The best place to launch any adventure is Base Camp! Start off right on the path to learning The Basics with this summer’s widget, the Base Camp Flag. Families are encouraged to decorate the flag with words and images that represent what’s unique about them. Then they plant the flag in a “Base Camp” location, like the kitchen table or car, and plan a regular time each week at Base Camp to debrief what they’ve learned! Pick up at the KidzRock store while supplies last!

Think you can’t wait? Just cool down and put it on ice … literally! The Waiting Well provides a small cylinder in which parents can place something like a picture, tickets, or a clue that reveals a fun family activity. In advance, a parent freezes the cylinder inside a water-filled, resealable bag. Then, at the appointed time, pull it out of the freezer—and let the waiting begin! Kids can help find creative ways to wait, from a family game to a nature walk or bike ride. When the ice melts enough to open the Waiting Well, it’s time to go!

Want a better visual on how to use the Waiting Well? Click HERE!

Good friends stick together! This month's widget, the Friendship Fastener, provides all the glue kids need for some fun hang-out time together. Each child receives a finger trap and a card with ideas for games. Create a human chain with all your friends! Fasten yourself to another friend and try to dribble and shoot a basketball or make a peanut butter sandwich with only one free hand each. Just stick your imaginations together for more great ideas!

Did you know there’s a town in New Mexico called Truth or Consequences? Yup: not kidding. But in our lives, it’s often truth AND consequences. It’s tempting to twist the truth just a little when we think the actual truth might get us in trouble, make someone mad... or just be an inconvenience. This month’s widget, the TRUTH TAG, provides a handy way to remind kids that telling the truth is always worth it. Each child receives a sheet of decals labeled “Moment of Truth” to stick in spots where they’re tempted to twist the truth. Parents can do it, too!

Got conflict? Dial up a solution with this month’s widget: the Solution Spinner. This fun tool gives your kids—and you!—a chance to spin for ideas when conflict arises. Will the spinner land on “Take a Break,” “Flip for It,” or “Active Listening”? Five simple strategies will help prove you care more about the other person than winning the argument. Pick yours up at KidzRock this month!

How are you and your family living out Peace this month? Share with us below!

It’s tough to keep doing what’s right and finish what you start! Give your kids a concrete reminder that God can help them follow through with this month’s widget: the “Be the One” Wristband. This hip wristband sticks around as a constant cue that they’ve got what it takes to “be the one” to stick it out. Share your stories below with us about how your child is deciding to be the one to have Determination!

To get a wristband, memorize these additional verses about Determination! Hurry! They won't last long!

Colossians 3:23, NIrV
“Work at everything you do with all your heart. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

James 4:17, NIrV
“So when you know the good things you should do and don't do them, you sin.”

Philippians 2:4, NIrV
“None of you should look out just for your own good. You should also look out for the good of others.”

Romans 12:21, NIrV
“Don't let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good.”

This month's widget, the Quarter Catcher, provides a handy way for kids to collect quarters to donate for a compassionate cause. Work together as family and decorate it using markers, colored pencils and stickers! Whether it's our church's Christmas Offering or another Loveprint project of your choice, your kids can be enthusiastic about meeting someone else's need through the Quarter Catcher.

Widget*: Family vs. Dinner
* widg·et [wij-it] –noun
1. Something unspecific whose name is eitherforgotten or not known.
2. A device that is very useful for a particular job
Origin: 1925–30; perhaps an alternative form of gadget

Few things require as much cooperation as wrestling down dinner and getting it onto the table! Enlist the help of the entire family to plan and launch “Family v. Dinner” with this cool, re-usable magnet that allows you to assign special roles for a celebratory meal. The results will be better than any one of you could pull off alone! Family vs. Dinner makes eating together a cinch ... not to mention so much fun, you might schedule it in every month.

Below are some ideas you can let your light shine tonight!

Missional_Halloween.doc

 Have fun and be safe! :)

Help your kids discover their individuality with a look in the iFrame! This mirror cling frame reminds kids that “God made me and I am His.” It also provides space to write the characteristics that make each kid unique. The center of the frame pops out and includes a list of character traits an adult can use to point out the particular gifts and talents they see in a child. Pick them up at the Park Store!

 Hey parents!

