Kids Small Groups

If your Grade 3 to 6 student is interested in getting baptized, the first step is Baptism Class. THIS week (12/7/10 & 12/8/10) we will have four opportunities during Kids Small Groups to attend Baptism Class. We'll be gathering up in the Edge @ 4:00 & 6:30 pm on Tuesday and Wednesday; parents, please remember that you MUST be in attendance to support your child in this exciting part of his/her spiritual journey.
If your child is in Children's 101, this is part of their KSG curriculum so they will be participating one way or another. But again if your child has not been baptized and would like to be, a parent must be there with him/her.
See you THIS week for this next step in the journey - BAPTISM CLASS.

We had an INCREDIBLE time at Blocktober Sunday October 31st. Candy was coming out of ears because of our Kids Small Groups families' incredible generosity. It was a sweet blessing to hundreds and thousands of children throughout the Orange County area who spent Halloween here at Saddleback. THANK YOU for your prayers, your invitations to unchurched friends, your generous spirits and your love!

Check out these slideshows for a look at Blocktober 2010:

http://animoto.com/play/HCypFo1Umon5ui10LokF1g?utm_content=main_link
http://animoto.com/play/u7P13tiinDcmbXgYJNLPiw?utm_content=main_link

Your kiddos have already embarked on their Personal PEACE journey in Kids Small Groups. Last week (October 12 & 13) they prayed for their unchurched friends and family. THIS week (October 19 & 20) your students are getting Blocktober invites to now personally invite their unchurched friends to church for all the fun and festivities on Sunday October 31st.
Then NEXT week (October 26 & 27) we need all of our KSG families to bring in loads of CANDY. These sweet treats can be dropped off in the orange tubs or blue cans around the Children's Building. What a simple way to support Blocktober and show love to our community as they gather here for an action-packed Sunday.

We are still ONE week away from lesson #1 for Kids Small Groups 2010-2011. With the first weeks of school done, we want to hear how YOU are doing. Feel free to post comments on the first FUN memories of school, meeting their KSG leaders at KSG Family Kick-off, or other FUN things that started off your September!

Last Tuesday & Wednesday (September 21 & 22) were the BEST nights of Kids Small Groups yet. First, life was made more convenient for our KSG families as they stopped by the Reef to pick up their child's gear. Then, Tent 3 was packed with eager and excited KSG families to catch the vision for the KSG 2010-2011. Liza Gant, KSG Lead Coordinator, was blessed to CONNECT with our KSG families to start off the evening. Finally, the CMC Parking Lot was transformed into a giant connection area as leaders, students and parents hung out.
It is incredible the power in simplicity. Tables, goodies and relationships made the night a HUGE success. We are so thankful for our faithful KSG leaders who never cease to amaze us with their creativity and love. We are so blessed by our KSG families who get what it means to truly connect with God and Others this year in KSG. And of course it would not be possible without the tireless efforts of our KSG Staff - Tracy, Meredith, Tammy, Jessi & Shawn. Praise God for our entire KSG family!
Looks like we are off to an INCREDIBLE start to KSG 2010-2011. Let's not lose the momentum as we take a two-week break for Back to School Nights. We'll look forward to restarting CONNECTIONS on October 12th & 13th.

The time has finally come...KSG 2010-2011 Kick-Off! The KSG team of staff and leaders has been anxiously awaiting the next two days as more than 1200 students will come together with their families to meet their leaders, hang out with old and new friends) and get excited for the 2010-2011 season of Kids Small Groups. We have prayed for each and every registered student. Praise God for Tuesday September 21 & Wednesday September 22...we cannot wait!

It is hard to believe, but we are quickly approaching the DEADLINE - August 29th - to register for KSG 2010-2011. Do NOT miss out on registering your Pre-K to Grade 6 child prior to this deadline. You can fill out forms and leave payment:

1) Monday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm come by the Ministry Center offices
2) During weekend services right outside the Children's Building
3) Go online NOW to http://saddleback.com/lakeforest/children/ksg.html

All registrations received after August 29th will automatically be placed on a waitlist.

Hi Friends:

We are all getting in from a VERY long day. We are exhasuted! However, incredible to see what God has done over the course of these last three days! Thanks for your prayers and support! We love you guys! We will send in update of some of the incredible stories of what God did today. But here is a recap:

Team 1 and 2 went to a Children´s hospital to visit had some great ministry opportunities with families and children.
Team 3 visited schools all day. First they visited a private school with around 100 students where they shared about Worship! The second school they visited was a public school with around 650 sudents from ages 7 - 12. All our kids shared there testimony multiple times and were personally able to lead several kids to Christ! Awesome!
Team 2 and 3 then spent the afternoon and evening doing KSG training with Children´s leaders. We have fortunately worked with three amazing churches here in Costa Rica over the last three days. I can´t tell you how excited this team is right now about how God is moving in these Children´s ministries! I will have them capture some stories for you to read tomorrow!
Here is an update from two of the teams from yesterday (Tuesday). The computers were down last night.

