30 Things Your Family Can Do Together This Fall!

Serve together: Rake leaves, carve a few pumpkins or take some mums and place them on peoples door steps, take hot chocolate to the librarians, etc.


Carve Pumpkins

Dress up as a family with a theme for  Halloween


Go to a corn maze (this is my favorite:http://www.explorationacres.com/)


Go on a scavenger hunt


Have a bonfire and make smores


Camp out in the back yard and catch lightning bugs


Go putt putting


Go to the zoo



Go through old shoes and coats that don't fit anymore and donate them along with books and toys.


Bake something together


The whole month of October keep a jar where you write something you're thankful for on a piece of paper and put it in then open it on Thanksgiving to remind eachother of blessings.


Bob for apples


Make Caramel Apples


Go to a pumpkin patch and go on a hayride

Paint Pumpkins

Go on a picnic with a thermos of warm apple cider


Play in the rain

Tailgate with your family for a football game

Go to a highschool football game with your face painted and cheer on the team

Make a scarecrow together


Have a night where you don't use electricity and you use candles for lights and you sleep in the living room together while playing a game. (have a fire place? Roast marshmallows inside!)

Read fall books together (here are some ideas: http://www.sidetrackedsarah.com/2012/10/fall-reading-list-kids/)

Paint pictures outside of trees

Go to a farmers market

Visit a farm

Jump in a big pile of leaves

Visit a local festival

Buy disposable cameras and have everyone take a roll of photos, have them developed and give awards for best, funny, or unique photos

Make a craft for an elderly neighbor and deliver it with warm, fresh baked bread or a pie


WHY? To create memories together and celebrate being a family together!

What other ideas do you have?

July in the Greenhouse and REV56

July Series: WE Serve

July 7: We Serve Our Neighbors.

A Samaritan man helped a hurt neighbor. Luke 10:25-37 Ask: Jesus tells us to be like the neighbor who shows love to others, even when it’s hard. How can we show love to everyone better-even those that it’s hard to get along with?

 

July 14: We Serve Our Neighbors.

Rebekah showed kindness to Abraham’s servant. Genesis 24:12-27

Ask: How can we go above and beyond to live for the other person’s good?

 

July 21: We Serve our Community.

Zacchaeus gave to his community. Luke 19:1-10

Ask: What’s something you have done that you know is wrong? How can you make it right?

 

July 28: We Serve our Community.

Gideon led God’s people in battle. Judges 6:1-16; 7:9-21

Ask: God is counting on us to make the world around us a better place and for us to do great things. What ways can you make the world better?

SAVE THE DATE: FREEDOM BLOCK PARTY 6:30pm!

How Do You Add Value to Others?

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease about the people. ~ Matthew 4:23



When people think about you, do they say to themselves, "My life is better because of that person"? Their response probably answers the question of whether you are adding value to them. To succeed personally, you must try to help others. That's why Zig Ziglar says, "You can get everything in life you want if you help enough other people get what they want." How do you do that? How can you turn your focus from yourself and start adding value to others? You can do it by:

1. Putting others first in your thinking.
2. Finding out what others need.
3. Meeting that need with excellence and generosity.

Around Freedom, we have 2 phrases that speak well to this "living for the other person's good" and "find a need and fill it, find a hurt and heal it."

What can you do to add value to someone you know?







(Pulled from John Maxwell's "A Leader's Heart" 365 Devotional Journal)

10 Cultural Forces that are Dying and will Affect Children's Ministry

Here are 10 cultural forces that are dying.  Some of these are trying to stay alive, but their death is imminent.  These changes normally do not happen overnight, but over the course of several years.

And yes, they do affect your children's ministry because they are key indicators of cultural shifts.  These shifts affect the way we communicate with and reach out to kids and families.

NETWORK NEWS

Between 2002 and 2008, consumption of online news sources increased by one hundred percent, while broadcast network news has steadily declined.
  

MAGAZINES

Print magazines are on the edge of extinction.  Even the most popular magazines are down double digit percentage points.  That's because the content provided by magazines is now available to anyone with an Internet connection.

DIGITAL CAMERAS

Digital cameras are being replaced by phone cameras.  I recently talked to a picture developer and she told me the vast majority of pictures being printed professionally are from phone cameras.

PHYSICAL MEDIA

In the foreseeable future, all media will be digital.  Streaming will continue to replace DVD, Blue Ray, and CD.

