pictures of just how much fun we have...

The ways we learn...

2009-11-02T15:43:00.000-08:00

The Stirring Kids team is composed of some of the most creative leaders I've ever known. Not only do these teachers love to come each Sunday and serve God by working with these incredible children, but they are also beyond creative with the ways they go about teaching the kids! In our 1st-3rd grade classroom, the teachers have a number or techniques for transforming ordinary Sunday School lessons into captivating adventures. Some days they use playdough to create memorable scenes from the lesson, other times they make murals to capture the main themes, one teacher even has the kids act out the best parts of the story. Here's a picture of two of our teachers taking advantage of not only the beautiful weather, but also the incredible creativity of our kids!

Over in the Toddler Room, story time is a huge part of the day. Many of the kids look forward to our big stack of story books each week. If you were to peek your head into this room at any time during the day, you'd see at least 3 kids gathered around a teacher, enjoying a story of their choice!

In the Pre-K room, our teachers often take a much more "hands-on" approach to learning. Whether it's worshiping with instruments or beading necklaces, our Pre-K kids are always having a blast. Here's a group shot, showcasing their lovely beading skills!

There really is no "one-size-fits-all" when it comes to teaching children. It is our highest priority to infuse every single lesson with passion, love and creativity.

Adventures with Elmo

2009-10-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

Meet Elmo. Elmo has become a regular favorite among the Toddler Room at our PM gathering. He goes just about everywhere the kids go. Elmo has a seat at the table for snack. He has a spot at the carpet for story time. He even gets to participate during craft time! Elmo enjoys the playground quite a bit. The only problem is there's only ONE Elmo, and about 10 kids. We have a room full of amazing toys: a train table, building blocks, a toy kitchen with tons of fake food, baby dolls galore, strollers, plastic animals, stuffed animals... the list goes on and on. But are any of the kids interested in any of these fantastic toys? Nope. What's the one and only toy the ALL want to play with at the same time? Yep, you guessed it, Elmo. I'm surprised all of his limbs are still intact. I snapped some awesome pictures of the kids with Elmo. He's such a trooper :)

God Made My Mouth

2009-10-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, the Toddler Room was full of joyful chatter and more laughter than normal. As I walked in, I found kids and teachers alike making silly faces at each other, and laughing hysterically. At first I was puzzled by this, until I noticed the title of Sunday's lesson: God Made My Mouth. The toddlers were simply exploring this creation which God had given them. It was so much fun to watch the kids as they explored what their mouths could do (they were blowing bubbles, making funny noises, making silly faces, eating- a huge favorite!) all the while thanking God for their mouth. I snapped a few great pictures of the kids in action.

As the weather begins to cool down, and kids begin to show up on Sundays with their new Winter jackets, I wanted to remind parents to label those jackets with your child's name, just in case it gets left behind!

Our future leaders

2009-09-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

Sunday was such a fun day for our kids. For the past month or so, the three older classes have been learning a few songs of worship, and on Sunday they got join the adults in the "big service" and show of their hard work. The worship team lead the song, and the kids joined right in. There's something special that happens when kids get up in front of the adults in church, and begin to worship. I see it in the eyes of the parents, in the eyes of the worship team, in the eyes of the teachers and especially in the eyes of the kids. There is a certain kind of joy that comes with watching kids play and worship together. Adults suddenly forget the worries and stresses that plagued them seconds before, and are overwhelmed with this joy. Teachers suddenly realize that, although the kids might not absorb every moral of every story, they ARE absorbing something so much more.

I, along with many others I'm sure, began to tear up when the kids got up there. I suddenly realized that these amazing, talented, loving children are our future leaders. Excitement and joy filled me when I remembered that I get to take part in shaping these mini leaders. They are so eager and willing to do the things that so many adults often question or avoid. I was reminded on Sunday of what it really means to have the faith of a child.

My quote of the week comes from little miss Addy Nickens...
Me: "Addy, you did SUCH a great job up there. I bet your mom and dad were really proud of you!"
Addy: "Yeah, I know they were! My mommy smiled REAL big at me. My mommy loves me. I love her too. You know who else I love?"
Me: "Who?"
Addy: "God. And He loves me too!"

She was so matter-of-fact about it. She loves God. No questions asked, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Addy Nickens loves God, and she knows with all her heart that God loves her too.

Here are some fun pictures of our littlest leaders here at the Stirring.