Team 1 Update (Tuesday):
We went back to Sendero de Luz, pastor Giovanni´s church, and group 3 with Harmon and Lea, taught a group of adults the vision and the mission of KSG. The kids are a part of the teaching as much as us adults are, and they are doing such an amazing job. At the last minute, Sean asked me to share my testimony of how I became a Christian after having Emily, and how she is now a comissioned child. Emily then gave her testimony, without her notes, and she was a star! The audience had a ton of questions, and we were able to answer all of them. It was a really great night!!

Tomorrow our group is going back to The Abundant Life Church, and then we are headed to a private school to teach a lesson to the kids. After that, we are headed to a boys home, where many of them were at one time addicted to drugs. These are young boys, about the age of the kids we have with us. We were told to dress very modestly, long pants, closed toe shoes, very little skin showing. I am a bit nervous about how to interact with these kids, so please pray for me that God will use me and the team to share Jesus.

It has been a very long day, we are all exhausted and need to be up and ready for breakfast at 7am tomorrow.

How was your day today? I look forward to hearing from you, love you!

Kelly

Team 2 Update (Tuesday):
Today was an awesome day for Team 2. Dean, Greg, Braden, Kim, Myles, Tom, Jenna, Malia and Erica went to a school for children with special needs. There were children with Down´s Syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy as well as a variety of other physical and mental impairments who attend this state run school. We were able work with a local church to reach out and show love to these children by playing games with the them, hugging them and showing them God´s love through a kind touch and a smile. None of the children there could carry on any kind of conversation, so it required us to go out of our comfort zone to try to connect with them. It was very rewarding though, and the kids as well as the adults in our group will never forget some of the children that we met today.
The children are really hanging in there despite really long days and very little sleep. They have all gotten along so well and seem to be having so much fun with each other! The adults are hanging in there as well, although we had a pretty good bout of motion sickness on the way to our location today. Dean and Erica were hit the worst, but Greg wasn´t much better off. We are a little concerned about the long ride in the van to Jaco on Thursday, so please pray for us to feel healthy and strong, as there is much work for us to do there, and we really don´t want to be laid up with motion sickness.
Please pray for our team on Wednesday night, as we are making a presentation to the local church we are working with in Alajuela. We have put together a workshop to equip them to begin teaching their children about the 5 purposes God has for their lives. We are very excited and each of the adults have paired up with one of the children on our team to teach one of the purposes in a fun and engaging way. The kids are really learning to put their fear aside and speak publicly about their faith. Each has probably shared their testimony in front of groups ranging from 15-150 a total of 3-4 times. It is getting to be old hat for them, but in a great way. The wonderful thing is that we are seeing people, both children and adults respond to them very positively. Yesterday we had about 15 kids accept Christ after hearing Braden, Myles, Jenna and Malia´s testimonies.
Back to tomorrow (Wed) night; please pray for our hearts to be open and for us to just allow God to speak through us. The children´s ministry workers here in Costa Rica have AMAZING passion for these kids. We want to be used by God to give them hope, and to empower them to reach the next generation in a way that will impact their country for good and for God. We have been so moved by their passion! The leaders cry when they speak to us, both out of gratitude to us for being here and out of passion for reaching the children in their world. We are learning much from them!
We miss all of you back home! Please know that we are having a GREAT time and we really see God´s hand at work each day that we are here. Thanks for your prayers and support and keep up the prayers! We still have 5 days to go!

Erika


Please be praying for a safe journey for the team tomorrow as we travel to Jaco! We will be leaving the hotel at 10:30. Our ministry in the slums will begin tomorrow at 2:00 in Jaco. Pray for God to go before us!

Hi Friends,

Sorry for the delayed trip update! Here is a little piece of the last two days.

Day 2 Sunday - In the city of San Jose
On Sunday morning the team divided up into three smaller teams to go and worship with our three host churches. Overall we had an incredible experience with our brothers and sisters in Costa Rica worshipping and serving together. We were welcomed with open arms. All three teams had the chance to participate or lead the each churches children´s church. It was a great opportunity for the team to connect with not only the kids of each ministry but the leaders who lead it week in and week out.

On Sunday night Shawn was given the opportunity to preach to the adult group. While Shawn was preaching the rest of the group went down to spend time ministering along side the children´s team of Sendero De Luz to around 50 unchurhced kids from the surrounding community. There were some great moments that came out of this time. Including several kids making a decision to follow Jesus for the first time. It is hard to put it in words some of the difficult situations these kids from the community are coming in the church from. It has been an eye opening time for some of our kids to hear about some of the real realities that kids there own age are having to face on a daily basis. I have been so proud to watch them minister to there own peers!

Day 3 Monday - In the city of San Jose and surrounding communities
Today was a national holiday in Costa Rica. The whole country was pretty much shut down which gave the churches here an incredible time to do a community outreach in the community. All three groups divided up to go to the churches they were assigned to. Wow what a day we had! Each team had some incredible stories of how God worked in them and through them. Overall each team had a great time partnering in ministry with their churches by doing community outreaches to kids. One story that really stuck out from the many we heard about during our team debrief came from Cheryl Badley, Amber´s mom.

