Moms' Time Notes - April 12, 2013

Announcements:

·       Dads’ fellowship night is Monday, April 15, from 7-9p.m. at the home of David C.

·       Advancement night—Lisa A. will be making all of the food for advancement night. In the past, everyone has had to bring food. Instead, everyone will be paying Lisa $12 to cover the cost of the food. Please place your money and check off your name on the appropriate sign up sheet.

·       It is mandatory for everyone to be available to help on Tuesday, May 28, for advancement night rehearsal and set up. Plan on having that day free.

·       Put registration forms in Christine R’s mailbox.

o   Make the checks payable to “Faith Christian School.”

o   There are two more Friday’s to sign up with the $50 enrollment fee. After that, the price will increase.

·       The registration number for HSLDA that is on the new enrollment form is incorrect. If you need to renew your HSLDA membership, wait for the new number.

·       Any moms who will have high school students in PSP next year must attend a mandatory high school meeting next week, April 19, at 8:30 a.m. in G135. If you are normally with students at this time, be sure to find coverage so that you can attend the meeting.

·       Please remember that the hospitality table is for the moms (and dads) only. Please do not allow your children to eat off the table.

·       Everyone should have received the SAT schedule in her mailbox.

o   Proctors should arrive by 8:30 a.m.

o   Proctors and room helpers will be on campus both Monday and Tuesday. All other moms will be helping on either Monday or Tuesday (see schedule in your mailbox).

o   If you are not assigned on a day, please check-in in the morning before leaving campus in case additional help is needed.

o   Before leaving campus, please sign out.  You will need to sign-out and leave a cell phone number where you can be reached.

o   The students will be dropped off and picked up at the gym and lunch by the room helpers.

o   If you are watching the students at gym or lunch, you will take your break and lunch when no one is scheduled to be there.

o   There will be one nursery.

§  Each day has two nursery schedules. One is from 8:30-11, and the other is from 11 to the end of the day.

§  If you have a child in the nursery, you will need to get your child out for lunch and feed him or her.

§  Please pack a snack for your nursery child.  Make sure the snack for the nursery is peanut free.

§  Rachael and Marina will be the contact people for the nursery.

o   Everyone should be parked no later than 8:45; all students should be lined up by 8:50.

o   On the Sunday evening before testing, the dads need to help with the set up of the classrooms.

o   Students must wear their uniforms. All regular PSP rules apply.

o   There will be no Grace Grill on the Monday of SAT testing, so everyone should pack a lunch for that day.

o   There will be Grace Grill that Tuesday for those who wish to purchase a lunch.

o   On Tuesday, no one may be in the gym after 1 p.m. Do not be late picking up your children. Arrive 15 minutes before your earliest child is scheduled to be done.

o   Please have your students bring the following:

§  healthy snacks and lunch,

§  2 sharpened # 2 pencils with soft erasers

§  scratch paper for math

§  a ruler with centimeters and inches

§  a book to read while others are finishing (no coloring)

§  calculators for 7^th grade and up

Speaker Emarie Britten “Practicing Hospitality”

Emarie was one of the founding members of Grace Community Church. She and her husband were present on the second Sunday 57 years ago. She has been married for 58 years, and she has two daughters and four grandchildren. She also has one great grandson.

Her husband founded the Center of Achievement at CSUN, which is a sports program for people with disabilities.  Her husband also founded and currently works with a non-profit serving people with disabilities and the elderly. One area of service she has been involved with is teaching a class for unequally yoked women. Emarie has also been a part of the Sojourners’ Women’s Fellowship and Every Woman’s Grace.  For about 30 years, EWG had elective classes for women.  Some of those classes were skills classes like hospitality and cooking. . Emarie directed the class on hospitality.

Hospitality became an annual EWG event and took place in the gym. There were seven large tables set up, and women brought everything from appetizers to desserts. Out of this came the Grace Church cookbook which featured the 450 best of the best recipes. Emarie was able to dedicate this cookbook to her mother. Past cookbooks had always been dedicated to a woman in the church. This was right before her mother developed dementia.  She had to stop organizing the hospitality events to care for her mother, so she was blessed to be able to dedicate the cookbook to her mother at this time.

Emarie spoke about the true, biblical definition of hospitality and why God’s Word commands it. True biblical hospitality involves reaching out to those you do not know. The purpose of biblical hospitality is serving others. Hospitality is not entertaining people. It is not trying to impress others. It is a service. Do not let pride stand in the way of being hospitable. Do not use the condition of your home, your social standing or your lack of material possessions as an excuse.  It is about showing people love, and you should not let your pride interfere with letting people into your home. We are serving people not things. Hospitality is a skill that you can learn and develop as you serve others.  Do not use the excuse that hospitality is not your “gift.”

