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    Noise

    August 17, 2011

    noise [noiz]   noun   

    1. Sound, usually of a loud, harsh, or confused kind
    2. A disturbance in a communications system that interferes with or prevents reception of a signal or information.

    Communication is the the lifeblood of everyday living.  Imagine yourself living in a world with no communication at all – no radio, no TV, no reading, no physical contact…   no way to send or receive anything.   We can’t.  Communication is so fundamental to what we do and who we are.  We need to communicate – with each other and with God. 

    But there is noise all around us.  Noise that makes it hard to hear the messages that are trying to get through.   This noise comes in many forms:

    Imagine yourself in an empty gymnasium.   There is someone on the other side of the room.  That person speaks to you from way over there in a whisper.  Can you hear it?  What if they raise their voice?  Can you hear them now?

    Imagine now the same gym during the last two minutes of a tied championship basketball game.   You’re in the same place you were, and your friend is at the other end of the gym speaking to you.  Is there any chance at all you could hear them?   Pick their message out of the noise?  Of course not.  But we put ourselves in that position every day. 

    God doesn’t always speak to us in a mighty, thunderous voice.  Sometimes He speaks to us in a whisper.  But think about this.  If you were to walk across that noisy gym and stand right next to your friend, they could speak right in your ear, and you would hear it.  Wouldn’t you?

    For Parents:

     

     

    It’s the Internet. Do You Know Where Your Children Are?

    July 17, 2011

    Social media.  It’s the next great thing.  It’s now. It’s current.  Everyone is doing it.  But how careful are we? And more importantly, how careful are we when it comes  to our kids?

    Disclosure: I am a social media junky.  I love it.  I think there are so many uses for it, both in ministry and in life.  Plus, it’s fun.  It’s interesting having conversations with people on the other side of the globe, catching up with old friends, and seeing what everyone is up to.  But, like anything, we need to use wisdom, especially when the kids are concerned.

    First: a social media primer.  There are a lot of services out there.  Let’s run down a few:

    The big question is: “Should I allow my child on social media?”  ”Can my kid have a Facebook page?”
    Well, that is something each parent needs to decide.  But there are many things to consider:
    • Why?  That’s the big question.  Is it necessary for a 9-year-old to have a Facebook page or a Twitter account?  Probably not.  Parents should question the “why” when deciding what age is appropriate for a foray into the online world.
    • When? How much time we allow our children to spend online is a key question.  Online time should be limited, and should be monitored.  It is a privilege, not a right.
    • How?  How is your child going to get online?  Most cellphones today, even so-called “dumb” phones, are capable of accessing social networking sites.  Facebook just released an app for non-smart phones, and other services offer the same thing for other sites. Be sure that a well-monitored family computer is the only access a child has.  Never put a computer with internet access in a child’s room where they can be on it unattended.
    • Who?  Who are their online friends? Are they age-appropriate?  Schoolmates and family are fine, but even young children without a strong faith background can be abusive online.  ”Cyber-bullying” is on the rise all over the country, and for many children, the online world is a free-for-all.
    • What? Which sites are they accessing?  I suggest that chatrooms should be off-limits for everyone but adults. Ditto for any services that give away your location in real-time.
    Finally, some tips.
    • Check your child’s privacy settings.  They should not be sharing anything with anyone they do no know.  Their pages should be private; accessible only by people they actually know. (and people YOU know.)
    • Control access.  Make sure you know when your child is online, and make sure they cannot go online without someone near them. Passwords on computers, people.
    • Do not let your children download anything.  Better yet, only let your child use a Limited account on your PC.  This will help prevent the installation of malware and viruses. For Mac users it’s a little more complicated, but you can do the same thing.  (Also, reminding them that downloading music or movies from peer-to-peer and BitTorrent sites is illegal.  And it’s stealing. (That means it’s a sin, folks.)
    • Have access to your child’s accounts.  (Privacy, schmivacy.)  YOU are the parent and THEY are the child. Especially for pre-teens, you should have the ability to check their messages, see their friends list and photos, check their browsing history.  Don’t make excuses, just do it.  (and check their cellphones while your at it.)
    • Make sure that they are not giving away too much.  Pictures with school logos, comments about local hangouts, statuses like “Meet me at the beach tomorrow!” are targets for online predators.  Don’t be paranoid, but be careful.
    Oh, and for you parents of college students:  More and more companies are doing social media searches on candidates as part of the hiring process.  So pictures of  that “awesome partaaaayyyy!!!” might not go over so well on the ol’ job interview.  Remember, no matter what anyone tells you, there is no erasing the internet!!!

