Christmas Eve Service 2013

We invite you to join us for a Family Christmas Eve Candlelight Service tomorrow night at 6:00 pm. We would love to see you and your family at this Christmas Celebration. Please know that there is no childcare for this event, and we encourage you to ring in Christmas as a family.

Merry Christmas from all of our BBC Leaders and Staff.

Numbers 6:24-26

The Gospel Project Devotion-Week of 12/22-12/28

Our BBC Students participated in the Annual Christmas Breakfast this past Sunday. However, here is a devotion for the session of The Gospel Project that we missed. All classes, SS, DC, and KZ will resume on December 29 with Josiah's Reform. 

Volume 6 Adult/Kids Connections
Unit 17: Session 1: Micah, Prophet to Judah
Micah 1–7

Christ Connection: The prophet Micah gave Godʼs people a message of hope: a leader was coming who would free God's people. He would be a shepherd and a king. The righteous ruler promised through Micah is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Adult Connection Point: The Bible is a historical book. The events it describes took place in history. The Bible does not contain theological truths unrelated to history. History matters! We have many reasons to believe the Bible is what it claims to be—the very Word of God. Here is just one way: we trust the Bible 
because of its unity. The biblical story is one grand story from Genesis to Revelation. This story unfolds through multiple plots and subplots. In the midst of all the themes, all the people, and all the stories, there is one central theme through the Scriptures—the promise and fulfillment of a messianic King who is 
establishing an eternal kingdom for God. This grand story points to one Person, Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27). 

In the Old Testament, Christ is promised to the people of God. In the New Testament, He arrives (Matt. 5:17-18). The detailed nature of the prophecies fulfilled in Jesus is one of the clearest signs that the 
Bible is no ordinary book.

Family Devotion: 
Direct your family to tell about their favorite book. Who are some of the characters? Why do they like the book? If the book is easily accessible, bring the book back to the group and show it.

Challenge your family to find the Book of Micah. (Use the table of contents, if necessary.) Then recall the story. Ask: “What wrong things were Godʼs people doing that deserved His punishment?” Micah told the people that they did not love and obey God, worshiped idols, took what was not theirs, and listened to 
false prophets.

Remind your kids that God is always providing a way for His people to come back to Him. God sent Micah to warn His people of their punishment, but He also gave them a message of hope. Micah said a ruler would come out of Bethlehem, and He would shepherd the people. Jesus is the only Person who fulfilled this prophecy in Micah. Jesus is the One Micah spoke of who would free us from our sins.

Ask: “What makes the Bible different from our other favorite books?” We can know the Bible is true because it is the very Word of God. When we find prophecies spoken in the Old Testament and fulfilled in Jesus Christ, we can know the words in the Bible are true.

Pray, thanking God for sending a ruler and shepherd. Sing a Scripture song and continue to learn it throughout the week.

Christmas Breakfast's 5th Sunday Stay

This Sunday, at BBC, will be a special Christmas breakfast and worship in the Family Life Center. All children will have a 5th Sunday Stay this Sunday for this special service. 

There will be nursery provided  for ages 3 and under during this time if you choose to use it. 

• Nursery for Birth-24 months will be downstairs in the FLC
• Nursery for 2 & 3 year olds will be upstairs in the FLC

We look forward to this time to worship together. Join us Sunday at 9:30 and invite your friends!

Exciting Training Offered in the New Year

There are so many exciting opportunities for training in the New Year. Make sure you do not miss a single event! 

• Awana Training: There will be Awana Training for all Awana leaders on January 5, 2014 at 4:30 pm at BBC. Discussion will include the new Awana Semester, Awana Derby, and Awana Sunday 2014. 