NEWSPAPERS

Newspaper circulation is rapidly dropping as more and more people go online for news.

Newspaper ads generate 20 billion dollars a year compared to 70 billion ten years ago.  Google now pulls in more ad revenue than all US newspapers combined.  Newspapers will soon be a thing of the past.

TELEVISION

Televisions as monitors are not going anywhere.  Large flat screens still continue to sell quickly.  But the methods of receiving programming on television monitors is changing.

Companies like Netflix and Hulu are all pointing broadcast networks toward a new business model—one that does not require scheduled programming.

People no longer have to adhere to a network's programming schedule to get the content they want.  With on demand streaming, scheduled programming is losing ground each passing year.

LAND LINE PHONES

Cell phone usage has risen every year since they became available.  This has resulted in a large percentage of people dropping their land line altogether.

In 2012, the number of households with no land line was in the majority for the first time ever.   Many kids today have never used a phone that was not wireless.

DRIVE-IN THEATERS

At the height of their popularity in the 1950's, there were over 4,000 drive-in theaters in the U.S.  Today, only 366 remain.

CATALOGS

While there are still plenty of print catalogs still in circulation - their numbers are dwindling just as quickly as online catalogs proliferate.

All of the largest retailers have made the move to online, and the vast majority of print catalogs still in existence cater to niche markets, and even those serve largely as conduits to orders placed online.

VIDEO STORES

With movies available online, the days of the physical video store are numbered.  Blockbuster had over 3,000 stores 5 years ago.  Today less than 500 remain.

Some of my favorite Summer Activities with Kids





Hello Parents!
Summer vacation is here and I'm sure you're trying to think of some things you can do with the kiddos this summer. Well, here are some of my favorite things to do:

*Splash Parks: My favorites are Mulberry Fields in Zionsville and West Park in Carmel but here's a list of 20 in the Indianapolis area and they are all FREE! http://www.indywithkids.com/2011/07/water-spray-parks-free-in-indianapolis/

*Columbian Park Zoo: This is in Lafayette and FREE! A wonderful Zoo with splash area and a GREAT playground for kids of all ages and you can also catch a train ride! This is our favorite place to picnic as well! http://www.lafayette.in.gov/zoo/  (They also have Trop Cove which is a swimming pool with water slides but that's a small fee)

*Indianapolis Zoo: http://www.indyzoo.com/SitePages/home.aspx

*Children's Museum: http://www.childrensmuseum.org/

*Indiana Beach: http://indianabeach.com/ This is about an hour and 15 minutes away from Lebanon but let me tell you--the kids will take a great nap on the way home :)

*Putt Putt: http://www.precisionputtplus.com/ This is in Lafayette and a WONDERFUL outdoor course

*Bowling
          I really like this place in Noblesville where you can bowl and play putt putt! http://www.coopersstardustbowl.com/

*Paint Pottery: Pottery By You is such a fun place to go and pick an item to paint! SO FUN! http://www.pottery-by-you.com/

*Carmel Water Park: http://www.carmelclayparks.com/escape-mcc/facilities/the-waterpark#hours This is great with a lazy river and just a small fee!

*Frozen Yogurt: My favorite is Yo Joy which is a Christian environment with the freshest ingredients and fresh cookie dough-my fav! http://yojoyfrozenyogurt.com/

*Turkey Run State Park: http://www.turkeyrunstatepark.com/

*Go see a movie

*Great Times or Rascals Fun Zone: http://www.rascalsfunzone.com/# http://www.greatimesfunpark.com/

*And I would HIGHLY recommend Holiday World & Splashin' Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana and staying in a stationed rental rv or cabin at the neighbored Lake Rudolph Camping Resort!  http://www.holidayworld.com/  http://www.lakerudolph.com/ 

*Go to the park

*Fly a kite

*Go to the library--they have many activities for the kiddos!

*Go to Wal-mart and do a scavenger hunt!

*Make pizzas together for lunch

*Create an obstacle course for the kids, get some bubbles and sidewalk chalk, limit tv time and encourage reading or crafts

*Have a campout in the back yard or in the living room

*Participate in the 4th of July and 4H fair activities

*Serve somewhere as a family

*Create a home movie together

*Invite family and friends over for a cookout and ultimate kickball game

*Go fishing

*Take a walk on the canal downtown Indy, paddleboat and then visit the Star Wars exhibit at the Indiana State Museum

*Visit the Indiana Museum of Art

*Go to an Indianapolis Indians Game: http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t484

*Have a campfire and roast marshmallows and share stories

*Do a scavenger hunt



Those are just a few things to get you excited about summer vacation! Spend some time making memories with your kiddos... they will remember the time you took to invest in them and will have stories to tell their children and will continue the legacy you began.