Hospitality is not limited to the home. It could be making someone a meal. It could also be as simple as bringing someone cupcakes. If you know someone needs help, avoid saying, “Let me know if you need anything,” and then waiting for that person to ask.  A person in need will not ask for help.  Just show up.

Emarie provided us with a handout with some recipes and helpful hints.  Here are some of the practical hints.

·       Always have something quick and easy and ready to go in case someone drops in unexpectedly.

·       You will never have the time, so just schedule hospitality.

·       Have a “front porch test.” Does the front of my home look clean and inviting?

·       Watch how others perform hospitality. Cut out pictures, and save ideas.

·       Organize what you can do in advance.

·       Invite guests early.

·       Build hostess supplies.

·       Remember, “hospitality before pride.”

·       See if there are ways to make your home more comfortable and inviting.

·       Allow your guests to help.

·       Be flexible. Be prepared for the unexpected.

·       Hospitality plans begin and end with prayer.

Recommended book, Open Heart, Open Home by K. Mains

Bible verses: Gen. 18:4-8, Matt. 25:35, I Peter 4:9, Romans 12:13, Hebrews 13:2, Gal. 5:13, I John 1:7, II Tim. 3:16, II Cor. 9:7, Prov. 15:13

Moms' Time Notes - March 29, 2013

Announcements

·       Dad’s Night Out has been finalized: We are planning a night of fellowship for the PSP Dads. 

Monday, April 15, 7-9 p.m. at David C. house (a few miles NW of Grace Church). Make sure to tell your husbands. 

·       If you have a child in the government class, make sure you talk to them about any issues that have come up regarding the election.  We need to make sure that everyone is being kind and respectful and not putting anyone down.  Please proofread any emails your child sends out before he sends them. 

·       There is only one more PSP to order a yearbook (April 12). After that, you will not be able to get a yearbook, and there will be no extras. If you are not planning to order a yearbook, you can put a circle with a line through it, by your name so that they will be able to keep better track.

·       Marina put the surveys in everyone’s mailbox.

o   If you have not already done so, please rank your choices for classes.

o   Number them in the order you want them.

o   If you do not want a class, do not put a number by it.

o   These classes are not set in stone and could change.

o   If you indicate that you want a class, it does not mean you are signing up for that class. This is just your best idea of what classes you would like as of right now.

o   Indicate if you will be in Master’s Kids and if you will be staying after lunch.

o   The church might be renovating the gym next year so there might be no PE.

o   Hopefully, we will have a schedule before the end of the school year.

·       Last week, we heard about the PSP goal of independence. Part of the change, we discussed was the change of name. We will no longer be under the name of Grace Community School. The new name will be Faith Christian School PSP. The many changes we have gone through have helped to trust God more. God has everything regarding the future of PSP in His hands. Hebrews 11 speaks of faith being the “assurance of things hoped for” and “the conviction of things not seem.”

·       Application for enrollment open today (March 29).  PSP is advertising as a K-8 program and will not be accepting new high schoolers. Students already in the program entering high school will be grandfathered into the program.

·       HSLDA membership will continue to be a requirement. Still register under the name Grace Community School until further notice.

·       Tuition and registration will be the same as last year. The financial agreement is the same as well.  Registration will be $50 for the next month. Check should be made payable to Faith Christian School PSP.

·       For next year, all PSP moms should be freed up so they can serve. Moms need to be on campus from 8:30 until 12:30.  This includes putting your younger children in the nursery for the entirety of the morning. Moms should also be present weekly for the moms’ time.

·       PSP leadership wants every family to have a Grace Community Church pastor or elder over them who knows the family.  Please indicate who that is when you re-enroll. 

·       Current PSP members will have preference to re-enroll through the end of April (April 26).

·       In May the registration fee will go up to $75. In the summer, the registration fee will go up to $100.

Angela—Choosing Gratitude, Chapter 7

Chapter 7 talks about gratitude in three main areas.

The first section deals with material blessings. Material blessings are tangible illustrations of God’s goodness to us. He blesses over and above what we need. We need to always be thankful for these blessing but not hold tightly to them. Some tangible blessings the group came up with were coffee, eyeglasses, tissues, dishwashers, washing machines, computers cameras etc. We are surrounded by so many blessing every day.

The second section deals with what we are thankful for spiritually. Several people shared what they are thankful for spiritually: prayer, Christ’s death, salvation, Holy Spirit, conviction over sin, God’s faithfulness, God’s saving work in our lives.