• Family Ministry Field Guide Seminar @ The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,Thursday, January 9, 2014: Chuck Sumner and Elizabeth Horne invite all of BBC's Parents and Youth & Children's Workers to attend this seminar on January 9. We will meet at the church at 8:00 am and travel together. Lunch is provided. We will return to the church at 4:30.  There is no cost, but you must sign up to attend. Sign up at the Welcome Center or email Chuck at Chuck@BBCLife.org or Elizabeth@BBCLife.org. Check out http://events.sbts.edu/alumniacademywinter/ for more information. 

• Imagine Children's Ministry Conference 2014: All parents and BBC Kids Leaders are invited to attend Imagine this year in Bardstown on January 31-February 1. The cost is $50 which includes the ticket and hotel room. The deadline to sign up and pay is January 22. Please make all checks out to Ballardsville Baptist Church, and sign up with Elizabeth Horne or at the Welcome Center.

• VBS Training, February 7 2014: VBS Training for International Spy Academy VBS is at 10:00 am at the Creation Museum on February 7. The training is free and lunch is provided, but registration is required. Please sign up with Elizabeth Horne, Elizabeth@BBCLife.org, or in the Welcome Center. 
  

Gospel Project Parent's Help: Week of December 15-21, 2013

Volume 6 Adult/Kids Connections
Unit 16, Session 3: Jesus Was Dedicated
Luke 2:21-40

Christ Connection: Throughout the Old Testament, God promised the arrival of  a king who would redeem God's people. When Jesus arrived, Simeon and  Anna knew He was the promised Messiah. Today, we have faith that Jesus is  Godʼs Son. We can trust Jesus for our salvation.

Adult Connection Point: How do we know so much about the birth of Jesus? 

God not only revealed Himself in creation, He chose to reveal Himself in the Person of Jesus Christ and in the written Word that testifies to Christ. How did  He give us His Word? God inspired the authors of Scripture so that the very words they wrote down were the Word of God. Inspiration means that the words themselves are the words God spoke, and the human authors wrote down what  God spoke. The Apostle Peter wrote that the authors were “moved by” or  “carried along by” the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:19-21).

When we hold our English Bibles in our hands, we should recognize that we are the beneficiaries of selfless men and women who committed to preserve  Godʼs Word by copying manuscripts, translating it into the common language, and ensuring that Godʼs people would benefit from hearing His voice. At every point in history, Godʼs Word has been protected for and provided to Godʼs people. The message of Godʼs grand plan of salvation—the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ—is the same message we have today. 

Family Devotion: 
Materials: paper, pencils

Pretend to be scribes and print in your best handwriting Luke 2:28-32. (Give fewer words for younger members of your family.) When you are finished, exchange papers and invite others to look for mistakes. 

Think about all the writers and how painstakingly they wrote down Godʼs words.

Tell your family that they can trust Godʼs Word to be true. Godʼs Word has been  protected and preserved over thousands of years so what we read today is exactly as God told Moses, Luke, John, and others to write it. Even though the writers were human, they wrote exactly what God told them through His Spirit.

"Born" Schedule for Children (December 15, 2013)

December 15: Born-A Christmas Worship Experience at 9:15 and 10:45 am. Many of our children are participating in Born this year, and we are very proud of all of the hard work that they have put into preparing for this special morning of worship. Due to Born, our Sunday Morning Schedule is a bit different. Parents have several options on this Sunday Morning for their children. (Those singing are welcome to attend any of the following after they sing.):

    Ø  9:15-10:30-Children may attend Born with their parents or they may attend Sunday School on the Children’s Hall. Nursery is provided and Sunday School is 2 years through 5^th grade.
    Ø  10:45-12:00- Children may attend Born with their parents or Preschool-2^nd grade may attend Kid’z Zone. Kid’z Zone will be having a special Christmas “hang time” featuring Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas movie. Children who are in Born and are in Preschool-2^nd grade may attend Kid’z Zone late.

The Gospel Project Parent's Help: Week of 12/9-12/14 2013

Volume 6 Adult/Kids Connections
Unit 16, Session 2: Jesus Was Born
Luke 2:1-20

Christ Connection: The birth of Jesus is good news! Jesus was not an ordinary baby. He is Godʼs Son, sent to earth from heaven. Jesus came into the world to save people from their sins and to be their King.