Grab your ticket to respect! Each First Class Ticket provides parents an opportunity to catch kids in the act of showing respect. Parents can fill out a ticket to mark the moment and upgrade their child to first class, while kids can redeem the ticket later for a prize of the parent's choice.

 Come back each week for a new First Class Ticket and motivate your child to show respect all month long!

Have a funny or inspiring story to share about your experience? Comment below or on our KidzRock Facebook Wall!

Think a little higher,

Mr. Daniel

We had an amazing week at camp with your kids! Each day we explored the journeys of Paul and asked some tough questions about our faith. Who is God? Where is God when bad things happen? How can I tell others what I believe about God? Together we learned that although we may not always have all the answers or always know how things will turn out, a relationship with Jesus is worth the risk. If you’ve asked the questions, looked at the evidence, and if you’ve decided it’s worth the risk, then close your eyes, take a deep breath...and JUMP!

Download the Parent Cue cards below to spark some conversations with your children about what they learned each day at camp. Have fun asking questions and exploring Paul's life together - putting your faith in motion!

 JUMP_ParentCues.pdf

Can you be trusted? This month's widget challenges families to determine whether an action is responsible or reckless. The four-part game pits you against our timer to make the responsible call… before time runs out!

 Did you miss your game cards at FamJam? Download them HERE!

Share your stories below on how each week's games are going! Who's winning? Who's whining? Who's the most responsible???

We all know it’s tough to see beyond the moment when that kid just cut ahead in line or the boss at work is yelling at you. So stretch your big picture muscles with this month’s widget: The Missing Piece tangram puzzle. One family member creates an image using the pieces while others guess what it is. Bonus points go to anyone who can guess the “big picture” before all the pieces are in place.

Pick up your Missing Piece game in KidzRock! And be sure to share your stories and pictures of the shapes you all came up with!

It’s not easy to stand for what’s right. In fact, it’s a lot easier to just trail along with whatever the crowd decides. God’s power will always help us stand … but we have to remember to ASK. That’s where this month’s widget, the Stand Tag, comes in. This dog tag-style shoe accessory is stamped with the word “STAND.” Wear it on your shoe as a reminder to stand firm, even when others don’t! If you don’t have shoelaces, use the Stand Shoe Sticker instead!

Be sure to share stories below of how your child is standing up for what's right this month!

Kindergarten/1st Grade Leaders

Linda Garay – coffee cake, avocados, café mocha

Heather Mueller - oranges, sun chips, almonds, chocolate, cafe mocha, Dr. Pepper

Adam and Stephanie Murphy – Skittles, Peanut M&Ms, almonds, Sprite, Root Beer, Dr. Pepper, coffee

2nd Grade Leaders

Sarah Merrill – lattes, cinnamon teddy grahams

Sharon Armstrong - chocolate, vanilla latte

Kimberly Valentine – chocolate, while chocolate mocha latte

3rd/4th Grade Leaders

Shannon Rood – blueberry muffins, tall almond latte

Joe Rood – nonfat caramel macchiato, coffee cake

Nate Babin – anything gummy, BBQ chips, Mountain Dew, Monster Energy

Rebecca Odell - sweet tarts, m&ms and Sprite

Laurie Martini – latte with whip, peach tea, rolos

We all know that crowns can be a symbol of great honor. It's a visual reminder of worth and value. With this month's origami Crown of Honor, honor goes two ways! Kids are encouraged to wear their crowns the first part of the month as a symbol of how God has honored them by creating them with a unique calling and naming them His friends! Then kids need to be on the lookout for where they can give honor to others. Maybe they could honor a grandparent or teacher. Or perhaps they honor the church janitor or even a younger sibling. Each child is encouraged to present their Crown of Honor to someone else sometime during the month to let that person know just how valuable they are!

 THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE:

1. Create your origami crown of Honor together as a family (Kits available in KidzRock).
2. Choose someone special to honor with your crown. (Ideas above!)
3. Take a photo of you and the honoree (cell phone quality is fine!)
4. Send the photo to Mr. Daniel (ddejesus@cccconline.org) AND a short paragraph on why you chose to honor this person.
5. Each submission will be entered into a drawing to win a full scholarship to AMPL!FY Kid's Camp

Lose your origami crown instructions? View them HERE or download the file HERE. And as always, share your stories below!

