Closing Out April

The month of April draws to a close, and we have an average attendance of about 100 kids coming to the Wednesday night CityKidz' Stories program...amazing!  With so many kids here we had to split the program up into two shows on Wednesday night.  The younger kids go to a 6:15pm show and the older kids come in for the second show around 6:45pm.  Each show confronts a problem in their neighborhood, one they are familiar with, and teaches them how Jesus and scripture are the answer!

Our audience grew quite a bit, and pretty quick!  Part of it has to do with the van drivers.  We have a group of wonderful volunteer van drivers that truly love these kids.  They run the same routes Wednesdays and Sundays, making them a consistent figure in their lives.  This allows them to develop a relationship with the kids, one of care and respect.  Not only that, but the drivers are always on the lookout for new kids on their route.  They invite new kids to load up with the rest of the crew for a night at Citychurch.  A big thanks and "job well done" to the serving hearts of our van drivers.

Another part of the growth comes by word of mouth.  The kids are attending and having  a blast.  They know this is a safe place where the adults love and care for them.  They know they will have a chance to enjoy a warm, filling meal.  They know they will have fun in the park and enjoy watching a puppet show that mocks the bad things they see in the neighborhood.  And they know they will hear about God's love for them through Jesus...true hope.  Deep down this is what they are seeking.  So, they share what they experience here with their friends.  They invite them along and before you know it we are having to add another van to a route, add another show, cook more food and pray for more volunteers who will care about the lost.

April is coming to an end this week.  The month of May will see two more Wednesday night programs, then we will spend some time creating a fresh look to take us through the summer!  There is plenty of work to be done, and plenty of outreach to look forward to! 

Of course all bragging rights go directly to our Lord.  Without His grace none of this can be accomplished.  Jesus is who we glorify here, knowing His love for us and the kids is what drive us to share, it is the only thing that can be trusted in and the only reason we can have any hope.

-Jeremy

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CityKidz' Stories - Media

Citychurch has hosted two more CityKidz' Stories programs since the last post, and both shows brought kids to the acceptance of Jesus!

Two Wednesdays ago the episode dealt with fighting and turmoil in the home and neighborhood.  Something we notice with these kids is they never see conflict worked out.  There will be constant turmoil in their house between everyone, anger just builds on one thing after the other until someone has enough, then they are gone.  But we communicated to the kids through CityKidz' Stories, that God doesn't want us living in constant anger towards each other.  We shared the message that is so dominate in the Bible, "Lover your neighbor as yourself."   We also shared Paul's warning to us, how if we don't love each other, we will end up devouring one another!

This last Wednesday we saw the reappearance of the Bad Habit.  The problem wasn't cussing, but stealing.  The kids also heard a story illustration about a kid who stole so much his hands grew to big to carry!  But both illustrations were worked out through Ephesians 4:28.  The kids learned that God wants us to use our hands for working and providing for other instead of stealing from them.

Here you will find the commercial for "The No Kill Shelter for Bad Habits" which was shown as part of the program for the kids this last Wednesday night.

Below is a doodle book that illustrates a story about William, a boy who couldn't stop stealing.

Good Times!

-Jeremy

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Spring Break 2011!

I have to admit, this blog has been quiet for the last two weeks, but for very good reason.  Last week we were wrapped up in preparing for the work God had planned for spring break, and what a great work it was!

Our youth group just returned last night from their mission trip to McKinney, Texas where they reached out into neighborhoods to share the gospel.  They worked a VBS there over a three day period using crafts, puppets and teaching, sports and the Bass Monster to share God's love through Christ.  Stay tuned next week for a deeper report on that trip!

But just because our youth were gone with several of the church's adults, doesn't mean we kicked back and rested here.  God had plans for our entire outreach program here and McKinney!  Starting this last Monday all the way through Thursday we worked our neighborhoods with lunch and ministry in the streets, loving on the regular kids that attend and reaching out to any we could find!  On top of that, we held VBS in our park across the street down here on Polk and 2nd.

We fed around 300 lunches a day this week, and hosted over 150 kids from the neighborhoods at the VBS.  Every lunch sack contained a well rounded meal, with something warm, fruit, juice, dessert, and of course popcorn.  It also contained the "Lost Son" story from the Bible, which, whenthe child came to VBS, would see it acted out by Mr. O.T. Hinklee, his son N.T. and a few other of the puppet friends from Wednesday night's program.

Citychurch also hosted over 150 youth volunteers from local churches, a group from Burleson, Texas and even a group from Alaska!  All week these youth had a chance to clean, cook and sack the lunches, and deliver them to the kids at lunchtime out in the neighborhood.  After lunches were delivered each day, they returned to the park where they would have the chance to become a best friend to any of the many kids here for VBS.

 

At VBS the CityKidz' Stories troupe acted out the "Lost Son" story told by Jesus.  We also used crafts, had a small group teaching time, and a recreation time to teach the kids about the love God has for them, and His desire for them to know Him through believing in Jesus.  Every kid had an opportunity to pray and receive Jesus into their heart and many were saved!

But the program doesn't end there.  We know where these kids can be found so we can continue to minister to them and their families and teach them how they can live a new life loving God!  After the major work accomplished this week, glory and credit can only be given to God.  Both programs were a success and we have no doubt that His love shines through for these kids.  Thanks to God, supporters and volunteers.  The kids from the neighborhood and us here at Citychurch appreciate you!

