Lincolns for Lottie Update

As of December 21st, we have a new leader in the Grade School division of our Lincolns for Lottie Competition.

The 2nd graders have gained a huge lead with their current total of $34.25.

The Babies and 1s are still in the lead for the preschool division with their current total of $11.02.

Our total offering to date is $89.59.

This Sunday, December 28th, is your final day to make your contribution and help your class win breakfast on Sunday, January 4th. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

Lincolns for Lottie

The Preschoolers and Children of FBC are in the midst of a Lottie Moon Christmas Offering giving challenge. Each Sunday School class has been challenged to bring in as many "Lincolns for Lottie" (pennies and $5 bills or any other change) as possible. So far we have 2 classes that are clearly ahead!

Congrats to our current leaders, the Babies and 1's for bringing in $5.52 so far and the 3rd Graders for bringing in $8.01 so far.

The challenge runs through December 28th, with the winning class receiving breakfast goodies on Sunday, January 4th.

We need to give the Babies and 1's and the 3rd Graders some stiff competition!!!!

For more information on the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, check out the International Mission Board website.

Register for Upward

It's Upward Basketball and Cheerleading Registration time at FBC El Paso!

If you register by December 10th, the cost is $85 per child.
After December 10th, the cost is $95 per child.

Registration Deadline is January 6th!

All Upward participants must attend an evaluation session.

Evaluations will be held

Thursday, December 4th from 6pm - 8pm or

Saturday, December 6th from 9am - 12noon.

Practices begin January 5th.
First Games will be on January 17th.

For more information contact FBC at 915-533-1465.

Get Ready for Fall Festival

Fall Festival is coming!!!

Friday, October 31st

6pm - 8pm

We're in need of lots of volunteers to help make this event a success. If you can help with Setup/Tear Down, Registration, Publicity or staffing a booth, please email Jen Wade at jwade@fbcep.com.

Life School Musical

It's the final week of rehearsals for Life School Musical!! Kamp is happening each night this week through Thursday from 6:00 - 8:30. We also have the final dress rehearsal on Saturday from 2 - 5pm.

The performance will be Sunday night, August 17th, at 6pm. We'll be following our performance with a cookie fellowship. You won't want to miss this one!!!

Kids N Joy

Enjoy a few pictures of your kiddos frolicking in the water!

Preteen Camp Pictures

More to come...

If you would like a copy of the slide show from the Preteen Camp report, send an email to jwade@fbcep.com!

VBS Pictures

Register, Register, Register

Vacation Bible School starts on Monday, June 16, so now's the time to get registered online! Just click the image above and it will take you to the registration page.

Getting Ready for Memorial Day

On Monday, May 26th, our country will observe our annual Memorial Day. Do your children know what Memorial Day is all about? Children's Ministry Magazine offers a helpful article on teaching kids about Memorial Day and why it's important to honor those who've gone before us. I hope you'll find this valuable information and start some conversations with your kids about Memorial Day. You can find their article here.

We'd love to let you share some stories on the blog related to Memorial Day. If you have anyone you would like to honor this year, submit a brief paragraph telling who it is you want to honor and why you want to honor them. Email your paragraphs to jwade@fbcep.com. Check back here on Monday, May 26th to see who we're honoring!

Sams Family

Thought you might be interested in checking out David, Kimi, Jesikka and Joshua Sams' blog and being able to keep up with how God is using them in Peru to spread the message of Christ's perfect love for people. Click HERE to get there.

FRIEND DAY

You've got 5 more days to invite your friends to celebrate FRIEND DAY with us!

Sunday, April 27th we're celebrating our friends at FBC. Bring your friends to Sunday School with you. You're sure to enjoy some yummy food and learn more about our best friend ever, Jesus!

Remember, the grade who has the most new friends gets a PARTY on May 11th!!!

Giveaways!

Want to win some cool toys for your kiddos? Here's 2 weeks worth of giveaways for you to enter at 5 minutes for moms!

Have fun and let me know if you win anything!

Monday Movie

I saw this on a friend's blog! You may think this is lame, but give it about 40 seconds and you'll see why we think it's funny.

Thought to Ponder

Just a little nugget to ponder as you think about where you invest your life:

"With widespread accessibility to the Internet, millions of Americans have jumped into investing in stocks, bonds and other financial instruments. The hope of amateur investors is to strike it rich by achieving a great return on investment. Yet if we could see the world through God's eyes, we would quickly recognize that the only return on investment that truly matters is lives transformed to love God more deeply and to obey Him more perfectly. As you ponder how to invest your personal resources of all types - time, money, experience, ability, facilities, expertise and so on - keep in mind that there is no better investment than nurturing our youngsters for an eternal payback." From Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions by George Barna

Mark Your Calendars

There are 2 big things happening this week that you need to be aware of!

1) VBS Preview Event - Wednesday 4/2 at 6:30 - Anyone interested in volunteering in VBS this year is encouraged to attend!