The last section discussed relational blessings. Many ladies shared their thankfulness for friendships in the PSP or in their fellowship groups.

It was an encouragement to hear about the many things we have to be thankful for!

Moms' Time Notes - January 25, 2013

David Caldwell:

Mr. Caldwell came to talk about the future of PSP.

Thank you for all that you do. The group runs effectively because of what you do and how everyone steps in and meets its needs.

·     

        The church is continuing to support the PSP and will help to make sure that it has the resources needed to continue.

·       There is a plan that is developing for the next few years; however, it will be a period of transition.

o   David Caldwell and Matt Tarr will be leaving seminary and moving on from this ministry.  Mr. Tarr will be graduating next year, and Mr. Caldwell will be graduating the following year.

o   Their positions will not be filled once they leave. 

o   The administrative and other duties they carry out will either not be needed in the future or will be transitioned to the PSP leadership.

·       Key goals/objectives for the PSP over the next few years.   (Some of these goals are things that we are already doing, but the elders of GCC would like us to continue to demonstrate them)

o   PSP will be affordable for Grace Community Church families. (This is a group specifically for Grace Church members).

o   PSP will demonstrate flexibility in working with the church and submission to church authority.

o   PSP will show a growing independence from its use of church resources and personnel.

·       These three goals will add stability and security for the longevity of the group over the years.

·       The plan is to get the group functioning so well during this transition period, while David and Matt are still here to help, that the church can be confident that the PSP will continue to function well in the following years after it has fully transitioned to the new, more independent model.

·       Note that PSP and CC (Classical Conversations) are in a unique situation:

o   GCS was never funded by the church.

o   PSP and CC are both ministries, but they are not “core” ministries of GCC.

o   There is no church budget set aside for PSP, as it is not a core ministry, nor is PSP a ministry of Grace Community Church’s children’s ministry department.

o   Grace Church has never had a group of members who have in effect come together to rent space on campus like PSP and CC will be doing.

o   David and Matt, along with the church leadership and PSP leadership, are working out the details to make this work.

·       In regard to affordability:

o   The prices for next year will be similar to this year’s.

o   There will not be any scholarships available for next year.

·       In regard to flexibility:

o   What happens on Fridays will be very much the same for both moms and kids.

o   There will be a procedure set up so we can go to an elder for the OK on any plans for the group.

o   Core ministry needs will always have precedence over the needs of PSP.   We have already seen this, for example, when a memorial service needs the 130 room on a Friday, the moms meeting will be moved to the basement.

o   The elders will give us room to make decisions, but we must be flexible and change something when we are asked to do so.

o   We should keep the perspective that it is a blessing that we are able to use the campus even though there is no longer a school.

·       In regard to growing independence:

o   This does not mean we do not have time for church involvement.

§  Every family should be involved in a core ministry, such as a Fellowship Group.

§  Every family should have an elder over it and should know who that elder is.

o   This does not mean we will not have to check in with an elder.

o   This does mean that we are working toward independence of church resources and personnel.

·       Next year, high school classes can be offered on Fridays.

o   They will be paid classes.

o   No high school (or other) classes for PSP will meet any other day of the week.

o   The classes will be based on need and the availability of a PSP parent or other church member to teach the class.

o   If a mom is hired to teach a class, she will still need to serve in some other capacity at PSP.

o   Ninth graders will also have the option of attending junior high classes.

·       As a general rule, only high school classes will have paid teachers.  Specifics are still being solidified. 

·       David Caldwell is here to represent the group to church leadership. He is here for support and to answer questions.  Feel free to call Mr. Caldwell at the school office, but he is not always in the office and it may be more than 24 hours before he receives the message. If you need to contact him immediately, the best way is via e-mail.

Christine R.

·       In your mailboxes, there were planning sheets.

o   They are not required but are simply resources.

o   They are nine week charts. For each day she will not be home, she fills in that square i.e. field trip, dr.’s appointment, out of town. This is a good way to count how many days are left at home for the year.

o   Christine got these charts at donnayoung.org.

·       Next Saturday, February 2, is the PSP Dad’s Pancake Breakfast.

o   In this room (G130) at 8:00 a.m.

o   Signup on the sheet in the moms room, or by email to Brian.

o   The signup is just to get a rough idea of how much food to buy, so it is still OK to come at the last minute if plans change.

o   It will be a time of food and fellowship and encouragement from God’s Word. 

o   David and Brian will also be able to answer questions your husbands may have about the current and future PSP.   Brian is free to stay afterward as long as needed.

