Kids' Connection

2012-01-18T09:33:00.001-06:00

MOC-FV WRESTLERS CONNECTING AT KIDS' CONNECTION

Mr. DZ, the Science Guy, visits Kids' Connection

2012-01-13T12:30:00.001-06:00

We learned SO much about science from Mr. DZ!! Thanks for coming to Kids' Connection! Mr. DZ will visit us again in February...wonder what he'll come up with next time???

MR. DZ, the Science Guy!!

2012-01-12T08:10:00.003-06:00

Third through fifth graders: Mr. De Zeeuw, the Science Guy from MOC-FV High School, is coming to Kids' Connection today, Thursday, January 12, to do some really cool science experiments with you!! Don't miss out!!

Next week, Iowa State Bank returns to play BINGO and Mrs. Lundgren returns to do Praise and Play on Thursday, the 19th!

On the 24th, Tuesday, we are celebrating Opposite Day! Watch and listen for more details!

Boys, grades 2-5, January 24 is the last day to sign up for the pinewood derby race on Saturday the 25th of February!! We have kits available to make a car, but you may also use a car that you've made before.

2012-01-10T22:28:00.001-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2012-01-01T18:26:00.004-06:00

It's officially 2012!! We are looking forward to a fun and exciting new semester of Kids' Connection!

This month, Mr. De Zeeuw, the Science Guy, will entertain the 3rd-5th graders with science experiments and other 'sciency' stuff! Thanks Mr. DZ for coming to Kids' Connection! We look forward to having you share your love for science with us!

Be sure to come and celebrate special days in January like Opposite Day and Popcorn Day! We also hope to do some fun outdoor activities this month. 'Praise and Play' with Mrs. Lundgren will also be a part of this month's fun!

Happy New Year everyone!

2011-12-13T19:26:00.001-06:00

Playing the bells at Landsmeer Ridge- Tuesday, December 13, 2011

JUST FOR KIX dancers!

2011-12-07T14:33:00.003-06:00

The 'Just For Kix' dancers are performing tomorrow at Kids' Connection. Too fun!

We are putting together egg cartons to use with your family 12 days before Christmas. The children will assemble them after the dance performance. We will assemble one per family. Beginning 12 days before Christmas, you and your child will choose one of the egg carton slots to open each day. It's a great way for your family to get to know Jesus, your Savior.

Next week Tuesday, the 13th of December, the Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd graders will be bussed over to Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community to perform a short Christmas program. You are welcome to come and enjoy the program! We will also celebrate the children with December birthdays that day! Northwestern Bank in Orange City is hosting the party! Thanks Northwestern Bank employees!

GINGERBREAD HOUSES!!!!

2011-12-05T10:49:00.005-06:00

Tomorrow, Tuesday, is the BIG day!! We make Gingerbread Houses at Kids' Connection!! Join us for the fun! Kids, all you need is your creativity and Parents, we will be finished with the houses around 5:00ish. I hope that works into your schedule. We'll close Kids' Connection at the regular time at 6:00pm.

On Thursday, the 8th, the Just For Kix dance troupe will be performing for us!! We are so excited to welcome them to Kids' Connection!!

On Tuesday, the 13th, the Kindergarten through 2nd grade children will be performing a Christmas program for the residents at Landsmeer Ridge Retirement Community. Parents, you are welcome to join us. We should be ready to perform at around 4:15 that afternoon. Your child will be back at First Reformed Church by 5:00pm. Thanks for letting us share the season with the folks at Landsmeer!!

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

2011-11-28T14:11:00.004-06:00

TALKING TURKEY WITH SUNDAY FORD

Thanksgiving Turkeys

2011-11-18T18:25:00.004-06:00

Pizza Ranch Tip Night is Monday, November 21 from 5pm-8pm. Come and support Kids' Connection!!

Join us on Tuesday, November 22, for some 'Turkey Talk'. Sunday Ford, the Sioux County Naturalist will be talking to the k-5th graders at Kids' Connection about turkeys!! Don't miss out on the fun!!
We are planning to make turkey cookies, turkey crafts and other turkey fun!

To all of our followers on the blog, have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving holiday next week. We have SO much to be thankful for...God is SO good!!

Our verse this month is found in the book of Matthew, chapter 18 verse 20: "For where 2 or 3 gather together in my NAME, I am with them." Happy 'gathering' this holiday season!!

Scavenger Hunt on Tuesday

2011-11-07T15:26:00.001-06:00

Tuesday, November 8 is the Scavenger Hunt...See you there!! Bring your friends!!

2011-11-01T21:32:00.003-05:00

Kids in the Kitchen

Scarecrow Contest

Tuesday, October 25- Design a Scarecrow

2011-10-20T09:39:00.002-05:00

On October 25, the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders will be designing their own scarecrows. Each team of 3-4 3-5th grade children will work together to assemble a scarecrow that will be judged and prizes awarded in different categories. Please send the following to Kids' Connection with your 3-5th grader: pants, shirt, shoes, belt, rope, gloves, newspaper, hat, and/or other appropriate accessories.
The K-2 children will be judges for the contest and will be involved in making other scarecrow crafts. The contest will be held on Thursday, October 27.

Children celebrating a birthday in October will be honored at a birthday party just for them on Thursday, October 27 at Kids' Connection. Northwestern Bank will be here to host the birthday party!!

2011-10-16T21:42:00.001-05:00

FUN AT MRS. B's FARM

THIRD GRADERS

2011-10-05T16:56:00.002-05:00

Parents of Third Grade children,

A trip to Mrs. B.'s farm is being planned for Thursday, October 13 from 4:00-5:00. The Kids' Connection bus will get the third graders there and back. We must have a permission slip signed by you in order for your child to go to the farm. The permission slips are on the Kids' Connection check in/out table. The third graders will paint pumpkins, pet puppies, and find plenty of area to run around! Should be a GREAT time!!

2011-09-27T22:27:00.004-05:00

Fishing at Landsmere...

My First Fish!

A snack always tastes good.

Wow! Nice Fish!

FISHING!!!

2011-09-24T17:37:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, the 27th of September, the 4th and 5th grade children get to go fishing. Each 4th and 5th grade child must have a permission slip signed by a parent/guardian to leave Kids' Connection from 4:00-5:00 to go fishing. If you have a fishing pole and/or worms, take them along on Tuesday!!

The children grades K-3 will be at Kids' Connection on the 27th enjoying games and other 'fishy' fun!!! We'll have a great time! See you there!

Birthday Party -Thursday, Sept. 22

2011-09-21T09:41:00.009-05:00

Happy birthday to all of the children born in August and September!! Tomorrow we will celebrate your birthdays at Kids' Connection. Northwestern Bank will come with several employees to host a birthday bash in your honor. Join us tomorrow after school for an August-September birthday party!!

Thank you, Parents, for your patience with our new Text-to-Parent check-in system. For the most part, it worked smoothly! We'll work out the bugs today and hopefully by tomorrow, it'll be flawless!! The assurance of knowing your child has arrived safely at Kids' Connection is great peace of mind!! Please contact Leanne at leanne@frcoc.org or at 737-4909 with questions or comments.

Text Notification!

2011-09-15T18:36:00.000-05:00

Parents,

Starting next week Tuesday, September 20, you will be receiving a notification text that your child has arrived at Kids’ Connection. When your child checks in by scanning his/her name tag, you will get the automatic text stating, “(Your child’s name) has checked in for Kids’ Connection today.”

The number you’ll be receiving the text from is 605-622-0824. We would suggest adding this number to your contact list. Please do not try to reply to the text as we are unable to respond.

We are excited about this new technology. Please let us know if you are having difficulty receiving the notification.

'Praise and Play' today!

2011-09-15T07:38:00.002-05:00

'Praise and Play' happens today at Kids' Connection from 4:00-5:00 with Mary Lundgren. Hope you can join us for all of the fun!

CAR WASH news!! We raised money for a Bible school in Ecuador last Tuesday by soaking, washing, rinsing and drying cars and trucks on the North parking lot of First Reformed Church. It was a beautiful, sunny day for a car wash! We hope to post pictures here soon, otherwise check out the pictures on the Kids' Connection Facebook page. Thank you to all of the hardworking children and volunteers who made this Car Wash a success! Thank you to all of the drivers for your donations to this cause of the KINGDOM! Most of all, THANKS BE TO OUR GREAT GOD for HIS amazing LOVE and GRACE.

