New Year's Schedule
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Schedule update for the rest of December and January:
Thurday, December 31st will be our annual New Year's Eve celebration. Everyone is welcome. We start at 10pm in the sanctuary. The kids will be singing two songs - ones they know, and any of the kids can join in.
Friday, Jan 1 - There will be no cell. We will resume regular cell meetings on January 8. We will be scheduling a cell meeting where the parents are invited, probably on the 29th of January, which is a fifth Friday week.
Stay tuned for more info!
Posted byMichael J Mahoney at 6:21 AM 0 comments
Cell November 20 - Oppression and Repression
Saturday, November 21, 2009
A recent post on a blog I read as well as a news story I came across prompted a little change in the discussion this week.
We talked about "oppression" and "repression." When one oppresses someone else, they are looking to keep them down, prevent them from gaining any achievement, keep them in their place. When someone represses someone else, they are looking to change their message, stop their channels of communication, change their minds.
As examples, we talked about slavery in America. That was clearly oppression, and oppression of the worst kind. There have been other groups oppressed in our history; Italians, Irish, Jewish, Japanese, women. Even after slavery ended, the oppression didn't. But people fought back, rose up against it. Rosa Parks. Martin Luther King, Jr.
MLK is a special case, of course, because there were those who were afraid of his message. The wanted to repress what he was saying, to the point of taking his life.
Oppression and repression occur in the biblical narrative as well. The Jews were oppressed in Egypt. And the Pharisees tried to repress Jesus and His message.
One example of both is what happened during the Babylonian Captivity. The Israelites were oppressed by their Babylonian masters - an entire society enslaved, taken from their homes, brought to live somewhere else to be servants. But the Babylonian realized this wasn't enough. As long as the Israelites had faith in God, they were strong. The Babylonians sought to repress this hope, by outlawing prayer.
Some Jews fought back. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to stop praying to God, and faced death for it. They were tossed into a furnace so hot, that it burned up the guards who threw them in. But as the king watched, he saw four men walking around in the fire! When called the three young men came out unharmed!
Repression still happens today. Prayer in schools. Public religious displays. Street preaching. People living according to their beliefs. All are in danger in our times.
What can we do? Can we stand up to it?
Posted byMichael J Mahoney at 7:18 AM 0 comments
Labels: daniel, media, oppression, repression, righteousness
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Just a quick reminder of some calendar updates:
Friday, November 13th - KidzPort Movie Night.
Both children's cells will meet in the church for a movie night. We call "Action!!" at 7:20.
Friday, November 27th - Thanksgiving Weekend.
There will be no cell meetings on this date.
Saturday, December 19th - Christmas Cantata.
Our annual Christmas celebration will begin at 6pm. Rehearsal schedules will be announced shortly.
Posted byMichael J Mahoney at 9:14 AM 0 comments
Traffic Jams and Leadership Building
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
So this week we did a little stealth leadership training. The weapon of choice was a nifty little game called "Traffic Jam." Traffic Jam works like this: you set up two groups of four, and line up nine chairs. You seat each group at the end so it looks like this:
A B C D [empty] W X Y Z
Here are the rules. Each group has to move to the opposide side. Only one person can move at a time, and only to the next empty seat. You can only "jump over" someone coming in the opposite direction, and only jump one person. And no talking.
They did accomplish it, eventually. Then I laid some more rules on them:
You have to wind up in the same order you started, but on the opposite side. And you have to accomplish it in 24 moves. So really, they did not accomplish the desired result.
In other words, the result must be:
W X Y Z [empty] A B C D
After 50 moves, they still could not do it. So I told them that now they could talk. There was a lot of yelling and ordering going on, but after 50 moves they still didn't accomplish much.
So I told them that they could select a leader, and only that leader could speak. They got closer this time - a lot closer. But still, no joy.
Then I told them that I would be their leader, and I would direct them. Since I had the solution written down, it was easy - done in 24 moves exactly!
One kid asked me - what was the point? "I don't know." I said. "What happened?"
First, there were no clear directions - FAIL!!!
Then there were directions, but no communication - FAIL!!!
Then there was communication, but no organization. Just noise. - FAIL!!!
Then there was organization, but no plan. -- FAIL!!!
Finally, there was a leader with a vision, with authority, and with a plan - SUCCESS!!!
What can your leadership team learn from this example???
Posted byMichael J Mahoney at 7:54 AM 1 comments
Labels: fun, leadership, ministry
Cell October 2 - Rejection
Monday, October 5, 2009
Jacob has one of the most incredible stories in the entire Old Testament. Born the younger of twin brothers, the Bible tells us he came out holding the heel of his older brother, Esau. In fact, one meaning of Jacob's name is "leg-puller." This has kind of a dual meaning, as it can be taken literally, or figuratively. (A joker, a prankster.) Another meaning is "supplanter" or "one who takes the place of."
While Esau was strong and rugged, Jacob was small and fair. He preferred to spend time in the house with his mother. This led to Esau becoming the favorite of their father, Isaac. Jacob felt this rejection all his life.
Jacob was a trickster. He once tricked Esau out of his birthright for a bowl of soup. He also tricked Isaac (in Gen 27) into giving him Esau's blessing. Now Esau was mad, and threatened to kill Jacob once Isaac had died. Jacob, of course, ran away.
He met his mother's brother Laban, and fell in love with his daughter Rachel. Rachel was beautiful! Laban also had an older daughter, Leah, who was not. After having to work for seven years for Rachel's hand, Jacob was tricked into marrying Leah. Eventually, he gained the right to marry Rachel as well.
Now, Jacob himself rejected Leah, and she felt hated. Jacob was showing her the same rejection that he had received! So God stepped in - He made it so only Leah could have children at first.
Jacob went through a lot in the next few years. He tricked Laban out of some of his flock, and Laban grew angry as well. Eventually Jacob left and wanted to go back home, but found out Esau was near, with an army of 400 men! Afraid, Jacob sent his family on, while he waited for Esau, and prayed to God. Eventually, he met a strange man who wrestled with him all night. Jacob demanded a blessing from the man, who told him from this day forth, he would be called Israel, which means "one who struggles with God." That "man" was actually God's own angel!! Jacob named that place Peniel.
Jacob soon met Esau, who instead of trying to kill him, embraced his brother warmly. Jacob grew old, and became one of the fathers of the Hebrews, and of Christianity.
Posted byMichael J Mahoney at 8:44 AM 0 comments
Labels: forgiveness, jacob
Cell September 25 - Choices
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
This week, we had the same lesson in Cell as we did in KidzPort. So head on over there for the recap.
Posted byMichael J Mahoney at 7:31 AM 0 comments
KidzPort Revival is Coming!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
- We're having Studio-Z come down from Zion Bible College. Studio-Z is a great children's ministry that does worship ministry using music, drama, puppets, media and more. We are so excited to have them.
- Sunday's service is going to be "KidzFriendly!" meaning that the whole service is going to be built around kids! Studio-Z will be leading worship, plus we will have a special speaker from Zion Bible College. Be sure to be there.
The weekend begins on Friday night with our weekly Cell groups - 7:15 in the KidzPort building. Sign in for Saturday starts at 9am. The program starts at 10am, and there will be a family celebration at 4pm.
Are you on Facebook? Let us know you're coming!!
Keep checking for more details. Oh, and EVERYONE is welcome!!! .jpg)
Posted byMichael J Mahoney at 6:53 AM 0 comments
Labels: children, Events, family, revival
