Advent Conspiracy Family Curriculum

It is here! Family curriculum to take your child through the story of Christ's birth as well as the Advent Conspiracy themes. Simpler ideas for younger children are at the back of each section. Blessings upon you as you lead your family through Advent. See link below.

~Karen


Advent Conspiracy Family Curriculum

Imago Dei announcements are online!

All Imago Dei announcements are online now - and in video! :) Check it out so you are in the know...

http://www.imagodeicommunity.com/article/spotlight/

Baby Dedication next Sunday!

Baby Dedication Sunday is just around the corner! October 25th during all services.

Dedicating your child to God is a public sign that you are seeking to raise your children in the ways of Christ. There is a preparatory class the Sunday before (this Sunday, the 18th! 9am service in rm 150 near the auditorium) to explain what baby dedication is and is not. All involved parents or guardians are asked to be present.

RSVP to Neisha (neisha@imagodeicommunity.com) if you’d like to participate!

Early Childhood curriculum snapshot

The preschool & 2's teachers got together last night to plan out the next 2 months of curriculum. We provide curriculum so it's not that they were working from scratch. But what they did is added to it and reworked it so that it reflected more of who we are as creative people made in the image of God and who response to God. Here is what they came up with. Here is what my 4 year old will be gleaning from the next 2 months. Thank you God for these people who care about the little things for little kids. There's nothing like young children "getting it" (learning about God) for the first time.

october



wk 1

Creation Day 1: Light & Dark Gen 1:1-5

Activity/Movement area: Blob

sensory: shadow play

Art: Light & Dark Painting

Need: black construction paper 8x11 & white paint (sponges for the 2's class)

Key Verse: Gen 1:3 God said, "Let there be light."



wk 2

Creation Day 2 Sky & Water Gen 1:6-8

Activity/Movement area: catching clouds with parachute/ bubbles

sensory: water

Art: Sky Collage

Need: blue construction paper

Key verse: Gen 1: 6-8 "God made the sky and water."



wk 3

Creation Day 3 Land, Plants and Sea Gen 1:9-13

Art: leaf rubs

Sensory: potting soil

Playdough - create things on land

Need: potting soil, printer paper,and coffee filters

Key Verse: Gen 1: 9-13 "God made the land, sea, and plants."



wk 4

Creation Day 4 Sun, Moon and Stars Gen 1:14-19

Movement: Moving Moons

Art: Sun & Moon Foam Balls

sensory: tin foil strips

Need: foam balls (talk to Jen about oriental trading), glitter, silver & yellow paint, flat pushpins, tissue paper- red , orange, & yellow

Key Verse: Gen. 1:16 "God made two great lights."



November

wk 1

Creation Day 5 Fish and Birds Gen 1:20-23

Movement: Bird walk

Dramatic Play: Bird Nests

Sensory Table: Eggs, worms

Art: Rainbow fish

Need: plastic eggs, packing strips paper, tissue paper white, blue construction paper in shape of a fish

Key Verse: Gen 1:20 "Let the water have fish and the sky have birds."



wk 2

Creation Day 6 Animals

Movement: Surprise

Dress up: Pet Vet

Art: Masks

Need: paper plates, construction paper brown, orange, and yellow

Key Verse: Gen 1: 24-25 " God made all animals"



wk 3

God made people so we can know Him/ Adam & Eve Gen 2:7, 20-23, 3:8

Movement: My Name

Art: Body Maps

Sensory: People

Need: butcher paper, crayons & markers, rubber bands

Key Verse: Gen 1:27 " God created man and women in His own image."



wk 4

God provides for us / The Garden Gen 2:8-15

water works

Art: My garden

Garden Scents

Need: koolaid (without sugar), & white card stock

Key Verse: Gen 2:15 "God put man in the garden to care for it."



wk 5-

Creation Celebration Gen 2:1-3

Art: Mural of Creation

Need: 11x17 white paper, Blue Paint

Key Verse: Gen 2:1 " The heavens and the earth were completed."

End of Summer Announcements!

• Today (Aug 30) is the last day of Summer Electives! It’s been one of our best summer’s ever as far as quality in teaching, line up/variety of classes, and involvement from staff, pastors and mature adults in our community. Kids have gotten a great view of the bigness of God and how He is at work in all aspects of life.
  

• Next Sunday (Sept 6) all elementary kids will be IN SERVICES with their parents. We will not have elementary ministry going on. Have fun worshipping together before back to school craziness begins.

• Regular Imago Dei Kids elementary ministry starts Sept 13th. 10 returning teachers are excited to serve and know your children this fall. Please take some time on the 13th to meet your child's teacher!!! Would be great to have a few more teachers to lead small groups or people that are great at leading all group games or being part of worship. Let Karen know if you are available. karen@imagodeicommunity.com

• Parent subs needed throughout the year. We are gathering a list of parents who can sub in for teachers throughout the year. If you are not able to be on a regular Imago Dei Kids rotation but could sub in from time to time to cover a teacher who needs a week off, please let us know. Jen@imagodeicommunity.com
  

• Sunday Sept 27th is our Fall Elementary Parent Meeting!!! It is during the 11am service in the Library. Please make this a priority to come and be together as parents and hear the vision of Imago Dei Kids and what we are teaching your child this year.