2011-09-13T22:25:00.006-05:00

CAR WASH

2011-09-13T06:58:00.002-05:00

Kids' Connection Car Wash

Tuesday, September 13
4:00 pm- 5:15pm
North Parking Lot
First Reformed Church
Orange City, IA

Enter at the east entrance, Exit at the west exit

Freewill offering for Bible School in Ecuador

2011-09-06T21:42:00.003-05:00

KIDS IN THE KITCHEN...

Rice Krispie Bars and No Bake Cookies with the 5th Graders

The First Week @ Kids' Connection

2011-09-03T09:07:00.003-05:00

Tuesday, the 30th of August was the first day of Kids' Connection for the 2011-2012 school year! It was an awesome day!! 135 children walked through the doors with smiles, questions, excitement, anticipation, and for our new children, some apprehension. Our new computer check in system worked extremely well. (Thanks Jack!) We began the afternoon with a delicious snack provided by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, the Orange City Center. Next we gathered together to review the Fruits of the Spirit learned last year, introduce our new theme of the Lord's Prayer, and remind everyone of the behavior expectations at Kids' Connection. Then we were off to the craft tables to decorate our prayer journals, play pool, ping pong or Foosball, build Legos in the Lego room, weave potholders, fuse iron beads, paint/draw pictures, and/or build a wood project. The Kids' Connection area was buzzing with excitement and FUN!!

Thursday, the 1st of September, was a very hot day and our local schools let out early due to the heat. The church buses were not running that day so our numbers were down a bit. We had 91 children come to our air conditioned facility to enjoy the afternoon. We met together after snack time to learn the verse from 1 Peter 5:7-"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." We'll review the verse weekly! Mary Lundgren brought the children upstairs for Praises and Play. The children had a chance to run, exercise, and PRAY together! Thanks Mary!!!!

Thank you to all of the volunteers who make Kids' Connection a fun and safe environment each week! This program is what it is because of YOU!!! Thank you! Your smiles, patience and encouragement make each child feel special!

Next week we're baking cookies and making our own ice cream!! Yum! See you next week for more fun at Kids' Connection!!!

Kids' Connection, Thursday, September 1, is OPEN!

2011-09-01T08:43:00.003-05:00

Our local schools are closing early today because of the heat. Kids' Connection will be open today at the regular time from 3:30pm until 6:00pm.
Please note that the Kids' Connection church buses will not run today because of the early dismissal.
First Reformed Church has air conditioning and volunteers anxiously waiting to see your child(ren) today! Come and join the fun if you are able!!

KIDS' CONNECTION begins Tuesday, August 30!!

2011-08-29T14:33:00.002-05:00

Thanks for checking our Kids' Connection blog! Tomorrow, Tuesday, August 30, we open our doors at First Reformed Church for the most fun, the coolest after school club around!!! If you are in Kindergarten through 5th grade, you are welcome to Kids' Connection. It is very important that you have a child information form filled out in order for us to know that you're coming. Go to our church website at www.frcoc.org for forms and more information!

If you'd like to volunteer for Kids' Connection, there are forms at the same website for you to fill out. You need to be 6th grade or older to be a volunteer.

The First Reformed Church buses will be at your school to take you to Kids' Connection. The buses will be parked on the north side of your school waiting to take you to Kids' Connection.

Hope to see many of you tomorrow!!!

REGISTRATION DAYS

2011-08-18T11:12:00.003-05:00

Registration Days
Monday, August 22
Tuesday, August 23
Wednesday, August 24
7:30am-5:00pm
Please come to the Fireside Room (north side) at First Reformed Church to register your child (ren) for Kids' Connection. Take your completed registration form with you to register your child quickly and efficiently. We will need to snap a photo of your child for his/her new Kids' Connection name tag so please take your child(ren) with you to registration. You will also find a September calendar, newsletter, t-shirt order form and donation opportunities on the registration table.
We look forward to seeing you soon!!

AUGUST 2011!!!

2011-08-01T07:20:00.002-05:00

It's August! And August means we're gearing up for Kids' Connection! Our first day is Tuesday, August 30. If you are in Kindergarten through grade 5, you are welcome to join us for snacks, games, crafts, baking, and other cool activities from 3:30-6:00. Meet all of your friends at Kids' Connection for fun and good times! A church bus will pick you up after school and take you to First Reformed Church where you will be welcomed by volunteers who are excited to meet you!

We are planning something new for Kids' Connection this year. You will be wearing a new name tag that needs your picture on it. Please come to First Reformed Church on either Monday, August 22 or Tuesday, August 23 or Wednesday, August 24 between 7:30 am-5:00pm to have your picture taken AND sign up for Kids' Connection. We are excited to see your smiles!! :)

Please remember to put these important dates on your calendars.

And, remember God loves you!!

Graduation Day

2011-05-26T22:52:00.004-05:00

5th Grade Graduates!

2 Days of Kids' Connection Left

2011-05-18T14:27:00.002-05:00

Our first year of Kids' Connection is drawing to a close. There are two big events left for the year:
1. Tuesday, May 24- We will celebrate GENTLENESS with a story from the Bible. Northwestern Bank will be coming to Kids' Connection to celebrate the children with May and July birthdays. Also that afternoon, Ron De Jong is treating us to rides on a flatbed behind his Percheron horses. This is the second time he has favored us with rides down Central Avenue. THANK YOU Northwestern Bank and Ron!!
2. Thursday, May 26, marks the first annual 5th grade graduation party. Our faithful 5th grade students have shown maturity and kindness throughout the year and they will be honored with a celebration of how special they are in God's eyes. Other fun surprises await all of the children on our last day of Kids' Connection for the 2010-2011 school year!!!
Thank you to ALL of the faithful volunteers, supporters, prayer warriors, bus drivers, snack providers, and partners in ministry for EVERYTHING!!!
Look for Kids' Connection to open its doors again August 30, 2011!

May you experience GENTLENESS in May...

2011-05-09T08:35:00.002-05:00

GENTLENESS..."A GENTLE answer turns away anger..." Our verse for the Month of May is a reminder of GENTLENESS. We have learned at Kids' Connection that God has put all of the Fruits of the Spirit in our hearts and we need to live them out each day: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Tomorrow, May 10, Lisa Laird will come to Kids' Connection and share her puppet ministry with us. Her theme is GENTLENESS! Thanks so much Lisa for coming each month to introduce the new 'fruit' of the Spirit. We appreciate you!

We continue to collect toys for the children living in the Bronx, New York. Simply bring the new and/or gently used toys to Kids' Connection and put them in the boxes near the sign out table. Thank you!!

We hope to play outdoor games on Thursday, celebrate the Dutch culture and play BINGO on the 17th, celebrate May and July birthdays on the 24th and finally celebrate the 5th grade children with a graduation ceremony at 3:45 on the 26th. Our final day of Kids' Connection for the 2010-2011 school year is May 26. We plan to open again on Tuesday, August 30, 2011. Look for a mailing in early August with details and registration forms for the new school year at Kids' Connection!!

2011-04-30T08:51:00.003-05:00

Our theme for the month of MAY is GENTLENESS. Some highlights for May include a toy collection project (see info below), a Cinco de Mayo celebration, and a 5^th GradeGraduation Ceremony on the last day of Kids’ Connection, May 26.

May Service Project for Kids’ Connection: We will be linked with the Fordham Manor Reformed Church in the Bronx, New York this month. Mity, a member of Fordham Manor, feels called to do Gods’ work among the homeless and less fortunate in the Bronx. Her ministries include clothing the homeless, feeding the hungry and blessing young children with food, clothing and toys. The children and volunteers at Kids’ Connection will be asked to help Mity with her ministry to young children by donating new and/or gently used toys for children in the Bronx. Bonnie De Jong met Mity on a mission trip to the Bronx in March 2011. Bonnie will join us on Tuesday, May 3, to tell us more about Mity’s ministry and more about the children and families she met while in New York. God calls us to feed the hungry and clothe the poor. Thank you!!!

2011-04-27T08:14:00.008-05:00

In the game room...