2) Parent Meeting - Sunday 4/6 at 3:30 in the Underground - All parents should come find out what' s happening in the children's ministry over the next couple of months!

Trivia Tuesday

Today's question is really easy and anyone who is planning to go to CAMP should know the answer!!!

What day is your camp deposit of $50 due????

First to answer gets something!

Annie Armstrong

Don't forget to bring your Annie Armstrong Easter Offerings back this Sunday!

Monday Movie on Tuesday

This has become one of our family's favorite songs. We hope God uses it in your lives as much as He's used it to encourage and focus us this week of Easter.

In Case You're Wondering...

I haven't forgotten about the blog! I tried for 2 days to upload an Annie Armstrong Video to no avail, obviously. So we're here and I'll just use this post to remind you about some important things coming up!

PRETEEN CAMP DEPOSITS -
A Preteen Camp deposit of $50 is due by Sunday, April 13! If you need a scholarship or are interested in providing a scholarship for someone in need, let me know.

PARENT MEETING -
We have a parent meeting planned for Sunday, April 6th at 3:30 in the Underground. Make plans to have your family represented as we highlight some of the things we have coming up for the summer.

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY WORKDAY -
Saturday, April 19th, we'll be having a workday that will include lots of things. One is a brunch for mom's of children 18 months old or younger. We need hostesses and cooks to help us with that part of the day. We'll also have a Volunteer Training/Orientation time for anyone who needs to complete that portion of their Volunteer application process. We'll end the day with some much needed cleaning out and organizing of the children's building. We have fresh paint on the walls so now we need to do whatever we can to make everything else look just as fresh and new!

ZOO DAY -
Wednesday, March 26th, we'll be meeting at the El Paso Zoo at 10am for a time of hanging out with friends and seeing what the animals are up to! Meet us inside the gate and we'll attempt to travel through the sites together.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!

And The Winners Are...

Sunday, we had an Attendance Challenge in our Preschool and Children's Area and now it's time to announce the recipients of Sunday Morning's donut/muffin breakfast.

Drum Roll, Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Preschool Winner = PSB 3 & 4 (Wendy and Leigh Bloss and Donna Curlin's Class)

Children's Winner = Preteen (4th and 5th Grade)

Come hungry!

Everyone did an amazing job getting their kids to Sunday School this week! Keep 'em coming!!!

Monday Movie and Tuesday Trivia

Okay, so I forgot to upload a movie yesterday. I was waiting for a good one to come to mind and I think I have one. This is a video of Rick and Dick Hoyt. They're a father son team who have completed several marathons and at least one ironman triathalon. For more information about the Hoyts, check out their website - teamhoyt.com





Since we're talking about running and triathalons, let's see how much you know!

Which 3 events are part of an Ironman Triathalon?

Picture Pages

Your pictures from Sunday are now ready for your viewing pleasure at FBCep.com. Monday Movie and Tuesday Trivia to come....

Picture Day

Don't forget that Sunday is Class Picture Day! Be there or be left out of your picture!! Can't wait to see all of your smiling faces.

Trivia Tuesday #3

You ready for today's question??? Since I know there are tons of Hannah Montana fans in our midst today's question is about Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus, whatever you want to call her!

Where was Miley Cyrus born (city and state)?

No one has answered Trivia Tuesday #1's question yet...It's still up for grabs!

Movie Time Monday

Here's a cute one!

Our 2nd Winner

We have a WINNER for Trivia Tuesday! Sherri knew that Diet Coke was invented in 1982! Yeah for Sherri and her faithful reading of the FBCEPKIDS blog! Your prize is forthcoming!!!

Free Stuff

Do you like getting things for free like ice cream or dessert or kid's meals? Thanks to our friend, Mrs. Sundi and her vast knowledge of websites with good deals, you can find out about all kinds of free things you can get for your birtday all in one place. Just visit Free Birthday Treats and you or your parent can sign up to get all kinds of free things from some of your favorite places! So far we're signed up at Qdoba (one of our favorite restaurants in Charlotte), Baskin Robbins (I LOVE ice cream), and Chili's (Chocolate Molten Dessert - YUM!). I hope you'll get in on the free treats, too!

Trivia Tuesday #2

No one answered last weeks' trivia question. Does that mean we have no readers of the FBCEPKIDS blog???

Here's this week's question and since I know there are Coke employees out there that might read the blog maybe I'll get an answer.

What year was Diet Coke invented?

First to answer in the comments wins the prize!!!

Monday Movie #2

Here's a little video of Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Cinderella."

Hope you enjoy listening and watching.

Trivia Tuesday

Here's your first Trivia Tuesday trivia question...

Question: What type of wood did Noah use to build the Ark?

The first person to correctly answer this question in the comments section wins the FIRST Trivia Tuesday prize to be presented on Sunday at 11:00 in the Zone! Winner must be a member, regular attender, or visitor of First Baptist Church, El Paso.