    It’s a New Season

    July 7, 2011

    Summer is here, and with it, the busyness that accompanies it.  There will be some changes in KidzPort for the summer, so here’s the recap of the parents’ meeting last week:

     

    Jill and I will be investigating new curricula for all levels to be in place for September.

    We are expecting and planning that all parents will be participating in Sunday Morning teaching groups.  We will have schedules for the start in September. Watch this space and the KidzPort Facebook page for details.

    Have a great summer!!

     

    Pastor Mike

    The Newest Member

    April 8, 2011

    I’d like to take a minute to introduce you to the newest member of KidzPort.  But first, a little background:

    In March, Gospel Light Community Church held Mission Madness, a weekend devoted to missions.  As part of that event, we had my buddy Dave from Compassion International come and share with us.  Dave has a real heart for the needy children of the world, and shared some of the good work Compassion is doing.  I’m proud to say that seven or eight children were sponsored at GLCC that day.

    Our KidzPort kids decided they wanted to do something, too.  Which is where the introduction comes in.  Meet Pinkan, who hasbeen sponsored by the children of KidzPort.  Pinkan is a 13-year-old girl who lives in a remote area of Indonesia.  She attends school and a youth group.  She lives with her uncle and grandmother, and likes all the things a girl her age should like.  She is a Christian in an overwhelming Muslim country.

    So welcome Pinkan with your prayers and thoughts.  I’ll get information on sending letters and items in a short while.

    For Parents:

     

    KidzPort March 6 – Sheep and Goats

    March 10, 2011

     

    This was a pretty bog weekend at Gospel Light.  It was our first ever “Mission Madness” weekend, where we focused on missionsand outreaches.  We had a speaker who told about a recent mission trip to Belize, and another from Compassion International who spoke about that ministry and sponsoring children.

    So why do we have to help the poor, anyway?  Because Jesus told us to, that’s why!   In Matthew 25, Jesus gives an example of a King who separates the “sheep” from the “goats.”   To the sheep on His right hand, he says they are blessed because they have taken care of the King when He was in need.  They asked Him when they had ever seen Him in need; He responds that whenever they took care of (loved) anyone in need, they did it for Him.

    To the goats on the left, He says they are cursed, because they did not take care of those in need.  They were going to the “eternal fire.”  There is a clear “mission” for us:  to take care of the poor and needy!    You don’t want to be a “goat”, do you??

     

     

    KidzPort, as a ministry, has decided to do something.  We will be sponsoring a Compassion child.   The children had at first decided to sponsor a child from Haiti, but (thankfully!) due to a recent media campaign, all the Compassion kids in Haiti have been sponsored.  So we will concentrate on the Dominican Republic, right next door.  The DR is on the same island as Haiti, and has much of the same problems.  Keep watching for more info…

     

     

     

     

    For Parents:

    WORD

    January 17, 2011

    This week we begin our journey through the Gospel of John.  As we discussed last week, John wrote one of the four gospel accounts of the life of Jesus, but unlike Matthew, Mark and Luke, he does not simply tell us what happened, he tells us why it happened.

    One of the first things we notice with the Gospel of John is how it starts: the words “In the beginning…” This is the same way that the book of Genesis starts.  While the other gospels start with the time Jesus came to the world, John tells us Jesus was there from the beginning.