Recycled Creations...

2011-04-19T13:01:00.000-05:00

Pine Wood Derby Race

2011-04-16T17:15:00.004-05:00

We had 12 race cars at the 1st Annual Pine Wood Derby Race this afternoon at First Reformed Church! What a great time! The boys voted on their favorite cars for "Best in Show". We then awarded 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons for "Best in Show" cars and after every car raced, we awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of the entire race. Congratulations! All of you were winners!!!

Thanks Parents for your efforts in helping your son or grandson create a fast and beautifully painted car. Thanks to Don Wynia for letting us use his track. Thanks to Lois, Suzanne, Mark, Rick, Galen, Claudia and Pastor Tim for their help with setup, clean up and encouragement!!

Watch for pictures soon!!! :)

Sand Dollars, Sock Pets, Spanish, Some Cool Marble Mazes

2011-04-16T05:59:00.002-05:00

I hope your child received a sand dollar and a sand dollar poem about Easter. What a marvelous story of symbolism and FAITH. April is our month to celebrate the fruit of FAITHFULNESS. Our theme verse is John 3:16. We are working on memorizing the verse and applying it to our hearts!

The children created adorable sock pets using rice, ankle socks, movable eyes, pompoms, felt and more. Also, the boys were able to create marble mazes using wood, markers and nails. The boys were carefully coloring and pounding in nails. The entire project will be completed next week. Thanks to the Kidzone (the FRC Sioux Center after school club) for the sock pet idea and to Norm Plender, and Galen Kleinwolterink for preparing the wood for the boys, and to Jim Aberson, JR Siebersma and Stan Van Otterloo for the hammers and patience!!

Thanks again to Claudia for teaching Spanish to 6 enthusiastic young ladies! We are excited to hear your songs in Spanish!!

Volunteers: Thank you, thank you for sharing your afternoon with us at Kids' Connection! The children are blessed by your presence! Welcome to the 5 Senior students from Unity Christian High School this week, too.

The Pine Wood Derby race is scheduled for this afternoon at 2:00! Anyone is welcome to watch and cheer on your favorite car!!

Faith and Faithfulness

2011-04-09T06:53:00.004-05:00

If your child was at Kids' Connection on Thursday, he/she should have come home with a 'Resurrection Egg' set. We will fill 'Resurrection Egg' sets again this coming Tuesday for the children who were not able to be at Kids' Connection last week. The 12 days before Easter begin on April 13. We hope to have the 'Resurrection Egg' sets in the hands of all of the children by that date. Enjoy that special time with your child(ren)!

This week at Kids' Connection, the children will hear the stories of FAITH and FAITHFULNESS from the Bible. Our verse of the month is taken from John 3:16-"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." What a promise of salvation!

Pinewood Derby is coming Saturday, April 16 beginning at 2:00. Come for racing, food and prizes! Everyone is a winner!!!

Claudia, our missionary from Ecuador, is teaching Spanish to a group of 5th grade girls every Tuesday and Thursday at Kids' Connection. Thanks Claudia!!

Girls, Goodness, Gadgets, Giggles, Gift books, Glory!

2011-04-04T10:15:00.003-05:00

Girls- We had GREAT time last Friday evening at the first annual 'Girls Get-Together' for Kids' Connection girls, grades 2-5. The girls experienced foot care, massages, hand care, new hairdos, scrap booking, and value in God's eyes!! Thanks to all of the professionals for their help in making the night eventful for all of the girls!!

Goodness- March was Goodness month! We celebrated the fruit of the Spirit of goodness by coloring and decorating place mats for the nursing home residents and hospital patients on Orange City. April is FAITHFULNESS month. Faithfulness means doing the right thing over and over and over. We will also emphasize FAITH to celebrate Easter. Your child will come home with a 'Resurrection Egg' carton filled with numbered eggs telling the story of Easter, Jesus' resurrection. You will need to begin on April 13 in order to 'tell' the beautiful story. We will be assembling the cartons on Thursday, April 7 and Tuesday, April 12. One person per family will assemble the carton. Rejoice!!!

Gadgets- on Saturday, April 16, the boys, grades 2-5 will enjoy a Pine Wood Derby race at Kids' Connection. The deadline to sign up is tomorrow, April 5. Please pick up a pine wood car kit when you return your forms at the Sign out table.

Giggles- Tomorrow at Kids' Connection, Lisa Laird will be introducing FAITHFULNESS to the children with her puppets.

Gift books- A man named Howard Bomgaars started a ministry in memory of his wife, who died recently. He and his children started collecting children’s books to bring to the Banquet in Sioux Falls. Howard’s late wife believed every child should have the opportunity to read. They have already collected many books, however, the Banquet is in need of so many more. We are hoping that the children at Kids’ Connection would be interested in donating some of their used books for this ministry. You will find a box to deposit your books for the Banquet.

Glory- Easter is all about Jesus! Glory to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!!

Kids' Connection Girls' Get-Together

2011-03-21T11:38:00.001-05:00

Girls’ get-Together

At Kids’ connection

Friday, April 1, 3:30pm-7:00pm

2nd grade through 5th grade Kids’ Connection GIRLS are invited to the first ever “Girls Get-together” on Friday night, April 1 from 3:30pm-7:00pm. The girls are welcome to come to the First Reformed Church Kids’ Connection location after school until 7:00pm. We will have food, fun, crafts and more! Please pick up the admission form on the Kids' Connection Sign Out Table and return it to Kids’ Connection by Tuesday, March 29, 2011. Please feel free to call 737-4909 or email: leanne@frcoc.org, if you have any questions. No bus will be provided after school. Thanks!

Boys' Pinewood Derby Race Information

2011-03-21T11:12:00.002-05:00

Boys’ PineWood derby Race

At Kids’ connection

Saturday, April 16, 2:00pm-5:00pm

2nd grade through 5th grade Kids’ Connection BOYS and an Adult Male (Father, Uncle, Grandpa, Friend of the family) are invited to the first ever “BOYS’ PINEWOOD DERBY RACE” on Saturday afternoon, April 16 from 2:00pm-5:00pm. The men & boys are welcome to come to the First Reformed Church Kids’ Connection location for food, racing fun, and more! Please pick up a form at the Kids' Connection Sign Out Table and return it by Tuesday, April 5, 2011, in order to pick up your Pinewood Derby Car form and instructions. Please feel free to call 737-4909 or email: leanne@frcoc.org, if you have any questions. Thanks!

GOODNESS overflows!

2011-03-11T08:08:00.001-06:00

Are you celebrating GOODNESS in your life?? We are celebrating GOODNESS at Kids' Connection! We learned about young Daniel and his friends from the Bible. He and his friends chose to follow God when others were choosing not to. God showered Daniel and his friends with GOODNESS in their lives because of their decision to follow God. We also celebrated God's wonderful creation as a sign of His GOODNESS. GOD is SO GOOD!!

Thank you to MOC-FV high school students, Dani, Trevor, Lauren, Jen and Laura, for sharing so eloquently your memorized speeches. Good luck at State Speech Competition tomorrow!! You did an awesome job at Kids' Connection!!!

Thank you to Jay Weilenga for sharing your shuffle board with us! The children were very engaged and excited to play shuffle board. The prizes weren't bad either! :)

And, again, thank you to ALL of the capable, valuable, and wonderful volunteers for taking time to read books, hot glue flowers onto hats, build wood puzzles, drive bus, serve snacks, do hard math homework, vacuum, play pool, take pictures, help with preparation, sign children in and out, etc. We couldn't have Kids' Connection if it wasn't for all of you!! Thank you!!!

All of the GLORY goes to our GOOD and Gracious GOD in Heaven! "Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will live in the house of the Lord forever!" Psalm 23:6

We're Going Bananas!

2011-03-07T20:06:00.002-06:00

'March'ing on toward GOODNESS

2011-03-05T13:49:00.002-06:00

We've experienced a great start to learning about GOODNESS at Kids' Connection this past week. Lisa Laird and Pockets Full of Fun celebrated GOODNESS with a puppet show and our verse: "Hate what is wrong and hold tightly to what is GOOD!" She showed us a box that magically changed what was not good to something very GOOD! On Thursday we celebrated God's creation. At the end of each creation day in the book of Genesis, God saw everything He had made and said, "It is good." Our 'Going Bananas' party was fun, too. All 92 children and lots of volunteers met upstairs in the Fellowship Hall and enjoyed 'Minute-to-Win it' games incorporating bananas, ping pong balls and prizes!!