At Cheryl´s church they had received a delivery of 50 boxes from Samaritan´s Purse which is a ministry that has people fill a shoe box of different items to give as a Christmas gift to kids literally all over world. We are talking about literally millions of boxes. Cheryl´s daughter Amber walked into the room and pulled a box out of the stack of 50 boxes. They opened the box to see if these were just empty boxes or actually ones that were yet to be distributed out and no joke...that was the very box that Cheryl had purchased items for and sent out herself. Are you kidding me?? Wow! What a moment! Just a huge reminder to how God sends us those confirmations that we are here at the right time.

Tonight we had our first Children´s leader training at Sendero de Luz which was lead by Maurice and Harmon´s team. The team did an awesome job as they introduced to the leaders the basic concepts of each book in Kids Small Groups through dramas and testimonies from the kids of what they learned in that book and how it impacted their life. Very powerful time as the leaders were able to see first hand the impact and result of what focused and intentional kids discipleship looks like. Incredible! Please be praying for Barbara and Laurie´s team and Dean and Greg´s team who on Wednesday will be training the children´s leaders on how to implement Kids Small Groups at there church.

Off to bed for another full day of ministry!

God is working friends in huge ways. Your prayers are felt big time...I cannot even begin to describe. The team is full of energy (espeically our girls who have now sung probably every Justin Beiber song at the top of their lungs in the van. Jesus help us! This does not count for our very own version of Party in the USA now titled Party in San Jose that we just wrote today) and healthy! Thanks for your continued covering!
Take a look of some photos from our team photographer Maurice Ling! Thanks Maurice!

http://www.linglink.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=10663&g2_highlightId=10874

Just as for the last month the KSG blog updated supporters on the endeavors of All STARS PEACE in Rwanda, we will spend the next week updating you on All STARS PEACE in Costa Rica. Here is the team's first update:

If you have not registered yet for the 2010-2011 season of Kids Small Groups, we would strongly encourage you to do so ASAP. The groups are quickly filling up. Also, pray about leading as volunteer leaders are the keys to making Kids Small Groups successful. Any questions, feel free to contact us at (949) 609-8638.

Otherwise, register by:
1) Coming by the church offices Monday-Friday
2) Stop by the Children's Building outside during weekend services
3) Go online to http://saddleback.com/lakeforest/children/ksg.html

Our time of planned ministry for Kenya and the entire All STARS 2010 Rwanda PEACE Trip officially ended today. And it ended on a high note! The team was entirely aligned and intentional through God's Word. We divided up into smaller teams in the morning for home visits. This is where God's glory shone as several team members shared the 5 purposes with pastors in their areas who in turn connected over lunch on where to go from here.



The afternoon we broke into even smaller teams to minister to children in schools, high school youth, church leaders, and women with special needs children. It was all about empowering the local church and raising up the PEACE banner in Kenya.



All in all there were many sad but powerful messages learned in Kenya. Our hope and prayer is that these are steps in the right direction as Kenya receives SO many missionaries, but sadly SO many missionaries doing more harm than good. We trust God for His will and plans most of all.



So, we bid everyone farewell on this journey of the All STARS Rwanda team as we enter into the final debrief process with Team #2. We have appreciated everyone's love and support more than words can express. Please continue to pray for this team as we debrief and process the past two weeks, particularly as the majority are on their very first international missions trip ever. We will look forward to seeing everyone's bright and smiling faces soon @ LAX or back at church!

It is hard to believe, but our time in the Land of a Thousand Hills has come to an end and we are now spending the remainder of our time overseas in Kenya.



Today we enjoyed a full day of ministry in the slums of Kenya. The team's eyes were truly opened up to what the global giants look like--live and in-person. What is seen on TV is nothing compared to the reality of being there directly in the midst of it all. Our prayers are mighty and strong that God will raise up mighty Godly leaders to slay the giants in these areas. There is great work to be done and we believe in an all-powerful God who can and will make all things possible.



Tomorrow is our last day of full ministry, so please be praying for the team as we begin the debrief process. With that in mind, we will go "offline" technologically speaking to focus 100% on the debrief process tomorrow night. We will look forward to one more update tomorrow and then covet your prayers as we debrief and depart for home in the days to come.

It is hard to believe...time has flown by...but today (Saturday 7-17-10) was our LAST day of ministry in the "Land of a Thousand Hills." We will be departing later tomorrow afternoon for a few days of ministry and R & R in Kenya before we arrive home.

Today was a memorable day as we completed the Purpose Driven Children's Ministry training with the children's leaders/workers. It was incredible to see how God opened up doors today. Pastor Justin commented that never in any previous trainings has he ever seen people truly grasp and hold onto the 5 purposes as they did by the end of our time together. Praise God! It will be exciting to return in a year or so to hear reports on how each of the different churches' children's ministries develop and bloom.

Then the afternoon was spent at the football field of the Technical School. As the teams completed their games, we gathered them together for a brief bit of God's Word. The focus was on "Respect" based on the story of Creation in Genesis. The players were challenged to respect the game of football and all that comes with it (i.e. uniforms, fields, coaches, referees, teammates).

Now we are gearing up for a much anticipated dinner before Church Day tomorrow. Pray that our transition out of the "Land of a Thousand Hills" tomorrow will go well. May the fire God has lit in each team member's hearts still burn brightly as we continue our ministry in Kenya.

We had an action-packed day of God's glory as we ministered throughout Kibuye.