Camp

A couple weeks ago I was asked to be the camp speaker for a week at Camp Tadmor. It was for Jr Camp so it was 220 3rd-6th graders. None of which I knew. I had never been to a week long camp before nor had I ever spoken that many times in a row for that many kids in that age group. I'm more familiar with Sunday to Sunday. Or a one time, evening/Saturday deal. As many years as I've worked with kids and parents I felt suddenly very out of my element. I was pretty nervous - panicked as it were.

The first night I got introduced as a "he" only because the program staff hadn't met me yet and assumed I was a male speaker. So my nerves were pretty thrown and I did my best to recover and get the kids excited about having a woman speaker. But I came back to the lake house that night (where my husband, son and I were staying) and was about in tears regardless. I was up till 1:30am planning my talk for the next night and was pretty sure I was invisible and was going to SUCK at speaking.

But God surprised me as He often does. At my low points I was on my knees exasperated with planning and worrying and told Him it was a mistake that I was there and somebody else should come or at the very least I should go home. So God came and did what I could not. Be Himself in the midst of counselors, kids and staff.

On the 2nd night I spoke about Sin and how we aren't perfect. 3rd night was all about Jesus and who He is and how much he LOVES us. Loves you. Loves me. I was starting to love speaking to this group of kids but was concerned that their hearts weren't engaging. By the eve of the 4th night I asked counselors what God was doing in their cabins (as I had every night but only general comments had come thus far) and expected more of the same as in nights past (general niceties). But suddenly hands were raising and counselors were all chiming in passionately. A child had received Christ the night before! 3 kids in another cabin. An entire cabin received Christ and danced around saying they wondered if the angels were dancing with them! Another gal told her church counselor that because I spoke she learned that Jesus is for everyone...she always thought He was just for Christians. She received Him and told her counselor the next morning she felt "new". An hour or so later I was to speak on new life and how it changes everything.

I was in tears at the counselor meeting and couldn't hide my surprise at the kids response. Together with the counselors we celebrated and talked about allowing God to speak to the kids and not get in the way with ourselves. Suddenly speaking wasn't scary and I was getting to know the kids and it was an absolute privilege to be sharing the gospel with them all.

After that it felt to me all mayhem ensued in the realm of what God was doing in kids and counselors hearts. We had a worship night that night and the kids were way into it and praising like I'd never seen a group worship. We shot up colored/silver butterflies over the kids symbolizing life, had ballons bouncing everywhere and just celebrated. The last night I spoke on loving others and we talked a lot about when our heart breaks for someone and when the moments are that we most feel loved. By the time the week was over I estimated 40-50 kids had received Christ or rededicated their lives! I've never seen anything like it. It changed me in many ways and gave me much more confidence to speak again. But more it re inspired me to come home and be with our local church to be in the lives of our kids who are growing up here.

For sure I'm taking our kids to camp next year. And for sure I'm coming home again refreshed and excited to be part of what the day in and day out life in Christ looks like with them. Thanks Camp Tadmor for a chance to speak and see God work.

Beautification!

One of the summer elective classes for this Sunday - awesome idea!

Elective Class Name: Beautification

Class Limit: (girls only)

Opening Activity: Soaking fingers in Palmolive!

Elective Course:
We ladies are going to push back our cuticles, file down our rough edges and paint our nails! We are also going to make a natural face scrub to take home with us.

Truth Piece:
Scripture:
Ps 139.13-14 I am God's work, and His works are wonderful!
Luke 12.7 God knows everything about me, and still, I have so much worth to Him!
Ps 45.11 The King is enthralled by my beauty, so I will honor him because he is my lord.
God uses the bible to talk a lot about what He values as beautiful in us. Dive in and find out how you can please our Lord with your beauty!
I Peter 3.3,4 [your beauty] should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.

Main Theme/Character attribute:
God loves us and thinks we are beautiful! The beauty that God sees in us is unconditional, and is far greater than anything beautiful we can create. The value of beauty that is ascribed to us by God, being His creation, is far greater than the world's value of beauty. To know and believe God is to know and believe that we are beautiful to Him...not because of how we look or what we wear or what gifts and talents we have. We are valuable to Him and beautiful because we are HIS, and His creation.

Parent Handout for at home conversation:

Portland is a city full of opportunities to think and talk about what BEAUTY really is. Look around and you’ll see many examples of a false, short-lived, dead-end kind of beauty authored by the World. Talk about where the world’s beauty falls short in fulfilling our deepest desire to know and believe God, and then talk about the true beauty that comes only from God, and feeds our hearts and draws us closer to Him…

Stories from last week

This week up for elementary summer electives is:

9am:

• Performance group of high schoolers comes to share the with the kids via drama, games, etc.