We are also learning a verse from Psalm 23: "Surely GOODNESS and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever."

Next week, we will make homemade cards, bake cookies, play shuffleboard and many other fun activities. We will play BINGO and meet the K-9 dogs from the Sheriff's department during the third week of March.

Our service project for the month of March is designing and coloring place mats for the hospital patients at the Orange City Area Health System and for the residents at the Long Term Care and Heritage House nursing homes and Landsmeer Retirement Home. We've been able to send over about 35 place mats already!

Please join us for all of the fun at Kids' Connection!

My GOODNESS, it's March already!

2011-02-25T12:08:00.002-06:00

March is our month to celebrate GOODNESS at Kids' Connection. We plan to learn about the GOODNESS of God in our lives. Lisa Laird will start us out on Tuesday with a puppet show about GOODNESS. The fruit of GOODNESS is a banana so on Thursday we're having a 'Going Bananas' party.

We will be showing GOODNESS all month long to the residents at the Long Term Care facility, Heritage House Nursing Home, and Landsmeer Ridge, and to the patients at our local hospital, the Orange City Area Health System, by coloring and decorating place mats for their tables and food trays. We hope to bring cheer, smiles and God's GOODNESS to everyone living or recuperating in our local care facilities. The place mats were donated to Kids' Connection in order to make this project happen! Thank you!

Jay Wielenga will play shuffleboard with us in two weeks, Deputy Tony Reitsma will bring his K9 friend to meet us and Claudia Soto, a new volunteer from Ecuador, will be joining us. What an exciting month ahead of us!!

BINGO and Birthdays

2011-02-20T17:38:00.002-06:00

The last week of February is upon us! Tuesday is our BINGO day hosted by Iowa State Bank and Thursday is the day that Northwestern Bank comes in to celebrate all of the February birthdays.

Suzanne Haverdink teaches her photography class on Tuesday. Thank you Suzanne for sharing your expertise with the children and thank you to everyone who donated a camera for the children to use!

This is also the last week to collect food items for the Food Pantry. We will deliver all of the donated items on Friday, the 25th of February. Thank you for your donations and contributions to such a worthwhile cause.

March marks the 7th month of Kids' Connection! GOODNESS is the next fruit of the Spirit. If you have experienced GOODNESS in your life, would you like to come to Kids' Connection and share your story?? We love to hear stories!! God has been so GOOD to us by blessing us with your child(ren) each afternoon.

Thanks for your generous donations to Kids' Connection! We appreciate your thoughtfulness and generosity!

2011-02-13T21:39:00.002-06:00

Puppet Making

All-State Speech Team

MOC-FV Girls Basketball Team

FAMILY DAY is coming!!

2011-02-13T13:52:00.004-06:00

What an exciting week we had at Kids' Connection! On Tuesday we celebrated the Chinese New Year and learned some Chinese language and Chinese culture. Thanks to Kristyn Howe and Kathy Gabel for sharing their experiences and artifacts. On Thursday we welcomed Lisa Laird and her puppets for a lesson on kindness. Following the puppet show, Lisa took 18 children and several very kind volunteers to make their own puppets out of stuffed animals. The children were so proud of their finished product! Thanks so much Lisa and Volunteers for your help with this BIG project! Two groups from MOC-FV joined us for fun and games on Thursday as well: the Girls Basketball Team and the Varsity All-State Speech/Musical Theater Team. What a display of kindness and generosity! Thank you very, very much for spending such quality time with us!!!

This week Tuesday, February 15 is FAMILY DAY!! We are celebrating each child's family by inviting them to join us for snacks, games, and FUN! If you are interested in joining us, please let Leanne know via email at leanne@frcoc.org or by calling the church office at 737-4909 #15. Please let us know how many people will be attending and what time you are arriving. Thank you!

On Thursday, the 17th, we are celebrating CHOCOLATE!!! Yum!! We are planning games and other fun activities to celebrate one of my personal favorite foods.

We are still collecting non-perishable food items for the Food Pantry, a local outlet for food and other items. We will be collecting until February 24. Thanks!

Celebrate KINDNESS!

KINDNESS reigns at Kids' Connection

2011-02-03T21:36:00.002-06:00

"Be KIND to each other" is the verse of the month from the Bible at Kids' Connection. The fruit of KINDNESS as spoken by several children at Kids' Connection today:
"Kindness is when you help someone who's hurt."
"Kindness is when you help someone with their math."
"Kindness is saying sorry to somebody."
"Kindness means that I tell a teacher when someone is crying on the playground."
"I like to be kind to my family."
We've got a great start to understanding KINDNESS as Jesus would have us understand it. We were born with the fruit of kindness, now we need to practice it at all times.

We were blessed by the NWC cheerleaders this afternoon. The children who learned a cheer performed it for us. Go big Red!!! Thanks to the cheerleaders for helping us out today! Thank you, too, for your lessons on kindness!!

Next week Tuesday we will celebrate Chinese New Year! Kristen and Kathy will be sharing with us about China and their new year celebration. It's the year of the rabbit in China. Thank you very much in advance for taking the time to join us! Suzanne has 8 children signed up to take a photography class. The class starts next Tuesday and continues for 2 more Tuesdays. Thanks Suzanne!!!

Next week Thursday will be exciting with Lisa Laird and her puppet ministry sharing about KINDNESS. Following the puppet performance she will teach 20 children how to make their own puppets. The MOC-FV high school girls basketball team will join us that day, too. What a great connection with children, teens and adults! WOW! To God be all the glory!!

Remember, be kind to each other. Have a great weekend!

2011-02-03T21:33:00.002-06:00

Our Kids' Connection Family

Learning about the Orange City Food Pantry

NWC Cheerleaders

Kids' Connection is cancelled today!

2011-02-01T12:26:00.002-06:00

It's just not Tuesday unless there's Kids' Connection!! Sorry to have to let you know that there will be no Kids' Connection today due to weather. Lisa Laird is rescheduled for Thursday, February 10. She is staying longer that day to make puppets out of stuffed animals with children in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. Lisa and I will provide a stuffed animal for you if you can't find one to use, but we are encouraging you to find a stuffed animal you may have at home. I will show you this coming Thursday what size stuffed animal you'll need. Lisa will take up to 20 children to make puppets. We'll have a sign up sheet ready for you this coming Thursday. I'm excited to see the finished products!!

Just a couple of reminders:
1. Banks for Haiti need to be returned Thursday, the 3rd of February.

2. Kids' Connection children and volunteers are collecting nonperishable items for the Food Pantry during February. Look for more information on the sign out table.

3. Family Day is on Tuesday, February 15. We are celebrating moms, dads, siblings, grandparents, aunts, and uncles all afternoon. Feel free to come and go as you wish. We would love to have you join us for a new table game and other 'sweet' activities. We are also asking that you RSVP to this event. Look for more information on the sign out table.

Stay warm and show kindness to someone today!! See you on Thursday!

February at Kids' Connection

2011-01-28T17:55:00.002-06:00

Suzanne and I just finished the activity details on the February calendar. We are so excited with all of the fun, new activities and projects for February!! We will begin the month with Lisa Laird and her puppets introducing the fruit of KINDNESS. The NW cheerleading squad will visit on the 3rd of February to talk about KINDNESS and to teach a cheer to anyone interested that day! Too fun! We will experience Chinese New Year, learn about China from Kristen Howe, and learn how to make our own puppets with Lisa Laird the following week.

We are celebrating love and families on the 15th of February. We would like to invite you to spend time with your child(ren) at Kids' Connection and take the whole family! Look for details in your child's backpack and in "The Connection" publication.

Suzanne Haverdink is going to teach a photography class at Kids' Connection. We have been donated several cameras so...smile, you may be on a Kids' Connection picture! Thank you Suzanne for putting together a wonderful class!

See you next week at Kids' Connection! Have a fun weekend!