The morning started off with a glorious time as Jeremy and Liza led the team in visioncasting Children's Ministry to the pastors of the ICC. It was an eye-opening moment in which these incredible church leaders grasped onto the keys of Children's Ministry and are ready to reach the next generation in incredible ways. One of the key ah-has was Dorothy sharing her insight as she is a model of Children's Ministry at Christ Gospel Fellowship in Kimironko.

Meanwhile, a small team of 6 (Susan, German, Christine, Corrie, Jessie, & Eric) visited the hospital. They spent time ministering to the patients through prayer, song and testimonies.

Then we reunited for lunch as a team with the ICC pastors and other church leaders. It was a time of fellowship that was thoroughly enjoyed...we wanted to cancel the rest of the afternoon's plans to just join in fellowship with our brothers in Christ.

But we persisted on as the entire team introduced the 5 purposes through Children's Ministry Leader Training to the "servants" (children's leaders/workers) representing the ICC's churches in Kibuye. The room was filled and they were challenged by our team, Dorothy & Pastor Justin to truly understand the first two purposes--Worship & Belong--in order to be the purpose-driven models to the children of their church.

And, of course, no day would be complete without time spent at the football field. We once again got to support and uplift the PEACE Football Club teams in a final practice before Saturday game day. As we lost sun, we divided into two teams all through God's intervention. Scott shared his testimony and led many older students from the technological school to Christ. At the same time, Eric shared his story and Jeremy led many children in the prayer of salvation. Even if many were rededicating for the 2nd, 3rd or 10th time we know that there were still many who were genuinely accepting Jesus into their lives for the very first time.

We praise God for a fruitful day. Today truly marks the beginning of INCREDIBLE things here in Kibuye. The gauntlet has been thrown down as far as raising up the Children's Ministries in the local churches. If they do not care for the children, who will?

We have arrived to the beautiful area of Kibuye where we will be enjoying 3 more days of ministry. Today we got a few hours in with the PEACE Football Club and it was truly a blessing. The morning started with a time of reflection and remembrance as we visited the Genocide Memorial in Kigali. It was once again a powerful experience that changed each team member's perspectives on those we are ministering to and with.

After a full morning/afternoon of travel we geared up quickly to spend a few hours with 4 of the PEACE Football Clubs. It was so fun to see how the game of football (soccer) can draw together kids throughout the community regardless of socioeconomic status.

It is hard to believe, but only three more full days before our time in Rwanda will come to a close. Team #2 still has a bit more ministry to go even after we depart in Kenya; however, it will still be extremely difficult to leave our home away from home.

PRAISE: Janean's energy is regaining and recovering every day. Your prayers have made a world of a difference and she is ministering alongside the team now much stronger and better than before.

Our time in Ruhengeri has flown by with lots of ministry time spent at Christ Gospel Fellowship church plants. Here are a few highlights:

• We received a warm reception as we climbed the hill to CGF Rusenge. There were memories shared from previous trips with Dave and Jeremy and many new ones made. David McSwain, Ariel, Eric & Corrie led the evening’s service on the idea of “Belong”. It was an evening filled with laughter and fun.

• Today we began with an impromptu but incredible message at CGF Ryandinzi. The focus was on what the world needs in Christians today – authentic living, courageous fighting, and sacrificial loving. The majority of the team banded together to communicate a powerful message.
• Finally, we managed to get through all 5 purposes in the Children’s Ministry Leader Training in a matter of 3 hours at CGF Ryandinzi. The children’s leaders and children were stretched in their understanding of the purposes for the next generation.

Time to hit the hay before we wrap up ministry tomorrow morning in Ruhengeri and then return for a brief overnight rest stop in Kigali.

Praise that Janean is healing and recovering slowly but surely. Continue to lift her health up in prayer and our travels around Rwanda.

We enjoyed a WONDERFUL day at church at Christ Gospel Fellowship today. While the team is still slowly but surely adjusting the time difference, they pushed through with energy and love. The majority of the team ministered to the hundreds of children of CGF. Meanwhile, Dave Plaza led a teaching team of men this morning in the Bible Study teaching (Scott, David, German, Eric, Trenton & Christopher). Then in the main service later in the morning Jeremy and Liza tagteamed to encourage the adults in caring for kids with five key principles.

The afternoon was all about preparations for the ministry that lies ahead as we prepare to depart for Ruhengeri first thing tomorrow. The team seems confident and ready to challenge children's ministry leaders in Ruhengeri in how they reach out to the next generation.

Please lift up in prayer Janean as she has not been feeling well today. Pray she gets the much-needed rest she needs to be ready for what God has in store ahead.

This meant a lot to Team #1 and #2 in different ways...

Team #1 is arriving shortly (literally in a few minutes hopefully) to their home sweet homes in California. They had an unforgettable two weeks in Africa. If you see a Team #1 member, be sure to ask them about their top Memories & Moments (M & Ms). We were so very blessed to call each other family over the past two weeks and walk away with changed lives because of it all.

And then Team #2 has now arrived to "home sweet home" in Rwanda. It was a long day of fighting sleep and weariness, but the team is now snuggled up in bed for some much-needed rest. Pray for the team's restored energy and strength as we get ready for church day tomorrow.

