FamJamz in February
Stop and think about someone you really admire.
Are you thinking of someone? Whether that person is a teacher, coach, friend or family member, he or she is valuable to you. You recognize that this person is important because what they do impacts your life.
Every person has value, not because of what they do, but because each and every person has been put together by God. When God created people, He made them in His image. That means every person alive today has been put together in the likeness of God. So every person has value. And it’s our job to help everyone feel like they are valuable.
This February, we’re taking on the Ultimate Challenge of showing the highest degree of honor, and we will define honor as “letting someone know you see how valuable they really are.”
Week 1: 1 Samuel 16:1-13). We’ll notice that God doesn’t see as the world sees; He looks at the heart instead. Bottom line: Honor those who are overlooked.
Week 2: (1 Samuel 18:1-4 & 5-9). We’re discovering that honor can also be shown between friends. Bottom Line: Honor others more than yourself.
Week 3: (2 Samuel 15:1-16a, 18:5-7, 15, 31-33). We’re discovering that it’s important to honor the people in charge of you. If you don’t and you dishonor them, it usually doesn’t end well. Bottom Line: Honor those who are over you.
Week 4: (2 Samuel 6:12b-22a) We’re discovering that another way to show honor is through worship. When we really love God, it’s natural to Bottom Line: Honor God in front of others.
By Cara Martens. ©2011 Orange. All rights reserved. www.WhatIsOrange.org * All rights reserved. Used by permission.
UBC 5K & Picnic
Mark your calendar for a fun-filled day for the whole UBC Family on Saturday, February 25th. FamJamz will be hosting a 5K to benefit the homeless in our community. Following the run/walk, a church-wide picnic with games and activities for kids will be enjoyed by all. You’re not gonna want to miss the fun, food, and fellowship! The event will be hosted at the Westminster Christian School Field from 9am - 1pm. The picnic is potluck - so be sure to bring food to share. Drinks will be provided.
All ages are welcome to participate in the 5K. Click here to register.
Please remember: in order to participate in the 5K you must bring at least one of the following:
Reusable grocery bag or drawstring tote bag
Rain Poncho
White Adult Socks
Mens or Womens Underwear
Toothbrush
Mini- Toothpaste
Deodorant
Individual packages of band aids
Individual packages of Wet Wipes
Small bottles of antibacterial gel/purell
Gallon size zip lock bags
Travel Size Lotion
Chapstick
Through your generosity and support we are able to help the less fortunate in our community.
January’s Toolbox
Happy new year! Welcome to another edition of The Toolbox. This is the segment in FamJamz designed with parents in mind. The purpose of it is to provide tools and ideas to do at home with your kids.
This month we’re talking about self-control - choosing to do what you should do, not what you want to do. Self control is a tough virtue and not just for the kids, but also for us big kids.
Here’s our challenge this month. Count to ten. We’re asking adults and kids to count to ten when you feel yourself getting impatient or upset, or when you’re about to do something you shouldn’t. Think about what you want to say or do and ask yourself… is it wise? Ask God for the power to exercise self-control. Pause, think, and then act. See, here’s the thing about virtues, we never outgrow them do we? These are things we’ll need to practice for our whole lives. So Parents and Kids, this is an opportunity to help each other with gentle reminders that self-control can be just ten numbers and a prayer away.
And like every month, we want you to write down at least one story about self-control in your family yearbooks. It’s gonna be neat to look back and see all that God has done in your lives over this past year. You can do it as a family or individually. and if you want to share a story with us, email us at famjamz@ubcmiami.org
That’s it for The Toolbox. Don’t forget, the tools only work when you take them out of the box.
Breakthrough
This is a year of breakthrough! Have you heard our Pastor Bill say that? Well, we believe it is. We see a church multiplying its influence across this city and to the nations. A church that leverages today’s technology to spread the Gospel near and far. A church inspiring marriages to be great. We see a church of people serving and giving in Jesus’ name. A church where generations are redirected because parents are choosing Christ.
That’s right, Parents. Remember what Deuteronomy 6:5-8 tells us:
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them 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.
Tell your kids about God and the wonderful things He has done for you. An hour a week at church is not enough. They are watching you and doing life with you every day. You’re the spiritual leader in their lives. You have a responsibility to them, a key role to play in their spiritual development. We want to come alongside you… that’s what thinking orange is all about.
We are praying for breakthrough for you and your family. May this year be one of growth in Christ. We want to see generations changed because parents are choosing Christ. 100 years from now all that will matter is whether kids have a relationship with God or not.
Be in the know of what your kids are learning about God. Use every day moments to talk about virtues. Use every day moments to tell your kids about God.
FamJamz in January
January is a great time to work on changing the way we play this game of life. It feels like a fresh, crisp start to a new year! Are you ready? We’re going to spend the month in Proverbs, a book packed with wisdom—especially about the topic of Self-Control.
Self-control means choosing to do what you should do and not what you want to do. This is a way to display to the world around us that we have God in our lives. And He’s present every hour of every day, ready to help us take control of our thoughts, words and actions.
Each week, we’ll talk specifically about choosing to have self-control in areas where we know kids (and adults) typically struggle.
In week one, the Proverbs principle we’re focusing on compares someone without self-control to a city with broken down walls—defenseless (Proverbs 25:28 NIrV). Our Bottom Line is: God can give you the power to control yourself.
In week two, we’re studying a young and new king, Solomon, who was smart enough to ask God to make him wise. The Bottom Line is: Pause before you lose your temper. We want to be slow to anger, to make the best choice for the future too, instead of just reacting based on how we feel and what we want right now.
In week three, we’re continuing to see the destruction that happens when we don’t have self-control. We want kids to know that God wants better for us and wants to protect us. So, we’ll focus on the hurt that’s caused when we use our words without thinking about what we’re saying. We need to be slow to speak because wise people’s words can bring healing to a situation (Proverbs 12:8). The Bottom Line is: Select your words carefully.
Finally, in week four, we continue to see that sometimes God says things a certain way to grab our attention and hold it long enough to make His point. Proverbs 25:16 clearly says we better be cautious or we’ll end up in a stinky mess. None of us like getting sick (or cleaning up), that’s why our Bottom Line is: Know when to stop.
We can’t wait to hear what you think about Self-control: Changing the way you play! God is the key ingredient in self-control and He’ll help us have the power to control ourselves.