Man on the Street Asks What Does God Want?

Our Man on the Streets video team stopped by a recent Kidstuf performance to ask the kids there one question: What Does God Want?

The video was shown on Sunday, the first week of the sermon series What God Really Wants.

Giving makes Christmas special

The rest of our gifts for the Christmas Giving Tree came in on Sunday. A total of 205 gifts were collected this year for Faith Friendship Villa, local Head Start programs and local families in need. The photo above is of the card on one of the gifts under the tree.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas

P.S. Giveing things to you made my Christmas very specil and it made my day awsome.

Créche pieces a 27-year tradition

Volunteers wrap the créche nativity set pieces in the Spirit Cafe

Twenty-seven years ago Laura Richards came back from a visit to her home church wanting to give out créche pieces similar to the ones her niece and nephew had received that year.

Nearly three decades later our own créche piece ministry has become a tradition generations of children and parents have looked forward to every year.

Fired in our kiln in the basement and prepared in the months leading up to December, children in each age level through sixth grade receive one piece of the nativity set in early December.

“Each year I see Lynn (Kurjiaka) place so many pieces on the tables in the Spirit Cafe, I think of the joy each child will have as they create their own Nativity set,” Laura Richards said. “What a legacy for our church to have been a part of these children’s memories of the Christ child and that first Christmas dawn.”

Kurjiaka, the preschool Kids Konnection coordinator, said the months of preparation and repeated trips down the steps to the kiln in the church basement to fire the pieces is worth it when she sees how excited the kids are to get their pieces each year.

“There isn’t a whole lot you can buy at the store this time of year that has anything to do with Jesus,” Kurjiaka said on the Saturday morning when a team of volunteers was helping to wrap the 305 pieces. “This is a gift we can give them that teaches them the true meaning of the season.”

The 2-year-old class receives the baby Jesus and each year a different piece is added until they complete the set with the king with the vase and the stable. For the past few years Tod Dohl has donated the wood and made the stables for the sixth graders. New or replacements for missing or broken pieces are available for $2 each.

“I know it’s a LOT of work but it has been very meaningful to our family,” said Chris Beiler. “Last week we were decorating Aiden’s room for Christmas and he was very excited when we unwrapped the créche pieces. He set it up himself and put the nativity front and center on his armoire.”

As evidenced by the wrapping of the pieces alone – a project that took a team of 15 volunteers a couple hours to do – an incredible amount of preparation, leg work and love goes into keeping this tradition going.

“What an affirmation of God’s faithfulness when we are sharing His love in this way,” Laura said.

Kidstuf Christmas Special | Dec. 7

Don’t miss the Kidstuf Christmas Special, Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 6:30 p.m. in the MPR. It’s your last chance to see the Kidstuf crew in 2011.