Hard to believe but Team #1 is wrapping up their time in Rwanda. We're @ the airport awaiting our flight to Nairobi as we begin the debrief process. During this time we will not update the blog so we can focus on the debrief time as a team. Appreciate your prayers at this time.

It was both with excitement and sadness that we went into our team's last full day of ministry here in Kibuye and in Rwanda. We started off the morning with home visits and hospital visit. Jeremy and Liza took Ariel, Adam & Jon to the hospital while the rest of the team broke into family groups to go visit 2-3 homes in the Kibuye community. Each home is part of the Community Peace Training where they are striving to improve their basic living conditions (i.e. protection from malaria, clean water). It was a true privilege for each of our team members to sit down more intimately with Rwandan families.

The afternoon was soccer-packed again as we helped support practices at the Kibuye stadium. No day would be complete though without a pick-up game of football. It was classic Muzungus vs. Rwandans and we got our butts kicked 4-1. All was in good fun and we had a blast with our Rwandan football family.

Tonight we will pack up as we head back to Kigali for one evening before our time in Rwanda concludes. This has been a whirlwind of a trip, but an incredible one with hundreds of stories and millions of pictures to bring home.

Did you know that even God--our all-mighty, powerful Heavenly Father--had a day of rest?!?! If Sabbath was good enough (and important enough) for God then it better be for our All STARS PEACE Team to Rwanda, as well.

Today's day of Sabbath (Sunday) also marks a day of celebration. One because it is the 4th of July back in the US of A. But two because it marks Rwanda's Liberation Day from the 1994 Genocide.

We spent the morning at 4 different churches spanning the variety of denominations--Anglican, Baptist, Methodist & Pentecostal. Our team was blessed with these unique opportunities and was able to share our hearts in many different ways.

In the afternoon, we took in a little R & R time by visiting Bat Island and then relaxing at Peace Island. After much boat time, volleyball, Fantas, swimming and more we were ready for dinner and then into bed.

It is hard to believe this journey for the All STARS 2010 Rwanda Team #1 is drawing to a close. Please pray for the debrief process for each team member by name. It will be a unique experience for everyone and we pray for God's presence through it all.

These two sounds define our day here in Rwanda...

MOO - the sounds (sort of) from the Rwandan cows that we visited. We followed up on the 2009 Summer Spectacular Mission Project. It turned out to be an incredible blessing as all of the ICC pastors (the Inter-Church Council in the western region of Rwanda) were present to show off their proud efforts. There are 15 cows in well made stalls and the first baby was born just two days ago. Our team fed the cows, prayed over each one and even had the honor to name each of the cows. We closed out our time in prayer over the land that they are desiring to build a technical school.

YAHOO! - the PEACE Football Club had their first day of games in their FULL uniforms. It was such a blessing to see the joy overcome each child's face when they received their very own jersey and shorts. Cheers and support resounded from our team for hours. We also helped each team to end their games with God's Word. Today we taught them about respect, thinking about all the character traits of God and how we too can respect others (i.e. coaches, referees).

Being out in the sun has tuckered us out. We are going to go eat dinner and then hit the hay in preparation for church day.

** Please pray for the team's health as there are a few upset tummies and dehydration after today's long day in the sun **

After a LONG day of travel yesterday, we spent a FULL day doing God's work throughout the Kibuye region. We were sad to separate the team for the majority of the day, but as we know--the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. In the morning, Liza & Jeremy took the "older kids" (Ariel, Adam, Jonathan, Hannah & Kayla) to lead spiritual leader training the 40+ coaches and referees of the PEACE Football Club in Kibuye. At the same time, the remainder of the team (parents & younger kids) led by Jessica Schuster visited two schools in Kibuye. It was a wild and crazy time as they shared God's word through song, testimonies and lessons.

The afternoon was much the same as the morning, just in a different setting of Rubengera. This time was spent at just one school and with about 25 coaches and referees.

To end the day, nothing could be better than a little football. At first it looked like it would be the Muzungus against the Rwandans (USA vs Rwanda). But they thankfully realized that would be an entirely unfair advantage so we intermixed and played an energy-filled game of football for about an hour before we lost sunlight.

Now we are wrapping up the evening with World Cup. There is NO better place to be than the heart of Africa when Ghana is leading at the half against Uruguay. GO GHANA!

We apologize for the delay in a new post. The next day (which I believe was Tuesday last) the Internet was not longer working at our hotel. We hoped it would return the next day, but still no luck. But, now we are in Kibuye and we have Internet...very slow Internet, but connection nonetheless.