·       Start thinking about enrollment for next year.

o   New enrollment will be opening in March.

o   Current PSP families will have priority for the month of March.

o   After March, if PSP fills, members will be put on a waiting list.

·       Think about what classes you would like next year, Remember, if you want a class, you may be asked to teach it.  We will start discussion of this next Friday, Feb. 1 so bring your ideas, and pray about how you’d like to serve next year.

·       Sign up for the Scooter’s Jungle field trip.

o   It will be on February 15, after the home school fair and the speech meet.

o   Cost is $8 per child, and one adult per child is free.

o   Children under two are free.

o   Socks are required.

Speaker: Donna Shannon

We took a look at the Account of Mary and Martha, Luke 10.  Mary and Martha were sisters in the town of Bethany. Martha was busy. Mary loved Jesus and sat at His feet in awe:

First, we should consider the primary purpose of the Gospel of Luke.  Matthew is concerned with a Jewish audience and showing that Jesus is the King of the Jews. Mark is concerned with showing Jesus as a servant. Luke is a details person concerned with about the order of events. Luke 1:1-4 tells us Luke’s purpose, so that we will know the exact truth about Jesus and believe. Luke opens with an account of Zechariah in the temple praying. In chapter two, Luke gives us an account of the young Jesus in the temple, His Father’s house. Even then, Jesus has a mindset, “Why am I here on earth?” Luke chapters 3-4 relate Jesus’ baptism and temptation. After that, He comes back and starts His ministry under the Holy Spirit’s power. Luke 6:12 tells how Jesus goes on the mountainside to pray before calling the twelve. Jesus is always praying and submitting to His Father’s will. In Luke 10, Jesus sends out the 70 with the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells them not to marvel at the signs and wonders but at the fact their names are written in heaven. In Luke 11, Jesus teaches on prayer. This gives us an idea of the chronology for Jesus’ visit with Mary and Martha.

What is Jesus’ response to different situations? We see in Luke 4:42 that Jesus makes prayer a priority in the midst of His busy ministry. In Luke 7:40-50, A Pharisee invites Jesus to dinner. Mary anoints Jesus’ feet. A Pharisee responds by asking Jesus if He knows what kind of woman this is. Jesus responds to this Pharisee with the parable of the blind leading the blind. In Luke 8, Jesus talks about being a true disciple being one who hears the Word of God and does it. Again in chapter 10, Jesus says to marvel at salvation. Blessed are those who see their dependency on Christ.

Also, observe where Jesus is, where He is going, and His relationships with others. The book of Luke especially highlights Jesus’ relationship to women. He was very countercultural in that He was teaching women and the lowly sinners. Jesus always made Himself available. The Kingdom of Heaven is made available by Jesus to those who take up their cross, follow Him, and deny self.  Some of the key words/phrases found in Luke are: disciple, kingdom of heaven, pray, prayer. Do you believe all that is written about Jesus by Moses and the prophets? Do you see Jesus as the Son of God and the fulfillment of all prophecy? Have you bowed your knee to Him as Lord? Jesus reached out to others and was accessible and available. Do you make yourself accessible and available to others? Do you invest in others?

What can we learn about Jesus’ response to others? Jesus often withdrew to pray. What priority is prayer in your life? Do you invest your whole self when you come before the Lord?

All of these things set up the passage in Luke 10:38 where Martha welcomes Jesus to her home. Then in verse 39, Mary sits at His feet listening to Jesus teach.  The point of the story is that Mary sat listening. She chose the better part. The message of this passage is that Jesus wants us to listen.  We need to stop and take the time for prayer. (See Luke 11:1-4) We need to discipline ourselves to listen, to pray, and to be persistent (“ask, seek, knock”). We have to do the work of prayer (Psalm 27:4, John 6:27). At the time of this account in Bethany, Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. We often say the most important things before we are about to leave. Jesus was drawing near to the end. This was His message: He expects us to listen.  Listen with an attitude of reverence. Listen with an open heart.

How are you investing your time for the promotion of His kingdom? How willing are you to take up your cross? What is the priority of prayer? How important is it for you to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen?

Do you trust Jesus enough? Do you entrust your children to Him?

Jesus prayed right before He went to Mary and Martha’s (Luke10:21-22). 1) He first worshipped. 2) He then acknowledged His dependency. 3) He acknowledged God’s wisdom and power. 4) He acknowledged it was up to God’s discretion.

The best thing you can do for your children is to pray for them and have an active and vibrant relationship with your Savior.

Rise from our knees only after our burdens is lifted from our shoulders and onto His!

Recommended Resources

A Praying Life by Paul Miller

Prayer Power by Andrew Murray

When Grace Comes Alive by Terry Johnson