Northwestern Men's Basketball team is coming to Kids' Connection

2011-01-25T06:38:00.004-06:00

It's Tuesday, January 25, and we welcome several players from the men's basketball team at Northwestern College to Kids' Connection. We are excited to hear from the players as Pastor Tim asks them questions about their faith in God and about basketball. Thank you for spending time with us! We appreciate the fact that you are using valuable practice time to 'play' games, construct Legos and assemble wood crafts this afternoon! Thanks!

Also today, 6 young girls will try their hand at sewing on a sewing machine. Lylis Van Donkelaar has graciously put together a team of ladies who will have sewing machines, fabric and expertise ready to go for this afternoon at Kids' Connection. Thank you to all of you for your donations of time and love to our precious children.

Another BIG thank you needs to go out to Tom Hydeen, Suzanne Haverdink, Kathy Meendering, Pastor Tim and the many, many valued volunteers who have so capably managed Kids' Connection so I could fully recover from surgery. I am SO grateful and appreciative for everything!

On Thursday, January 27, your banks for Haiti should return to Kids' Connection so we can pour out the coins into a big wheelbarrow. I hope you have been earning, saving and collecting money to buy school supplies for the children in Haiti. You will be able to keep your bank for other projects at Kids' Connection. Thank you for supporting this very worthwhile cause.

Also on Thursday, Northwestern State Bank is returning to celebrate ALL of the January birthdays. So if you have a birthday in January, Northwestern Bank will be at Kids' Connection to help you honor your special day! Thank you NW Bank!

It's BINGO day at Kids' Connection on Tuesday!

2011-01-17T07:44:00.003-06:00

Employees from Iowa State Bank will be joining us tomorrow, Tuesday, the 18th, to play BINGO. We are so thankful to the bank employees for their willingness to come to Kids' Connection to call out the BINGO numbers and spend time with us. We appreciate the prizes and the smiles you put on our faces!

Are you remembering to pray for Haiti?? Those of you who were not here last week Thursday missed the pictures of children and schools in the country of Haiti. We passed out 'banks' so you could earn money and help the Mission of Hope organization purchase school supplies for the children in Haiti. We have some extra 'banks' for you to use to be a part of this global ministry, too. We will be collecting the money next week Thursday, January 27, during Kids' Connection. It's an exciting way to help other children like you!

If the weather is decent on Thursday, the 20th, we plan to do some outdoor games, yes, outdoors!!! We'll get all bundled up and play in the snow! Should be FUN!!

See you tomorrow: Be patient with everyone!!

IT'S A BEACH PARTY!

2011-01-13T21:45:00.004-06:00

What a fun day we had at Kids' Connection yesterday!! We invited Elaine Vander Broek to teach us about the Mission of Hope organization in Haiti. She showed us pictures of classrooms and children in Haiti. We learned how we can help the children get new school supplies by earning money to put in our new banks. On Thursday, January 27, we will bring our banks back to Kids' Connection and pour out our coins into a wheelbarrow. The money will be sent to Mission of Hope in Haiti.

Then, we celebrated winter at a beach party with coconut bowling, beach volleyball, Limbo, leis, fishing and much more. Below are pictures of the fun we shared:

Learning about Haiti

Coconut Bowling

"Beach Volleyball"

Musical Beach Towels

Thursday @ Kids' Connection

2011-01-12T21:47:00.003-06:00

It's Culture Connection Day at Kids' Connection on Thursday, January 13. Elaine Vander Broek has agreed to speak to us about Haiti and Mission of Hope, an organization that delivers hope and help to hurting nations. We have the opportunity to collect coins that will help Mission of Hope purchase school supplies for students in Haiti. Twenty dollars fills one backpack of school supplies. Your child will come home with a 'bank' to collect coins. Inside the 'bank' is a sheet of helpful information to give you more information on the Haiti project and creative suggestions for your child to 'earn' the money to put in his/her 'bank'. One of our goals at Kids' Connection is to teach our children how to serve others using the Fruits of the Spirit of love, joy, self-control and patience. Do not feel obligated to participate in this service project, but if you wish to participate, it is our desire that your child earn the money to help make a meaningful difference in someone's life. Thank you for helping your child with this project. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Leanne Bonnecroy at 712-737-4909 or by emailing me at leanne@frcoc.org.

No school! No Kids' Connection!

2011-01-11T11:14:00.002-06:00

Wow! Two snow days in a row! Our policy at Kids' Connection is that if the schools cancel school for weather-related reasons, we have to cancel Kids' Connection, too. We want our precious children and valued volunteers to be safe. We will plan on Thursday to hear from Elaine Vander Broek abour Haiti and the Mission of Hope organization. The children will be personalizing a 'bank' to collect coins for the School connected with Mission of Hope. Parents, all of the details will be inside the 'bank'. On Thursday, we will also have a Beach Party with games, crafts and other fun activities. Becky Kleinwolterink will be making homemade cards with a group of 6 children.

Thank you to Lisa Laird and her Pockets Full of Fun Ministry, to Sue Korver for sharing the Bible story of Noah and the Ark with us, and to Tom Hydeen along with the many, many volunteers that helped out at Kids' Connection last week. Our theme for the month of January is PATIENCE! Our verse this month is "Be patient with everyone." I Thessalonians 5:14

Enjoy your 'snow day' everyone! Stay safe, warm and cozy!!! See you Thursday!

Happy New Year!!

2010-12-28T16:08:00.002-06:00

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas everyone! 2011 is just around the corner and it promises to be a great year at Kids' Connection! In January we will learn about the 'fruit' of PATIENCE. Our Bible verse for PATIENCE is "...be patient with everyone." I Thessalonians 5:14. Jesus is our true example of patience. He had to explain things about His life over and over again to His disciples, but He stayed calm and focused on His mission to the world. Jesus showed so much patience with the disciples when they were confused and slow to understand. We need to learn from Jesus' example by giving others in our lives a second chance to know and understand something important.

Sometimes we have to 'wait' for a surprise. That's also when we need to be patient. You can tell how patient someone is by the way they 'act' while they're waiting. Are you patient? :)

January will be a fun month at Kids' Connection. If you signed up for sewing lessons, you've waited so patiently! We are having a sewing day on January 11!!! Sewing machines will be available for you to use. We're planning a Beach Party, outdoor games and some other surprises! We will be testing our patience this month by waiting for the fun at Kids' Connection!

Happy New Year everyone!! See you next year! :)

A Busy Afternoon!

2010-12-22T14:22:00.004-06:00

Building, connecting, building, and connecting with the wrestlers from MOC-FV!
Thank you for coming to Kids' Connection!

Connecting and Investing!

2010-12-21T22:43:00.003-06:00

We were blessed today to have the MOC-FV wrestling team and their coaches Lyle Lundgren, Andrew Lundgren and Chad Koedam. The young men on the wrestling team shared their stories of faith in Christ and their dependence on Him in order to do their sport to the best of their ability. The children listened in awe as the young athletes shared their testimonies. What a beautiful thing to witness!!

We watched a movie called "The Very First Noel" and then continued to share our Kids' Connection afternoon with the wrestlers by building wood projects, coloring candy cane holders, painting crafts and gluing ornaments together. The young men from the high school truly connected and invested in the lives of the children at Kids' Connection today. I was so proud of these fine athletes!!

Again, NO Kids' Connection until Tuesday, January 4 when school resumes. See you in 2011!

Have a wonderful and Christ-filled Christmas with family and friends!!

Angels We Have Heard on High...or at LTC

2010-12-17T06:12:00.003-06:00

An angelic, glorious sound was heard at the Long Term Care Facility in Orange City on Thursday, Dec.16. 84 children and 16 volunteers walked the hallways at LTC singing 'Jingle Bells', 'Away in the Manger', 'Joy to the World',' Angels We Have Heard on High' and 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas!' We were greeted by smiles, hugs and Christmas LOVE!! Prior to arriving at LTC, Pastor Mark Haverdink told us how much God loves us. He loves us so much that He sent His only Son at Christmas! The children unwrapped pieces of the Nativity to reveal the beautiful Christmas story! Thank you Pastor Mark! We're so glad you came!

Pastor Tim Breen shared with us on Tuesday the message of HOPE during the Advent season, the season of expectation. Pastor Tim taught us the difference between a 'wish' and real HOPE in Jesus. A 'wish' is something you wish would happen and real HOPE is in knowing JESUS. He is our real HOPE for the future!! Thanks Pastor Tim for teaching us to have our HOPE in Jesus! We love it when you're with us!