11am:

• Telling stories through drama (kids learn to act)
• Martial arts/self defense
• Singing & history of worship

• 
  

STORY from last week: Last Sunday a mother from our community made pizza dough with the kids and taught on the bread of life. Our friends from California were up visiting and their daughter went to this cooking class. Our friend Rob was so impressed with the take home ideas and the dough that was sent home that their family made pizza that night for dinner! Rob sat at the table talking to his kids about the suggested scripture and theme on her parent handout. It is so awesome to see parents get empowered to have discussions of faith with their kids!! It is so shaping for our kids to get an inside look into the lives of people in our church and in turn for that to spur parents onto sharing their own story with their kids.

Summer Electives have started!

Elementary Summer Electives
God + your passion + our kids = Real Life Learning

Every summer, we extend an open call to our Imago Dei Community to come and live out a piece of your story with our elementary children. We offer elective style classes and children choose what class they would like to take. The classes are taught by YOU, our church community. All of life is sacred. Your passions and pursuits are all done before God. Our desire in Imago Dei Kids is to connect God to our world.

This week's classes taught by people in our congregation were (July 5th):

Vegetable Painting (Making prints with vegetables, learning about how to eat healthy and take care of our bodies)

Make a Joyful Noise (worship class where kids got to make their own instrument, learn how to use it and sing worship songs with a gifted leader)

Making Smoothies (This week's most popular class of course, kids made different kinds of smoothies included some with spinach! Learned how to eat well and treat their bodies)

Adventure on the Bus (Our class for older kids this week. They totally went and rode a bus route and talked about the adventures of life God allows us to experience)

Next up for Sunday, July 12th:
- Stewardship (learn how to organize, spend and save your money!)
- Soccer!
- Poetry with all 5 senses
- Cooking

Make It Personal!

I'm quoting again. This book has some good words though. Check out this segment by Reggie Joiner in a chapter about making it personal with kids:

Kids already have a front-row seat to their parents' lives; the question is, what are they watching? Is it just a show? Or is it real-life adventure where they see courage and passion to overcome personal obstacles? Parents must show them what it is like to pursue a better relationship with God. Show them what a committed, loving marriage looks like. Show them how it looks to prioritize Jesus above anything else. Show them what it is like to reject the materialism and consumerism of this world. If parents want their children to have it in them, they have to see it demonstrated.

Kids need to see their parents
struggle with answers,
face their weaknesses,
deal with real problems,
admit when they are wrong,
fight for their marriage,
resolve personal conflict.

Children need to see their parents make relational, emotional, and spiritual growth a priority. If parents don't make it personal, it may never be personal for their kids. Some of my favorite stories through the years have been told by children of single parents who watched their moms or dads overcome difficult obstacles. Don't forget that God is writing a story in the hearts of parents, a story of redemption and restoration. One of the most powerful things that children can see is God at work in the lives of their parents, but they can't see who their parents are becoming if they never see who they were in the first place. Otherwise, how will they know the difference God has made and continues to make in their parents' lives? It is the firsthand look at that difference that will give them hope for their future and faith in what God can do in them.

Uber challenging. I am noticing as I parent my son that I always try to be my best around him. If I curse my first response is to cover it up and pretend I didn't rather than just apologize and tell him why it frustrates me that I do that. When I'm having a bad day I ignore him or hide my face from him rather than just talk about how I'm feeling. On the days when I just let it all out - we have the coolest conversations. Being vulnerable with our kids - letting them into us. That's how I want to live. I hope we'll be friends later in life because of it, and I hope more that He sees the God of the universe playing out in me (somehow, someway).

Family Rhythm

I've been thinking a lot about rhythm lately - something my husband and I have been intentional this past year on building into our lives. We started Sabbath-ing a year or two ago, taking Fridays completely off from the world. We don't ever schedule anything then and we do whatever we want to - many times just resting and playing at home. That's become a rhythm. The other thing we've been building this year is being home more nights than out. This is something we want our son to grow up noticing and valuing. For some this may seem like a no brainer, but being pastors - it's easy to be out every night if you keep saying yes. These things have built some consistency and sense of home that we all really needed.

I'm reading a book called Think Orange. It's a book about family ministry - about the church and family coming together. I'm pretty stoked on it. The "Orange" references are overdone, but once you get over that - it's a good read.

There's a lot in it and I may post more later - but where I'm trying out some new skills in my own family right now is regarding family times. Deutermony 6:7 is something we read and say a benediction over our families with at every baby dedication and then hope that we all follow in the years to come.

"Impress (these commands) on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Joiner makes the point that:

"it's not enough to spend time together as a family if a family's time together is never meaningful or strategic. It's not just about quantity, and families can't make up for frequently missed opportunities by going on a nice vacation once a year or by spending several days together during the holidays. And it's not just about quality - families have to to be both intentional about how they spend time together and consistent about how often they spend time together. In short, they need to create a rhythm. As leaders, we should act like Moses and encourage families to get in sync with the natural patterns that already exist in life. We need to help them find their beat and see their time as an opportunity to celebrate God's story."