Discipleship

2009-09-08T11:39:00.001-07:00

Summer time is officially coming to an end, which means so many things: cooler weather, evening comes sooner, and school's back in session! Simpson students are back and ready to hang with our kids! I love seeing the students back and pumped to be around the kids again after a long and refreshing summer away. They all bring such a contagious energy with them! Our team is made up of people from across the board: high school students, college students, married people, single people, parents, teachers... all with one thing in common- they all have a love for children and a love for Christ. It's incredible to see the way Christ works in and through each of them to connect with the children each week. I love our team. I love watching them shape our children. It's so much more than just showing up to help for two hours each week... the time they spend with these kids will stay with them for a lifetime! Sundays are about discipleship and about teaching our kids how to love God, love each other, love the world and love the least. Sundays give us the time and the space to start an ongoing conversation with our kids about their relationship with God. My hope and prayer is that our kids are not only learning about God, but also beginning to develop their own relationship with Him. I am so thankful for the passionate and dedicated men and women that make up the Stirring Kids team. Here are a few pictures of the incredible teachers who are helping to shape our kids here at the Stirring.

Farewells and new beginnings

2009-08-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday marked the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year for many of our elementary age kids here at the Stirring. At our 10:00 gathering our 1st-5th grade classes celebrated with an End-Of-Summer-Water-Extravaganza! The kids had a blast, and kicked off the school year with a real SPLASH! On Sunday, we also said our final good-bye to Kristin Barber, the incredibly amazing 1st-3rd grade teacher. She's headed to Humboldt State University to finish up the Nursing Program there. She will be missed by her lovely class! As the kids enjoyed their snack on Sunday, they each got to share what grade they were going into, which school they attend, and what they were looking forward to MOST about school starting. Listening to them share their excitements about the up-coming school year was hysterical! They were excited about everything from getting new pencils to playing on the monkey bars! I'm so honored and blessed to be able to share this journey with these kids, and encourage them along the way. There's really nothing better than a new school year full of new possibilities! (Spoken like a true teacher, huh??)

The itty bitty "mother" of the Toddler Room

2009-08-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

Meet Avery. This precious girl is almost 2, and possibly one of the most gentle children I've ever met. One of her favorite things to do in the Toddler Room is to ensure that all of the other toddlers have the proper sippy cup. If ever a sippy cup is miss placed, Avery is the first to return it to it's owner. She is also the first to recognize if another child is drinking out of a cup that does not belong to him or her. It's so much fun to watch this little girl in motion. It's almost like she has some built in motherly instincts. She loves to pass out hugs, and is the first one to comfort a crying toddler. Avery has an older sister, Addy, in our Pre-K/Kindergarten class who is just as sweet and gentle as her younger sister. Addy brings a special kind of joy to the Pre-K class. She is so much fun to watch play and dance and sing with her fellow Kindergarteners. Both of these girls bring so many smiles to the faces of their teachers... we love having them in our Stirring Kids family!

The happiest time of the day!

2009-08-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

If you've spent any time in the Pre-K/Kindergarten room here at the Stirring, you'd know that snack time is not only the happiest time, but also the quietest time of the day. For nearly 110 minutes of the day, the Kindergarten room is booming with laughter, stories, singing, and the business of activity. But, for 20 minutes each week, there is an eerie silence that comes over the room... and it only comes when paper cups full of water, and napkins piled with cheese-its appear. My mom always told me that you know the food is good when nobody's talking. If this is true, those must be some DELICIOUS cheese-its! I love the dynamic of this classroom, and the incredibly intelligent children that pass through the doors each week. Each child brings so much personality and spunk to the room. Here are a few shots of this weeks snack-helpers. I must tell you, Susan (the amazing teacher in this room) does such a fantastic job of pitching these fun little jobs to the kids. Susan waits patiently for her rowdy students to settle into their multi-colored tables, and as they do, she picks the kids who are sitting quietly to help with snack. Each week, three helpers are picked: 1. hand sanitizer dispenser, 2. paper cup dispenser, 3. napkin dispenser. The kids love to help, and enjoy the praise they receive from their teachers. Davey was extra stoked this week to be passing out the cups. He's such a sweet boy! Madison was totally focused on her duties... I could hardly get her to take a break for a picture :) Lily, on the other hand, was posed and ready when she saw the camera coming her way. Such responsible little children we have!

A few ways to beat the HEAT!

2009-07-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

It's officially summer time in Redding, and with that comes the scorching heat! The blazing temperature of 108 on Sunday kept most of the kids classroom bound and after a while, they start to get a bit on the restless side. Here's a sneak peak into the ways some of our kids stayed entertained!