    John calls Jesus the WORD.   This is pretty important.  In Genesis, God made the world by speaking it into existence.  ”Let there be light.” God said, and there was light.  God’s mere WORD; what God says, has the power to create all things.   Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s WORD. He is what God promised to us.

    John tells us nothing was made without Jesus.  All things were made through Him, through God’s WORD.  John also calls Jesus the LIGHT.   He says the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness did not “understand” it.  Who or what is this darkness?  Is it Satan?  The bible tells us that Satan believes in Jesus and trembles at His name!  So Satan understands who Jesus is.

    The darkness is us: mankind.  We did not understand, or even accept Him.  Yet He came to shine his light on all of us.

    Finally, John tells us of a man who came to “bear witness” to the light.  This man’s name was John, but it was not the same John who wrote the gospel.  He’s talking about John the Baptist.  Many people followed John, and some thought he was the Messiah, but his mission was to point the way to Jesus.  He was a witness – he knew something no one else knew, and he was going to tell everyone about it.

    Memory Verse:

    In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God. John 1:1

    For Parents:

    Sixty Six Books

    January 10, 2011

    As we move into another new year, it’s time to take a fresh look at an old friend – the Bible.  2011 will be a year of “Back to Basics.”   Beginning next week, we’re going to be diving into the Gospel of John, which should take us to Easter.  But before we do that, we have to do some basic “bible-mapping” to figure out where the gospels, and John in particular, fit into the scheme of things.

    There are many different ways to group the books of the Bible, and many of them can be considered more than one type.  We will group them in seven categories, based on each books main theme.

    So here are our divisions of the bible, and some examples of each:

    History: The bible is above all things, a book of history.  it tells us what happened a long time ago, and whom it happened to.  The History section of the bible can be divided into the Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy), Old Testament history (Joshua – Esther) and New Testament History (Acts)

    Poetry: Yes, the Bible has some beautiful poetry in it.  Reading it can refresh the soul, and touch our hearts and emotions.  (Psalms, Song of Solomon)

    Prophecy: The Bible is at it’s best when it is relaying God’s word clearly to His people.  Prophets include major prophets like Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel plus the Lamentations (by Jeremiah) and 12 minor prophets. (Hosea-Malachi)

    Wisdom: These books are sometimes grouped with the books of Poetry, but I like to separate them out.  Wisdom books give us special insight on life, and offer good advice for all men!  (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job)

    Epistles: The word “epistle” simply means “letter.”  The epistles are letters written by early church leaders to the growing churches around the world, and to other church leaders for instruction, encouragement and correction.  (Romans-Jude)

    Revelation: The book of Revelation is a special book of prophecy, written by John, which tells us about God’s plan for the end times and the second coming of Christ.

    Gospels: The Gospels are historical books that tell us about the life of Christ.  They are the key to the Bible, and the most important part.  Three of them (Matthew, Mark and Luke) are called synoptic, which means they tell the same stories in the same order and are written from the same point-of-view – to tell the reader about Jesus’ life.  John, has a much different point-of-view: to tell the reader why Jesus came.  John’s gospel is very different in form and content from the others.  We often recommend that new Christians read the Gospel of John first, before any other part of the Bible.

    For Parents:

    Simeon and Anna – Perseverance Rewarded

    January 3, 2011

    HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!   We’ve had a busy couple of months, what with Hallelujah Night and Love Came Down and all…  but now it’s time to get back to work.   And for KidzPort, that means learnin’ ’bout Jesus!

    We’ve spoken some about the birth of Christ during the Christmas season.  This week, we looked at something that happened soon  after.  According to Jewish law at the time of Jesus’ birth, a firstborn male child must be presented in the Temple after forty days.  This is similar to the baby dedication that we do at Gospel Light today.

    During this ceremony, the parents must present two offerings to the Temple priests for offerings, according to Leviticus 12. Luke chapter 2 tells us that Mary and Joseph took the option offered to poor people – offering two young pigeons or turtledoves.