So this is his attempt to break it down for us - to remind us of what we value so deeply, intimacy with our children:

MEAL TIME When you sit at home
Focused discussion as a teacher to establish core values

DRIVE TIME When you walk along the road
Informal dialogue as a friend to help your child interpret life

BED TIME When you lie down
Intimate conversation as a counselor to listen to the heart of your child

MORNING TIME When you get up
Encouraging words as a coach who gives a sense of value and instills purpose

I'm pretty excited about it - this simple reminder of scripture that I hold dear but worry that I don't live out well enough. The fact is all we do these things. No matter what is going crazy in our lives; we all wake up with our kids, drive them around, eat dinner with them and go to bed with them. The rhythm of making those times sacred and real - gets me excited. Peace to you as you live a life of faith with your children.

Summer Electives!

We are getting close to kicking off the summer here at Imago Dei Kids! It all starts July 5th. This is when:

1. All our 5 year olds that will be Kindergarten age move up to the world of elementary to make space for all the preschoolers that are growing up. This also gives the new Kindergarteners a chance to get used to the elementary program before the fall so there isn't one more transition for them in September when they are already saturated with change at home starting a new school.

2. Our graduating 5th graders that will be in 6th grade in the fall, begin participating in the Jr. High ministry. Leaders came down to meet them today, and next week we'll take them on a field trip to the Jr. High room where they can see what it's really like.

3. This is also when we kick off Summer Electives!!!!! Our regular teachers and leaders are off for the summer. This is the one focused time a year when we invite all of our Imago Dei Community to come and teach the kids once or twice during the summer. Something creative that fits a passion they have (cooking, sports, biking, drawing, clay, graphic arts, you name it) while tying it in to the character of God. The kids LOVE this time of year as they get to pick their own class (usually 3-4 classes going on simultaneously during each service)! And adults get that don't normally see our children's ministry get to try their hand at playing a part. We still need 30 more people to be a part of this!! So please help spread the word and consider teaching a class yourself. My teachers and myself will help you develop the curriculum so you can successfully transfer your passion to the kids. Contact me at karen@imagodeicommunity.com for more info.

4. Lastly this is when we invite all the nursery and early childhood parents to come teach in their child's class for one service this summer. We give the regular weekly teachers 4-5 weeks off in the summer and need help filling their places. Since parents are the primary discipler of their child it seems to go hand in hand to have the parents BE the teachers during the summer. Other teachers and myself will help each parent with the curriculum and coach them on how to teach a group of kids. We still need 40 more parents to help with this! So please let us know if you can come teach for a day. Contact me at karen@imagodeicommunity.com

As if all this isn't enough, this is also the week (July 5th) where we go to just 2 services for the summer. We'll be doing a 9am and 11am service only. Though this change is actually very welcome for Imago Dei Kids!

Happy summer planning and vacationing to you all. On the weeks you are in town consider jumping in to teach a special class for the summer!

The godly adults that bless us

Tonight I had our last meeting of the year with our elementary team. I had to arrive late due to an emergency so I asked one of my leaders to get the fire pit burning, S'mores out, and to invite the teachers to pray.

I arrived to a group of 12 people praying for our kids, for each other, and for God to change them. Have you ever arrived late to a meeting you set up and found the whole group praying honest prayers? It's really something.

So we spent the evening evaluating the ministry. What went well this year, what inspires them, what needs improvement, etc. I'm still trying to articulate what it was that moved me so. I mean we had quite full lists of pros and cons. But I think it was the eagerness each teacher had to share! All but one chimed in more than once and had significant contribution to make. This isn't a passive group or another meeting to get through for them. This was how are we going to love these kids well and be the church to them?

I feel I have made some good friends this year with this group. And they with each other. These are good people. Solid character, mature in their faith. A deep love for the church, in it's wholeness, including the kids.

New Set Up

As promised, a picture of the new gym set up. Of course, it's not so new anymore. :) But we still like it. Thanks to Dan Young the architect who helped make the maps that the set up team can actually use (they weren't too fond of the maps with pretty pictures we used to make).

You can't actually see all of the classrooms here. But what you can see is the 1's and 2's rooms with new playground area. It's working really well. On the sides not shown is the large preschool room (on left) and the improved mothers room, snugglers room and scooters room (on right). Also not pictured is the family hang out area with video feed and the parent resource tables. We are enjoying the new set up!

We Fall Down

This video is from one of our families. It's their son singing a solo at the closing ceremonies night at Awanas. Now, I think he sings quite well - but that's not the only reason I asked his mom if I could post it here. First off, his mom is playing the piano. Which makes the whole video less about Samuel and more about God to me. There is a sense of worship here. And really the thing that moves me the most is the song he's singing. It's a main stream song sung on the radio, churches and in home and on CD/mp3 players. And he knows it. In fact he's MEMORIZED it. I work with several worship leaders in Imago Dei Kids and often the question comes up about which songs kids can actually sing. I usually respond that kids can sing most any song. It seems we all sell kids short on what they can actually understand and are able to do. This kid, Samuel, displays for me the maturity and ability to grasp not only lyrics to a song but worship to our King at a young age. May all of us parents be encouraged that our kids can understand and be part of much in the life of Christ.

May 2009 - Samuel sings solo from Theresa Frazee on Vimeo.

May Newsletter

Check out our Spring/Summer newsletter - has what we are doing with curriculum, dates for summer, invitation to serve this summer, and resources. Happy reading!