Have fun this summer!
-Pastor Tiffany



What other ideas do you have?

6 Benefits of Serving in the Greenhouse

First of all, you’re joining a FAMILY.  You’re going to find you develop friendships with the people you serve with.  You’ll laugh together, share prayer requests, support each other, pray for each other and encourage each other.

You see, we weren’t meant to do the Christian life alone…and serving in Children's Ministry means you will be surrounded by friends who will walk with you on your journey.  You’re gaining a family.

You’re also getting ready to be a part of FUN.  Yep…that’s right.  Fun.  And lots of it.  No matter your age…there’s still a little kid inside you who wants to have fun.  And now that you’re a part of the Children's Ministry team…you can let that little kid out and have fun.  Laugh…smile…enjoy yourself.  Have a good time!

Another benefit of serving in Children's Ministry is FAITH.  You’re going to find your faith growing.  You see, serving is a key component of growing your faith.  So get ready to see your spiritual growth accelerate as you begin serving.

There’s something else you’re going to be part of by joining the team…and that’s a FOCUS.  We are focused on one thing – impacting our world with the love and message of Jesus Christ…everyone...everyday...everywhere.

This is WHY you will be serving.  This is why you will be holding babies in the nursery while worshipping with them, this is why you will be helping preschoolers get excited about hearing a message from the Bible in a creative way, this is why you will be greeting new kids and families, this is why you will be leading a small group of kids, this is why you will be running a computer presentation or sound board, this is why you will be high-fiving kids as they leave asking them the main point they learned, this is why you will be helping families check in, this is why you will be leading kids in worship, this is why you will be sharing a Bible story, this is why you will be helping keep the kids safe.

It’s so they can be impacted by the love and message of Jesus Christ…so they can discover the hope that's found in Him.  This is the focus of the team you are joining.  It’s a focus that’s worth giving your best to.

You’re also going to experience FULLNESS of joy.  There is a joy that comes from serving others.  It’s a deep, abiding joy that comes from knowing God is using your life to help other people.  You’re going to discover it truly is more joyful to give than to receive.  As you give yourself away...your joy will be full.

And finally…you are going to be a part of FRUIT.  The Bible tells us as Christians we are to bear fruit.  By fruit, it means helping other people come to Christ.  And boy did you pick a great place to bear fruit.

Did you know that 85% of people who come to Christ do so before the age of 18.  I believe the heart of a child is the most fertile soil in which to plant the Word of God.  Studies show children learn more in their early years than at any other time in life.

You’re going to see spiritual fruit. You’re going to see kids step across the line of faith and become lifelong followers of Christ.  You’re going to see kids immediately grab hold of what you share and begin to live it out.

And not only will you see the fruit now…but later as well as your ministry continues to bear fruit in their lives as they grow up.

So get ready to experience family…fun...your faith growing…a focus that matters…fullness of joy…and lots of fruit.

We're ready for you to jump in and try serving today.
Let's partner together to make a difference,
Pastor Tiffany



(Thank you Dale--you're an inspiration to me!)

MAY SERIES IN THE GREENHOUSE

Follow us on Facebook and check out our blog! www.thegreenhouseparents.blogspot.com

May Series: REAL.ationships

May 5: Neighbors are friendly.

Abraham, Sarah & Visitors: Genesis 18:1-14 & 21:1-3

Ask: How can we be a better friend today?

Activity: Go to the park or store and say hi to others.

May 12: Neighbors are giving.

The Widow at Zarephath: 1 Kings 17:7-16

Ask: How are we going to bless someone today?

Activity: Give a local hero a special treat with card.

May 19: Neighbors are forgiving.

Jesus & Zacchaeus: Luke 19:1-10

Ask: Who do we need to forgive today?

Activity: Pray for that person.

May 26: Neighbors are welcoming.

Peter & Cornelius: Acts 10:1-43

                Ask: How can we accept others today?

                Activity: Draw a picture or write a letter to someone who is different from you.