Adult Connection Point: See Luke 2:14,20. 
When we want to know about Godʼs glory, we often try to picture something intangible. But Godʼs goodness is rooted in reality. The glory of God is most  easily distinguished for us through His work. The work of God, in this case sending His Son, is the expression of Godʼs character through His perfect 
execution of love and truth. We experience Godʼs glory in every activity of  His work. 

If you are in Christ, you are a mirror, an ambassador, a carrier of Godʼs glory. We who have been given the Spirit of God and can see “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4) can always be in the presence of God in worship and prayer and always have Christ within us. When we turn to the Lord,  we reflect His glory like Christ Himself. And we are transformed by it. 

“The deepest passion of the heart of Jesus was not the saving of men, but the 
glory of God; and then the saving of men, because that is for the glory of God.”
–G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945)\

Family Devotion: 

Materials: mirror

Pass the mirror to members of the family and, as they look, invite them to say one thing they like and dislike.
Tell your family members to skim Luke 2:1-20 and find the number of times  glory, or a root form of it, is repeated. Ask: “What do you think the word glory means?” Look up glory in a Bible dictionary or English dictionary to develop a fuller understanding.

Read 2 Corinthians 4:4 and Hebrews 1:3. According to these passages, Christ is the exact representation of Godʼs character and a carrier of Godʼs glory. Those who believe that Jesus is Godʼs Son and accept that Jesus can save us from sin, are also carriers of Godʼs glory. When the world looks at you, they should see Godʼs glory reflected in you. When we continue to follow Jesus day  after day, we will be transformed more and more like Jesus.

Pass the mirror around again, and direct each person to say, “I am a reflection of Godʼs glory.” When you worship God, pray to Him, and follow Christ, more and more of Godʼs glory will be reflected in you. When Jesus was born, the fullness of Godʼs glory was revealed in Him. No wonder those who visited Baby Jesus fell down and worshiped Him, and returned home glorifying and praising Him.

Pray, asking God to reveal more and more of His glory in your family.

Looking for Great Advent Activities for Your Kids?

If you are looking for some great Advent Ideas for your family this Christmas Season, check out these awesome ideas from Children's Ministry Magazine. Print out your own Advent Nativity for your kids to decorate and discover something new about the Christmas story each day. Play the Christmas Variety Game. Or print the Spinner Prayers to help teach your child how to pray during this holiday season!

http://www.childrensministry.com/articles/web-exclusives-november-december-2013

TGP Parent's Help Week of 12/1-12/7 2013

Volume 6 Adult/Kids Connections
Unit 16, Session 1: Angels Spoke to Mary and Joseph
Luke 1:26-56; Matthew 1:18-24

Christ Connection: “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). The baby Jesus fulfilled Isaiahʼs prophecy, as well as other prophecies of the coming Savior throughout the Old Testament. Through His life, death, and resurrection,  Jesus fulfilled Godʼs plan of redemption that God planned from the beginning of the world.

Adult Connection Point: A Christian worldview is developed in light of who God is and what He has done to reconcile the world to Himself. We believe Jesus is the rightful King over all the world. And this truth should necessarily influence our thinking and our actions. The more we think as Christians, the more we will have the heart of Christ. Thatʼs why we are called to summon others on behalf of the King.

The Bible consistently presents a Christian view of the world. Along the way, the biblical authors interacted with and contradicted unbiblical worldviews. We ought to be skilled in doing the same. 

A mindset prevalent in the world today is that all religions are united by a common morality and ultimately lead to God, however He might be defined. Therefore, the logic goes: It is intolerant and mean-spirited to press someone to accept the claims of your faith. But this view of the world directly contradicts Christʼs teaching: “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Developing a Christian worldview of who Jesus is and why He was born into this world will keep us from being conformed to this world. (Rom. 12:2)

Family Devotion: 
Materials: cardboard or paper, markers, tape

Read the assigned passages about Jesusʼ birth in Luke and Matthew. Take turns reading the passages together, two verses at a time.