God is big, we are smaller now

Tonight was the 2nd week of an all church prayer night we've held. 2 weeks ago our lead and founding pastor, Rick, announced in the sermon that Imago Dei Community was shutting down all activity, programs, meetings, etc for a month. To pray. Once a week, all together as one body. A reminder to us all that this is God's church, not our own, and that it's time we start loving each other.

So we've been praying. Last week 700 people showed up to pray! Kids were running around past bedtime in the family rooms as parents and community members swapped off caring for them so the other could go and pray. One wife described the night to me as "humbling".

Tonight we gathered again. Less people, less kids. Which seems so typical of prayer - what is it about prayer that loses people's interest? Like I should talk. Prayer is often hard for me. Praying in groups of people you don't interact with all that often - even harder. Until you do it. And then WHAM! I'm hooked. All in and can't wait till the next one.

So tonight my blogging friends - was wonderful being with a community of believers you love! Seeing Rick get emotional as he thanked God for saving him and for doing more than he ever dreamed or imagined with this church - was inspiring. So inspiring that the thanksgiving opened up. People stood and praised God for all kinds of things - not specific to their own situations so much - but praising God for our church, for each other, for what God is, has done and will do.

Then some people came and shared what God had placed on their hearts for us to be praying about. One shared about the desire of the heart - and how God is our ultimate desire. We all got in groups and prayed over that. Which led to more thanksgiving but also some repentance of how we just don't desire Him much sometimes. Another friend shared about giving of money and time. And if we have not much of either maybe it's time to reevaluate some things and trust God. She was so humble but passionate and inspired us all to pray about that. Again, prayers of repentance lifting up all over the room.

Toward the end I just started listening as the prayers of the people, our people, our friends, the church - rose into one voice. And it sure sounded sweet to me. I looked up at the old wooden rafters where people had prayed for years and years and decades or longer in the same building before us. I imagine it was sweetness to God's ears. We, this broken group of people here in Portland, prayed in unity and unison for a common purpose. To know God, to desire him, and to love His people.

I was in tears by the time we ended in worship and went and grabbed my son from the play area and brought him in to sing with us because I wanted him to experience it. Which, of course, he wasn't interested in as it was an hour and a half past his bed time. But he did for the first couple minutes immediately sense something. My husband nudged me and I looked back to see his little 4-year-old hands raised and eyes closed. We both looked a little surprised but then noticed that the room of people was doing the same, he was copying. Or maybe there was some semblance of Spirit flowing through him. I don't know. But in my heart was an overflowing thing happening. I was grinning and hugging everyone. The Spirit of God I believe - and you could see it over most all the faces. We are becoming one family again. I'm so glad to be part of this family. There is much more work/prayer to do. Many friends have not come to pray and some are suffering in isolation critiquing the church. But tonight many changed and loved each other again or perhaps for the first time.

God is so much bigger than us and it's truly an inspiring and humbling thing to see it in the physicality of a people learning to love each other and lay themselves down for the sake of something much bigger. I'll be there again next Wednesday.

Thoughts on friendship

This last month at our teacher meetings I've been burdened to teach on friendship. It seems to me that community is sometimes a word that is either overused or more likely misunderstood. Many times I've talked to people about their disappointment in a home community or a ministry. Their marriage tanks, the group splits up, you name it - something happens and they are crushed. The expressions I hear from so many is "it doesn't work", "we need a closed group", "no one really knows me". As if community or ministry is somehow a method and that there is a stepping stone process to achieving it. Which ultimately, is a failed process and why doesn't the church come up with something better?

I have to ask, isn't what you're describing friendship? There are many things about community that are great and what God asks us to give ourselves to. But something He consistently asks us to in it is to love and be loved. To give and to receive. Friendship. Community can not replace deep friendships, and deep friendships seem to be what we are all asking for. Have a listen to Kyle Costello's sermon last week for a deeper look into that.

I am convinced that most people who call themselves a Christ follower authentically want to grow and be a person of godly character. But the how...seems to escape us all from time to time. In Ephesians 4 Paul speaks of living as children of light. It is this picture of what it looks like to be a person filled with Christ-like character and in it, he points out that we are to speak truth to one another. Really the entire section brings up unity and being together. We aren't in this alone. It is very difficult to see the fruit of godly character all by yourself. Sure there are disciplines, some that I need to grow in. But overall what I read in Ephesians (and most anywhere in the bible really) is that we need each other. Or at the very least that we are stuck with each other and there can be great benefit and beauty in it.

In a book that I have been challenged on a lot this year called, The Ascent of a Leader, the authors speak of this character. This godly character that it takes to lead others, and how if you want to start on the road of growing this way (in godly character) - that you better surround yourself with some good people. Certain kinds of people. Friends. These are people who:

- Are ordinary people who are willing to tell you the truth, and who will also receive the truth from you
- People who are willing to have fun and dream with you
- People who believe in you

Get to know these people as intimately as possible. Let them know your goals, your dreams, and your struggles. Perhaps more important let them know how you FEEL about your goals, dreams and struggles. Let them know how you feel about them and their own passions.

Best environments are produced when a core group of people commit themselves to each other for life, no matter what.