With Alicia, it was quite easy! She's discovered her feet, and they kept her occupied all day long!

Once Addison found her favorite baby doll, she was utterly content!

Here's a group shot of our creative design team of Toddlers! They were busy getting in touch with their artistic side!!

We had a first time visitor in the Infant room on Sunday. Thanks to our incredible team of baby experts, and one trusty "Love Bug" Malea was one happy girl! We hope she'll be back soon :)

He's a movin' man!

2009-07-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

Meet Aiden. He's nearly 2 and is quite the mover and shaker! As soon as he's dropped off each Sunday, he begins his weekly routine of rearranging the classroom! In this picture, he was moving all of the chairs to the other side of the room. We always know he's working hard when we hear a little grunt or two coming from his direction. With Aiden in the Toddler room, there is never a dull moment and always a mighty clean up necessary!

While the parents are away, the kids will PLAY!

2009-07-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the twins! Josh and Aiden turned 4 last week. Happy Birthday boys. You are so loved by so many!

Here's Zoe playing an intense game of hide-and-seek...

The kids LOVE it when the weather's cool enough to play outside. Here's a bunch of them crammed into the cute little club house.

Marty the snack stealer

2009-07-13T12:07:00.001-07:00

Meet Marty. Or as we like to call him in the Toddler room, Marty the snack stealer! We caught him red handed in this picture. I must admit, he's quite sneaky about his snack-stealing tactics. He first starts off with devouring his own share of snack (usually goldfish crackers), and then quickly makes his rounds. While the other kids have their backs turned, he sneaks a handful or two of their snack. He's a riot to watch. And nobody ever catches him... it's like he's the masked snack bandit! I've got to add that Marty's mom isn't withholding food from her son, and that he's not a starving child... he just can't get enough of those tasty goldfish crackers!!!

Vacation Bible School!

2009-07-07T11:08:00.000-07:00

Redding First Church was gracious enough to extend an invitation for their VBS to the Stirring children.

It starts Monday, July 13th and goes through Friday, July 17th.

The fun begins at 9:00 and goes until noon each day.

It is free of charge and children in Preschool (must be potty trained) through 6th grade are welcome!

Please e-mail kids@thestirring.org or visit www.reddingfirst.org for more information about getting your child registered.

Toddler Handyman

2009-06-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

Meet Toby. Toby is almost three years old and has already stepped into his calling in the Toddler Room as the local handyman. Every week it's the same: his parents, Aaron and Sarah, drop him off in his classroom and he immediately searches until he finds his trusty drill. From then on, you can find Toby "fixing" various objects throughout the room. Sometimes it's the play kitchen, other times it's the giant red table. Each time Toby finds his "broken" object, he says the same thing; "I fix it!! I fix it!!" And sure enough, with the help of his Little Tyke drill, he does indeed fix it. Now, Toby's favorite thing to fix, by far, is the small gate that is used to keep all of our energetic toddlers from dashing to their freedom with each opening of the classroom door. I'm fairly certain that Toby is plotting his grand escape, and he plans on using his handy-dandy plastic power drill.

Summer Fun

2009-06-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

Summer time just keeps on racing by. July is quickly approaching, and with that comes more BBQs!
-On July 10th, the Cable's are putting together a BBQ for the single mom's in our community. There will be water games, burgers and hot dogs provided. Please bring a side to share with everybody. The fun begins at 5. RSVP to Chris and Cassie Cable at 244-4282 or ccjjcable0622@charter.net. For more information on this event and all other upcoming events going on this summer, please check out the web site.

A HUGE thank you to the Gafners and their crew who made the Father's Day lunch happen after the 10:00 service on Sunday.

Here are some pictures of the fathers we celebrated!

Sunshine and static cling!

2009-06-16T10:59:00.000-07:00

Aiden was totally committed to his game of hide-and-seek.

The 4th-5th grade class hard at work :)

Gavin was eating on the run! He's quite a mover and a shaker!

Isn't this picture amazing? Props to Mackenzie for capturing the moment!

Don't forget to head over to the Hayes' this Friday for the BBQ. The fun begins at 6:00. Bring your own burgers and a side to share! You can go HERE for more information.
Don't forget that this Sunday is Father's Day! To celebrate and honor all of our fathers at the Stirring, we'll be doing a few special things: At the Eureka Way Campus there will be a delicious tri-tip lunch provided after the service. At the Bechelli Campus we will be blessing our fathers with tasty rootbeer floats! If you're a father (or if you know one) you can't miss this Sunday!

Graduation, BBQs and more!