The final Kids' Connection in December, 2010 is Tuesday, Dec.21, with a visit from the 35-member wrestling team and coaches from MOC-FV high school! They will be sharing with us about JESUS, a favorite Christmas memory and/or their experiences as team players. We look forward to meeting all of them and we thank them in advance for coming!!

Be sure to scroll down to see the video that follows this blog post. We sincerely do wish you and your 'kin' a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in 2011! Thank you again for your support of Kids' Connection and we are excited to witness what God has in store for us in 2011!!
We hope to see you all back on January 4 when Lisa Laird and her puppet friends teach us about PATIENCE!

2010-12-16T22:15:00.002-06:00

PEACE and JOY!

2010-12-10T06:06:00.003-06:00

PEACE: "Let the PEACE of Christ rule in your hearts." Colossians 3:15
Lisa Laird and her puppet ministry prepared us for the fruit of PEACE. She taught us that in order to have PEACE we need to have JESUS! Her puppet had quite a 'piece' collection: a puzzle piece, a piece of ribbon, etc. The children quickly learned the difference between 'piece' and real PEACE. Thank you Lisa!

JOY: "The JOY of the Lord is my strength." Nehemiah 8:10
Mr. Gale Tien, the Principal at Orange City Christian School, brought us a message on JOY! He spoke about J-Jesus, O-Others, Y-You! He also taught us that the word JOY is part of the word REJOICE. We need to rejoice always!!

HOPE: Pastor Tim Breen, Pastor at First Reformed Church, Orange City, will share with us on Tuesday, December 14, about HOPE.

LOVE: On Thursday, the 16th, Pastor Mark Haverdink, Pastor at Maurice Reformed Church, continues the December Advent theme by teaching us about LOVE. Following his message, Kids' Connection plans to walk next door to the Long Term Care Nursing Home Facility and sing some Christmas carols. What a marvelous way to show LOVE to the residents!

JESUS: The MOC-FV Wrestling team and coaches are planning a visit on the 21st of December to share their testimonies about JESUS. JESUS is the focus of our Advent theme at Kids' Connection. What would Christmas be without our Savior, JESUS Christ?

Thank you to all of the many volunteers and leaders who share their lives and daily testimonies with the precious children at Kids' Connection! I am SO incredibly blessed to share this ministry with ALL of you!

Thank you, parents, for entrusting your precious children to us at Kids' Connection. We sincerely hope and pray that their lives are being touched in a positive way for Christ! Enjoy this holiday season with your children and families!!

GINGERBREAD HOUSES

2010-12-02T22:19:00.001-06:00

Gingerbread Houses...

2010-12-02T20:45:00.002-06:00

20 round tables, five excited children and three equally excited helpers at each table, a bucket of frosting 'glue' in the middle of each table, five rectangular tables filled with candies and cereal, children and volunteers conspiring to make the best creation possible using a juice carton...what am I talking about? Well, gingerbread houses, of course! 100 children came to Kids' Connection today to make a gingerbread house for the Christmas season. 66 volunteers were on hand to give guidance and encouragement to the children. It was truly an amazing sight!! Thank you to everyone for participating in this ministry by connecting and investing in the lives of children. You are a blessing to Kids' Connection!

This is the month of PEACE. We will combine this next Fruit of the Spirit with Advent. We are excited to announce that five local leaders will be sharing Advent with us. On Tuesday, the 7th, Lisa Laird will teach us about PEACE, Gale Tien, the Principal at the Christian School, will teach us about JOY on the 9th, Pastor Tim will talk with us about HOPE on the 14th, Pastor Mark Haverdink from Maurice Reformed Church, is planning a message on LOVE on the 16th, and finally, the MOC-FV Wrestling team is visiting Kids' Connection to share their testimonies about Jesus Christ on the 21st. Thank you, in advance, for your commitment to our children!

Just a note for parents of Kids' Connection children: There will be no Kids' Connection during the Christmas and New Year school holiday. Our last day will be December 21 and we'll resume Kids' Connection on Tuesday, January 4!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

A Day of Service

2010-11-28T20:47:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2010-11-24T13:29:00.004-06:00

We have so much to be thankful for! I'm truly thankful for each child that steps through the doors of our church every Tuesday and Thursday. What an incredible blessing they are to all of us at Kids' Connection! I'm also truly thankful for each volunteer that helps with the precious children at Kids' Connection. What an incredible blessing each volunteer is to this program! I'm also truly thankful for the bus drivers. They take time out of their work day to pick up the children and get them here safely!

Yesterday was spent doing service projects. The 5th grade children made 'turkey' cookies for all of the children at Kids' Connection to take home. Winova headed up that project-thanks Winova!! The 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade children we busy making snowmen out of tube socks for the Heritage House and Long Term Care Nursing Homes to use as winter decorations for their dining tables. Lylis headed up this cute project with incredible patience and creativity-thanks Lylis!! The younger children made 'Give Thanks' pillows and turkey pins to share with family and friends. It was very encouraging to witness the children serving others.
J-Jesus
O-Others
Y-Yourself
We certainly put this acronym into action yesterday at Kids' Connection!

Next week Tuesday we will begin working on our advent wreaths and advent themes for the month of December. On Thursday we will be celebrating a Culture Connection day. Ingrid May will be sharing about Germany. Following her lesson we will be making gingerbread houses. What a fun day that'll be, too!

I sincerely hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. May God's goodness, grace and joy fill your homes this holiday season!

Culture Connection

2010-11-19T07:43:00.004-06:00

What a celebration of JOY at Kids' Connection! Yesterday Nola Aalberts kindly shared her stories of growing up in Winnebago, Nebraska. She displayed artifacts, pictures and toys used by Native American children. Thank you so much, Nola, for coming to Kids' Connection to teach us more about the JOY of sharing our cultures.

JOY:
J-Jesus first
O-Others second
Y- You last

November has gone by quickly! We have enJOYed playing shuffleboard with Jay from Northwestern College, BINGO with Clark and Rachel from Iowa State Bank, a flag folding demonstration with Office Pete De Beer and Arlyn Kleinwolterink on Veteran's Day, Pockets Full of Fun, the 4 corners game, making Thanksgiving cards with Velma and best of all, learning that 'the JOY of the LORD is our STRENGTH!'

This week Tuesday is the November birthday celebration with Northwestern Bank. YEAH!!

We are also in the process of designing Kids' Connection t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts. Look for the order forms and samples on the sign out table.

There will be NO Kids' Connection on Thursday, November 25. It's Thanksgiving Day! We, at Kids' Connection, hope you have a very blessed Thanksgiving Day with family and friends. We are SO thankful to our great God for His blessings and for His wonderful gift of salvation! Thank you to all of volunteers, parents, and especially the children, who make Kids' Connection a fun and JOYful place to be every Tuesday and Thursday! God bless you!

Joy in Culture

2010-11-18T21:44:00.002-06:00

The JOY of the Lord is our strength!

2010-11-05T22:36:00.003-05:00

What a joy-filled week we had at Kids' Connection! Lisa Laird introduced the fruit of JOY to us with her puppet, Jemima, a two year old dragon who was having a bad day! Jemima had found a penny on the sidewalk and everyone at 'daycare' laughed at her because it was only a penny. Lisa and Jemima reminded us that a penny is valuable and it reminds us to trust in Jesus. The children at Kids' Connection went home with a penny as a reminder! Then we were surprised by Ron De Jong and his team of BIG horses. Ron hitched up his team to a hay wagon and loaded 35 children and volunteers at a time for a ride downtown. It was like being in the Tulip Festival Parade in November!!

On Thursday, we learned about a 'Bag of Joy.' The children were encouraged to write down things that made them feel joyful and put them into the 'Bag of Joy.' We decorated the bags with glitter, glitter and more glitter!

Many thanks to our faithful bus drivers. I had the privilege of riding the BIG bus to the elementary school on Thursday. What fun it was to see the children running to the bus with big smiles and hugs! Without these dedicated men, we would not be able to provide this convenient and safe service to our children. So...thanks John, Brian, Pastor Mark, Pastor Stan, Bob, Roger and Dale!!!