Even for a definite/defined period of time. It's called FRIENDSHIP. Committing time creates opportunities for vulnerability. Vulnerability builds trust, and sooner than we think we will be able to encourage one another toward spiritual maturity.

So I think it's time we ASK SOMEONE(S) to walk with us. Someone we respect or want to be more like. Compliment them by asking them, but be clear what we want. Don't apologize. Just ask them to walk with us and tell them why we want to walk with them. Part of living in community is having some deep friendships. We all want those but are scared to start. It's so scary to ask someone to love us. But it's what Christ is calling us to and a sure start to becoming people of godly character I think.

May God give us courage.

Teaching Teachers

It has been humbling and also inspiring to watch our teachers and leaders grow this year in their relationships with Christ and in our community. Each week I get the opportunity to share again with a different group our heart and expectation for them as teachers and leaders for our kids. The call is that it has less to do with their skill level in teaching or in any leadership that they offer, but rather the life in Christ that is in them. That this life would spill over and pour onto our kids and all those they have influence over (volunteer helpers, parents, etc). Simply - that their presence, who they are, is enough.

Who these people are in Christ is everything - especially considering kids learn by watching and look to those they admire. Kids can see through fancy teaching skills and a churchy fakey affection. They know when they are loved. So I am thankful for the people God continues to bring into this ministry and for the opportunity to remind them that it is who they are that matters more than their skill. Skill can be taught. Life in Christ has to be received and then given away.

From the mouth of babes

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of observing one our 4th/5th teachers with her group of students. She was presenting the gospel and helping them grasp the death of Christ and also his resurrection and what new life means. It was the first sunny day in Portland that we'd had in awhile and it was even warm. So after they had read scripture and had a discussion she took them outside and gave each one a journal. She asked them to write a poem or thoughts about new life. Here are some of my favorites:

- Life is full with many things to love the world with

1. She used a lot of verses to say what she means
2. Life gives life to other life
3. Life is not painless
4. Christ has power
5. John the baptist preaches about Messiah
6. No fear in love
7. We hide in pain and sin
8. He sends invitations to receive
9. Look in the face of Christ
10. Christ will shine in our darkness

New Life, by Haiden
You'll have a new life when you die. You'll either go to heaven or hell, it all depends on what you believe in. Whether you believe in Christ or not. You make the decision.

New Life! by Annie
Some of the signs of new life is like new grown baby trees. But Satan will want to destroy the new life of that tree and have it look like the leaves that are on brown and on the sidewalk getting stepped on day after day. But Jesus will destroy Satan and have that leaf blow into acres of new dirt. And Jesus will make the wind blow the dirt onto the leaf and Jesus will have it rain and that leaf will grow into a tree that has flowers all over it and will produce fruit. The end.

Good Friday & Easter Sunday

Hi everyone,
Please note that for Good Friday we'll be doing Imago Dei Kids at the 6:30pm service only. Nursery like usual in the gym, and then a mixed age group in the gym of 2-3 year olds in one room and 4 years and up (2nd grade max) in the big room. We'll be doing special art projects that night, a storytelling of Jesus death and burial, and some live worship. See you there! If you are a cleared Imago Dei Kids volunteer let us know if you can help that night as we'll need some extra hands. karen@imagodeicommunity.com

EASTER SUNDAY we'll run all 3 services like normal for Nursery and Early Childhood. Elementary kids will be IN THE SERVICE, so no class for those kiddos. Have fun celebrating the risen Christ together in the service.

This is usually our biggest Sunday of the year. Please spread the word to all parents to come to the 9am or 12pm services!!!!!!!! We just don't have enough room at the 10:30am for everyone. If you are a cleared volunteer and can help an extra service on Easter we could sure use you!! Please let us know if you are available to help.

Thanks everyone! Happy Easter - He has risen indeed.

Marriage homework

Recently Rick preached a sermon that God seems to be using to change marriages. In it Rick expounds on Paul's exhortations concerning marriage in Corinthians chapter 7. He encourages us to consider how Christ gave His life for the church- His bride- as the model for a God ordained 'mutually giving' marriage. Give a listen here.

Below are the questions he poses for all of us to answer together with our spouses. My husband and I did these and it was really good, hard, and is still now helping us address some things that needed to be. As I oversee children and families here it is hard not to notice when there is a season to focus on marriages more than others. This is one. Perhaps due to financial hardships and loss of jobs or hours is causing more marital tension? I think that is a big part. But the overall inquiries our pastoral staff is getting regarding marriage counseling and being in community with other believers to walk them through marriage issues is very high right now. Which is good. It's time to start talking about what many of us aren't talking about - what's going on at home, and with our spouse. For the sake of our kids. For the sake of our marriage, which God desires very much.

So for those of you that missed this sermon, or have not yet done the homework questions :), I encourage you to dive into with your spouse. Grace to us all as we reveal our hearts to one another.

1. What are your desires? (touch, time, talk, serving, gifts, etc)
2. How have you seen sex as a you owe me rather than an I owe you? (repent)
3. What would change in our marriage look like? Dreaming together.
4. How can you best serve each other to avoid sexual temptation?