2009-06-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

It's officially summer time, and the Stirring Kids team sure knows how to kick the summer off with a bang! On May 31st, we celebrated the Stirring Kids Graduation. This day was packed full of food (a BIG thank you to the families who generously donated the delicious food!), games, crafts, balloons, diplomas, and more! Every student from Pre-K through 5th grade got to celebrate the beginning of a new Sunday School year, but the day was particularly special for the children going into 1st grade, 4th grade and 6th grade because this day marked the journey into a new classroom.

There's so much going on this summer, but a few upcoming events that I wanted to highlight (and invite you to attend!) include the Friday Night BBQ at the Hayes. There will be several throughout the summer, but the next one is coming up! June 19th at 6 pm. Also, in July we'll be having a Single Mom's BBQ. There will be water games, and much fun to be had, so be sure to click here for more information.

Here are a few pictures from the Graduation Extravaganza.

Mackenzie and Shannon were so brave to paint with the Toddler class. The kids LOVED it!

Here's the wild-n-crazy 1st-3rd grade class enjoying the sunshine.

Our PreK-Kindergarten class has so much character. This class of 25+ kids is sure to keep you on your toes!

Parent's Winter Newsletter

2008-11-19T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hello Stirring Parents!

We hope that this newsletter finds you well! We wanted to update you on what’s happening in the next couple months. As of October, Emily Branca became the leader for Stirring Kids on both campuses. She’s been coordinating the amazing leaders working with your children, organizing the curriculum they use, and pouring so much love and work into Stirring Kids to make it what it is today. Please let her and all the teachers and helpers know how much you appreciate them!

New Number System

As of November 16^th, we have a new “alert” system for parents. If your assistance is needed by the Stirring Kid’s staff during the service, your wristband color and number will appear at the bottom left hand corner of the screen(s). Please go directly to your child’s room to see what is needed.

Messy Business

With all the sickness going around , we want to remind you of our Illness Policy. If your child has a fever, diarrhea, is vomiting, has a severe cough or green runny nose please keep your child with you. This is especially important with the younger ages as they share a lot of the same toys and put the toys in their mouth. Also, please know that the toys are consistently sanitized before and after the children play with them. We are also going to be asking that if your child is two and a half or older, is still in diapers and has a bowel movement that you come change their diaper. Thank you for understanding.

Kid’s Christmas

Cassie Cable has been doing an incredible job leading our 3 year old – 5th grade kids in worship every week. She has been teaching them to worship with flags, movements, and dancing. On December 14^th, we will be having the Stirring Kids lead the 10am & 5pm gatherings with a couple of their favorite Christmas songs. Please practice the songs with your kids and have them there 15 minutes early on the 14^th to get prepared.

Mom’s Group

Every Tuesday and Friday our Stirring Moms get together with or without kids to encourage, laugh, and share stories. Grab a schedule at the Community Life table or call Erica @ 921-3737 for more information .

Thank you for giving us the privilege of teaching your children about Christ!

For more information, please call the Stirring @ 510-1990 or email kids@thestirring.org.

The Stirring Kids need your help!

2008-10-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

The church plant (countdown: 10 days!) kid's rooms are in need of the following items . If any Stirring Parents have these laying around your house, not being used, in good condition - please let us know!

Infant Room: Changing table, Pack-n-Play (portable crib or any kind), “Push” toys for newly walking children, Stackable blocks, Teething toys, Rattles, Books

Toddler Room: Table and chairs, Changing table, Baby dolls with clothes, Large Legos ,Books, Rocking chair, Kitchen set, Puzzles (age appropriate), Arts & Crafts

PreK-Kindergarten: Table and chairs, Puzzles, Large Legos, Trucks/Cars, Baby dolls with clothes, Kitchen set, Books, Board games (age appropriate), Arts & Crafts

1st-5th Grade: Board Games, Mancala, Jenga, Twister, Legos, Dress-up clothes, Arts & Crafts

In each room we would love to have a portable CD player. Thanks!

Stirring kids at our new church plant

2008-09-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard we are planting a Sunday morning church October 12th. It will meet here at 10am on Sundays. We are calling this location our Eureka campus. We will have the same great classes for your kids that we have available for kids right now at our Bechelli campus.
Infants
Toddlers
Pre-K to Kindergarten
1-3 grade
4-5 grade
I can't wait to see all the new kids God will bring to us at this new location. What an exciting time to shape our children into what it looks like to follow Jesus!

Welcome to the Stirring Kids Blog

2008-09-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

content coming soon...