Check back next Tuesday for the next Trivia Tuesday trivia question!

Movie Time Monday #1

We're starting a new tradition - Movie Time Monday! Check us out on Mondays for a new video. It might make you laugh. It might make you cry. It might make you laugh until you cry. Here's #1. I watched this a few months ago and the expressions on this kid's face are too cute. He's just a little bit dramatic!

Thanks!

Just a quick thanks to all our wonderful parents out there who were so cooperative and appreciative this week of our new Drop Off Pick Up Procedure! You don't know how much it means to me that you so willingingly followed the procedure to the T. Thanks to all our great teachers who tracked down parents and helped be enforcers. You're the best!!

If you want a thought to ponder this weekend, check out my friend Steven Furtick's blog from today. Are there things in your life that you're wasting your time and energy on that really don't matter in the grand scheme of things? I needed this challenge today and I hope you'll be challenged, too!

See you Sunday!

Clap, Clap, Clap

Weren't the 6 children who were able to sing Wednesday night THE BEST?? Unfortunately, this is apperently the sickest week of the year in El Paso so we had at least 6 kids that we know of that were home sick.

Here are a few pictures of their first Celebrate 1st!

CELEBRATE 1ST TONIGHT

Don't forget that tonight at 5:45 is our first ever Celebrate 1st at FBC! The TeamKID 'choir' will be singing "Every Move I Make" and we'll hear a special Sunday School testimony from one of our 5th graders. TeamKID 'choir' should be there by 5:30 to make sure they get instructions on where they'll be sitting and standing for their moment in the spotlight!

You don't want to miss this time of celebrating how God is working in the lives of people in the body of Christ!

PROs Needed!

Are you a PRO? If you're the parent of a child involved in the Children's Ministry at FBC El Paso, you can become one! A PRO is simply a "Parent Reaching Out." We need PROs to help us on Sunday Mornings in the Preschool and Children's Areas. You'll simply be responsible for volunteering 1 hour a month either in the 9:30 hour or the 11:00 hour. For more information about the heart behind this new initiative, read the PROs Info Sheet on the Children's Ministry Page, at FBCEP.com under the First Kids Downloads heading.

If you want to become a PRO, contact Jen Wade or Kara Jones so that we can get you started!

Celebrate 1st

On Wednesday, January 30th, from 5:45 to 7:00 we'll be having our first 5th Wednesday Celebrate 1st service. As part of that service, we've asked the TeamKid Choir to share a song. We'll need parents to make sure they have their children at the church by 5:30 so we can get them all ready to sing. Sundi Rutledge will be heading up the actual singing part and I'm sure she'll be giving the kids some instruction the next couple of Sunday nights.

Morning at the Movies

We had a great time at our little Pirates Who Don't Do Anything outing! From what I can gather, we had about 51 total people come out to see the movie. Even in the midst of all the fun, it was nice to be reminded, by a cucumber no less, that God gives us exactly what we need to meet the challenges that come our way!

What was your favorite part of the movie? Share it in the comments section. This blog allows Anonymous comments and I've also added a How To Leave a Comment section on the blue sidebar. If you have any issues leaving a comment send me an email!

Sing it with me now "We're the Pirates who don't do anything...."

Your Favorite Websites

I'm working on getting lots of good links to good, kid friendly websites for our blog. If you have a favorite website, leave the web address in the comments or email it to me! Check out the links I added already.

Thanks

Thank you to all you faithful Sunday School Volunteers for coming to our meeting tonight. We had a great time and your input is invaluable. Have a good week and we'll see you on Sunday!

Parents - be sure and tell our Sunday School Volunteers how much you appreciate what they do for us every Sunday morning.

MOVIE TIME = 10:30 AM

We're going to see The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything at 10:30 AM on Saturday, January 19th at the Premiere Cinemas at Bassett Place Mall. Bring your family and come enjoy the show with us! Tickets are $4 and can be purchased at the box office. Hope to see you there!!

Thank You

A huge THANK YOU to all of you who were able to attend our Parents Meeting yesterday afternoon! We had a good time together and were able to make progress on a few things. For those of you who weren't able to attend, check the FBCEP website this week for links to the documents that were presented yesterday.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We hope you're enjoying 2008 so far! I'm sure you've watched lots of football and eaten lots of junk food in the past couple of weeks. I know I have.

Do you have goals or resolutions for the new year? Things you really want to accomplish? Places you really want to go? Relationships you really want to develop? I certainly do!

One of my all time favorite songs by Phillips, Craig and Dean says, "Your grace still amazes me. Your love is still a mystery. Each day I fall on my knees cause Your grace still amazes me."

The vision I believe God has given me for 2008 is that I would constantly be amazed by HIS grace and that I would depend on HIM minute by minute to extend that grace to other people in my life like my children, my husband, my friends and family and to the people God brings into my life through FBCEP.

What vision or focus has God given you for 2008? Share it with us by leaving a comment.