Angry Conversations with God

I am reading this book by Susan Isaacs called Angry Conversations with God. I think I like it. It's reminding me of a hundred conversations I've had with people over the years and several I've found myself having with God from time to time. Mostly it feels to me to be a walking this woman through the seasons of her life that were the most painful for her in her relationship with God and others. Through it it's helping her to see where she has blamed God for it all and how it ends up - He wasn't the one to blame at all.

I have not finished it yet, but am getting close. I'm not sure the book has captured the whole gospel of who God really is. But it doesn't seem that was her aim. Rather, I think it will be one I will recommend to those that have gotten spun out in faith and in church and are finding themselves bitter and distant from God and other Christ followers. Most of the story is about her struggle in singleness as well. It provides a way back to what is real and true. A gentle journey through the pain to the eye to eye, ear to ear time with God.

Susan Isaac is speaking at Imago Dei on April 3rd at Evangel campus. I'm thinking I will go to hear her. She's a professional actor and comedian and funny as snot. So I'm hoping for some humor but also to see how well she can articulate transformation and community of faith. Come and check it out.

It's almost Easter

• It's coming on Easter and I'm hanging in waiting.
• There is a kind of grief that proceeds this holy day, if you let it in. And I admit I don't like it.
• Not one bit do I like this pre-Spring anticipation. I want to. But I absolutely do not.
• This is the season before the beauty comes. Where we prepare and wait and wonder. But new life has not sprung yet. The dark is still here even as the blades of grass and the buds on the trees hint at what is to come. It's raining. It's cold. There will be a death to consider before there is life.
  
• If I am really trying to enter into the amazing miraculous holiness of the season - I enter into this thing called Lent.
• I do not like Lent. Yes, mark it down and chat amongst yourselves. Karen Rogers is NOT a fan.
• Even the mention of it at staff meetings or the sudden planning of an Ash Wednesday service puts me on defense. It's coming. That amazing day that is the pinnacle of the year and of my faith. But it will not come without a cost.
• This season represents more pain than I care to write about. Simply put, a lot of loss has happened during these months in my life. The same months, for many years, have been very painful. So that just complicates Lent i think for me.
• And yet, I feel compelled, even inspired to engage in what it must have been like to walk with Jesus during those final days and hours to the cross.
• How is this Lent season for you I wonder? Because for me it is downright awful. I cry more during this season. Am kind of depressed. Usually confused wondering what is wrong with me and why I'm so hormonal.
  
• One year I watched Mel Gibson's The Passion. 2wice. I bawled my face off both times, the first time my head in my lap in the theater crying uncontrollably after the lights had come on. The images still ring in my view when I allow them in.
• I see His face a lot lately. Glimpses just. Maybe even a sound or a thought. Is He hurting? He looks sad. I feel His heart beating in mine, and I shiver. Can I hear Him breathing?
• It's coming. And I cannot stop it. He's going to die all over again and I've been asked to relive it. Year after year.
• Sacred. Holy. He was alone. He did something I will never understand. It hurts to think about it. To let it in is painful. A revisiting of my own hurts. But moreover - an entering into His.
• I can NOT understand why Christ would die for us, for me. It is utterly God to do such a thing so absurd and sacrificial.

And then there is Easter. It is coming and I feel it's warmth on my skin even as I am grieving. To consider Easter answers the begging question I have of why in the world He did what He did. It is so obvious and so wonderful. A few years ago I came across this passage. I'm sure I'd read it many times before but that year, something came over me intensely as I realized for the first time what it was to really take in the resurrection, after the grief of His death.

Now it is my every year passage that brings me to His feet in both His death, and His forever life that beats in me. May it bring a similar joy to you in the depth of your being as you read. There is something indescribable and humbling about being truly known, and hearing His voice. I am doing my best to enter into this Lenten grief right now. But I am very much awaiting Easter morning when I hear Him call my name and remember what He has done and how very much alive He is, and we all are.

Peace to you as you do your own dealings with Lent.

John 20:10-18 (New International Version)

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

¹⁰Then the disciples went back to their homes, ¹¹but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ¹²and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

¹³They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." ¹⁴At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

¹⁵"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

¹⁷Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' "

¹⁸Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Imago Dei Kids workday

We had our first workday in years this Saturday! Thankful to be able to get into the gym on a weekend. Almost 40 teachers and leaders came out to clean out all the storage cases we roll in each week and to rethink the way our set up looks. Will get some pictures up of the new look soon, but here's some fun shots of some leaders working on it all.

Thanks everyone who helped get it all done. It looked great today and had a nice open and displaying of what we are about feel. Now can someone explain why we had a sudden explosion of kids coming today? I think we had our largest kids day ever!

Spread the word - please attend the 9am!!!!! We're opening a new room at the 12pm too so there is plenty of room at either of those services. The 10:30am is FULL.

A little redemption goes a long way

Today – a woman visited our church with her husband and child, someone I have history with and used to be a part of our community. I haven't seen her in years. The last time I saw her she was angry and hurting and asked me for counsel. My son was just an infant at the time and we sat in my living room while he slept. I read the bible to her and spoke what I felt to be what God would say to her. She did not like it and was not happy and told me she would divorce her husband anyway and that she disagreed with everything I'd read. She seemed very disappointed the bible didn't say what she hoped it would. She left miserable and angry.