Knowing what God says changes the way you play! When we hide God's words in our hearts, we will always have them with us when we need them. Our Challenge continues as we study HONOR!!!

Here's something fun we've created for all of the elementary kids this month. We're calling it the Game Changer Verse Challenge!

1. Download the new memory verse sheet HERE
2. Memorize a verse. The goal for Kindergartners and 1st graders is to memorize at least two verses from the sheet. The goal for 2nd - 4th graders is to memorize four verses.
3. Once you have a verse memorized, recite it to your Small Group Leader. They will award you with a paper "game controller" where you'll write your name and the verse reference.
4. Tape your controller to the display board in the KidzRock lobby.
5. Sign your name on the record sheet on the table near the display board.

All kids who meet their goal and complete the challenge with have their own PIZZA PARTY on March 4th after FamJam!

Simple as that! Are you game?

Ever feel like life is moving so fast you boilover and say the biting words or make the hurtful move before you can even think? It's time for a game changer—THE Game Changer, in fact! This cool wristband reads “game on” on one side and “game off” on the other. When you feel your temperature rising, STOP! Grab your “game on” wristband and flip it around to the “game off” side. Take a few moments to breathe, pray, and plan your next words or moves with self-control. Then flip that wristband back, and, oh yeah … it's game on!

Comment below and share your stories of when the Game Changer helps you! 

This month we're giving a sheet of Christmas wrapping paper to every family at your FamJam. Generosity allows us to show the character of God to others because we are never more like God than when we give.We can give our time, talents, and possessions. The challenge for families this month is to think of something to give away to someone who would never expect a gift from them. It could be an acquaintance, a stranger, or someone that families know but have never given a present to. Families can get as creative as they want with their generosity. You should use the wrapping paper to wrap up something unexpected and then go out and make someone’s day.

Don't forget to share your stories of generosiy in the COMMENTS section below! :) Happy giving!

-Mr. Daniel

Materials:

Hat

10-15 slips of paper with one person or thing you are grateful for written on each. (like trees, water, mom, dad, hamburgers, etc)

How to:

Fold each paper in half and mix them all together in the hat. Choose one person to be "it" first.  He or she will draw a slip of paper out of the hat, secretly look at the word, and try to get the others to guess what's written by saying how that person or thing helps us. For example, if you draw a slip of paper that says "blankets", you might say something like, "this object helps keep me warm at night." If you want to make it more competitive, set a timer for 60 seconds or break up into teams (like Charades or Pictionary!) Have fun!

This month the featured take home tool is a Thank-You-tation. The idea is for families to use their Thank-You-tations to “let others know you see how they’ve helped you.” Each family member gets a Thank-You-tation to give away to someone outside their family to show thanks to that person and invite him or her to an event. It could be a dinner, or a game night, a birthday party or a movie. We've even organized a special event you can invite your friends to: a special encore performance of the November FamJam at This Side Up! Family Fun Center! (thissideupfamily.org)

Submit your Thank-You-tation stories by commenting below! :)

Here is this month's family connection game! We're calling it the "Sculptivity Smackdown"!

We've provided each family with a set of Wiki Stix. If you didn't receive yours they're in a white box on the KidzRock counter. Plan a family game night or simply set aside a specific time for the Sculptivity Smackdown. Set a timer. The first sculptor gets 30 seconds to make something creative out of the Wikki Stix. After the 30 seconds are up each family member guesses what the first player has made. Families can mix it up ahead of time by creating a list of ideas and letting the player select from that list. Or you can form teams and play using standard Pictionary® rules. However families play, they should have fun celebrating the fun and creative ideas that are sure to arise. Celebrate using your imagination to do something unique!

This month, each family gets Trust Token. These shiny coins can be used to play a game based on honesty. One person in the family starts out with the Trust Token and watches to catch someone else in the family showing the virtue of honesty. Perhaps that person is telling the truth when it’s a difficult situation, or when they could easily conceal the truth but choose not to. Then that person gets the Trust Token and one point. (You may want create your own little point chart) He or she is then responsible for catching another family member showing honesty, and so on. At the end of the month, the families can celebrate the virtue of honesty in their family by recognizing the person who received the most points.

So why’s it called a Trust Token? Families that practice the virtue of honesty automatically build trust with each other. Trust tokens are a great way to remember that every time we choose to be truthful we also give others a great reason to trust us.