Here's a brief update as we are winding down a long day of travel and ministry:
* Tuesday - completed Children's Ministry Training with the Wheeler, Ruiz & Brase family knocking it out of the park. The leaders working with children were inspired and challenged to reach out to the next generation in a whole new way. We also visited a moving genocide memorial at a church; team members walked away changed with a whole new perspective of Rwanda and the people. Finally, the Ruiz family boldly led the night's Bible study message at the church.
* Wednesday - the day began divided between men and women. The men led based upon materials from "The Herd" Men's Ministry. The men were empowered and eager to start their own "Herd" here in Rwanda. Meanwhile, the women looked at what a Proverbs 31 woman is all about. A woman called Rita shared her testimony during the time that truly exemplified Proverbs 31. We all walked away better men and women (boys and girls) because of our time. Then the afternoon was jam-packed with relationship building as we did home visits, spent time with the Mutabazi's and then had several Rwandan friends and family over to our hotel for dinner. A great final day to our ministry in Kigali.
* TODAY (Thursday) - we travelled to Kibuye for the bulk of today (western region of Rwanda). After a quick respite and checking in, we were off to the soccer fields of Bugesera where we practiced alongside the PEACE Football Club teams. It was truly a blast to see the organization and fun had by the boys.

Well, off to bed and hopefully will update again soon.

Muraho, to our All STARS Rwanda 2010 Friends & Family -

We have completed our FULL day of ministry and it was absolutely incredible. We started the morning at the PEACE Plan Offices where we met with Pastor Straton, Jean-Pierre, Eric & Zelda. What a blessing this team and their fellow teammates are to the country of Rwanda. We are so very thankful for them, their friendship, and their support in making these two weeks possible.

The afternoon was then filled with ministry to children's ministry leaders. There were more than 40 leaders in attendance, eager to learn about how to minister to the children of their church. They were led in the morning by the Christ Gospel Fellowship Children's Ministry team to first understand the importance of children--see them as Jesus sees them. Then our team expanded on the training/teaching as we introduced the 5 purposes and then specifically Worship & Belong. Both teams did an incredible job teaching and it was inspiring to see how all 24 team members got involved to be a model of God's love and light in Children's Ministry.

Tomorrow we will be completing our Children's Minisry Training as we cover the remaining 5 purposes - Grow, Serve & Share (Bring & Go). As we plan for tomorrow, here are some additional prayer requests:
~ The "Grow" Team of the Wheelers
~ The "Serve" Team of the Ruizs
~ The "Share" Team of the Brases
~ Our visit in the early afternoon to a genocide memorial; may hearts be broken for what breaks God's; may our eyes be opened to what God wants us to see and know.
~ Evening teaching at Bible Study service

Looking forward to updating you all again soon!

We have ARRIVED. After a LONG journey - 10 hour flight from LAX to Heathrow, 12 hour layover in London, 8 hours from London to Nairobi and then the final hour and a half to Kigali - WE ARE HERE!

We truly felt your prayers today. Despite the arduous journey (even sleeping in a park outside the "Eye" in London) we moved right into a FULL day to hit the ground running. There was lots of napping in the car and yawning, but we made it through the day with more than enough energy because of you and your prayers.

Here's a quick snapshot of the day:
* Arrived at Kigali International Airport @ 8:30 AM
* Picked up 44 of our 48 checked bags (read on under prayer requests)
* Met Dorothy & our driver Julius to check-in to our guest house and get cleaned up before lunch @ the New Cactus (lots of delicious pizza to be had by all).
* Showed incredible flexibility and energy as we ran a children's afternoon service for 3 hours...it was AMAZING!!!
* Finished up the night with picking up a few team supplies and dining together @ Chez Robert.

Everyone is SO ready for bed as evidenced by the constant nodding off in the bus. But, before we hit the hay we would ask for your specific prayers to be lifted up above and beyond what was outlined in the prayer guide. Here they are:
~ The missing 4 bags to show up ASAP (3 soccer equipment/supply bags and 1 of Jennifer Brase's)
~ The first afternoon of the children's ministry leader training in Kimironko. We are expecting about 40 leaders and the team members to kick-off the teaching tomorrow are Jeremy & Liza (Intro); Will, Jessica, Victoria, Kris & Ray (Worship) and Linas, Cassandra, & Ariel (Belong)
~ Tired heads to hit the pillows quickly and be FULLY rested and adjusted to the time change. With that, of course, health...so far so good and we want to keep that going.

We will keep you posted as the day's of ministry continue on. Day one in Rwanda is done. GOOD NIGHT!

First, Wednesday June 16th was truly a KSG Celebration. Watching the 140+ Children's 401 students walk the stage and then exit the Worship Center was a powerful reminder of all we have to CELEBRATE from the KSG 2009-2010 season. One day the sweet Pre-K students who cannot read nor write will reach this pinnacle of KSG--penning and sharing their testimonies, representing at Mission Fair, and boldly going out into the world on mission. We cannot wait for each and every student to reach this major accomplishment in their own walk with Jesus.

Now we are at a week later and ready to send off our 2nd All STARS 2010 Global PEACE Team. Remember the 1st team went out to Ensenada, Mexico over Memorial Day weekend. Updates on the fabulous 40 from the All STARS 2010 Mexico PEACE Team are archived in May blog posts.

On Friday June 25, 24 of the 43 person All STARS 2010 Rwanda team will be heading off on their LONG journey to Rwanda. After months and months of raising support, training and growing together as the Body of Christ, they are ready to go and do God's work in the "Land of a Thousand Hills." Please join us in prayer for the departure of Team #1 this Friday. Also, stay tuned as this blog will update you over the next month on the adventures of the All STARS 2010 Rwanda PEACE Team. We cannot wait to share God's workings in the weeks to come.