Several months later she got in touch with me to say that she’d had a change of heart due to what we talked about and was moving to Korea to be with her husband who had left. This was shocking and amazing news! I wondered more what had happened but she was unable to find time to hook up before she left. I didn't hear from her for a couple years. I’ve always wondered what happened.

This past year she got in touch saying that they (she and her husband) were in Oregon now and had a baby and were doing well!!! I still hadn't gotten the whole story but was thrilled to hear the news and told her I'd love to see her someday.

Today...they came to Imago Dei and found my husband and I just to share with us what God had done in their marriage. Wouldn't you know it that my husband and another elder had met with him a few times back in those hard days they had too? I never even knew that (or maybe I've forgotten). So there we were in the hallway at the end of the day him telling my husband his story and she telling me hers. It was all I could do not to cry, to shed some tears of joy on their behalf.

She stood there looking like a completely different woman than the one who sat on my couch all those years ago. She was holding her adorable baby girl and sharing with me what God had done in her heart. Something only He can do. Nothing I could ever take any credit for. Just Him pursuing her, and she going home to be with her husband. And they - just so thankful for their daughter, and for each other, and for Christ.

This frames my week. I am ready. Bring it on - a little redemption goes a long way doesn't it? This is what we live for.

Community

This is something I found posted on a Mom's blog last night, I loved it so much I thought I'd post it here for you. I couldn't say it any better.

Confessions of a homebody

I tend to be a homebody. I could stay at home for weeks on end with no outside contact and be perfectly happy (that's probably why I never answer my phone). I have plenty of things to keep me busy or at the very least waste my time. Something new is always going on with the boys so the novelty rarely wears off. Knitting is a perfectly happy solo adventure and yet...I find myself drawn towards community.

Don't get me wrong, I spend plenty of time at home but I find myself spending more time with others. Why would a perfectly happy homebody spend time with others? Because relationship nourishes me in a way that I can't do myself. My relationships with others force me to look beyond myself, to be dependent, to enjoy time rather than just pass the time. I tend to want to do everything by myself but for me, that is empty arrogance. There are actually very few things I can do by myself, for everything else, I need community.

Raising the kids cannot be done by myself or even just with the help of my spouse. I depend on community to grow with the boys and show them that families are all beautifully different. I appreciate all of the clothes we've gotten as children in our community have outgrown them. I value the time my community has spent looking after my kids but more importantly, investing in them and loving them completely.

Personal growth cannot be achieved by myself. I depend on others to hold my hand and hold me accountable. I appreciate all of the women who have spoken truth into my life out of love. I deeply value my community for showing me that God's love and grace have a deep and meaningful place in my life. I can humbly say that I am not the same person I was two years ago and that my life has been drastically changed because of God and my community.

Love is nothing when it is isolated. Love is everything when it is celebrated, shared, lived, and given away. Love has no reference point without community.

All of this is a way of letting you know that this happy homebody is choosing community over isolation one step at a time...

Something is happening again that is at the core of what we started this ministry on. I've seen waves of it in the 8 years that I've overseen children and families. Our vision has always remained the same, our philosophy of ministry consistent. But there is something deeper which encourages me unlike any of the rest of it. Some seasons it's just harder to find, and others - very prevalent. This is one of those seasons.

I'm having trouble figuring out what to call it. So I'll try the word ownership. And also life giving. 2 words seemingly different - but they both fit very well together when working with children. I see the words playing out on the faces of our volunteers and especially our teachers. When someone is unloading their car or carrying a bag full of goodies that they have prepared just for the kids - you see it. But even more so you see it on their faces when they are knee deep in teaching. They are grinning or have that twinkle in their eye that lets you know they have something up their sleeve that they can't wait to share. They are delighting in the fact that the kids get it, or maybe just delighting in the kids themselves. Or maybe just delighting to be part of the process.

Today I saw a teacher's face after she left her hour with the kids, it was just priceless. She was full. Of life, of God, of friendship - maybe all three. She didn't talk about it but you could see it anyway. It was for her, she didn't need attention for it or affirmation that she did well - she just enjoyed what happened today. And that's where those words really hit my heart lately. When people are owning their class, their time with the kids, their part in their lives - it shows. But then when it becomes life giving, well that's when you can see it filling them up and changing who they are.

I've always thought the most beautiful people to work with are those that work with kids - and really love it. Sometimes people work with kids and they know they are good. So good that they get their strokes from it and unintentionally isolate others from getting access to what they experience. Others, just don't enjoy kids. They try and they pull out all their tools of how to's - but they don't really find much meaning or joy from being with them. But then there are those that get surprised by kids. The ones who had no idea what they were getting into and WOW - it's really amazing! Others humbly offer what they have to give each week but mostly they come to receive and learn from kids as they give. These people, the ones that are changed by being with children- are beautiful to me. They smile more, can connect life and scripture and theology in depth, and are just fun and silly.

I'm glad for who God is providing and for all those that are enjoying the process of being changed by kids even as they are honest and teach kids about real stuff. This is a good season.