    When they entered the Temple, the family  met a man named Simeon.  This man had been patiently waiting for the coming of the “Consolation of Israel” – in other words, the Savior.  At some time in his life, he had been visited by the Holy Spirit, and told that he would not die until he saw the Savior with his own eyes.  When he laid his eyes on Jesus, he knew that God had kept His promise.  He took the child and prayed to God, thanking Him, and saying he was “ready to depart” now that he had seen the Christ.

    While the family was probably still reeling from this, they came across an eighty-four year-old woman named Anna.  Anna never left the Temple.  She stayed there day and night, praying and fasting and serving God.  When she saw the baby Jesus, she also knew right away, and told everyone there who he was.

    So we see that God honors perseverance.   Simeon and Anna never gave up their hope that God would send Salvation to Israel.  And because of that, God showed them the joy of the Christ, rewarding them with special knowledge of His plan.  Isn’t that amazing?

    For Parents:

    Christmas Cantata 2010 – More Than Just Singing

    December 1, 2010

    This year’s Christmas Cantata is going to be something special.   Yes, we are going to have the usual singing, music, drama and fellowship that accompanies the event every year.  But this year, we are doing something more.

    KidzPort has gotten together with Transformers Student Ministries – GLCC’s youth ministry – to take the church outside the walls this Christmas.  We are supporting the Bridgeport Rescue Mission – a faith-based organization that provides food, clothing, shelter, job training and discipleship for the poor in our community.

    To support BRM, we will be collecting warm socks, towels, flipflops and winter boots.  They can be donated for men, women or children.  There will be a collection point in the GLCC lobby from December 4 through the 19th, where these items can be dropped off.  Also, the Transformers will be available to pick up items from anyone in the area who cannot make it down to the church.  Just give us a call at 203-368-6591, or email Pastor Mike.

    We hope you you will attend Love Came Down on Saturday, December 18th.  We open the doors at 6:30, at Gospel Light Community Church, 222 Charles Street in Bridgeport.  We can’t wait to see you!

    Cell November 17 – ‘fraidy cat!

    November 19, 2010

    There are a lot of things that scare us, especially children.  Many kids go through being scared of the dark, of their closet, of what’s under the bed, of big dogs and strange people.  Even us adults have our fears.  Some are afraid of heights, of drowning, even of string!  (Really, it’s called linonophobia)

    Fears can generally be grouped into some major catagories:

    1. Phobias – this is any fear of things or situations; fear of trees, or snakes or drowning, or pain.  Most of this things are real and tangible, although some are not.  (Like being scared of the bogyman.)
    2. Fear of Rejection – ?is being afraid that you won’t be accepted, or that people won’t like you because of who you are. Believe it or not, many times the “class clown” has a deep fear of rejection.  We often won’t share the Gospel because of this.
    3. Fear of Other People’s Opinion – closely related is the fear of what others think of you.  A lot of times we are afraid to admit we are Christians because of this one.
    4. Fear of Failure – this is a very personal one.  Sometimes we set goals for ourselves, and only we know it.  But other times, we won’t even do that, because we are afraid of disappointing ourselves.  But remember, you fail at everything you don’t try!!
    5. Fear of Death – We fear death naturally, because the world would have us believe that death is the end.  But as Christians, we know that we need not fear death, because in Christ, we will live forever!
    6. Fear of Poverty – this is basically fear that we will lose something.  Our possessions, our status, our money, our friends, our family.  This can be a very powerful fear, but remember that God promises he will never leave us or forsake us, or leave His seed begging for bread.  God provides all our needs!!

    So how do we fight these fears?  By relying on God’s word:

    There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  - 1 John 4:18

    So we know that God’s love can keep us from having to be afraid of things.  And if we trust in God’s perfect love, that love will give us courage to cast out fear.

    For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.  - 2 Tim 1:7

    Fear does not come from God; it is a lie of the devil!   What God gives us is power – power to cast out fear in Jesus’ name.  Power to trust and love God.

    For Parents:

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