In the week ahead, we will be making Thanksgiving crafts and celebrating America on Veteran's Day. Two Veterans are coming to Kids' Connection to fold the flag and talk to us more about what it means to be a Veteran! God bless America!!

We've Got the JOY!

2010-11-04T22:28:00.000-05:00

PUMPKINLAND!

2010-10-30T15:45:00.000-05:00

Pumpkins Galore!

2010-10-29T04:08:00.004-05:00

Pumpkins and more pumpkins! With nasty weather predicted for Tuesday, our field trip to Pumpkinland was postponed to Thursday. Despite the wind on Thursday, the children had a wonderful time out at Pumpkinland. The only complaint heard was, "We didn't get to stay long enough!" The Huitinks graciously let us roam their acreage as we hunted for puzzle pieces on our Scavenger Hunt, enjoyed the animals, schoolhouse and a snack. Thank you to each volunteer, leader, snack queen or helper who managed their group of children extremely well! Thank you to the bus drivers for getting us to Pumpkinland safely, too.

Thank you to Northwestern Bank for hosting a birthday party for the children with birthdays in October. It was kind of a small group of children this month. We thank the bank employees for their efforts in preparing treats, presents and fun for the children at Kids' Connection! It means so much to have you 'partner' with us!

Next week marks the beginning of November. The fruit of the Spirit is JOY! No problem there! The children will be listening to Lisa Laird and her Pockets Full of Fun puppets. We are so priveledged to be introduced to the 'new' fruit of the Spirit by her famous puppets. We look forward to the first Tuesday of each month for a puppet show by Lisa Laird!

Each fruit of the Spirit is associated with a real fruit that God created for us to enJOY. This month the real fruit for JOY is the pineapple. Thursday marks the once a month 'fruit party' along with other fruity activities!

Parents, look for new ways to donate items for the children at Kids' Connection! Donation tickets will be available in the sign out area during the month of November. We are so thankful for the generosity shown to us by your gifts to Kids' Connection! Thank you!!

2010-10-22T09:41:00.000-05:00

BINGO, LINE DANCING, and more!

2010-10-22T07:50:00.009-05:00

B 12, I 23, N 41, G 55, O 72- No, I'm not giving you a list of vitamins, instead I'm calling out BINGO numbers. Iowa State Bank came to Kids' Connection on Tuesday to play BINGO complete with prizes and tons of FUN!! Thanks to Clark, Nora and Connie!

Kelly Van Gelder joined us Thursday afternoon to teach us how to line dance. We found out that its very important to know our right foot from our left foot. Thanks, Kelly, for sharing your music, dancing skills and kindness! The weather was absolutely beautiful! It was a perfect day for outdoor activities. Indoor activities included a visit by Mayor Douma and Principal Landhuis to the manners class, baking cookies with Shelby and Angel, wooden car puzzles and pumpkin crafts. Thanks to ALL of our volunteers! We are blessed to have each one of you!!

Tuesday, October 26, marks the day for a trip to Pumpkinland. Pray for good weather, safety and fun! Parents, be sure to fill out a form so your child can attend this special event. Forms are available at the First Reformed Church office. Also, if you normally pick up your child before 5:00, we won't be back from Pumpkinland until around 5:00.

Kindergartners will be baking on Thursday and children with October birthdays will be celebrating with Northwestern Bank on Thursday as well.

God has blessed Kids' Connection with precious children, valued volunteers, and generous donations! Thank you for the worthwhile part you 'play' at Kids' Connection!

'Sail the Seas' Day at Kids' Connection!!

2010-10-15T05:18:00.003-05:00

After blue Jello with fish and fishy fruit snacks, and a rousing skit about Moses and the crossing of the Red Sea, Kids' Connection moved upstairs to the Fellowship Hall for a 'Sail the Seas' party. The children enjoyed painting whales, hula hoop races, a beach ball toss, a ping pong ball toss with prizes, crafts, coloring and finding seashells in the 'ocean'. Thank you to all of the wonderful volunteers who helped make the party a huge success!

Next week Tuesday we will be playing BINGO with the employees from Iowa State Bank. We are so thankful for their partnership with Kids' Connection! On Thursday Anita is back with her final lesson on 'How to be a Kind Kid' and we will kick up our heels and learn some line dancing with Kelly Van Gelder. There's lots of fun ahead in the next week!

On Monday, October 26, a trip to Pumpkinland is scheduled for the children at Kids' Connection. Parents, a permission slip needs to be signed in order for your child to join in on the fun. The forms are available at the registration table as you sign your child in or out. Thanks so much!

Then on Thursday, October 28, we end the month of October with a birthday party hosted by Northwestern Bank for all of the Kids' Connection children with birthdays in October. Thanks Northwestern Bank for your commitment to partnering with Kids' Connection!

Continue to pray for Kids' Connection as we strive to provide a fun and nurturing environment for the precious children in our community!

Strawberries...yum!

2010-10-08T06:09:00.005-05:00

Did you know that strawberries are the fruit of LOVE? Well, at Kids' Connection it's all about LOVE and strawberries! Our wonderful snack ladies treated us to real strawberries, strawberry wafer cookies and strawberry 'jigglers.' We are excited to see what they will come up with for us to eat during the month of October. Thanks to the snack ladies for all of your creativity, kindness and yummy food! Yesterday we learned about how much God LOVES His children. Grandma Jane read the story from the Bible about the time Jesus blessed the children. God is so good!

Do you know that we can say and 'sign' all of the Fruits of the Spirit? We learned the signs in sign language for each fruit. Children are amazing learners!!

Some highlights of the fun coming to Kids' Connection in October:
* Velma Boonstra makes cards with children
* Sail the Seas party in commemoration of Christopher Columbus
* Bingo with Iowa State Bank
* October birthday party with Northwestern Bank
* A trip to Pumpkinland (permission forms available at the KC sign out table)

Thanks again for your support of Kids' Connection. As of Thursday, we have 102 precious children enrolled in Kids' Connection!! How exciting!!

LOVE, strawberries, games, LOVE, crafts, painting, LOVE, Legos, Volunteers, LOVE...GOD!!!

You've got to 'LOVE' October!

2010-10-06T03:30:00.003-05:00

After learning about the 'fruit' of self-control and crafting, eating, and making pies with apples, we move on to the 'fruit' of love. Lisa Laird and her puppet ministry introduced us to the 'fruit' of love by teaching us about friendship and kindness. Thank you Lisa for your enthusiasm and for sharing your gifts with us! Every child received a smile ring to remind them to show love to their family and friends.

Did you know that the fruit of love is a strawberry? Do you like strawberries? We are planning a 'strawberry' party for Kids' Connection on Thursday. Come and join us for all of the fun!

Be sure to check the October calendar posted on the Kids' Connection blog. We are planning a trip to Pumpkinland on the 26th of October. Watch the sign-out table for permission slips for that fun activity!

Also, did you know that Iowa State Bank is coming once a month to play BINGO with us? Look for them on October 19!!

We are so glad that you are attending Kids' Connection! We love having you there!

Learning to make an apple pie

2010-10-01T11:59:00.002-05:00

Staying Connected

2010-09-29T08:52:00.002-05:00

Linked together for one month already!

2010-09-27T12:23:00.003-05:00

Kids' Connection opened nearly a month ago praying that children would find a fun and nurturing place to go after school. And here we are, one month later, enjoying approximately 70 children every Tuesday and Thursday. We will finish out the month of September with organized games on Tuesday and on Thursday, Apple Pie baking with Jo Hop and 'How to be a Kind Kid' with Anita Bomgaars. Your child will be able to sign up for baking cookies again in October.

Last week Northwestern Bank hosted a birthday party for the children born in August and September complete with treats, candles, games and gifts. Thank you Northwestern Bank! Anita Bomgaars began her 4-part series on "How to be a Kind Kid'. The children learned good manners at a tail-gate party and how to greet someone new. Also, Shelby Baker and Angel Andersen baked cookies with 5 Kindergarten and first grade children. I sampled one and they tasted delicious. Thanks Anita, Angel and Shelby for your dedication to the kids at Kids' Connection.