It is hard to believe, but we are at our FINAL nights of "official" Kids Small Groups. All of the groups are having in-class parties as they celebrate all that their kids small group learned and accomplished this year. We are looking forward to a night of fun and memories.

Then next week on Wednesday June 16th is our KSG Celebration. We will come together as an entire Kids Small Groups family to reflect on "The Journey" and then celebrate in larger groups (i.e. Children's 101, 201, 301, 401 and Pre-K to Grade 2). Do NOT miss this grand finale to KSG 2009-2010. We'll be in the Worship Center @ 6:30 pm.

Finally, ending KSG 2009-2010 would not be complete without gearing up in excitement for the 2010-2011 season. RIGHT NOW until the night of KSG Celebration you can register your child for an "early bird" rate of $50 per child. We are also excited to introduce the brand new opportunity to register online. Click on the link in the left-hand column to do so.

Get ready for an explosive finale to KSG 2009-2010!

What an incredible weekend. Words cannot begin to express the joy that we returned home with the other evening as our 40-person team's journey ended. Feel free to check out this link for some GREAT pictures of our ministry in action:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=35800716#!/AVMinistries?ref=ts

Also, for more on the life-change from the trip check out Liza Gant's blog (link is on the left-hand column)

Today, the Mexico team started off the day by attending service at their churches. They then were able to continue with their afternoon ministries with soccer ministry, leader training, and construction. God worked mightily in and through the students and leaders today.
Pray for us as we pack up and get ready to head home tomorrow.

Today, we finished our first full day of ministry. Both villages spent time with their churches as they took part in soccer ministry and teaching the local kids about the five purposes. In addition, the kids helped with constructing the kitchen for a local lady in the community. All in all, it's been a great day of partnering with the local churches in ministry.

Tomorrow, we will attend church with our respective churches and continue with soccer ministry and construction. Village two will also have the opportunity to train some of the local church leaders in Purpose Driven Children's Ministry.

Please pray for continued safety and for open doors to reach out as the kids put into practice their training from years of Kids Small Groups.

If you would like to see pictures, you can go to the Agua Viva Facebook site at:
http://www.facebook.com/AVMinistries?ref=search&sid=yA1s1YCT_R9Uv96yQpJcug.1517894876..1

Today, we arrived safely and event free at Agua Viva. Our team is happy and healthy as we are getting settled in and are preparing for a full weekend of ministry. Please pray for us as we begin working at our ministry sites tomorrow morning. Our first day was awesome first day as we drove down the scenic coastline of Baja California.
Thanks for your prayers. We will update again soon.

Hola, Amigos y Amigas ~

For this Memorial Day weekend the Saddleback KSG Blog will be updated daily to keep everyone posted on the happenings down in Ensenada, Mexico. We are right now eagerly awaiting the arrival of the All STARS 2010 Mexico PEACE Team. It is EXACTLY 11:00 am and folks should be arriving in the next 15 minutes. CAN'T WAIT!

From here we'll be enjoying a late lunch (or snack for some) in South San Diego before our journey into Mexico begins. We hope to arrive to our destination no later than 5:00 pm this evening.

If you're interested in the audio version of this update, feel free to call (949) 609-8682.

Viva Mexico!
Your All STARS 2010 Mexico PEACE Team

345-919-650-849-346-262-47-19-37-112-234-10-3-3-5-15-15-11-43-70-16-1-4

What do these numbers have in common?!?!

If you add them up they equal 4016!!! This is the number of donations in soccer equipment that our KSG students brought over the two weeks for the KSG Global PEACE Project. INCREDIBLE! Sports Gift lovingly counted each and every donation that will bless the Rwanda PEACE Football Club. Thank you KSG families for your love and support to make a difference around the world!

What an incredible night of KSG on May 11 & 12! There has NEVER been so much energy and FUN on a Tuesday & Wednesday night at Saddleback Church. Cleats were cleaned, thousands of soccer equipment was sorted & counted and almost 100 mini soccer games were played in the parking lots.
On TOP of the fun, our KSG students proved themselves once again. Their hearts for the orphan are INCREDIBLE! I wish we could take all the KSG family on planes to Rwanda so they could see the joy and excitement first hand as we kick-off the PEACE Football Club in Kibuye. Way to go guys! We are SO proud of you, your love and your sacrifice!
In the end, more than $9000 were raised and we are STILL counting equipment as it is STILL coming in. Numbers on equipment and pictures still to come...

This is the BIG week to bring by any and all donations for the KSG Global PEACE Project. Gently used or new donations of soccer equipment (for boys or girls) will be collected and sorted during KSG this week (May 11 & 12). We would love to have YOU, our KSG parents, join in on the fun of the evening. Also, don't forget to drop off any monetary donations into the buckets in the Reef or Extreme. How did your child raise support for this incredible project? We want to hear how your students answered the call for this KSG Global PEACE Project. Share your stories!

First, do not be alarmed...no one at Saddleback Church has access to email. We have been without email access since yesterday (Tuesday 4/27/10) @ 11:00 am. So, we are not ignoring you, just have not received nor can send emails yet.

