Thursday, April 26, 2012

KIDS!! Please let me know if you are ready to answer more catechism questions!! SUNDAY, MAY 6, is CATECHISM CLUB MEMBERS RECOGNITION DAY!! Awards will be given based in 15 learned question increments - 15, 30, 45, 60, 75. 


Sunday School Teachers: your curriculum is in! You may come by the office to get it, or I will be happy to deliver it to you. Please let me know - sherlie@madisonheightschurch.com

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

April/May Newsletter

KINGDOM KRIER
From the Children’s Ministry of Madison Heights Church April/May 2012

IT’S TIME!!
July 9-11 are the dates for our second annual Arts & Sports Camp! We will meet at St Joe again this year from 8:30-11:45 each morning. All children from rising 4K to rising 6th grade are invited to attend and encouraged to pre- register. You may register online - madisonheightschurch.com, go to Ministries, 
and find the links under Kingdom Kids. Forms are also available at the church office and in the foyer each Sunday. Our ASC team has already begun planning to make this year even better than last! Some new things to look for:
•This year’s theme is Hall of Fame. Our focus text will be Hebrews 11-12:2.
•Brilla Soccer Ministries, a minor
league soccer franchise based in

Clinton, MS, will be our mission focus. Some of Brilla’s guys will join us as soccer coaches during the camp. You can visit their website at msbrillafc.org to learn more about them!
•This year’s ASC will include three blocks - that means every child will be able to choose three different activities to experience each day, instead of only two.
•All activities have been evaluated and “tweaked” in needed areas to meet the needs of our kids.
•Our new youth pastor’s wife, Molly, will be leading our music. She’s already planning!

Please pray about how you will be involved in this community event. WE NEED
YOU! I ask that you prayerfully consider taking these three mornings off work to help share the love of Christ with our Covenant and neighborhood children. If you work in any capacity of Arts & Sports Camp, your child(ren) will be allowed to participate in Mini- Camp, for birth-3. Two and three year olds will be involved in Rally Time, games, crafts, music, and more. If you are not able to help with ASC, please remember us often in prayer.
Looking forward with great hope and anticipation to what the Lord has in store for us in July! Sherlie


Nursery News: Welcome Jabus Coetsee, Harper Martin, and Jacob Sullivan!!
Thank you to of all you who help make our nursery run smoothly! You are a blessing!!!


Catechism Club
Sunday, May 6
Awards Day!!

During the morning service of May 6, the children who are in the Catechism Club will be recognized and given awards for their hard work. Awards will be given by categories to those who have recited 1-15, 16-30, 31-45, and 46-60. Below are the members of the Catechism Club:
.
15: Avery Brewer, Ella Kilman, Sara Beth Day,
Mahlon Day, Joseph Cullum, Mary Clair Henderson, Jack Poole Jude Tingle, Isaac Tingle, Ford Stewart, James Sones, Kate Elfert
30: Millie Moses, Porter Harrell, Lilly Shorter, Aaron Lindsey

45: Audrey Funkhouser, Will Shorter 60: Bo Henderson
If your child should be on this list and you do not see his/her, or I have listed him/her incorrectly, please let me know.
Thanks! sherlie@madisonheightschurch.com

Kids Khoir!
The 3, 4, and 5 year olds will be singing
Sunday morning, May 20.
They have been practicing songs from Steve Green’s Hide ‘Em In Your Heart CD Vol 1
in Children’s Church and Sunday School. I have a few CDs available or you may order them from christianbook.com.
They will sing:
Let the Little Children Come to Me


Fill up those Churchy Banks!!
Bring them to the 
worship service 
on May 20


Hope to see you Sunday!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Happy Holy Week

 Last night a song, that I first heard in my teenage years, began playing over and over in my head: Idol With A Golden Head performed originally in 1957 by the Coasters, who took it to the top 100s chart. (In case you're wondering, I was NOT a teenager in 1957; I wasn't even thought of by my parents yet!) The words to the song begin with
Got myself an idol with a golden head 
Put it on a shelf right above my bed;
Got down on my knees and I began to pray...
after each line, the background singers sing
Great big idol with the golden head...

Even as a young, confused teenager, I was uncomfortable with the words. Seemed very bold and blasphemous. Who had golden idols, anyway? And who in the world would be stupid enough to pray to one? How dumb.


Yet in the last few years, I've become more and more aware of the idols we have. Of the idols I have. They are definitely dumb. Joy destroyers. Relaxation killers. Serving idols is so hard. A very demanding, time consuming, demeaning business. Lately, particularly yesterday, I have become much more aware that I still bow down to them. Not as often, maybe not as low. But still bowing. Bowing to my approval-seeking idol, my self-serving idol, my children-pleasing idol, my guilt-carrying idol,  my staying-busy idol. All of these idols turn my face away from my Father. Each one keeps my focus off of what Christ did on the cross.  What He FINISHED on the cross. 


"And you, who were dead in your trespasses and uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross." Colossians 2:13-14 


I find it odd that in 1957, the "good Christian" years in America, Idol With A Golden Head was on the 100 Chart. We never stopped loving the golden calf. Our idols are in place, because we do not think what Jesus did was enough. We think we need to have one more thing... or more. "If only... then I would be happy." That's an idol. I'm going out on a limb and state: anything that causes undue stress or anxiety is idol-serving. Look deeply enough and you'll find it. It's there. Underneath the facade of our self-righteousness. 


Jesus paid it all. Did it all. Canceled the debt. The eternal debt that not one hair of my head is good enough to pay. When I am facing the cross and following Christ, I can't bow to any idols. In fact, they disappear. And the joy returns. The deep sigh of rest is heard. Peace takes over. And I fall more deeply in love with my God.


As you look towards Easter this week, dwell on what Christ really did on that cross so long ago. And rejoice.