Parents, please check our Kids' Connection calendar posted right here on the blog for October activities, the October Bible verse and 'fruit' and a list of the other Fruits of the Spirit. Also, look for a bulletin board at the registration table with 'donation tickets' posted. Feel free to take one or two tickets as a contribution to our program. Thanks so much!!!

Running in Circles

2010-09-21T22:07:00.003-05:00

We had a relaxing and low-key day at Kids' Connection today. Brady, Kelsey and Sam performed a skit called 'Running in Circles' about a boy named Peter who thought he could do all of his exercise in one day so that he could watch TV for a whole month. Our theme is self-control and we found out that you need to exercise moderately and that maybe TV isn't good to watch everyday. It was a fun lesson!
I hope you enjoyed the rousing pictures of our Western Hoedown last Thursday. Thanks to the many volunteers, the party was a huge success! We enjoyed petting a 'real' horse, jumping the 'canyon', ringing the 'cactus', roping a 'calf', playing tic-tac-toe with cowboy boots and cowboy hats, and listening to fiddle/accordion music!
On Thursday, Anita Bomgaars will introduce a 'How-to' class with several children. They will learn how to give a tailgate party, use a cell phones properly and explore other life skills. Six K and 1st grade students will 'Bake With Shelby'. It should be another fun day at Kids' Connection!

YEEHAW!

2010-09-16T23:25:00.004-05:00

Apples, apples everywhere!

2010-09-10T06:11:00.003-05:00

Self-control is the theme for the month of September. We were blessed by Lisa Laird and her puppet ministry on Tuesday. She introduced us to the word self-control and gave us many examples of how to control ourselves and our actions. Many of us learned how to actually drive a long sharp needle into a balloon without popping it! That took lots of self-control...and patience! :) The real 'fruit' that ties into self-control is the apple. We think of the story of Adam and Eve and being tempted in the Garden of Eden and we think of the apple as the fruit they picked from the tree God asked them not to eat from. Yesterday we celebrated showing self-control by having an apple party in the Fellowship Hall. The children wrote what they were thankful for on a paper apple that they held while running an obstacle course in the Fellowship Hall. The older children put an apple puzzle together, and played 'apple fencing.' The younger children ran the 'apple on a spoon' race. Thanks so much to Suzanne, Alyce, Arlys, Shelby and Angel for their important part in organizing and helping out at the apple party! Thank you!

Next week Tuesday we are celebrating our Grandparents. National Grandparents Day is Sunday, Sept. 12 and we want to honor our Grandparents on Tuesday, the 14th. Many children have Grandparents living close by, while others do not. Some children may have 'adopted' Grandparents in the area. All are welcome to spend the afternoon with their grandchildren. Come for snacks, a Bible lesson and FUN!

Next week Thursday at Kids' Connection we are having a Western Hoedown in the Fellowship Hall of First Reformed Church. There will be fun stations for the children to enjoy like crafts, games, animals, and...FUN!! Come dressed in your western clothes and be ready for a rip-roarin' good time!

I feel strongly about taking a moment to thank ALL of the volunteers at Kids' Connection! Its because of them that your child is safe and having a great time at Kids' Connection. The next time you encounter one of our many volunteers be sure to say a big thank you to them. I am SO thankful for their enthusiasm, encouragement, energy and LOVE!!! Thank you so much!!

Pockets Full of Fun teaching us about "Self-Control"

2010-09-07T19:23:00.002-05:00

Week #2 at Kids' Connection!

2010-09-06T07:47:00.003-05:00

Kids, this week at Kids' Connection we are introducing the "Fruits of the Spirit". If you look in your Bible at Galatians 5:22, you'll find all 9 of the "fruits": love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We will start with the "fruit" of self-control. Lisa Laird is coming tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 7, with her puppets and Pockets Full of Fun to teach you an important message about self-control. The real fruit that goes along with self-control is the apple. We have an Apple Party planned for Thursday, Sept. 9.

Please join us for ALL of the fun and excitement of learning God's Word together!!

We had a GREAT first week at Kids' Connection!!

2010-09-05T06:50:00.003-05:00

God is so good! Two buses we needed to bring ALL of the children to Kids' Connection. 70 children walked through the doors on Thursday and blessed us with their smiles and their excitement. Our volunteers were on board with hugs, smiles, rice krispie bars, juice and fun activities!! The children and volunteers decorated blank puzzle pieces to show that we are 'connected' to each other as people of God.

The Bible story for the 3rd-5th grade children was about blind Bartimaeus found in Mark 10:46-52. In this story Jesus touches his eyes and and he is healed of his blindness. I asked if anyone would like to volunteer to be Bartimaeus and a precious girl jumped up! I retold the story and at the end of the story, she shouted, "I can see!" It was priceless!

New toys were displayed in the doll/dress up room, Aaron, BreElle and Reese mastered the Domino Rally game, 3 new crafts were out on the tables and clipboards were available for children to sign up for baking cookies, making apple pies and learning how to sew on a sewing machine.

All children, K-5th grade, are welcome to join us at Kids' Connection . Just a reminder: All children must fill out a Child Information Form available at the First Reformed Church office or at our church website at www.frcoc.org.

Our First Day at Kids' Connection!

2010-09-01T12:36:00.005-05:00

What an exciting day at Kids' Connection on Tuesday, August 31, our first day together! Volunteers showed up excited and ready to greet the children around 3:00, Cindy went off to Orange City Elementary to gather up the children and found that we needed return to the school for a second group of children! Orange City Christian had an early dismissal because of the heat, so parents from OCCS brought their children to Kids' Connection themselves. Many children walked through our doors and were greeted warmly and shown by some very capable volunteers, where to hang up their backpacks and find their name tags. The children had popsicles, a cookie and apple juice for a snack and then they gathered on the floor for a Bible story about how much Jesus loves them. Following the story, the children were thrilled to find the playrooms, toys, games, pingpong tables crafts and coloring/sticker pages! The afternoon went by so fast! Parents started picking up their children around 4:45 until 6:00. God blessed us with many precious children yesterday and we are excited to see what He has planned for tomorrow's enrollment! Thank you for your continued prayers for Kids' Connection!!

Our first day together!

2010-09-01T09:54:00.004-05:00

2010-08-31T02:44:00.000-05:00

It's August 31st! Kids' Connection is starting today at 3:30. Watch the blog for updates each week and pictures of the fun activities and excitement we're having at Kids' Connection!

I would like to take a moment to thank every volunteer, every 'behind the scenes' person and every child for making this day happen! We are grateful for all of you!

See you at Kids' Connection!

3 Days Left Until Kids' Connection Begins

2010-08-28T06:02:00.000-05:00

Kids,
Your name tags are ready! The hooks are up for your backpacks! The Legos and Lego tables are out, games are out, foosball tables and beanbag toss boards are out, puzzles are waiting to be put together, dolls and a doll house are out, and volunteers are in place to spend time with you at Kids' Connection. See you there!

Parents,
When it's time to pick your child up from Kids' Connection, please use the Southeast doors (north of the carport), go down the stairs, and a volunteer will be there with a clipboard for signing your child out. It is our hope that your child feels as blessed to be at Kids' Connection as we feel to have him/her there.

3 DAYS LEFT! See you on Tuesday, August 31!

How many days until Kids' Connection?

2010-08-25T14:21:00.000-05:00

Mark Tuesday, August 31 on your calendars! Kids' Connection will begin at 3:30!

There will be a First Reformed Church bus available at Orange City Christian School and at Orange City Elementary to take the children to First Reformed Church. Children, look for a Kids' Connection volunteer with a sign that says Kids' Connection outside your school building near the flagpole. Meet there with the other Kids' Connection kids and the volunteer will lead you to the bus to take you to Kids' Connection. We are so excited to meet you! Volunteers will greet you at the church doors and you'll be treated to a snack, a Bible lesson and FUN!!!!!

Parents, it's so important to fill out a child information form for each child attending Kids' Connection. The forms are available online at www.frcoc.org or at the church office. If you are interested in volunteering at Kids' Connection, let me know by contacting me at leanne@frcoc.org or by calling 737-4909 #15.

See you on Tuesday!!! Only 6 days left!

Welcome

2010-07-16T08:34:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Kids' Connection! We're excited about what God has in store for this coming year! Please check back soon for more information.