The smell of beef stew on a blustery fall day. The squeals of children as they meet up with friends who they haven't seen for a few days. The low murmur of voices as the adults catch up on the weeks news. Gasps of joy as a miracle of life is shared between friends. Hugs. High fives. Fist bumps. Everyone gathering because together is where they want to be. Circles of duck-duck-goose organized by 5 year olds spontaneously spring up. Older children watching out for the younger ones as they play chase. This night is much like every other “Make A Difference Night” at Cornerstone Church. Each Wednesday as the community gathers, prayer is said over dinner and the bustle begins anew. The menu is simple, but delicious. It is provided by the base crew of Kristy, Debbie and Sheila. “They cook. I just help,” says Sheila. The humble service that provides a weekly meal is appreciated by all who attend. The groups that follow are noteworthy. The youth are often seen finishing up homework before they race off to the activities planned for the night. The children are finishing up their 5th or 6th cookie before they race upstairs to loving teachers in KIDS club. The toddlers cling to mom for just one more hug before they toddle off to play with friends in The Meadow. The adults seem to linger the longest before heading upstairs for an insightful discussion of “The Ragamuffin Gospel”. The next hour and a half flies by as those of all ages deepen their bonds to each other and begin to live out what it means to be caught up in the Kingdom of God. Can a small band of people of all ages, who gather on a Wednesday night in an insignificant place really “make a difference” in their world. Most definitely.

Make A Difference Holiday Schedule

November 23—Thanksgiving break

November 30—Resume

December 21-28—Christmas Break

January 4—Resume

Don't Miss Out on the Party!

Mentoring children of all ages is a most life-changing experience. God grows you through the process just as much as he does the child.

I confessed my need for a mentor this week to a friend. I need that someone in my life I can mull over those God ideas with. Someone who I know loves me unconditionally and won’t judge me when I mess up. I need someone in my life who can pray with me about earnestly seeking after God. Someone who won’t allow me to become stagnant. I was convicted of this as we read Word in KIDS club.

1 Chronicles 16:23 and following reminds of God’s greatness. If I really believe in God’s greatness why would I not seek after him intently? Sometimes it takes someone else to encourage us to continue learning, pondering, growing in love for our awesome God.

Can you be that someone in a child’s life? Someone who will not allow them to become satisfied with status quo. Can you create a lifestyle of praising God? Even the trees clap their hands in praise for God. (vs 33) Don’t miss out on the party!

What's Happening in The Meadow?

Dear Families of The Meadow,

As part of our ongoing mission to provide a safe and loving environment for your baby, toddler or preschooler we are implementing a Welcome Table.

There are 2 purposes behind this new project.

1. Safety—we want all our children to be in the safest environment possible. The wristbands and the policies surrounding check-in and check-out are for this purpose.

· All parents/guardians will have a number coordinated wristband with each of their children. The adult picking up will need to be wearing the wristband. This will allow the extended session workers to know the child is leaving with the correct adult.

· Each child will have a bracelet with his/her name on it along with a number matching his/her parent’s number.

· Each diaper bag or other item left with the child will have a wristband attached with a matching number. If your baby or toddler is bringing a bottle or sippy cup please be sure to mark it clearly with your child’s name.

· All allergies need to be brought to the attention of the Welcome Table worker so that individual wristbands can be marked with allergy information. (The Meadow is a snack-free zone but we feel this information should still be conveyed.)

2. Community—we are striving to have current family information so we can get to know your family’s special needs and keep your family informed about what’s going on in The Meadow.

· All families have special needs; we want to find out what those needs are so we can help to meet them.

· We want each teacher to be able to learn the students’ names and build a bond with each child.

· We would like to keep current contact information on file in order to communicate with your family to the best of our ability.

If you have any concerns or suggestions please share them with anyone on the Lollipop Team.

Faith-Family-Friends-FUN

The LOLLIPOP Team is what we call the team that exists for Families and their children. One of the sub teams of the Lollipop Team is our Fun Team. We realized a long time ago that Fun is an element of a kid’s life that you do not want to underestimate. We make sure all our get-to-gethers, our classes, any function involving kids has an element of fun to it. If you are losing a group of kids and you feel you are no longer in control just interject some fun and you are back in the driver’s seat...although you may be in for quite a ride I am sure.

Thank you to all the veteran teachers in The Meadow who know for sure that fun is a part of the program. The laughter , giggles, squeals and sheer joy that are present during such a session are priceless. You must come visit The Meadow. Everyone can use a dose of fun!

This fall Cornerstone KIDS and Bitty KIDS will be participating in Angel Tree's Ministry to children whose parents are incarcerated. We will be buying gifts, wrapping gifts and helping to deliver gifts that will help bring the love of Christ during this Christmas season. Sandy Thompson will be leading this effort. The tree with tags will go up in early November. The tags will be for children who live in our area. Be looking for more information on Cornerstone Connection and on Angel Tree's website. This will be a great opportunity for us to find new friends in our neighborhoods.

Just a side note: There are many other worthwhile efforts you and your family can get involved in around the holidays. Coldwater will be helping make some local Christmases brighter for children whose families have been hit hard by these tough economic times. Keep an eye open for more information in CT and at www.coldwater.me. Operation Christmas Child, which we have participated in for many years, is a great giving opportunity that has spread the love of Christ to children in many countries. If you and your family want to participate in that as well this year there are many local drop off sites. You can find out all the information on how to get involved at www.samaritanspurse.org

May the love of God thrust us all into the lives of the hurting and needy.

[Source: AquaViews]

Volcanoes and KIDS

What in the world do KIDS and volcanoes have in common?! Well, we could probably draw endless comparisons there! The energy . . . the mess . . . the explosions . . . the noise!!! However, there is another connection I was thinking about. It involves adults who love God and kids so much that they would actually make a volcano for KIDS club. That's one thing that has happened up in The Spot on Wednesday nights. KIDS are studying creation. Thankfully the mess was not too overwhelming. We did not want to get in trouble with Beth who so graciously cleans up after us week after week. Yet, the amazement and questions and wonder was so refreshing to see. Children--and adults alike--marveling at the wonder and awesomeness of God.

Have you stopped to be amazed lately at the story of Creation? You can read it again in Genesis 1.