Ask: “According to these passages, who is Jesus?” Kids may give several answers, but steer focus to what the assigned verses say. In these verses, Jesus is identified as Son of the Most High, Son of God, Savior, holy One, and Immanuel. Challenge family members to give the chapter and verse that verifies each answer. Write down these answers on a piece of paper.

Talk about what can distract your family and other families from keeping the focus on Jesus during the Christmas season and throughout the year. Remind your family to always go back to the Bible to find the truth about Jesus. The world will try to reason away or exclude Jesusʼ birth from the public square, but 
as followers of Jesus, you need to keep the truth visible—not under a bushel.

Read Isaiah 7:14, and then give markers and a piece of paper or cardboard to each person. Recall some of the answers to the previous question, “Who is  Jesus?” Print an answer or verse on each paper, and then decide on conspicuous spots you can hang your signs around the house, in the car, or at work.

During the week, discuss any conversations the signs may have prompted.

Pray, asking God to lead you to those who do not know Jesus.

Discovery Club and Kid'z Zone Newsletter-December 2013

·         CHRISTMAS 2013:

o   December 15: Born-A Christmas Worship Experience at 9:15 and 10:45 am. Many of our children are participating in Born this year, and we are very proud of all of the hard work that they have put into preparing for this special morning of worship. Due to Born, our Sunday Morning Schedule is a bit different. Parents have several options on this Sunday Morning for their children. (Those singing are welcome to attend any of the following after they sing.):

Ø  9:15-10:30-Children may attend Born with their parents or they may attend Sunday School on the Children’s Hall. Nursery is provided and Sunday School is 2 years through 5^th grade.

Ø  10:45-12:00- Children may attend Born with their parents or Preschool-2^nd grade may attend Kid’z Zone. Kid’z Zone will be having a special Christmas “hang time” featuring Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas movie. Children who are in Born and are in Preschool-2^nd grade may attend Kid’z Zone late.

o   December 22: Christmas Breakfast and Worship at 9:30 am in the Family Life Center. All children will attend the breakfast with their parents. This will be our 5^th Sunday Stay for the Month.

o   December 24: Christmas Eve Service at 6:00 pm in the Worship Center. We would love to have your family join us for a casual Christmas Eve service to ring in Christmas Day!

o   December 29: Sunday School will resume at 9:30 am, and Discovery Club and Kid’z Zone will return to their normal meeting schedule. We will be picking up with The Gospel Proejct starting with King Josiah.

·         I’m a Christian Now Class: We are excited to once again offer the discipleship class I’m a Christian Now for children who have recently made a decision for salvation. WE ask that your child be old enough to read and write before attending! The class will begin January 12 at 9:30 am in Discovery Club and run 7 weeks through February 23. There is no cost for this course, but we ask that you register your child with Elizabeth Horne by January 5 so that enough materials can be purchased. Please make every effort to have your child attend each session of this course.

·         Awana 2014: Awana begins on January 8, 2013. If your child is not involved in our Awana Clubs, we invite you to join us in the new semester in the New Year!

·         Imagine Children’s Ministry Conference: As a parent or leader, you are invited to attend Imagine Children’s Ministry Conference on January 31-February 1 in Bardstown. This annual conference is an exciting look into the world of children’s ministry and how to minister to your child and others more effectively. The cost is $50 for a ticket and hotel room plus the cost of your meals. Deadline to pay and sign up with Elizabeth Horne at Elizabeth@BBCLife.org is January 22.

Thank you to everyone who has served and continues to serve in BBC Kids during Mrs. Elizabeth Horne's Absence for maternity leave. She is back at BBC Kids and is looking forward to a great Christmas Season. She has written a letter to our parents on this blogspot so check out Stronger than Ever to get the latest on her return to the Children’s Ministry!