Second, this is a reminder of just how "dependent" we have become on email as a means of communication. Phone calls, snail mail and in-person connections are few-and-far between in this technological era. We'd love to re-open that door to deeper connection. If you need anything at all as it relates to Kids Small Groups, do not hesitate to call the following:
Liza Gant-KSG Lead Coordinator (949)609-8682
Tracy Isaac - KSG Admin (949) 609-8638
Tammy Reideler - KSG Pre-K to Grade 2 Coordinator (949) 609-8677
Meredith White - KSG Children's 101 & 201 Coordinator (949) 609-8667
Shawn Hyde - KSG Children's 301 & 401 Coordinator (949) 609-8654

Hope we can get connected soon with our KSG family!

Check out http://bit.ly/9Tvl7I
Isn't this INCREDIBLE? The ultimate picture is truly beautiful - a reminder of sacrifice, grace and love. Ironically, this beautiful image is made up of thousands of beautiful yet broken people. Nonetheless, we make up the Body of Christ and it is a truly beautiful thing. Can you find your photo? Some of your friends or family?

Pastor Rick reminded us at Easter services this weekend that it is never too late for a miracle. Kids Small Groups proved this...
* We dreamed up a HUGE number - 500 care packages for 4 senior centers in Orange County.
* When the decision was communicated, there was definitely mighty prayers lifted up. That audacious goal left each group with a mighty labor of love ahead of them.
* At 7:30 pm on Wednesday 3/31/10 we literally had 499 packages accounted for. Then, our sweet coach Mary Bradsher gifted her specially made care package to her fellow coach Russ Chase. To top it off, one group put the final touches on their care package at check-out; which means...
501 care packages were made with love by Kids Small Groups.

We look forward to hearing the stories and seeing the pictures as each Kids Small Group moves forward planning individual visits to their respective senior center. KSG, way to show the community that you CARE and miracles can/do occur!

Visit http://www.facebook.com/ProjectCityHope?ref=ts to see more pics of Kids Small Groups making Project City Hope a success.

This week we are launching the KSG Local PEACE Project. Each Kids Small Group will be making care packages for seniors in the local community. Each care package should include:
* No-sew fleece blanket
* Baked goods
* Cards
* KSG photo in frame
* Optional items such as magazines, puzzles, games, etc.

The items in the care package will be worked on/assigned next week (March 23 & 24) and then packaged up for delivery by the KSG staff the week of March 30 & 31. We have an incredible goal of reaching out to 500 senior citizens in the local community. We do this because...
"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you."
~ James 1:27 (NLT)

Pastor Steve Adams, our very own Children's Pastor here at Saddleback Church, really challenged the All STARS Children's Ministry staff with a key concept - INNOVATION. What does it take to create an innovative mindset? First and foremost, it is going to require set-aside, intentional time to do just that - INNOVATE. We want to challenge you (parents, church leaders, students) to make time each week to sit with a pen and paper and brainstorm about something specific. Maybe it is how you more efficiently tackle homework or the need to increase family together time. Whatever it is, we could all benefit from some INNOVATION. If you see a Kids Small Groups staff member, be sure and ask them if they have had their INNOVATION time this week. It is the only way we can grow and succeed as a ministry, impacting the landscape of eternity for children.

The 5th & 6th graders in Children's 301 learned just this - SERVING - as they participated in the 2010 Ministry Fair this week. They learned all about their unique S.H.A.P.E. to serve Jesus within the church and even through Local PEACE. Quick - does anyone know what S.H.A.P.E. stands for?! First person to tell a KSG Staff member at Kids Small Groups next week will get a special prize. :)
We look forward to follow-up this next week as the 301 students hone in on which of the many ministries they are ready and willing to commit to serving in. Encourage a 301 student as they explore their S.H.A.P.E. and step up to serve.

That was the emphasis of the Children's 101 Communion last week at Kids Small Groups. Take time this week and look back at old photographs in your albums. Spend time taking in all the memories that come to mind as you look at these images. In the same way, take some time this week to REMEMBER any images (mental or physical) of when you first came to follow Jesus. This is what keeps the fire burning in us. This is what Communion is all about. REMEMBER!

The Kids Small Groups team is privileged to be a part of a life-changing week at Saddleback Church. 2000 church leaders from all around the world are gathered together at Saddleback for Radicalis. The lessons learned will change our ministry here in Kids Small Groups...can't wait.

Tonight and yesterday were INCREDIBLE celebrations. 73 kids (some even with siblings or parents) proclaimed to the world their love for and commitment to Jesus through BAPTISM. Our Pre-K to Grade 2 students showed their love with clapping hands, shouts of joy and personalized posters of encouragement. Of course the Children's 101-401 students flooded the hill and cheered so people in the Worship Center could here the excitement. Inspirational pictures to come soon...

Praying for blue skies tonight (or at least minimal rain if it must come). For those who came last week, we praise our Father for delivering you safely to and from Kids Small Groups. The night was truly incredible as our Pre-K to Grade 2 students sang and danced their hearts out. At the same time our Children's 201-401 students participated in the Lord's Supper with Communion. Jason, Jade, and Meredith blessed us with hearts of worship while Shawn shared a powerful message of "REMEMBER." It was just that--truly a night to REMEMBER!