-Jeremy

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CityKidz' Stories - Episode 4

Our fourth installment of CityKidz' Stories was a success!  Why?  Because kids heard the message of Christ and were given an opportunity to accept Him as their savior!  Not just the little kids, but the youth as well.

Again this week we used art, music and video creatively to reach into their minds and hearts and show them a fresh look at who God is, how He feels about them, and how our lives can change by desiring to follow His way of life.

As always, it is a blast to see each program through, and not only do the kids enjoy it, but the adults as well!  You can watch two of the videos used as teaching tools for the kids last night by clicking the links below!

This video was used as a commercial produced by Rantz the dog puppet to recruit Lil' Morris to his DOJO.  Once there he taught him the only way to solve problems was to fight, fight, fight!

This video is another segment of Mr. Hinklee's Doodle Book, where he illustrated the lesson of being under Jesus' control in all situations, instead of reacting uncontrollably.

-Jeremy

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New, For the Heart of the City!

You have been reading about CityKidz' Stories here at the blog for the last several weeks, now you can go watch our show that tells all about it!  Go watch it!  Now!

For the Heart of the City - CityKidz' Stories

-Jeremy

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"Illustrating" the Word

We wrapped up another Wednesday afternoon outreach here at the church with more fruit added to the tree!  If you remember, not only do we host a children's program, complete with a ride to the church, a meal and the CityKidz' Stories Bible lesson, but we also host a program for the youth of the neighborhood, which also involves a ride to the church from the youth's school, a meal and a Bible lesson as well.

This week's content?  Fruit-bearing trees.

In the children's lesson, Mr. O.T. Hinklee and the Bass Monster shared with the Green Van Villain Gang and the kids in the audience that God created us to bear good fruit for Him, just like a fruit tree was created to bear fruit.  The lesson covered Psalm 1 and Mr. Hinklee illustrated what happens to a fruit tree when it is fed poison and not nurtured and compared it to a fruit tree that was well cared for and fed the right things.  The illustration was done in his "Doodlebook" and you can watch the film the kids saw below.  As the film played, Mr. Hinklee spoke, telling the kids what was being drawn.

After the video, the kids learned to be aware of the music they listen to, the television shows they watch and what they view on the internet.  They were encouraged to "feed" themselves with songs, shows and books of God and His things so they might grow to produce good fruit.

Donnie used art and illustration with the youth to discuss living a life full of fruit for God versus being an empty hollow shell, which produces nothing.  He used this illustration first to share the gospel, then to encourage those who know Christ to really chase after Him and live for His glory.  Then they were offered a chance to sign up for a Disciple Now weekend which would prepare them to go to other neighborhoods and share their testimony!

I feel like this week we pulled out the creative guns for God!  Both programs made use of music and different forms of art, from sketching, stencils and spray paint, and even works with oil paints.  The kids program involved puppets and fully costumed characters, and the Bass Monster.

Why?  To give a fresh look at the words of God from scripture.  We hope to share His words using as much of our collective, creative talent as we can muster.  This is one topic we discuss here at the church, when you go into the neighborhoods, there is a complete lack of positive creativity and design.  We have seen the fruit in using creativity, and encouraging creativity amongst the kids.  Just another tool God allows us to use in sharing His love!

-Jeremy

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CityKidz' Stories - Episode 2!

Last night CityKidz' Stories performed Episode 2 "Bad Habit" for the children from the neighborhood.  The same schedule is played through every Wednesday, kids are picked up from their house, dropped off here at the church.  From there they go to the cafe and eat a wholesome meal, then move into the auditorium for the start of the show!

This week a new creature made it's debut, "The Bad Habit"!  The show started off with Lil' Morris trying to ditch this little critter.  Mr. Hinklee and the Bass Monster tried to warn Lil' Morris that bad habits aren't so easily dropped!  Sure enough, The Green Van Villain Gang shows up, with Lil' Morris AND the Bad Habit!  Not only is Lil' Morris back following the Bad Habit, but the whole gang is infected by it too!

But no worries, Bass Monster, as always, has the answer from scripture and what God tells us to do about those things that keep us from Him.  By the end of the night, the kids had learned that bad habits make us feel guilty, and unloved, which is a lie.  Instead we are each loved by God in spite of our bad habits, and if we want to end those habits, we can follow what James tells us in chapter 4 verse 7 of his book, "Submit to God...resist the Devil...he will flee!

The kids even had a chance to offer up some of there bad habits to God by placing them in a food dish for the Bass Monster to devour!

We had a lot of fun, but in the end it all comes to a serious point, do they know the free gift of God through Jesus?  There was a quiet moment at the end of the show, and the kids were taught they are dearly loved by God, and He wants them to know it!  They were taught how Jesus provides the way for us to be able to have that relationship with a God who has no bad habits.  During the invitation, over 10 kids went with counselors to pray and ask Jesus into their heart!

We can see God working in the hearts of these little ones.  When we do a show, kids are coming to know Christ, and seeds are being spread everywhere!  This is the main reason of us being here, to spread the message of love of God through Christ!

-Jeremy

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