Connor James Horne

Stronger Than Ever...

It is an exciting time to be at BBC, and I'm glad to be back in the mix as we enter the Christmas Season. During my leave for bed rest and delivery, I tried to keep my finger on the pulse of our Children's Ministry even from home. I'm thankful for both the staffers and the lay leaders who ran with the plans I left and kept our children's ministry running strong. 

There is no doubt that this pregnancy had taken me out of my "normal" circumstances and by extension, the Children's Ministry as well. I'm sure it has seemed for you, as it was for me, to be a never ending ordeal. My time away was riddled with setbacks and concerns in the final stages. The Lord provided for us so much over our time away, and the priority had to become about what was best to ensure a healthy baby. And we would endure it all again. 

However, now, the goal is to not just come back, but come back stronger. As we jump head first and running forward in leading our kids. There a several things to consider as we press on towards to goal of reaching children for the Lord and training them in discipleship. 

1. Bring your children: Our Children's Ministry is thriving. Continue to bring your precious gifts from God to His House. I look so forward to seeing each of them again. If you are in town over the upcoming holidays, we want to see you at BBC! And bring your kid's friends, nothing reaches parents faster than a child on fire for the Lord!

2. Be Encouraging/Be Encouraged: It is so easy to focus on the negative things of the past. Grumble about things we can't change or would have had different. The difficulties we've endured or how trying a period was can nag at us. Boy, does Satan want us disgruntled, discouraged, and hindering to the Message. Yet, the Word tells us that "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (II Corinthians 12:9a). My friends, I've endured much weakness in the past months, but the Lord's power shows brightest in the fire. He is sufficient in all things. And while this time away has no doubt had moments of frustration felt by everyone, He is the focus, and we are His Family. I am thankful for those in my church family who have prayed, brought food, and encouraged us. I have appreciated the encouragement and support. 

Now, be encouraged because the Lord has done great things in the recent months. Have you seen the number of children being baptized? Have you walked the halls of Awana with over 100 in the children's ministry on Wednesday Nights? Have you heard the excitement spilling out of our young children over His Word? Have you seen the volunteers who have stood in the gap and continued the ministry? 

“God will use them in his work of rebuilding, use them as foundations and pillars, use them as tools and instruments, use them to oversee his work. They’ll be a workforce to be proud of, working as one, their heads held high, striding through swamps and mud, courageous and vigorous because God is with them.”-Zechariah 10: 4-5

Our BBC Leaders have been a "workforce to be proud of!" I am honored by those who have served and are serving in my absence. You may think that your work is unnoticed, but I assure you the Lord is honored by your servant hearts. Thank you for marching onward! Great is the reward set before you. 

And this brings us to our final thought,

3. Continue to be faithful in serving: My PaPa, who went to be with Jesus many years ago,would  tell us that you can put your hand in a bucket full of water, pull it out and look at the hole. That is how much you are really needed and that is how much God really needs you. The fact is God doesn't need you or me. He can reach people by any means He so wishes. He is the sovereign Lord. However, He graciously chooses to use us. The fact is that none of the ministries are a one man operation, and BBC Kids is no exception. It takes so many hands to lead, teach, reach, and finger paint. As many have seen, it takes us all to do the work of the kingdom.

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work."-1 Corinthians 12:4-5

I look forward to once again jumping in, stronger, harder, faster, and filled with excitement WITH YOU!  Don't stop doing what you are doing. Your service is needed. You are making a difference, and the work is rewarding. We can go back to business as usual, but who wants that? There are so many exciting things on the horizon in the upcoming months. As we begin this Christmas Season and start a brand new year, join me in praying for great and powerful things to come. We are marching forward in the Lord, stronger than ever...

Elizabeth J. Horne
Minister to Children
Ballardsville Baptist Church
Numbers 6:24-26